1. The DeLorean.  I hope I'm not alone in this, and I'm sure I'm probably not.  These stainless steel beauties had a brief burst of fame thanks largely to their creator's legal woes - but would likely be a footnote in car history if not for the 1985 film Back to the Future.  There, Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd converted a sleek, gull-winged DeLorean into a time machine which propelled them to the 50's, the old west, and now the (now not-so-distant) future.  DeLoreans are now essentially synonymous with the film, and the DeLorean Motor Company which until recently dealt only in parts for the old models, are planning an all new, all electric version of the classic car, which I covered here in the past.  I came very close to buying one of these in the past, but the price tag and some quality conditions kept me at bay.  Still sometimes I wish I'd just done it - if only to crank up Huey Lewis' "The Power of Love" and cruise around town from time to time.  DeLorean, be my valentine?

2. The Mazda Miata.  This car may have been my first love.  Now known as the MX-5 (as it has always been known in Europe), the classic roadster was known simply as the Miata in the US until 2006.  These guys are small, sleek, and stylish, and they're just about everything I love in a car.  I test-drove a Miata once just to drive one - I wasn't in a postition to buy one, but I was determined to get behind the wheel of one.  The newer models have a slightly different silhouette that doesn't quite appeal to me as much, but the second generation Miatas of the late 90's and early 2000's still make me squee whenever I see one.  I'm a sucker for nostalgia.  This car is a fixture on my "I will own one of these someday" list, when I can afford to throw practicality to the wind and buy a car to just have fun in.  You never forget your first love.  Oh, Miata, won't you be my valentine?

3. The Tesla Roadster.  So if you can't tell, I'm a sucker for a roadster.  I'm also a sucker for electric cars, and had a pretty hard time not including the Nissan Leaf or Wheego Whip LiFe on the list, even though those are certainly car-crushes.  But no, I decided to focus on pure fantasy for this list.  The Leaf and Wheego cars are adorable, practical, and generally affordable - the Tesla Roadster on the other hand, is the automotive equivalent of a celebrity crush for me.  Take your Porches and Ferraris, and give me Tesla.  Ignoring for the moment that it's named for Nikola Tesla who is one of my nerd-crushes (yeah, I'm like that), this thing is an all electric, high performance, convertible sports car.  With a price tag just north of $100k us, it's definitely a dream car, and don't let the electric lithium-ion power cells fool you.  This thing outperforms many electrics on driving distance, going 240 miles on a single charge, and hits 0-60 in 3.7 seconds to boot.  This car isn't love, this car is pure infatuation.  Still - give me one date with this bad boy.  Just one.  That's not too much to ask, is it?  Psst, Tesla.  Call me?  I'll be your valentine.