German Car Zone

Of course .

The other cars I would consider from this decade for being significant: CLS, Cayenne, GTR and X6.

For me... The e65 for sure. The Prius too. Maybe the Mini (in Europe). The CLS, but it's still too fresh. Maybe the ML, or even more the Escalade (in the States). The smart, too, clearly.

Well, it is hard to be objective and correct in the same time here..

I think most of the car fans will remember supercars and sport cars as the real icons - such as McLaren F1 was in 90s, Ferrari Testarossa in 80s or Lamborghini Miura in 60s.

However I don't think it will be so in this decade for the traditional understanding of what car is, is being changed nowadays with Mercedes CLS, BMW X6 and with inevitable new technologies.

So my vote goes to:

Mercedes-Benz CLS - 4 door coupe

BMW X6 - pioneer and most likely the starter of a new design era

Rolls Royce Phantom - car with big influence on pop culture, symbol of wealth in all the whole world

Mercedes S-Class - quality and presence on the higher level, iconic car

Mini Cooper - very recognisable car, big image, nice looking

Ferrari F430 Scuderia - closest to F1, one of the best track cars

BMW E65 7 Series - well, revolutionary design and everything else

Pagani Zonda F - 'the state of art' car of the decade

Tesla Roadster - as possible inspiration for future mass produced electric cars

I'll eventually add more if I remember..

Although it was first launched in 1997, the Smart Fortwo is certainly iconic:

The CLS aye?

...Hmm, well it is a great car no doubt about it ...but the most iconic of the first decade of the 21st century? ...not so sure about that.

I'm trying to imagine 20 years from now, which car is emblematic of the time?
I guess this encompasses a lot of different things: technically, aesthetically, and sociologically.

So far the Prius seems to capture a lot of the political, ecological, and social concerns of our time ...but is the car itself 'iconic' or just a footnote in automotive history? ...I mean, the Smart and VW Beetle have more cult status.

...This is tougher than I first thought it would be.

I also tought about the Smart ... It is Iconic ...

--- So The Most Iconic Car Of The Decade:
I hate them but maybe it's going to be

TESLA

Mercedes ML: Although MB's worst plague the frist generation ML marked the begingin of what we know as SUV. Ten years later and pretty much ever single manufacturer who doesn't even have any history in offroading has an SUV in their lineup. Without a doubt one of the most pioneering cars.

Maybach: How to revive a classic the wrong way.

Mini Cooper: How to revive a classic and doing the job properly without diluting the car with non-sense DNA from the parent company.

CGT: Performance perfection

Mercedes CLS: First four door that people bought not because it's has four doors but because it's damn sexy. Marked the start of coupe shaped four door cars which has resulted in cars like the Panamera, XF, X6, Rapide, A7, Passat CC and many more to follow.


7-series E65: Very ugly but definitely has it's place in the history books.

Smart: The car of the dot com era.

Veyron: Money no object. Most expensive car ever with unrivaled speed. The Concorde of automobiles.

Toyota Prius: Hybrid to the masses.

Audi R8: How to defy the laws of physics. The R8 weighs more than some of it's competitors, is under powered but still achieves breathtaking results.

BMW Z4: One of the most revolutionizing designs this century.

SLR: When it came out it hit like a asteroid. Despite it's somewhat lackluster racing capabilities it's designs is probably the most bold and iconic of this century. MB showed that super cars don't have to be rocket fast around a track for people to buy them. Drop dead gorgeous looks are enough to sell a car, and 5 years after launch it still stands out in traffic more than many other cars. Sales have exceeded the number of units super cars have the capabilities of selling.

Nissan Fiat: No need for discussion, this is the WORST designed car EVER.

^ It is totally fantastic Artist ...but has its impact been significant enough for it to be considered THE icon of early 21st century motoring?

..........maybe it has


...but it is probably more likely that the Prius has been more significant.


Maybe we need to find some clearer definitions for this topic.

We could have some separate categories.

^ Isn't the Multipla a Fiat Luw?