2012 Motor Trend Best Driver's Car

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9th Place:Lamborghini AventadorLP700-4

Getting to know the Countach's Torchbearer

Oh dear. I can already read the "For the third time in as many months, I'm cancelling my subscription!" hate mail as I type. But the fact is, the Lamborghini Aventador -- the most expensive, powerful, fastest, and rad of the bunch -- finished dead last. Before we get to the specifics, please know that we all love the fact that this car exists, how bloody fast it is (the fourth-fleetest vehicle we've taken around Laguna Seca), and the entire extreme package. The only problem with the Aventador is the way it drives, especially in a Best Driver's Car competition.

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Despite its heavy reliance on carbon fiber, the LP700-4 was the weightiest car of the test at 4109 pounds. That's 15 pounds fatter than even the big-boned Camaro ZL1. And here's the really inexplicable part: Lago flew to Italy to test a European-spec version of the big-dog bull -- and weigh it -- and that car weighed 300 pounds less. What? Why? How? We don't know. Speculation is that the Italian Aventador prototype (3817 pounds) was constructed of hand-laid pre-impregnated carbon fiber, which is considerably lighter than the injection-molded stuff Lambo is baking up for its customer cars. But we don't know the reason. Not only was this white U.S.-spec Aventador slower than the orange one Lago tested, but, according to him, it handled worse. The rest of us weren't very impressed, either.

"Sometimes big cars feel like they shrink when you push them hard," explains Mortara. "Not this one. You are reminded every step of the way just how big this thing is." Being so wide (79.9 inches -- a Cadillac Escalade is 79.0 inches wide), the Aventador was difficult to place accurately. Worse, when you did manage to correctly put it where you wanted, the Lambo sometimes did something unexpected. Says Kiino, "Feels like the car is doing something different in every corner." At times, the big bull would happily pull through a corner. Other times, the blinky yellow traction-control light would flare up. Mortara muses, "The front end and the rear end don't seem to be working together. I almost get the sense that they're fighting each other. Not confidence-inspiring." And that -- the ability to inspire confidence into the mind of the person behind the wheel -- is one of the major things we look for in a best driver's car.

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We universally loathed the Aventador's transmission. "A major letdown," notes MacKenzie. "In Street mode, the shifts are slower than a wet weekend in Cleveland, and in Corsa, it's like you're getting hit in the back of the head with a shovel." He ain't lying about either part. When left in full auto and Street mode, the Aventador's "independent shifting rod" automated single-clutch manual is plain awful. Worse than the Aston Martin Vantage S and approaching smart fortwo levels of terribleness. Lambo claims it went with the ISR solution over a dual-clutch to save weight. Big mistake, say all of us. The car already isn't the sharpest-handling knife in the block. And would the 691-hp V-12 even notice a 2 percent increase in mass? Doubtful.

Then there was the little issue of complete and total brake fade on Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Randy did his usual three fast laps, pulled into the pits, and got out of the car saying, "Jonny, there are no brakes left at all. You're going to have to pump the pedal three times to get any stop." I turned and looked at poor Jessi Lang -- she'd just volunteered to be my passenger. And yes, the fluid was completely boiled and I ran Jessi around Laguna Seca in a $400,000 Italian exotic with boiled carbon-ceramic brakes. I almost stuffed only it once. In conclusion, the Aventador was a big (seriously), fat (surprisingly) disappointment in how it measures up as a driver's car. However, as Kiino points out, "There's no doubt it's the best arriver's car." Commence with the hate mail.

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8th Place:JaguarXKR-S

At Least the Gentleman is Properly Dressed for the Races

If we ever have a competition for Best Grand Touring Car, smart money could flow toward the Jaguar XKR-S. True, the SLS AMG or Maserati GranTurismo might give this big cat a run, but the Jag's 550-hp, supercharged 5.0-liter V-8, phenomenal ride quality, and plush, leather-stuffed interior are all tip-top shelf. As is the sound emanating from its four exhaust tips. Says Evans, "Fantastic engine noise." Adds Mr. Markus, "I like the unique and interesting engine note, which is distinctly different from most other V-8s -- even blown ones." Mortara continues, "Makes sounds you don't expect from a Jag." But as Lago says, "It's not the car's fault, but Jaguar sent a Grand Touring car to a sports car competition."

