These Are Your Favorite Big Luxury Coupes

Earlier this week I spent some time thinking about my favorite big luxury coupes, following the reveal of the absurdly good Mercedes-Benz Vision Iconic concept. While it was hard to narrow it down to just one favorite, I landed on the Bentley Brooklands. Mainly I love the Brooklands for its imposing style and enormous size, but also for its rarity and ability to destroy a set of tires. I then posed the question to our readers: What’s your favorite big luxury coupe, and why?

And I’ve gotta say, good work, everyone. You all had some great suggestions, many of which are some of my personal favorites as well. Some of your picks brought on debate in the comments section about what counts as “big” and “luxury,” and we always appreciate a healthy debate. But as always, I am the arbiter of truth and reality here, so I’m deciding for myself what deserves to be included. The Lexus SC 400, which a few people mentioned? It may not be that big, but I’m allowing it. Without further ado, these are the Jalopnik audience’s favorite big luxury coupes.

Lexus SC400.

Lexus SC400 still hard to beat. Current manufacturing has all but stopped trying to catch up to it and decided to right-turn into “big and blocky like an SUV”

Submitted by: Minivanman, DungBeetle62

They said BIG & LUXURY

-Gone In 59 Seconds

It’s big, heavy, smooth, has soft heated seats and power everything, plus the Nakamichi audio. What are you looking for?

-Winter Cat

Like I said, I’m letting this one slide — the original SC is just too cool not to.

Mercedes CL65. For when you have way more money than friends. 

I got to drive some of these when they were new. Some probably prefer the V12, but I love that supercharged V8 so much. Thing would scoot and be stable at triple digit speeds.

W215 Mercedes CL Class, yes that is my pick as well. I may be biased because I own a CL500, but this CL55 is definitely the ultimate version of this car that I wish I had.

I remember my first two sightings almost like my first on-screen crush — that split second when a naked body appears and your brain short-circuits. Both times, I was being chauffeured (okay, carpooled) around by my parents in a minivan or a Chevy Tahoe, too young to drive, too broke to have taste, but suddenly, hopelessly dumbstruck by modern elegance.

This wasn’t one of the loud, obnoxious beasts I’d fallen for in Fast and Furious marathons; this was something else entirely. A car for people who whispered their wealth instead of shouting it. For those who preferred soft leather to neon lights, quiet power to revved-up chaos.

It wasn’t a Rolls or a Bentley—those were too showy, too desperate to be noticed. No, this was confidence with its sleeves rolled up.

The third-generation Mercedes-Benz CL (C216).

And now, years later, I realize most of them have been treated like garbage — their interiors smelling faintly of vape juice and regret. But now, on the off chance that I see a clean example, the blood comes rushing back

Submitted by: Alphonze Mephesto, Fiji ST, Jonathan Vaughan, Andrew Jimenez

The third-generation CL is my favorite, but I love the second-gen cars too.

59 caddy Eldorado. Just spectacularly gigantic and striking. A living room with two doors and fins, you cant go wrong

Look at this thing of beauty. A fine choice at 225in. Well done.

Submitted by: JaredOfLondon, Daryl Grummitt

Simply one of the greatest car designs of all time.

The Rolls-Royce Spectre. If electric vehicles are well-suited for any one brand, it’s Rolls-Royce. The buyers have the money, and the electric powertrain provides the smooth, effortless experience Rolls-Royce is known for. In addition, range isn’t much of an issue, since any further than the ‘burbs, and you’re taking your private jet anyways.

Rolls Royce Spectre. Throttle House’s review sold me on something I’ll never afford when they parked right next to a band playing on the sidewalk just feet from the car and demonstrated the sound deadening with windows down and windows up. A man can dream.

Submitted by: DynamicPresence, Ryan Brenn

I think the Spectre has a good shot at being the best car currently on sale, full stop. But I don’t think it’s big enough.

