In pictures: Cars to fall in love with

Take a hand-finished fibre-glass body, an aluminium chassis and a great engine, and you have one of the finest driving machines on the planet.

And when you add in the lightweight Lotus Elise’s gorgeous, svelte figure – you have a match made in performance car heaven.

Capable of 0-60mph in less than six seconds, the Lotus Elise’s dizzying performance and handling is enough to keep you wanting more…

Check out the special edition Lotus Exige Sprint

Daihatsu Materia

Be sure to stand out on Valentine's Day with this – the striking Daihatsu Materia.

This Japanese compact MPV is inexpensive, has acres of space inside, a decent range of engines – and looks like nothing else on the road.

We drive the Daihatsu Materia

Vauxhall Astra VXR

The mad-hatch from Luton has become infamous for its phenomenal power output – 240bhp from a turbocharged 2-litre engine, all channelled through the front wheels.

But never mind the horsepower – just look at the car. It’s arguably one of the sexiest hot-hatches ever made.

And with Vauxhall Astra VXR prices starting at under £20,000, sexy just got more affordable…

Check out the hot new Vauxhall Astra VXR special edition

Fiat 500

The cutesy 500 has captured the public’s imagination like no other – simply put, it is one of the sexiest small cars on sale today.

The dinky Fiat 500 – which shot to fame in the 1950s – has been reinvigorated for 2008.

But Fiat has wisely left the bodyshape alone.

With an appeal spanning age and gender, the funky new Fiat 500 brings Italian flair and a big heart for under ten grand.

The new Fiat 500 launches in the London Eye

Smart Fortwo

The clue’s in the name – for two?

The micro Smart shot to fame and is now a regular site on British roads, thanks to its dinky size, effortless drive and good build quality.

And what better way to get intimate with the love of your life than in one of the cosiest cabins?

We drive the Smart Fortwo

Ford Mustang Fastback

Take one brooding actor, one iconic muscle car and one beautiful backdrop – together they make the hottest car chase in movie history.

Steve McQueen jumped behind the wheel of the super-cool Mustang in 1968’s Bullitt.

The 1968 ‘Stang was powered by a 6.4-litre V8 engine churning out 240bhp – with more than enough pulling power to impress on Valentine's Day.

It produced an eye-watering 400lb/ft, making it fast enough to get from 0-hot in under ten seconds…

Read more on classic Amercian muscle cars

Launch our slide show of the cars to fall in love with

Mini

Driven by royalty, popstars and the woman down the street, the original Mini shot to fame as the definitive car of the late 50s and 60s.

Its cute, simple styling and no-nonsense motoring was coupled to a star-studded owners list, including Enzo Ferrari and John Lennon.

We drive the new Mini Clubman

Caterham Seven

Adrenaline is an aphrodisiac – take a simple, tubular-steel chassis and plant in a monster engine, and you have the ultimate driving machine.

The Caterham Seven – originally built by Lotus – is an uncompromising, no-nonsense track-day speedster with enough performance to humble supercars – some are capable of accelerating from 0-60mph in just three seconds.

Look at the Wheels on That: Lotus Seven

Jaguar E-Type

When the most famous Italian carmaker in the world declares this as ‘the most beautiful car ever made’, you’re onto a winner.

Enzo Ferrari was a fan of the Jaguar E-Type, which was later fitted with a massive 4.2-litre six-cylinder engine and was one of the most advanced sportscars of its day.

Jaguar builds its first hot new XF saloon

Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

It’s powered by a Ferrari-built 4.7-litre V8 engine producing 450bhp.

It accelerates from 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds and has a top speed of 181mph.

It’s one of the world’s rarest supercars with just 500 being built – but you won’t care about any of those stats when you cast your eyes over arguably the most beautiful car to emerge from the 21st century.

Check out the Alfa 8C Competizione for sale on Auto Trader

Ferrari 250 Spyder

Designer Scaglietti chopped the roof from the standard Ferrari 250 coupe and ushered in this topless Italian beauty.

Featuring aluminium and a race engine developing 240bhp, the Ferrari 250 Spyder found fame in 1986 comedy hit Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, starring Matthew Broderick.

Slide show: Ferrari's birthday

Mercedes 300SL ‘Gullwing’

The stunning Mercedes 300SL ‘Gullwing’ was a product of the 1950s – and to this day is one of the sexiest cars on earth.

A supercar of its time, the 300SL was the first road-car to feature fuel-injection and was powered by a lusty 3-litre six-cylinder engine, with enough pulling power to reach a top speed of 161mph.

But the sexy SL will appeal more to your heart than your head – the famous upwards-opening doors, sultry shape and Mercedes badge make this a bona-fide supermodel.

Read the history of the supercar

Aston Martin DBS

James Bond’s company car is one of the sexiest Aston Martins to roll off the production line.

But the 2-tonne 6-litre V12 beauty did some rolling of its own when it was spun through the air seven times during filming for 2006’s 007 adventure Casino Royale – earning it a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Producing 510bhp and 420lb/ft of pulling power, the gorgeous Aston Martin DBS is sure to leave you shaken and stirred…

The new James Bond film - Quantum of Solace - will feature the stunning Aston Martin DBS

Maserati GT

The latest sportscar to come from the Italian carmaker is this – the Maserati Gran Turismo.

A coupe version of its stunning Quattroporte saloon, the new Maserati sports a 4.7-litre Ferrari V8 engine and has near perfect weight distribution for outstanding handling – perfect for winding through those twisty village roads with your partner.

Maserati reveals the new Gran Turismo

Lamborghini Gallardo

The Gallardo is the Murcielago’s baby brother – but there’s nothing baby about its performance.

Powered by a 5-litre V10 engine developing over 500bhp, the Lamborghini Gallardo – named after a famous breed of fighting bull – is one of the prettiest Lambos to date.

Read more on the Lamborghini Gallardo's British GT Championship debut

Launch our slide show of the cars to fall in love with

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