It’s true that there is subjectivity in beauty, but in the world of automobiles, that’s less likely to manifest itself because the cream always rises to the top. The most beautiful cars today don’t need to let the world know they’re beautiful. They just are. That’s why when we’re discussing which of today’s cars look the best, the same models find their way into the conversation. There will be some debates, sure, but for the most part, those debates typically are about determining if a car looks awesome or super awesome. Compiling a list of the ten most beautiful cars today was difficult because there were too many options to consider. In the end, I got through my list of 10 models that can take my money just by looking at them.

Porsche 911

The Porsche 911 is the automotive equivalent of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. There’s a reason why in the 50-plus years it’s been around, the 911’s design hasn’t changed the way other models have in that time. Sure, it’s grown larger in recent years and has become more upscale in its presentation, but the iconic curves and bulbous shapes that defined the original 911 has remained all these years. There may be cars that look sexier or are more provocative, but when it comes down to it, the Porsche 911 is in a league of its own. No one’s touching it, and no one should. Doing so could incite an automotive riot the industry's never seen.

Read our full review on the 2017 Porsche 911.

Volvo S60

Sometimes, only one design change can turn an ugly duckling into the belle of the ball. Volvo proved as much when it introduced the "Thor’s Hammer" headlamps in its current generation lineup. The Volvo S60 is one of the recipients of the new lights design, and the design improvement from its previous generation version is astounding. There’s no comparison at all. Granted, the previous-generation model played a huge role in changing public perception of Volvo’s automotive design skills. At the very least, the last S60 showed that Volvo could design a car with appealing curves. But the new S60 takes it to another level. It’s sleeker, sexier, and those Thor headlamps are to die for. I’m calling it: the S60 is the best-looking luxury sedan on the market today. And you know what’s the best part? I could say the same for S90, V60, V90, XC60, and XC90. And it’s all because of those new headlamps.

Read our full review on the 2019 Volvo S60.

Mercedes S-Class Coupe

The level of competition in the luxury segment is cutthroat, to say the least. If you don’t have a car that can excite the senses, you’re toast. Fortunately, Mercedes-Benz knows a thing or two about designing evocative luxury models, and all that is on full display with the S-Class Coupe. As a sports-luxury model, the S-Class Coupe successfully balances the aggressiveness of a sports car with the refined grace of a luxury car. The hood looks longer than it is and the pervasive tapering-arc design brings out the kind of graceful aesthetic that you don’t often see in the business anymore. And those body lines? Using body lines is a tricky exercise, but Mercedes managed to put hit the lines of the S-Class Coupe right where they should be. Those lines give the S-Class Coupe a nuanced look that fits exactly what a luxury coupé should look like.

Read our full review on the 2018 Mercedes S-Class Coupe.

Alfa Romeo 4C

The Alfa Romeo 4C is a perfect example of a car that makes you stop dead in your tracks when you see it. Granted, Alfa doesn’t have a reputation for building attractive models, but it hit a moon shot with the 4C. Forget about its size for a second and focus on what Alfa was able to do with that size. The 4C sparkles with its combination of striking curves, taut lines, and all-around profile The V-shaped hood that extends all the way to the front bumper is a design masterpiece. Combine that with a body that shapes well in the right places, and you have a small sports car that can latch on to your dreams. Trust me; I’ve probably had more dreams of driving the 4C on some gorgeous road in Northern Italy more than any other car on this list.

Read our full review on the 2014 Alfa Romeo 4C.

Lexus NX

The SUV segment is inundated with models coming from all directions. How do you stand out from that seemingly endless pack? You design an SUV that straddles the line of design convention. The Lexus NX is a good example of that. I was blown away by the in-your-face edginess of the NX Concept that Lexus previewed years before launching the production model. It looked like a Decepticon, and it was a sight to behold. Granted, the production model looks a lot tamer than the concept, but it still carried some of the most profound design elements of the concept, including the massive spindle grille, the sharp headlamps, and the boomerang LED lamps. I know some people thought it looked too aggressive for its own good, but it’s precisely that intoxicating aggressiveness that makes the SUV stand out. Put it this way: string up today’s SUVs and line them all up together and, more often than not, the first one you’ll notice is the Lexus NX.

Read our full driven review on the 2015 Lexus NX.

