Welcome to Cool Car Cup. This test gathers the six best performance cars of 2024 and throws them into the Motor1 Thunderdome. At the end of some epic SoCal canyon roads and a day at the race track, a winner emerges from the dust.
While the premise of Cool Car Cup is simple enough, so is our guiding principle: less is more. Instead of gathering a dozen cars when only three stand a chance of winning—like you'll see in all the magazine tests—we decided to streamline. There's no filler in this group, only killers.
That means the sharpest mid-engine entries from Lotus and Porsche, a balls-out V-8 Aston Martin coupe, a Lamborghini hypercar, the only performance EV worth taking to the track, and of course, a Miata.
So what defines a "Cool Car" anyway, and how does it lift the sacred champion’s chalice? Foremost, the winner of the Cool Car Cup must bring joy. The 1,001-horsepower Lamborghini Revuelto might deliver more outright performance than the Miata, but at this test, they’re on equal footing.
Just tip this ND Miata into a corner with the throttle pinned. You’ll see why. Our group of ringers were all vetted for performance chops and handling brilliance long before they'd arrived; Each one was driven earlier this year by the Motor1 staff, to verify each car's baseline credentials.
But we wanted to award a winner for a set of higher virtues: How a great car rewards the driver’s intentions with instant response, stokes their sense of wonder and excitement, and how all those other sliver-thin intangibles can elevate a great car to a legendary one.
It proved a challenging prospect.
Even with decades of cumulative experience writing big performance shootouts, none among the Motor1 staff could remember a contest this divided. On the final night of the test, over a dinner table brimming with pasta and red wine, each Motor1 staffer fought for their favorite car, tooth and nail, hammer and tongs.
What follows is a passage introducing each competitor, penned by the Motor1 staffer who fought most-passionately for their favorite car. Then there's the story of our test: a shootout in the canyon roads north of Los Angeles, followed by a track day to separate a winner from the chasing pack.
Enjoy.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Deserves to Be Here. And to Win
By virtue of masterful handling and outright pace, the I5 N buries its gas-powered competition.
| Specs | 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N |
| Battery | 84.0 Kilowatt-Hours Lithium-Ion |
| Output | 641 Horsepower / 545 Pound-Feet |
| 0-60 MPH | 3.4 Seconds |
| Weight | 4,861 Pounds |
| Price | $67,295 |
Yes. It's an EV. Please set down that cleaver for a moment, Karen, and hear my plea.
The 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is a landmark, a flagship, a line in the sand. Whatever cliche you choose, this Hyundai makes the other contestants' efforts irrelevant. The Aston, Miata, Lotus, and Porsche don’t break new ground; They’re merely excellent executions of some very, very ancient ideas. The Lambo’s a hybrid. Sure. But also an abstraction, hypercar hyperbole and nothing more. What could the common man take from this Billionaires’ plaything?
Instead, the Hyundai breaks a fresh trail. It’s the best performance EV ever built and maybe the only truly great one (so far).
While other EVs accelerate faster, rip quicker laps, pull bigger G’s, and undercut the $67,000 Hyundai on cost, none flick through a chicane with more panache. Neither do any of the gas-powered cars in this test, for that matter. Sure it’s shaped like Bertone’s bread loaf, but the Ioniq 5 N drives in the way our favorite sports sedans used to, a golden-age 5-Series draped in Korean polygons.
Whether on racetrack hairpins or backroad divebombs, the Hyundai molds to your will like wet clay, producing more confidence, more adrenaline—and more joy—than any other car here.
Thank Hyundai’s diligent and masterful calibration of every control input. From the seating position (forward, upright, commanding), to the steering calibration (easy, direct, feelsome), to the brake calibration (bitey, firm, pliable), the Ioniq leads the pack. Plus it drives out of a corner on throttle like the Aston, rolls into a corner like the Miata, and drops the Porsche in a drag.
