Autocar unveils list of the year's best cars

The best new cars of 2011 have been revealed in Autocar's Long-term Test Car Awards, with the Porsche Cayman scooping the gong for the best long-termer for B-road thrash - which may tempt car leasing customers.

Autocar's Matt Prior described the motor as "one of the best legal mood-enhancers money can buy", while the BMW 520d Touring was named as the best long-termer for family life.

Jim Holder, editor of the magazine - the oldest car-related title in the world - noted that the test car fleet in 2011 was more varied than ever before, with the most expensive motor in the magazine's history, the Mercedes SLS, being put through its paces alongside mass market vehicles like the Ford Focus and the Seat Leon.

"It has taken the team a lot of deliberation to select our winners," he remarked.

This comes after What Car? Revealed the motors fighting it out for the Car of the Year Awards, including the Audi A5, Fiat 500 and the Hyundai i10.