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One universal gripe with the XKR-S was the detachment between the steering wheel and the road. Sure, the car turns just fine, but you get the sense there's a layer of interference between your hands and the front wheels. "There's a very numb, very disconnected feel," says Mortara. Kiino adds, "The steering is nice, but too light. And it always feels the same no matter how hard you're pushing the car. Kind of artificial, really." Then there was the problem of getting the power from that sweetheart of an engine onto the pavement. Continues Kiino, "I wish I could say it was undertired, but those Pirelli PZeros are HUGE." His caps, not mine.

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"You keep the traction control on. And leave it on!" Randy shouted to me as soon as he exited the Jaguar. I, of course, did exactly that. For the first four corners. Then I decided to shut it off before turn 5. Big mistake. The XKR-S was all over the place. Honestly, the track suddenly felt wet. Lesson learned: Always listen to the guy who's won races at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Randy's notes were filled with lines like "tail-happy," "massive wheelspin," and "easy to induce power oversteer." It's a bit weird to me that the XKR-S should have such traction issues, as I know Jaguar developed it on the Nurburgring and if you don't have big-time traction there, you'll discover the true definition of Gruene Hoelle. I think Randy best sums up the XKR-S' on-track performance with, "It's a constant challenge on the racetrack to keep from spinning this car, both under power and on corner entry. I judge this Jaguar as the most-likely car to be spun, even more so than the Lamborghini."

Again, that's on the track. While what Randy thinks about his Mazda Raceway laps is a big component of Best Driver's Car, it's not the entire story. Everyone's logbooks were filled with praise for the Jag's less-than-10/10ths on-road manners. Says Kiino, "Drove the XKR-S home from Monterey and it was simply fabulous on the highway. Smooth, comfortable, quiet -- and I was going 90 mph most of the way." I happened to be the one who drove the maroon Jaguar up from our office to start off the week. In fact, I requested it. Why? Because I knew I had a 4-hour, traffic-filled slog ahead of me and at the time, comfort seemed like a bigger priority than loosening my fillings and compressing my spine. But, as Angus notes, "I love the regular XKR. It's one of the world's great GTs: quick, limber, and comfortable. The XKR-S delivers a satisfying increase in urge, but the chassis has lost the slight oiliness in the ride that even a firmly sprung Jaguar should have." Eighth place it is.

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7th Place:FordShelby GT500

Carroll's Final Mustang Reminds us why we Love Cars

At last year's BDC, the Boss 302 Laguna Seca came in fifth place behind two excellent Porsches, the Nissan GT-R, and the Ferrari 458 Italia. More important, every person who drove it uttered some variation of "Best Mustang Ever!" While we all enjoyed the new and, let's be frank, ridiculously overpowered 662-hp Shelby (the last Mustang Carroll Shelby ever had a hand in), I didn't once hear anyone say it was the best Mustang ever. So, if you want the best-driving Mustang, buy the Boss. However, if you're looking for one frenzied, sweaty-palmed, giant smile of a good time at a (relatively) low, low price, Ford has just the hammer you're seeking.

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Lago writes, "This is the performance-car bargain of the decade if all you're concerned about is horsepower, top speed, and quarter-mile acceleration. Driver confidence and braking? Who cares when you've got this much horsepower!?" Let's not leave out the 631 lb-ft of torque, which, as we know from the time we stuck one on a dyno, is actually underrated by about 30 lb-ft. The power, however you slice it, is monumental, and just like the Boss before it, the 2013 GT500 car can put all that power down. Once the tires are warmed up, that is. "Beware of cold tires," warns Mortara. "Once the tires get some heat in 'em, they work really well. This thing will bite you in the ass quickly if you don't respect the power and the torque." True dat.

Why seventh place and why behind the Camaro ZL1? Well, in the words of Scott Evans, "The GT500 is very good for a Mustang, but it's still a Mustang.

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Personally, on our canyon run, I didn't like how much the rear of the car moved around. Chassis flex? Because after all, there's a $22,000 rental car under all that blistered snakeskin. Maybe. Or maybe it's the way the live-axle moves around. Either way, Evans notes, "Hit a bump mid-corner, and that rear end starts dancing around -- ruins your confidence." MacKenzie says, "In the canyons, it's all arms and elbows trying to stay on top of the thing." However, Mortara, Kiino, and Markus all preferred its back-road handling to the Camaro's, with Markus noting, "I'm impressed with how well-planted this Shelby is: never put a wheel wrong. I'd way sooner own this than the ZL1."