While other EVs accelerate faster, rip quicker laps, pull bigger G’s, and undercut the Hyundai on cost, none of them flick through a chicane with more panache.
In a delicious bit of helmet-cam footage from our own Chris Rosales, the Hyundai’s drifty chassis turns every corner into a smear of wet paint, filling the video’s soundtrack with cackling laughter and tire squeal.
If the magic of this test is that every car here deserves to win, it’s character that edges one car ahead of the rest. I choose this hip-to-be-square Hyundai for its chops, its intangibles, and its outright dedication to joy.
- Kyle Kinard, Executive Editor
The Miata Is Old, 'Underpowered,' Affordable, and Perfect
As the fourth-generation Miata closes in on its 10th birthday, it still asks the same question of every other sports car and supercar: Why?
| Specs | 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata |
| Engine | 2.0-liter lnline-four |
| Output | 181 Horsepower / 151 Pound-Feet |
| 0-60 MPH | 5.7 Seconds |
| Weight | 2,341 Pounds |
| Price | $30,150 |
We included the 2024 Mazda MX-5 Miata in this test for one reason: It’s the equalizer. A Miata will make you doubt every other sports car or supercar, despite being slower and cheaper than almost all of them. That’s how it’s been since the Miata was born.
For 35 years, the Miata has set the benchmark for a light, fun, rear-drive sports car. It’s equally enjoyable on the road and race track, because the power is never too much; It’s always just right. Every input in a Miata feels perfect: The car glides into first gear, meets every upshift and downshift with a satisfying thunk, hits high speeds and braking markers with stability, and flows through corners with its harmonious 50-50 weight distribution. The manual shifter vibrates under your hand because it’s directly mounted to the transmission, not linked by silly cables. The Miata is real, and it feels real.
I remember pulling into the pits after a few laps around Streets of Willow with the top down and wind in my hair, thinking: “No matter how flashy other cars are, this is mine.”
The Miata entered its fourth generation in 2016, making the car we brought to Willow almost a decade old. Yet when I drove the Miata back-to-back with newer, faster cars, I got out and thought: Are they worth the price? The 1,001-hp Lamborghini Revuelto, which I adore, costs 20 times more than a Miata, but does it bring 20 times more joy? No. The same goes for every car in this test.
A Miata will make you doubt every other sports car or supercar, despite being slower and cheaper than almost all of them.
People always say the driver you should worry about passing you at a track day isn’t driving a supercar—they’re driving a Miata. That’s because the person who picks the Miata knows what's cool.
- Alanis King, Editor-At-Large, Motorsport Network
Lamborghini's Hypercar Will Break Your Brain
The Revuelto is built of hyperbole and packed with technology. Every last drive will have you screaming, 'HOLY S***,' if only you have time to catch your breath.
| Specs | 2024 Lamborghini Revuelto |
| Engine | 6.5-Liter V-12 Hybrid |
| Output | 1001 Horsepower / 793 Pound-Feet |
| 0-60 MPH | 2.5 Seconds |
| Weight | 3,907 Pounds |
| Price | $604,000 |
At the launch of the Lamborghini Revuelto, I saw the proverbial light. Even after first impressions faded, this car shines brighter than ever.
In that first review, I called the Revuelto the platonic modern supercar. And after two days on California’s spectacular canyon roads and the Streets of Willow race course, I stand by that statement.
This car checks every box. Otherworldly design? Check. Big, high-revving, naturally aspirated engine? Check. Handling that rivals most modern race cars? Check. Mind-bending straight-line speed? Obviously.
Unlike so many hybrid hypercars, the Revuelto uses tech in a way that only adds joy, not just pace. The 6.5-liter, 813-horsepower V-12 is supplemented by three electric motors, two up front and another mounted to the top of the gearbox.
At low speeds, the motors deliver an EV’s instant acceleration. Farther up the speedometer, the engine steps in, crescendoing at a prophetic 9,500 rpm. This is the fastest car I’ve ever driven, and possibly the best-sounding.
