italiaspeed.com

The retro-inspired Fiat 500 has been named sexiest car of 2008 by the readers of evecars.com, the women's car-buying website jointly run by the UK’s fastest growing woman’s magazine and the leading consumer car magazine What Car?

The good-looking supermini is perfect for a city shopping trip, a weekend in the country or doing the school run in style. What’s more, with prices starting at just over £8000 and purse-friendly running costs it won't break the bank either.

“The Fiat 500 is a great-looking supermini inside and out, and is perfect for a city shopping trip, a weekend in the country or doing the school run in style. What’s more, with purse-friendly running costs it won't break the bank,” says evecars.com editor Alex Jenner-Fust.

British-built cars took second and third places in the 'sexiest car' category: the glamorous Jaguar XF executive car was a hit with 21% of readers while the Mini Clubman – the estate version of the ever-popular small car – took 19% of the vote.

There's some competition for both the Mini and Fiat 500 on the horizon, in the shape of the stylish Alfa Romeo MiTo, which goes on sale in January. And women have their eyes on the car already, with almost 50% of respondents putting it top of their Christmas list, above the Volkswagen Scirocco, new Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Insignia.

Car advertising can cost millions of pounds, so manufactures have to think of innovative ways to publicise their cars. We asked readers which car promotions had caught their eyes this year. Top spot went to the Fiat 500's dramatic launch in the London Eye. In joint second place were the on-screen performances from the Audi Quattro, DCI Gene Hunt's car in the BBC drama Ashes to Ashes and the Mercedes-Benz cars which featured in 2008 box office hit Sex and the City. Honda's live skydive advertisement took fourth place.