Winner: Nissan GT-R

Picking a winner in the Car of the Year category was one of the hardest of our judges’ tasks. The fact that excellent ride and handling performance can be found in vehicles of all sizes and levels of performance only adds to the difficulty of the task, for it dictates a shortlist populated not only by fast, exotic machinery, but also by newly launched everyday vehicles, such as the Suzuki Splash and Ford Fiesta, that are notably good to drive.
In the end, the battle was between two very different vehicles, the Fiesta and the Nissan GT-R, with the GT-R emerging victorious. It’s not the lightest or most elegant of sports cars, but the jury decided that what the GT-R lacks in subtlety, it makes up for in all-round ability.

A host of high-tech dynamic technologies such as active torque management (back-to-front and side-to-side) and Bilstein DampTronic adaptive dampers, have helped the Nissan to take the fight to the European supercar establishment. “As track tests have revealed worldwide, the GT-R is a revelation for Nissan,” observed jury member Matt Davis, a US freelancer based in Italy.

“I was expecting a sloppy US musclecar wrestling match behind the wheel, but what I got from the outstanding dedicated all-wheel-drive chassis was very close to an Audi R8. The three-mode suspension on the Bilstein DampTronic needs a little work, but nonetheless I was happily stunned.”

Speaking on behalf of the development team, Simon Croft of Nissan International commented: “To be presented with this Award from those specifically reporting on vehicle dynamics validates our many hundreds of hours testing around the world at various circuits and on challenging road conditions. Like previous versions of the legendary GT-R, our latest model to bear the iconic three letters is a showcase for Nissan’s engineering. We know we have developed an extraordinary car, a technological flagship for Nissan that demonstrates our passion for cars. We can feel proud our work has been truly appreciated.”