The Lamborghini Revuelto checks every box.
Even though it’s a big car, the Revuelto shrinks in corners. A hyperactive rear-steer system, and what feels like the quickest steering rack on the market, allow this car to change direction quicker than even the Miata. The Revuelto is a flawless performance machine.
This means the Lambo’s a shoe-in, right? Well, with an as-tested price around $723,000, the Revuelto costs as much as your coastal suburban house. It’s unattainable. Not very cool.
But we’re still grateful the Revuelto exists. Because you know what is cool? One-thousand horsepower, God’s own horn section shouting from the exhaust, and that shocking green paint coating the Lamborghini’s angular alien body.
This car is awesome in the purest sense of the word. That makes it a winner.
- Brian Silvestro, Deputy Editor
Aston Martin Vantage: The Choice of Sophisticated Fornicators
Among every car in the test, only this yawing, clawing, scrabbling-for-traction brute gave my amygdala a sharp kick to the crotch. (Don’t think about that one too much).
| Specs | 2024 Aston Martin Vantage |
| Engine | Twin-Turbo 4.0-Liter V-8 |
| Output | 656 Horsepower / 590 Pound-Feet |
| 0-60 MPH | 3.5 Seconds |
| Weight | 3,847 Pounds |
| Price | $194,500 |
The Aston Martin Vantage was the bravest of the lot, taking the most swings and landing every punch. Your first thought: But it’s an Aston, it isn’t supposed to be objectively good, only mighty pretty and mighty fast and mighty dreadful.
Yet I loved the Aston’s new interior, with its thunk thunk thunk switchgear, designer leather surfaces, and Marianas Trench seating position. I loved that breathtaking body stretched over the Aston’s bonded aluminum bones. But most of all, the Vantage was the best driver’s car in the whole test.
How unusual—an Aston was the better driver’s car in a test with a Porsche RS. But it clobbered the Porsche in almost every critical metric. Not with tedious, nasally subjects like steering effort curves, or handling at the limit of grip, or lap times. The Aston just felt better.
Whether burbling around town or committing acts of terror upon a canyon road or doing track-rat stuff on the company-provided race track, the Aston just danced everywhere. It danced along the edge of traction with a steadfast front axle and a rear end that always played a game of Got Your Nose!
It never settled down, never quite took a set, and honestly couldn’t be rushed to do the job of driving cleanly. It was a mess.
How unusual—an Aston was the better driver’s car in a test with a Porsche RS. But it clobbered the Porsche in almost every critical metric.
It was a mess I loved lapping during every corner. An expertly calibrated, roguish, kinesthetic mess that only made sense if you let it move and search for its own traction.
Unlike everything else at Cool Car Cup, the Vantage is set up for the very top percentile of drivers, not the lowest denominator. The Aston is the only car here that doesn’t give a rip if you can handle it or not. And for that, it’s the very best one that showed up.
-Chris Rosales, Staff Writer
There's Literally Nothing Like the 718 Spyder RS
It’s so easy to drive fast you’ll be obsessed with driving it faster.
| Specs | 2024 Porsche 718 Spyder RS |
| Engine | 4.0-Liter Flat-Six |
| Output | 493 Horsepower / 331 Pound-Feet |
| 0-60 MPH | 3.2 Seconds |
| Weight | 3,214 Pounds |
| Price | $166,195 |
"I want to spend a year learning and mastering this car." That’s what I penned in the Spyder’s notebook after my first track session. That’s not hyperbole. This is the only one I yearn to have back.
That’s because Porsche makes serious speed deceptively easy in the Spyder RS. I sussed that out when I slightly overcooked the first corner on lap one, lulled into overconfidence by the car's (nearly) endless grip, and came out golden.
An afternoon carving roads and a few hot laps are not enough to appreciate this car’s full capabilities. It’s easy to drive quickly, but difficult to master. More than any other car here, it begs to be mastered.
