2022. BMW M5 CS. 2021. Alfa romeo Giulia GTA. 2020. Koenigsegg Jesko. Yes, 2022, M5 CS. Not the XM. A few weeks ago you may have noticed, I changed that, purely so last year’s COTY would age a bit better. No comment of the 4cyl C63 AMG S-E performance. Yeah.
HATCH OF THE YEAR- Volvo EX30
I was going to choose the Renault Megane RS ultime, however, that would be a send off. A celebration of a car’s life, not a new start. COTY should represent a new generation, and that’s exactly what this is. A representation of the future. Yes, it could be improved: a speedometer would be nice, but 422HP and 0-100 KPH in 3.4 seconds is super car performance just a few years ago, for just a fraction of the price, Forget the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, this is the best EV hatchback.
SPORTS CAR OF THE YEAR- Lotus Emira ( AMG i4)
I like a Emira. It looks very cool. Now, the AMG engine: I like that also. In fact, in paper terms, it makes more sense: the Emira isn’t a hardcore super car, its a sports car. And lots of Emiras might even be daily driven. And that’s where the i4 engine makes sense, a engine for everyday use.
SOFT ROADER OF THE YEAR- Porsche cayenne
If hardly even a new generation, think a big facelift- Something Porsche seems into at the moment, just look at the new panamera (Porsche assures us it’s all new, I assure you it’s not). But anyway, the cayenne just keeps getting better, doesn’t it. Hopefully this ages better than the XM.
GT CAR OF THE YEAR- Maserati gran turismo Folgore
A electric GT car, on paper, it doesn’t work. But it looks like it does… Especially with a peak output of 818 Horsepower. There’s not much I can say to be honest, but it looks very pretty and year… it’s just brilliant. At least on paper.
INTERIOR OF THE YEAR- Aston martin DB12
There’s no doubt, just from reading the reviews, that the DB11 was let down from it’s interior. The DB12 may just be a heavy DB11 face-lift, but it fixes the interior, and in quite a pretty way. Quite possibly, the interior is the DB12’s biggest step over the DB11. Looks good too.
SUPER CAR OF THE YEAR-Lamborghini revuelto LP-1000-4
Miura, Countach, Diablo, Murcielago, Aventador. Revuelto. The latest in Lamborghini’s lineage of the mid-engined v12 super car. Now with 1000 bhp, or 1013 hp. That’s quite a lot. The equivalent Ferrari sf90 has 986hp. It’s also quite pretty. And the interior looks well thought out. The hybrid system is more integrated than the Ferrari’s too. Perhaps finally, Lamborghini has overtaken Ferrari? Anyway, It’s my Super car of the year.
ESTATE OF THE YEAR- BMW M3 touring
It literally couldn’t be anything else. The car we’ve all been waiting for. It’s one of the best BMWs in modern history. There’s not much to say to be honest, but I reckon just the looks are worth it, let alone its insane performance.
CONCEPT OF THE YEAR- Porsche mission X
This is our first glance into the next holy trinity. Supposedly the 918 successor, It already has according to Porsche, a power train. And a brilliant Nurburgring time. If it looks like this production guise, I’ll absolutely love it.
HYPER CAR OF THE YEAR- Zenvo aurora
More power than a Chiron. Quad turbos. AWD. I can only imagine this will be very, very good. Oh, and look at those Valkyrie-style sharp flicks on the floor. And its got exposed suspension, which is always cool, much like the interior, that I reckon is world class. In my opinion, based on the images, a much cooler interior than previous Zenvos.
MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR- Aston martin
What a year- The new DB12, the DBX 707 came into production in full swing. And the valour showed that Aston valued their history as well. But of course, the most import car is of course the valkyrie, Not only the road going one, but also the AMR, a variation of which Aston martin will take to LeMans in 2025… when the road going one has gone out of production. On the other hand, the valhalla has started testing for next year debut. And lets no forget their excellent F1 season with Alonso. What a year.
CAR OF THE YEAR- Porsche 911 GT3 RS
Unlike motortrend, the drive and the Japan COTY, the car of the year is not the Toyota prius. It’s not, COTY material. Instead, I took this seriously, and came up with a list including the new 911 S/T, GMA T.50 and BMW’s i5. But no, it is, of course, the new GT3 RS. As close as to a cup car you can drive on the road. And yes, the term is overused, but this really is it, (provided you ignore the GT Black series, which is 0.1 seconds quicker around the Nurburgring). But truth is, even by not being a Porsche fan and gently putting it by my side for the whole year, I do have to stop and just think. ‘Well, if everyone in the world reckons it’s the enthusiasts car of 2023, who am I to disagree…’ it’s simply too much of a deal to ignore, looks good, goes fast and compared to some of its rivals, cheap. Provided you get a allocation, that is.
CONCLUSION
Now I thought I might take you through the cars that very nearly got an award: BMW i5, close 2nd for interior of the year, Alfa romeo, would have been brand of the year had it not been for Aston. Alfa has had a phenomenal year: The Giulia SWB Zagato, Tonale, 33 Stradale and recently, a teaser for the milano small crossover. Brilliant stuff, but not on the same level of fizz as Aston martin. Good effort though.
Other cars: Aston martin valour, Alfa romeo 33 stradale, BMW M3 CS, Bugatti mistral, McLaren 750s, Pagani utopia, GMA T.50…
… And that’s it. Thanks for reading, if anyone is reading. I’ll be back next year.
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