However, there's a reason we take cars to the track. The GT500's brakes simply aren't up to the job at hand. Randy experienced fade after half a lap and by the time I got into the car, the brakes were all but gone. With Evans riding as my passenger, I stupidly forgot about the lack of stopping power, and, rocketing from turn 4 to 5, I became a 12-year-old watching the needle climb. "125 miles per hour!" I shouted just about the time I realized I had to make a huge left-hander in about half a second. Foot to the floor, downshifting like crazy and praying to the car gods (I can't even imagine what poor Scott was doing), I got the Shelby slowed enough to stay on the track. I'm very thankful that the Shelby has such massive grip. Says Randy, "Fun car -- it just won't stop once the brakes get hot." Unfortunately for Ford, stopping is part of driving. That said, we all loved the Shelby because it was just so much fun. MacKenzie sums it up nicely: "It's loud, raucous, and rough-riding. Isn't that why you buy a Shelby?"

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6th Place:Chevrolet CamaroZL1

The Thinking Man's Ponycar

It's slower than the Shelby, makes less power, and turned in a worse lap time. Not only that, but we were in unanimous agreement that the Shelby and its quicker turn-in was more fun to drive. So how can we morons rank the Camaro ahead of the Mustang? Well, as stated at the beginning, Best Driver's Car is not a numbers game but, for the sake of argument, let's take a look at the lap times. The Shelby was faster (1:38.69) by almost half a second than the ZL1 (1:39.18) around Laguna Seca. On its first lap. However, because of the Shelby's less-than-good brakes, it ran 1:39.03 (losing about 3/10ths of a second) on lap two and 1:39.30 (again, about 3/10ths of a second) on lap three. Those numbers are even worse than they sound because Randy was becoming more familiar with the Shelby with each passing lap. The ZL1's laps, by contrast, stayed within 2/10ths of a second. If you had a 10-lap race, the Camaro would be the victor.

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Still, we're not here for the numbers. Says Lago, "I put the Camaro ahead of the Shelby because I felt I had a better sense of control." Says Angus, "The Camaro feels more mature and sophisticated, more measured in its demeanor. Especially on the road, where it's deceptively quick because it doesn't sound or feel like World War III has broken out in the cockpit." The Camaro also has GM's revolutionary magnetorheological fluid shocks, which are just about the best game in town when it comes to balancing ride with handling. It struck me that last year's BDC winner, the Ferrari 458 Italia, comes with similar magnetic dampers licensed from GM. As does our 2012 SUV of the Year, the Range Rover Evoque. Point is, these high-tech magnetic dampers are really and truly great -- and they work magic in this big-boy Camaro.

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"Feels so much more stable than the Ford," notes Mortara. "Just wish it had the Shelby's power. Amazingly flat turn-in. They did wonders to make this car do what it does. The ZL1 simply doesn't feel like the pig we're all used to with the Camaro SS." Adds Kiino, "This Camaro feels hunkered down and stable." On a good road, stability is the key difference between the two muscular ponycars. Sure, the Shelby's extra oomph is awesome, but remember that the ZL1 makes 580 hp and 556 lb-ft of torque. Don't forget what monstrous numbers those are. As Kiino says, "Power is ridiculous. This is one of the best performance engines out there. No weak spots coupled with excellent output and refinement." Long story short, while the Shelby is faster, you're not as tempted to go wide-open throttle as you are in the Camaro because the Chevy drives better. And it's more than plenty fast.

That's not to say the Camaro is without flaws -- remember, five cars finished ahead of it. One of those flaws is weight. Why does this thing have to weigh 4094 pounds? If Chevy found a way to liposuck 300 pounds out of the ZL1, it might just be faster than the 3860-pound Mustang. The weight is a constant issue. Says Markus, "It's 2 tons of car when I want 1.5!" Of course, the ZL1 also has the other traditional fifth-gen Camaro flaws: You can't see out of the damn thing and the interior is cheap. One might consider that interior worse than cheap when you grok the car's $56,295 price tag ($57,265 as tested). Still, the combination of huge power, fade-free brakes, excellent stability, and a world-class ride makes the ZL1 a very good driver's car. We can't wait until the next-generation, ATS-based Camaro ZL1 shows up with its smaller and lighter aluminum-intensive chassis. Until then, sixth is high as this pony finishes.

