Autocar's top 10 videos of 2015

As 2015 draws to a close, now is the time to take a look back at what has been a packed year of videos on Autocar.

Thousands of viewers have watched hours video of the world's fastest, rarest and most powerful cars on our Youtube channel. We've selected 10 of our favourite videos below. Is yours on the list?

1 - New 380bhp Porsche Cayman GT4 tested to the limit

“My suspicion is that it’s going to be outstanding,” said Matt Prior minutes before testing the 380bhp Porsche Cayman GT4 on both road and track to find out if it measured up to expectations. 

The Cayman has long been frustratingly undermined by Stuttgart’s refusal to make it anything but inferior to the Porsche 911, but finally Porsche has relented. The result is a Cayman that is capable of sprinting from 0-62mph in just 4.4sec - 0.2sec faster than the 911 Carrera. Production numbers are limited to a few hundred, so Matt’s experience is the best look you’ll get if you’re not one of those lucky few owners.

2 - Honda Civic Type R – first drive

It’s been a long time coming, but the Honda Civic Type R has arrived, and Matt Prior is behind the wheel. Billed by Honda as "the most extreme Type R ever", the new hot hatch sports an outrageous appearance and is powered by a 306bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. It's Honda's entry into the latest hot hatchback war and it takes on the mighty new Ford Focus RS.

So how good is the new Type R? Matt Prior is at the Slovakiaring to find out.

3 - Land Rover Defender vs the Atlantic Ocean – and the car wins (just)

Over its 67-year production run, nothing has come close to overcoming the Land Rover Defender, and only now is the Land Rover legend nearing retirement, with a cleaner, safer replacement lined up for 2018. To test just what the Defender can cope with, Richard Webber took a 20-year-old, 216,000-mile example to the Outer Hebrides, fording the Atlantic Ocean for a risky trip over to the country's westernmost islands.

With only the aid of a snorkel to stop the M-reg Defender from succumbing to the sea, the car wades through water more than 1.2m deep, demonstrating why it has become such a motoring icon.

4 - 577bhp Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupé driven

The fact that the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupé is a 2.3-tonne, 577bhp, 5.5-litre V8-engined SUV capable of 0-62mph in 4.2sec seems to be a dividing one: people either adore it or hate it for its outlandishness.

At £100,000, the GLE 63 S Coupé faces stiff competition from the BMW X6 M, Porsche Cayenne Turbo and Range Rover Sport SVR, and in a class dominated by extremes, the Mercedes needs to impress to really stand out. Vicky Parrott delivers the all-important first verdict.

5 - New Volvo XC90 driven – first verdict on Volvo’s make-or-break car

2015 was a vital year for Volvo: the release of the all-new XC90 would either make or break the Swedish manufacturer under its new Geely ownership. As the torch-bearer for the next generation of Volvos, the pressure on the XC90 to ignite a new wave of success for Volvo is considerable. The platform on which it is built will underpin the entire range, which is expected to roll out over the next few years.