Staff Writer Chris Rosales doesn't think the Spyder is hard enough to wear an RS badge, which might be an argument if this was a contest for the coolest track car. Editor Brian Silvestro wants a stick, but that’s what the GTS 4.0 is for.
Slapping the PDK’s paddles while your face gets rearranged by lateral g’s matches the Spyder’s hard-edged vibe. This car’s magic touch is being both hugely capable and easily approachable. It's truly the everyday supercar.
It’s easy to drive quickly, but difficult to master. More than any other car here, it begs to be mastered.
Moreover, driving the Spyder RS is a wholly unique experience here. One-percenters have a handful of V-12 hypercars to sample, the Lambo included. There are still a few front-engined V-8 coupes that love to dance. Insanely powerful EVs debut every Tuesday. But the 718 with its mid-engine flat-six has no rival. It’s uniquely Porsche.
That makes it exceptionally cool on paper. More importantly, that open top, those classic looks, and all that NOISE; The Porsche makes you feel the coolest while driving it. That’s not for nothing. Maybe it’s everything.
-Christopher Smith, News Editor
The Lotus Emira Just Might Save Us All
In a sea of less-focused, more-compromised performance cars, the oldest and truest is best.
| Specs | 2024 Lotus Emira V-6 |
| Engine | Supercharged 3.5-Liter V6 |
| Output | 400 Horsepower / 310 Pound-Feet |
| 0-60 MPH | 4.2 Seconds |
| Weight | 3,257 Pounds |
| Price | $107,750 |
Does anyone like the direction today’s sports cars are heading? Ballooning weight, tech for its own sake, more power than anyone can use, chasing numbers over engagement... The Lotus Emira is an antidote.
It's mid-engined, rear-drive, light weight, has just enough power, and it's the only other car here (except the Miata) with a clutch pedal. It’s the ideal recipe for a driver's car, as interpreted by those who’ve set the benchmark for decades.
The Emira was a long time coming. Lotus revealed it in 2021, but US deliveries only started earlier this year. I think it was worth the wait. You’ve got the classic Lotus driving experience, but in a more mature package. Unlike basically every Lotus before it, the Emira feels like a real car. And no, that’s not damning with faint praise. This is a car you can put up against a Corvette or a Cayman, and it’ll compete on all fronts.
This is a test with some objective performance factored in, sure, but ultimately, we’re after something more intangible. Cars that make us feel cool, inspire desire, and leave us daydreaming for another stint. The Emira simply does all that for me. It’s the one I want to take on long, scenic drives, the one I want to run endless laps in, and hell, the one I want to drive around town, catching its reflection in passing windows.
Unlike basically every Lotus before it, the Emira feels like a real car. And no, that’s not damning with faint praise.
I’m not going to pretend it’s perfect. The shifter, better than previous Lotus efforts, is still clunky; The pedals are too close together and offset, and it would be nice to have a front trunk. But, this is a car you get out of after a long drive, a knowing grin on your face. And it’s one you’ll gaze at longingly as you walk away. In other words, everything a Lotus should be, and more.
-Chris Perkins, Senior Editor
The Road
Canyon carving tests our pack, pitting their performance and practicality against California's greatest treasure: its epic roads.
This is California canyon country. We’re set up high in the mountains north of Santa Clarita, staring down the barrel of this state’s finest asphalt, a band of endless serpentine causeways carved from sandstone cliffs.
Up here at altitude, the frigid morning air turns your skin to rice paper and shrivels the insides of your nostrils. But even this late in the year, there’s not a skiff of snow to dull our day. Only that perfect golden Cali sunshine covering the endless roads. And they’re all ours.
Much as sports car buyers demand on-track performance, lap times are simply an abstraction for most, useful only in barstool arenas. But here on America’s mighty roadways, the soul of the sports car really sings.
And what a symphony we’ve gathered.