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5th Place:McLarenMP4-12C

"I Think That Bald Spot Makes you Look Sexy. "

A friend asked me about the results of this year's Best Driver's Car competition. While I couldn't (and didn't) reveal the results, I did tell him, "Ninth, fifth and first place are really going to piss people off." With that in mind, I present to you this year's fifth-place finisher, the McLaren MP4-12C. Yup, the latest product from the F1 wizards of Woking finished behind a $28K Subaru. I should also tell you that Randy flung the MP4-12C around Mazda Raceway in 1:34.5, a time good enough to bring home the gold from this year's event and just one-tenth of a second slower than our all-time Best Driver's Car champ, the Chevy Corvette Z06/Z07. And I should point out that this one wasn't even a 2013 MP4-12C -- that car gets a 24-hp bump to 616. Poor Randy and the rest of us had to make do with "only" 592 twin-turbo ponies. There's no doubt in anyone's mind that the MP4-12C would shatter the Corvette's time if the power bump were combined with a set of tires similar to the semi-slicks the Z06 was wearing. Who knows, it might even get within spitting distance of the Dodge Viper ACR's 1:33.94 Laguna Seca production-car record. And the active air brake is the coolest thing since NACA ducts.

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So why only fifth? As Evans so wonderfully and crudely said, "It's like paying for sex." The 12C is whispering all these nothings in your ear, "Oooh, you brake so hard! You turn in so fast! I can't believe how good you can drive." Aside from the fact that the new McLaren whispers nothing (it features Lexus LFA levels of interior aural assault), you're really not driving it that well, bub. The car is doing all these things for you. You might be asking yourself, doesn't the Nissan GT-R do all these things? Short answer is no, it doesn't. The GT-R smartly routes torque all over the place, but it doesn't amplify your inputs. A few degrees on the wheel doesn't equate to massive turn-in like on the McLaren. The gain on every one of the MP4-12C's controls is turned all the way up and the actual car-ness of the car is lost as a result.

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Explains MacKenzie, "When driven fast, the McLaren forces you to completely recalibrate your brain because the relationship between driver input and machine output is never quite linear. It's almost as if the car figures out what you're trying to do and just goes ahead and does it, leaving you slightly surprised and amazed at the result but also slightly guilty because you know you're not that good behind the wheel." Pobst, who only drove the MP4-12C on the racetrack and did a session with the electronic safety nets turned on, agrees. "I like it and I hate it. This McLaren raises the level of stability control to a whole other realm. There's a lot of computing at work, but the car's not driving exactly the way I'm driving it. I even find myself getting a little bit stupid, like I know I have these crutches so I lean on them. They work so smoothly it's almost invisible, except I know I just turned the wheel 20 degrees and the car's not turning 20 degrees. Something else is happening and that something else is very effective, but I'm not the guy really driving the car." There's a pause before he says, "It is amazing."

Please don't get us wrong -- the McLaren MP4 12C really is amazing. As Markus says, "Brakes feel fantastic. They engage right at the top of the pedal, totally firm, feel great. The handling limits are nowhere in sight of my willingness to push on a public road. Spectacular steering feel, great throttle response." He's not alone. Adds Kiino, "Power is amazing. Still have dreams about the launch control and rocketing through the quarter mile at over 130 mph." Evans: "So nimble. I feel like I'm right on the front wheels. Feels like I'm going a million miles per hour." And Lago: "The McLaren is a brilliant driving car, and the team should be proud of their accomplishments. It's fabulous, lithe, loud, and bonkers fast. It stumbles because it's more car than driver. Humans are woefully inefficient at limit driving, so removing them from the process makes the car go faster." But only Lago and Markus had the McLaren ahead of the BRZ. You heard right: Around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Randy Pobst preferred the $28,000 Toyota/Subaru to the $267,545 British hypercar. Truth, as they say, is stranger than fiction.

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4th Place:Subaru BRZ

The little engine that almost did

Let's get the obvious bits out of the way. Compared with the other eight contenders, the 200-hp Subaru BRZ is woefully underpowered. As Lago pointed out several times in our BDC planning meetings, the BRZ shouldn't even be in our epic nine-car drag race. Going uphill from turn 5 to 6 felt like being on a roller coaster: You're just waiting to get to the top. The brakes, while better on the track than those of the Lambo or the Shelby, really aren't track-day material. It's a $28,000 car! There are going to be compromises. And, again, this is not Best Numbers Car, but Best Driver's Car. Our hats are off to Subaru (and Toyota).

