Revving up for sporty spice of life

PHOTO SUPPLIED

The 2009 Lexus IS-F is the winner of the 2009 Car of the Year Sports/Performance Over $50,000 category.

Jim Kenzie

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

These are the cars everybody wants to drive.

Us senior guys (and those with racing backgrounds) are usually chosen to rate them because, ahem, we can properly put them through their paces.

That's what it says here.

They may not be the most environmentally friendly, although in some cases there is technological trickle-down.

But they sure are fun.

The tricky part is that all six are sensational in their own right. There are slightly different focal points in a couple, and there was no clear favourite going in, although the winner was a surprise, at least to some.

BMW M3

BMW got a lot of heat about its first-generation SMG – Sequential Manual Gearbox – although I never found it as rough as most did.

But the new 7DCT – seven-speed dual-clutch transmission – is beyond reproach. Faster than ever in its sportiest mode, smooth as silk otherwise.

Smooth describes the rest of the car, too. Great ride, terrific handling, outstanding finish, decent room, strong presence.

The 4.0 litre V8 – essentially, four-fifths of the M5's V10 – is predictably stout, high-revving and ultra-responsive.

This was my top pick.

Price as tested: $85,400Cadillac CTS-V

With an engine and tires borrowing heavily from the mighty Corvette ZR-1, this car shouldn't have come as such a complete surprise on the high-speed test track. It was fabulous.

True, it felt heavy because it IS heavy, but it handled with amazing grip and terrific precision.

Not shabby on-road either, with loads of room in this class and tons of features.

Cheap too, relatively speaking. I'm not sure why it didn't score higher.

Price as tested: $74,905

winner: Lexus IS F

Some were surprised that the Lexus took this category. Including me.

The 4.0 litre V8 and eight-speed automatic make it very quick. It is competent on the track and is well built.

It is snug compared to some of the others and lacks presence – its interior design in particular lacking character.

But there is nothing it doesn't do well, and its low price – when's the last time a Lexus was the low-ball entry in any comparison test? – kept it in good stead.

Price as tested: $64,400 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

You might think a 6.2 litre race-bred V8 engine stuffed into a compact sedan might make it unbalanced.

Nope. Balance is one of the main attributes of this terrific car.

The 451 horses make it go like stink, no doubt, and it sounds great doing so. But it's comfortable and luxurious, too.

The all-black interior is really quite dull.

And the tires didn't have anywhere near the ultimate grip of, notably, the Cadillac. This detracted from the handling, leading it, perhaps predictably given that big engine putting all that weight on the front wheels, to understeer at the limit.

But every tester came out of this car with big smiles on their faces.

Price as tested: $70,390

Nissan GT-R

I suspect everyone figured this car was a slam-dunk.

There isn't a sliver of this thing that doesn't scream sports, performance, or both.

And it was clearly the fastest car in acceleration and around the test track in the entire event.

But AJAC protocol tends to reward all-round goodness. We are required to rate things like interior design, comfort, space and refinement, even in cars like these.

And the GT-R's rough-shifting transmission, hard ride and very limited rear-seat room surely shoved it, surprisingly to most, from the top three.

Which car would you want to take to your high-school reunion?

I bet most would have picked this.

Price as tested: $89,900

Jaguar XF Supercharged

This car is perhaps more oriented towards luxury than sports or performance, although 420 horses from the supercharged V8 give it plenty of go.

Handles very well, too.

It is the best-looking car in this group: outside, thanks to the sleek coupe-like profile; and inside, with more wood in the interior than its predecessor – still an important hallmark for Jaguar.

It also had the best ride, was the most cosseting, and had some of the most interesting technology, including the clever pop-up gear shift knob.

Price as tested: $81,300

More videos from Wheels.ca and our partners