We’re set up high in the mountains north of Santa Clarita, staring down the barrel of this state’s finest asphalt, a band of endless serpentine causeways carved from sandstone cliffs.
Nothing shouts quite like Porsche’s 9,000-rpm 718 Spyder RS. An intake over either shoulder gulps down cabin air so fast, you’d swear an oxygen mask is gonna pop from the roof. Or at least, it’d sound exactly like from the driver’s seat.
Instead, the RS’s 4.0-liter flat-six dominates my experience from 40 feet back, baying like a stabbed hound at the hood of my lava-orange Aston Martin Vantage.
When staff writer Chris Rosales—our canyon whisperer and guide for the day—pulled the Porsche out of a crude gravel lot and onto the Spunky Canyon Road, his glance back out the window read something like a challenge.
So I cut the line and welded the Aston to the RS’s bumper just as we tipped down the asphalt staircase toward the broad Bouquet Reservoir. I knew I’d be at a disadvantage so far as talent, local knowledge, bravery, and glorious-ponytail length were concerned, but I had the right tool in my palms to level the contest.
The Aston Martin Vantage’s stonkin’ twin-turbo V-8 reeled in the Porsche whenever the road straightened. I watched Rosales knife the Porsche into every bend, that tidy and confident front end cutting past every apex and sailing out along the double-yellows, all confidence and teutonic efficiency.
I leaned on the Aston’s engine—burbling and grumpy down low with a brassy payoff up top—to reel Rosales back in, but found it harrowing as the road's edge flirted with sheer cliffs and rocks the size of grapefruits.
Corner after corner, the Porsche produced nothing but tidy-mannered perfection. The Aston’s curb weight produced huge dive moments under heavy braking and a quick heave from the body at turn in. But well past your first impression of a heavy, wallowing GT car lives the Aston’s true character.
It’s a Camaro ZL1 with bad manners and bespoke loafers. This gorgeous Aston asks for faith and rewards with tail-out confidence in every corner, but only if you’re brave enough to ask for it.
Bravery is exactly what you need out here in the green Lamborghini Revuelto. Its mere sight is a shock to every passerby out here, from backward-hat rockabilly bros to the steel-toed public works crews. But the Revuelto is even more shocking to aim down these narrow roads.
Whenever the crooked road opened and I dared a stab at the Lambo’s throttle, the footwell filled with expletives. I’m in awe of this car, its hair-raising engine note at 9,500 rpm, and the way its 1,000-horsepower acceleration catches your senses off guard like you just took a faceplant on the stovetop.
This V-12 hybrid hypercar is simply too capable to exploit here, not without leaning toward the grim reaper’s kiss. But this hypercar’s genius is that it’s no less captivating at two tenths than on a trip through Valhalla’s flaming gates.
Hasn’t that always been the Miata’s charm?
Our gorgeous little underdog can’t keep the Lamborghini’s bumper, but hell if it ain’t fun trying. Especially in the thoroughly revised ND3 Miata, Mazda’s third crack at the fourth generation of its timeless roaster.
This RF model may lack outright pace in present company, but it’s as pretty as ever, and still excellent to drive, communicating its every intention with a smidge of dive or roll, a skiff of rotation or the raowraowraow rhythm of a tire approaching its last gasps of grip.
The steering is arguably best-in-test and the six-speed manual is the undeniable champion. So far as driver involvement is concerned, you can’t top the Mazda here. Plus it actually fits on the roads, allowing for lane placements other than “Dead Center or Swift Fiery Death.”
And there’s the top-down factor. Why drive out here if you can’t work on your melanomas?
But there’s another champion for involvement flying in the wings. Heading back up to the canyon roads after a lengthy lunch stop, I prodded at the Lotus Emira’s go-fast pedal, just to watch the bypass valve on top of its supercharged V-6 through the rearview mirror.
Confirmation: nothing beats a screaming supercharger.
