In most parts of Australia it would buy you a pretty decent house, also known as The Great Australian Dream. But for many Australians, their dreams are different. They want the ultimate car. And in 2019, the ultimate car will cost you $729, 930 (*Not a printing error) So why?
Put simply, the MOTOR PERFORMANCE CAR OF THE YEAR is the stuff of dreams. And this year that ultimate dream comes in the form of the Porsche 911 GT2 RS – clearly the most expensive winner ever - which left a hardened panel of judges (including a two-time Bathurst winner) quite simply gobsmacked.
"It is the most exciting car I've ever driven, and I don't say that lightly," notes MOTOR editor Dylan Campbell. "Let's face it, dreams are often out of reach, maybe for most of us, but if they inspire us and give us something to aspire to, that's surely a positive thing. And our winner is utterly breathtaking.
"If you can afford it, good luck to you. But having a fabulous performance car is not necessarily about lifestyles of the rich and famous either. Last year's winner cost just $51K, and this year saw the Hyundai i30N outpoint the likes of Mercedes, Mustang and Camaro. So there are plenty of choices to keep dreaming the dream."
THE STUFF OF DREAMS
- Porsche has dominated the Performance Car of the Year Award, since its introduction in 1996, winning 14 out of 23 times. The Porsche 911 GT2 RS is by far the most expensive winner of the award ever (by a margin of more than a quarter of a million dollars over the next priciest victor!).
- 11 of the hottest new performance cars released onto the market during the past year were tested at South Australia's extraordinary new racetrack/testing venue The Bend. Vehicles were tested by a panel of experts, including a Bathurst winner, across five days and a combined 10,000 kilometres.
- Cars are not judged against each other, but against a criteria that includes factors such as performance, dynamics, accessibility (driver feedback response and driver setting options), liveability (comfort and practicalities), relative value, and the all-important X-Factor.
| 1996 |
Porsche 993 Turbo |
2007 |
Porsche 997 GT3 |
| 1997 |
BMW E36 M3 |
2008 |
Porsche 997 GT2 |
| 1998 |
Porsche Boxster |
2009 |
Audi R8 V10 / Nissan GTR |
| 1999 |
Porsche 996 Carrera |
2010 |
Porsche 997.2 GT3 RS |
| 2000 |
Porsche Boxster S |
2011 |
Nissan GT-R |
| 2001 |
Nissan S15 200SX |
2012 |
Porsche 991 Carrera S |
| 2002 |
BMW E46 M3 |
2013 |
Audi R8 V10 Plus |
| 2003 |
Porsche Boxster S |
2014 |
Porsche 991 Turbo |
| 2004 |
Lamborghini Gallardo |
*2016 |
Porsche 911 GT3 |
| 2005 |
Porsche 997 Carrera S |
2017 |
Porsche 911 Turbo S |
| 2006 |
Audi B7 RS4 |
2018 |
Honda Civic Type R |
2019 PORSCHE 911 GT2 RS
*Note, the Performance Car of the Year is now referenced to the year of the winner's reign (rather than the year of its arrival on the market) hence the skip in the list above from 2014 to 2016.
*The MOTOR Performance Car of the Year trophy has been presented as part of the Australian Motoring Awards. These awards also saw the crowning of the Wheels Car of the Year, 4X4 of the Year and WhichCar Style Award.
INTERVIEWS
MOTOR editor Dylan Campbell 0409 076 230 or email dylan.campbell@bauerxcelmedia.com.au