I’m going with vintage and a little different … 1959-1961 Facel Vega HK500, Chrysler 383, 147 mph.

Submitted by: Michael Rosenfeld

I adore Facel Vegas.

For looks, I’m going to have to go with the Continental GT, in green. Might not be the most reliable bunch, but my lord is it pretty. just has so much presence on the road without it being too shouty in appearance. It looks good…because it looks good.

I’m going with the Bentley Continental GT. I think Bentley beats out Rolls in the coupe department. I’m aware it’s not all about speed(and power) but the Bentley has this, “I maybe old money but I’m still quick, now..” air to it versus the Rolls Royce’s almost comical luxuriousness. It just looks silly going fast.

Submitted by: Agon Targeryan, Marcus C

Another fantastic pillarless coupe. It’s impossible to overstate just how good this current generation of Bentleys are.

1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst. One of the last true highway whales, pure distilled Americana, and it looks wonderful.

Submitted by: Ryan Kudebeh

These are so cool.

If I’m not going for a proper grand tourer, I have always wanted a Lincoln Mark VIII.

As a 90’s teen, I like the of-its-time exterior styling. I still think it looks sharp. Then add plush leather seats and a really well-designed interior that sweeps the door panels to the front dash, similar to the NSX.

I concur with the Lincoln Mark VIII. The Lincoln Mark VIIII as well. A gentleman’s Mustang GT. I came close to buying a Mark VIII but went for a MN-12 95 Thunderbird LX with the 4.6 modular engine.

Submitted by: Karl F, Merill Frank

Don’t forget the neon taillights!

For looks, I’d take a Continental T over the Brooklands any day, and arguably, the Continental SC (Sedanca Coupé) looks even better still, although you could argue it’s a bit of a cheat.

Submitted by: Matt R

I think this generation is aging really well. And they’re getting cheap…

1965 Riviera Gran Sport. Style and torque for days

I’ve always loved the 1971 – 1973 Buick Rivieras.

Submitted by: Green_Meanie, Very Stable Genius

Buick made some really wacky Riviera designs over the years.

Mercedes S Class coupe. A 1980s 500 SEC model was actually the first car that I ever drove (illegally) back in 1995. It was my friend’s parents car. So cool! No license, but I felt like James Bond!

Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC 5.6 AMG ‘Wide Body’ was everything that a big coupe needed to be an AMG.

Submitted by: Pabst 302, potbellyjoe

Yupppppp.

80s/90s Lincoln MkVII had a wonderfully solid presence on the road. Something about the arch/sidewall/wheel ratio really made it look grounded to the ground. 🙂

Plus the fun of the first (?) US air suspension, and the HO V8 in the LSC. A few were even made with a BMW turbodiesel straight six.

GM made a rather disastrous foray into air suspension in 1958-59. Lotsa leaks, lotsa cars converted back to steel springs — which, IIRC, often happened to the Lincoln air suspension that came along 25 years later.

Submitted by: Irl Sanders IV, Matt Donner

I like these a lot.

Give me a Swiss V8. Monteverdi High Speed.

Submitted by: Giantsgiants

One of the best car names of all time. “What kind of car do you drive?” “Oh, I’ve got a High Speed.”

Maybach Exelero. That car is a statement.

Submitted by: JohnnyWasASchoolBoy

Normally I wouldn’t include a one-off concept in an AOTD like this, but the Exelero is so spectacular that I simply must. (I think someone does actually own it now, too, and it is drivable!)

1996-2000 GMC Yukon 2-Door, last four years of the venerable GMT-400 platform when they installed the unkillable Vortec 5300 small-block. Hear me out:

Big: Duh

Luxury: It’s a GMC, not some plebeian Chevy. It’s equipped with a big, powerful V-8. Also, have you sat in the seats from this generation? Talk about cushy.

Coupe: It has TWO DOORS.

This is my pick. Fight me.

Submitted by: LarriveeC05

I’ll allow it.