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With the exception of Mazda's Miata, has any car ever punched above its weight like this? Mortara, for one, doesn't think so. "If price were a factor, the BRZ would win this competition hands-down. This car, like the Miata, proves you don't need a monster engine to be a great driving car. The clutch and shifter are perfect. I really can't find any faults with this car. Everything about it works great. After the driving loop, I had to laugh about the BRZ going out last because it was deemed the 'slowest.' Maybe out of the gate, but once you're in the turns, this Subaru feels just as fast as the rest." Adds Evans, "Man, this little thing is good. Chassis control is fantastic. Pedals are perfect for heel and toe. Great, super-precise steering. The throttle feels like it has a cable. Just so good. Anyone could learn a thing or two driving this car." MacKenzie concurs, noting, "The BRZ will teach you the most about driving fast. You'll learn not to waste momentum, to be economical with the brakes, and be precise with your lines. Be fast in this car and you'll be fast in anything."

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The biggest thing I noticed when jumping out of Supercar X and into the BRZ is that, qualitatively, there's no letdown once you're inside the Subie. The important stuff -- the steering wheel, the shifter, the pedals -- all feel as good, if not better, than the other cars in this test. Subaru got the major things right, especially the weight -- at 2754 pounds, the BRZ is the lightest in this group by 575 pounds (the next-lightest, the Porsche, weighs 3329 pounds) and, boy oh boy, does that pay huge dividends both on the track and the street. The sense of control you get is astonishing. Back to Evans: "When it loses grip, the BRZ slides so nicely. It's so composed that you barely have to correct a slide." Kiino piles it on: "Such great balance. Makes you feel so totally connected to the car. Confidence-inspiring, which makes the limits easy to explore. Just like the Miata, a great learner's tool and expert's toy." Speaking of experts, a certain Mr. Pobst picked the BRZ as his second car overall.

Here's what Pobst said the moment he leapt out of the BRZ: "Fabulous car! Oh, my god! I mean, really just a wonderful and satisfying experience. I feel like I can just drive this car right on the edge of the friction circle. What a satisfying ride in terms of...everything!" Of course, the BRZ didn't win. It came in fourth. A great showing, but still only the leader of the mid-pack. Aside from mild on-track brake fade, the real culprit was lack of power. It's just not that quick and you find yourself wanting more power. And could it be that lower-powered cars are just easier to drive? Here's what he said about the issue: "I think the answer there is, yes, it is easier to make a car handle right with less power because you don't have the extreme weight changes that come with accelerating fast." We'll know for sure in the near future when Subaru releases a turbocharged, 274-hp version of the BRZ. But Subaru doesn't need to make any apologies for this version. It's wonderful.

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3rd Place:2013 Nissan GT-RBlack Edition

Still Mind-Boggling After All These Years

The 2013 version of Godzilla (our long-termer, if you were wondering) shows up to this year's dance packing more power and torque (up 15 each, to 545 hp and 463 lb-ft of torque), a retuned suspension, and a reprogrammed transmission. Yet the 2012 iteration finished in second place and the new one came in third. What gives? MacKenzie muses, "While familiarity hasn't exactly bred contempt, it's easy to take the Nissan's extraordinary capabilities for granted." One thing that's been a continual sore spot for the GT-R is how flinty and rough the ride is. Lago puts it most cruelly: "The GT-R rides like a truck, sounds like a clothes dryer, and has the interior noise of a Cessna." But the real truth is that, this year, two better cars showed up. Don't worry, Godzilla is still amazing. Continues Lago, "It completely destroys any road you throw it down. And that's what remains so invigorating about the GT-R. It's a thrilling machine, genuine supercar stuff."

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The praise gets piled on from there. "Still love it," crows Kiino. "The GT-R inspires a lot of confidence, which, not being the most engaging car to drive, makes it a great driver's car. You feel invincible." In my mind, that's still the most impressive thing about the GT-R -- you can just drive it so fast! There are few cars that are able to transition laterally as quickly and as assuredly as the big Nissan. It doesn't tip over on itself and the GT-R's hefty curb weight of 3887 pounds is well hidden. Steering the car becomes a tremendously empowering feeling. That steering feel, coupled with the suspension's ability to eat up everything it thumps over, fills you with the sense that you could drive across the world. Make that drive across the world, fast. Says Markus, "Man, this one feels as sharp-edged as the two cars in front of it. The steering feels great. The paddles are great. They feel good and work instantly." Just like the Godzillas of yesteryear, the latest GT-R is a very difficult car to fault.

