Road & Track - Performance Car of the Year... Which one will win 1st place?

[Stingray]

Cast your prediction!
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From R&T: http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cult...r-of-the-year/

One of These Eight Cars Will Be Our 2016 Performance Car of the Year

Which will in it?

SEP 22, 2015 @ 9:25 by Travis Okulski

It's that time of the year again. We're spending this week on the roads of rural Kentucky and Tennessee, as well as two days at the National Corvette Museum's race track, to decide which of these eight cars will be crowned R&T's performance car of the year.

In order to pick the eight, we had to be pretty picky. The cars had to be significantly updated versus the year before (so no BMW M3, no Alfa 4C, no Nissan GT-R), and they also had to be at the top of the performance bracket, which means that even though it pains us so, cars like the Mazda Miata had to be left behind.

Now, you might be saying to yourself, where's the Lamborghini Huracan and McLaren 675LT? Unfortunately, those brands declined to participate in our test.

After much hemming and hawing, we got the long list of cars down to just eight. In no particular order, here are the contenders:

Mercedes-AMG GT S
The newest sports car from Mercedes has a turbo V8 good for 510 horsepower, a sweet shifting gearbox, and some of the best looks on the road.

Porsche Cayman GT4
It was a tough choice between this or the 911 GT3 RS, but we ended up going for the GT4 since it's the first time Porsche has even gotten close to allowing the Cayman to realize its full potential.

Ferrari 488 GTB
Ferrari's first turbocharged mid-engine car in 30ish years demanded our attention. And with 670 horsepower, a full 70 over the spectacular 458 Speciale that we tested last year, it promises to be quite the hoot. But will turbocharging ruin that Ferrari magic or make it even better?

Ford Mustang GT350R
How could we not include Ford's track special Mustang? With a 526 HP, 429 lb. ft 5.2 liter V8 with a FLAT PLANE CRANK that is linked only to a manual gearbox, magnetic ride suspension, sticky Michelin rubber, and carbon fiber wheels, it has all the ingredients we need.

Dodge Viper ACR
Yes, we tested the Viper T/A last year, but we felt like the ACR deserved to come to see just how good it is. There is no street car with a more aggressive aero setup than the ACR, but can its astounding track performance convert to road excellence?

Bentley Continental GT3R
Sort of an odd ball, the GT3R is a Continental GT V8 with weight taken out by the barrel full. It has a full dose of carbon fiber everywhere you look and the VW Groups monster of a V8. Dark horse pick?

Chevrolet Corvette Z06
The Z06 should need no introduction. A supercharged V8 with 650 horsepower and 650 pound feet of torque make it basically a supercar. And it's no stranger to victory lane, the Corvette won our competition in 2014.

Cadillac ATS-V
Finally, Cadillac has a BMW M3 competitor. It has a superb chassis underneath, but the laggy powertrain has gotten some flack from us, though it is pretty damn fun on the track. No, it doesn't have the downright pace of any of the other cars, but it might just be fun enough to make a name for itself.

Our full results won't be out for a little while, but check out our Instagram for all the photos you could possibly want from this week's activities.

[Bhobbs]

Probably the GT4.

[GretchenGotGrowl]

I pick the Z06, but I'm biased

[Stingray]

Originally Posted by Bhobbs

Probably the GT4.

This is my guess at first with the GT350R coming real close... flip a coin.
If for the performance-for-the-dollar then the new Shelby for sure.
If for no-worries-on-cost, then to me I'll gladly take the new 488 GTB.

Originally Posted by GretchenGotGrowl

I pick the Z06, but I'm biased

Me too...

But I'm putting my non-conflict-of-interest hat on... although R&T likes Porshas.

[hrpiii]

I first need to know who has the bigger advertising budget with Road and Track. Then I may be able to wager my first guess.

[TheReaper]

I love the 350 but I had to go with the Zo6.

[Hilflos]

The Road Track guys do seem to love their Porsches, though, their review of the GT4 did point out a few niggles, gearing for instance.

I bet the ATS-V gets downchecked for the turbos effect on the sound. That seems to be another niggle.

The Z06, GT350R, GT4, or 488 are the likely winners, and as cool as I think it would be, I don't think the Z06 will get a second win.

I'm betting the GT350R, it won't have the best numbers anywhere, until it comes to bang for the buck, but I think that will edge things out. The flat plane crank, the carbon fiber wheels, etc., might get it some pretty nice tech kudos too.

If I had to bet, I'd say GT4 and GT350R are the two to choose between. The Z06 is a great car by any measure, but it would have to be outstanding to overcome the politics inherent in a second win, The Ferrari will lose out on price.

Personal choice would be Z06 though.

[Mikamaro]

Are they using last year point system?

[102SS]

The Z06,how can that package be beat?

650 squared in a very liveable,driveable package.

[Denis]

I would love for the Z06 to win it, but my money is on the Ferrari.

[shaffe]

I think it will be either the Z06 or the GT350R. I am going to guess Z06 tho, it is an amazing machine that competes and beats cars costing much much much more $

[TVSbeast]

most likely Porsche then gt350R / ZO6

[trademaster]

I think the GTB has a good chance. It's a turbo Ferrari. Don't underestimate the significance of those words in that order.

[ilirg]

I think it's the z06 or the Porsche.