Range Rover Velar

Land Rover is another example of a car maker that has succeeded in the don’t-fix-it-if-it-isn’t-broken philosophy. For the longest time, the Range Rover’s looks haven’t changed a lot, in part because a lot of us didn’t think it needed any significant changes. Maybe a nip here and a tuck there, but significant changes to its design didn’t happen because it didn’t need to. Then the Range Rover Velar came along, and everything changed. The Velar arrived with a more angular design, and it worked. The front section adopted a sweeping profile that didn’t extend too far to cheapen the iconic Range Rover look. The rest of the body retained the broad-shouldered look that we’ve come to expect from past Range Rovers. Land Rover combined traditional design cues and threw in modern twists in the design of the Range Rover Velar. The result is a breath of fresh air that we didn’t know we were craving for until we saw it.

Read our full review on the 2018 Range Rover Velar.

Aston Martin DB11

Aston Martin is a lot like Porsche in the sense that its models have carried a consistent design no matter the generation. And yet, there’s something different about the way the Aston Martin DB11 looks. It’s an evolved version of Aston Martin’s touch-of-sportiness-touch-of-grace design philosophy, proudly carrying the distinctive Aston Martin look while also pointing to the design future of the brand. Longer, lower, and wider than its predecessor, the DB9, the DB11 retains the classic long hood, short-deck proportions of a traditional Aston Martin and mixes it with modern-day design cues that give it that slender and curvaceous profile. The Aston Martin DB5 remains the standard-bearer for all Aston Martin models in history, in large part because its design has stood the test of time. Soon enough, though, the DB11 is going to join that conversation. There’s no car that best exemplifies the saying ‘arriving in style’ more than the DB11.

Read our full review on the 2017 Aston Martin DB11.

Ford GT

Designing a supercar is trickier than designing, say, a sedan because designers have to take into account the importance of aerodynamics and the physical components that come in establishing that importance. Get a little too obsessed in aerodynamics, and you risk destroying a car’s overall look. We’ve seen it happen over the years — it’s more common in hypercars — but fortunately, the Ford GT managed to stay away from that trap. The truth is that there are few cars on the road today that look as good as the GT. It carries a distinctive supercar styling that instantly makes it recognizable. Ford design chief Moray Callum deserves a lot of credit for that. He was able to create a signature supercar-look for the GT, complete with dramatic cuts and angles, imposing shoulders, and a sweeping profile, all while integrating a number of important aerodynamic bits without compromising the overall look of the GT. They say that the best-looking cars are the ones that you can look at from all angles without blinking because you don’t want to miss out on even the smallest of design details. The GT is that kind of car, and then some.

Read our full review on the 2017 Ford GT.

Kia Stinger

The Kia Stinger is one of the most beautiful cars on the market today, and even writing that down seems like it’s too good to be true. And yet, it is. The Stinger has all the design elements you want to see in a stylish sportback. There’s a confidence in the way the Stinger looks that, quite frankly, I’ve never seen in any Kia model ever. Maybe that’s a big part of its charm, but the Stinger also holds tremendous amounts of design sway because it looks properly good in all the right ways. The massive air intakes and the vented hood are shocking to see on a car with a Kia badge on it. The model is also long, wide, and a bit imposing, qualities that, again, appeared to be foreign to Kia in recent years. Somehow, though, the Korean automaker managed to rid those stereotypes in one model whose looks are about as stunning as the fact that it came completely from out of nowhere. I’m not complaining, though. The world is better with the Kia Stinger in it.

Read our full review on the 2018 Kia Stinger.

Jaguar F-Type

Outside of the Porsche 911, there isn’t one sports car in the business today that I’d rather be caught driving than the Jaguar F-Type. Say what you will about the design of Jag’s previous-generation models — it suffered from its own version of “Volvotitis” — but you can’t say anything about the F-Type. The drop-dead gorgeous coupé is beautiful to its core. From its proportions to its muscular shape and even its emphatic stance, there’s a lot to love about the F-Type’s looks. Throw in the roofline that plunges from both directions and the unmistakable design of the rear haunch, and you have a seriously vexing supercar that could go down as one of the best-looking Jaguars in history. I know that’s no small feat considering that the timeless E-Type is also a part of the family, but give the F-Type some years to age properly, and in about 20 years, we could be looking at it in the same glowing terms.

Read our full review on the 2017 Jaguar F-Type.