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For instance, there's the way the GT-R exits an apex. It's like no other car on the planet. I'll let Pobst take it from here: "Fantastic AWD traction off the corner. Never got the slightest power drift of any sort. Just puts the power down! The AWD is really, really great off these tight corners. Coming out of the Corkscrew is amazing, I think I got a four-wheel drift going through there; it certainly felt like it. That kind of stability allows me to really push the car." Speaking of push, there's an aspect to Godzilla's on-track behavior that Pobst doesn't like. "The downside that I felt was pretty prominent was mid-corner understeer. This car does not like power and steering. I don't remember it being that bad last year, but it is now, so the driver needs a lot of patience when entering the corner. Apex very late because you've got to be able to take steering out and drive it straight off the corner, just like a powerful front-drive car. It's predictable, it's never scary, but it's costing time in corners for sure." All of the 2013 car's improvements add up to a tenth of a second faster lap time compared with the 2012 model: 1:36.3 versus last year's 1:36.4. An improvement and a setback at the same time. Tune in next year to see if the 2014 GT-R can stay on the podium.

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2nd Place:Mercedes-BenzC63 AMG Black Series Coupe

The Benz We Didn't See Coming

To the other BDC judges, the AMG Black Series was far and away the surprise of the competition. However, I wasn't so surprised. I was the only person to have previously driven it and I drove it on Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. I loved the car, and, at the time, stated that the Black "handles like a 500-horsepower Miata." But, in the back of my mind, I was thinking, "But does it handle like a 4045-pound Miata?" This is why we bother with comparison tests -- you can't say for sure how good (or great, or rotten) a car is until you line it up with a member (or members) of its competitive set and run them down the same road. That's my theory, at any rate. As for the rest of the staff, I think they were shocked that anything with a three-pointed star on it could handle so great.

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Let me put it to you like this: Last year, the 2011 SLS AMG made it around Laguna Seca in 1:38.8. The new C63 Black Series Coupe produces 53 fewer horsepower and 22 less lb-ft of torque, weighs 250 pounds more, has an automatic transmission (as opposed to the Gullwing's dual-clutch), and is based on a European taxi cab. Yet the Black Series managed to run the same 2.3-mile track in 1:38.9. That's one tenth of a second slower than the Gullwing. Then consider that European-spec cars don't come with sunroofs or back seats. In fact, back seat delete is a no-cost option here in the States. That could be your tenth of a second right there. Calling this the greatest Mercedes of all time is obviously an overstatement. Calling the C63 Black Series the best AMG of all time isn't.

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"They did it again," starts Mortara, referring back to the sweet CLK63 Black Series from 2008. "This thing feels like no other Mercedes-Benz on the road. It's the best driving production Mercedes ever. Crisp turn-in, immediate response, great power, and directly connected to the road. I absolutely love this car." There's just a huge "wow" factor to this AMG. From Markus: "Wow, this is one purpose-built automobile. I can't detect the humble C-Class underpinnings at all. It feels like a race car with a sunroof!" From Evans: "Wow, this thing is good." Lago forgets the "wow," but perhaps feels even more strongly. "This is my Forza Motorsport garage materialized. It feels like it was made by a subset of AMG engineers fed up with the rest of the daft-handling AMG lineup. Make no mistake: This is the best driving AMG product on sale." MacKenzie picks up the praise torch. "The best AMG yet. Period. Terrific steering, superb front-end bite, and probably the best brakes of this year's contenders. And that naturally aspirated V-8 is one of the world's most charismatic engines. I could do without the Affalterbach-meets-Pep Boys wings 'n' things, but the AMG Black Series is a weapons-grade supercar (barely) disguised as a sport coupe."

Pobst felt much the same after whipping it around the track. "A huge surprise. I love this car. I didn't expect to love this car so much. It is really hooked-up. The cornering is well-balanced. It's extremely powerful, but it still puts the power down well. It's got enough power that you've got to be responsible with your right foot. Definitely can kick the tail out if you're aggressive with your throttle input. I'm driving it with everything turned off, and the Mercedes doesn't really need the stability control very badly at all, because it handles so well." As for those fantastic brakes, "Best brakes of the day. They didn't seem to fade." He -- along with everyone else -- even liked the automatic transmission, stating, "I thought the automatic shifted very well for an automatic." Pobst concludes with, "It's just a terrific package, extremely satisfying to drive. It's almost like you took a Subaru BRZ, tightened up the shocks, and added 300 horsepower." Which also makes it pretty close to a 510-hp Miata. The only thing standing in way of a gold medal for the Black Series is another car built in Swabia.

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1st Place:Porsche 911Carrera S

It's Unanimous -- Best 911 Yet

Yup, the Porsche. Ferry's ageless squashed Beetle takes top honors in this year's BDC. Don't even bother to stop the presses. Porsche wins another comparison. This time, it's the 991 version of the Carrera S, currently the hottest version of the sixth-generation, rear-engined, "four"-seat luxury sport coupe. It's larger than ever, with the rear engine scooched a bit more toward the middle, and features the electrically assisted power steering system that has kept most of the Porsche-loving world up for months with the cold sweats. Why? Because of the possibility that an ounce of that precious 911 steering feel has been lost. That Porsche won it all.

A much more interesting outcome to this story would have been if one of the hand-built exotics had won. After all, every 12-year-old boy in the world knowsa priorithat the Aventador must be the winner. Just like how every F1 junkie is positive that the McLaren is the best one here. Or, good-story-wise, what if the little BRZ pulled off an upset? Talk about David cleaning Goliath's clock! Even the AMG would have been a more interesting verdict. But no, the car with the second-least power here, the car that's not even a special performance derivative (like the upcoming Turbo, GT3, GTS, 50th Anniversary Edition 911, etc.) is the 2012 Motor Trend Best Driver's Car.

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"That's what I'm talking about! Right there! Holy cow, it makes all these other cars seem stupid! This 911 is so good, it just blows my mind! What a great driving car!" The previous quote is from Pobst the second he pulled into the pits and exited the vehicle.

We all agreed with him. Actually, we really agreed with him. The Porsche 911 received seven first-place votes from the seven judges, and an eighth first-place vote from Randy. In fact, the 911 Carrera S was the only car where we unanimously agreed on its finishing order. Nothing but first-place votes means there wasn't even discussion. Just praise.

"The Carrera S just flows down the road like quicksilver," says MacKenzie. "Elastic thrust, seamless shifts, and effortless transitions. This Porsche moves with a grace no 911 has ever had." Adds Markus, "My favorite car here. Does nothing wrong and a whole lot right." Obviously a unanimous first-placer generates a lot of that sort of talk. Let's discuss specifics, starting with the amazing dual-clutch transmission, the second-gen Porsche PDK. "Just brilliant," coos Kiino. "No matter how you want to drive -- relaxed or spirited -- the PDK just seems to know and it functions perfectly."

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So true. I blew turn 6 pretty badly one lap and, at the very moment I was starting to think, "I should probably downshift," the PDK did exactly that. It was almost spooky, like having a co-driver working the transmission for me. And, unlike the unit on the GT-R, the Porsche's transmission software is so good that you don't even need to pull the paddles. Of course, you can and, in Sport+, the relatively weak 911 (just 400 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque, yet hits 60 mph in 3.7 seconds!) mule-kicks nearly as hard as the Aventador when you flick it into second. "I've just been obsoleted!" exclaimed Pobst. "Years of practice and training to learn how to shift a car have now become completely unnecessary. And, in fact, that, to me, is a little bit sad." Sure, if you still feel the need to row your own, Porsche makes a 911 with a seven-speed manual, but please believe me, PDK is the way to go.

"The chassis is totally composed over bumps," says Evans. To me, the suspension is the unsung hero of the new 911 story. I can't remember ever driving a car so well-damped. Maybe the Ferrari 458 Italia, but that's a big maybe. When Kim Reynolds measured the roll angle, the number he got back was so low (0.4!) that he thought his equipment was broken. It wasn't -- the Porsche's suspension is just that good. Sublime, really. Everything about this car is sublime. From the brakes to the throttle response to the seats, the Porsche 911 Carrera S is everything we look for in a driver's car. I'll let Evans have the penultimate word, as his comment typifies our thinking about the latest and greatest from Porsche: "I just can't think of anything this car does wrong." However, notes Pobst, "I don't like the interior color."

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