That valve, visible through the rearview mirror, is a telling holdover from the Emira’s last incarnation, the beloved Lotus Evora. So too are the Emira’s other enviable qualities, namely the punch from that blown V-6 and its notchy responsive six-speed shifter. Plus a comfy chassis that revels in smoothing mid-corner bumps into feelsome little inputs to your spine.
Finally, there’s the Hyundai. The Miata may have the least power here, but the Ioniq 5 N is the real underdog. You know why.
But this EV caught on like a brush fire with this suspicious and skeptical staff, winning new fans with every sprint down a stack of switchbacks. (All except one editor: Its lack of audible feedback made editor-at-large Alanis King carsick, so try this one out before you buy).
The Ioniq was the comfiest, cruisiest road car here, silent and demure in the way only EVs can be. A favorite on boring transit legs. That’s until you flick a single switch on the dash, a one-touch shortcut that lights up the fake engine noise, fake gearbox, and disables the traction and stability controls.
From that point, the Ioniq is the eye of a hurricane on wheels. It’s a precise-but-violent hooligan equipped with dual motors that send up to 641 horses through all four wheels. There’s a drift mode, plus adjustable steering, damping, and throttle sensitivity. Hyundai went all out here to build the best performance EV ever made and they succeeded.
It’ll tail anything up to the Lamborghini through these canyon roads and believe us, we all tried to shake this cherry-red shoe box from our rearview mirrors.
After a day of balls-out driving. I mean… responsible balls-out driving, we stood in that gravel lot by the reservoir and marveled at our luck. Opinions flitted through the sunset air like a swarm of moths.
The Lamborghini doesn’t work out here. The Miata is God’s own roadster. The Hyundai needs charging. It’s time for dinner.
But no winner was crowned. The Cool Car Cup champ would have to wait until the contestants faced a challenge even taller than these jagged sandstone peaks: the track.
-Kyle Kinard, Executive Editor
The Race Track
We ditched the stopwatch but chased the edges—and talents—of our varied competitors at America's high-speed, high-desert temple.
SoCal enthusiasts have it all: Year-round warmth, canyon roads, and of course, Willow Springs. The place is a scruffy, charming relic. We came here because, well, we’re nerds for Willow’s place in history, but also to stretch the legs of our contestants.
Disclaimer: We didn’t record lap times.
Chasing tenths reveals which car is fastest, but fastest isn’t synonymous with best. The point of Cool Car Cup is to reward feeling, not cold hard numbers. Lap times account for some seat-of-the-pants thrills, but we’re after something bigger: joy.
So we ran the 1.6-mile Streets of Willow circuit counterclockwise, pitting our contenders against the technical corners that snake between a pair of lengthy straights. This mix levels the playing field between the high-horse contestants and the more-lithe cars in the bunch.
At less than 2,400 pounds, the Miata fits that second definition. Sure it makes a fraction of the horsepower of most cars here, but it’s just so light.
"Doesn’t need excess power, noise, or party tricks," said Editor-at-Large Alanis King after a stint behind the wheel.
SoCal enthusiasts have it all: Year-round warmth, canyon roads, and of course, Willow Springs.
The rest of the staff are simply effusive. This Miata’s shifter is one of the best ever, and its 2.0-liter pulls willingly to 7,500 rpm. Sure, there’s lots of body roll, but the roll provides so much feel through the seat of your pants. The Miata earns no demerits.
The Ioniq 5 N inspires similar joy, despite being the Mazda’s EV foil on paper.
“I legit applauded and laughed at the end of the session,” said news editor Chris Smith. He wasn’t the only one giggling. The N’s simulated engine and transmission was uncanny-good and goofy all the same, with fake burble-tune noises on every “downshift.”
Sounds corny, works perfectly.
Steering feel was delightful in the Hyundai, as was the N’s willingness to rotate whenever commanded, at turn-in or on power at corner exit.
Naturally, this EV is the heaviest car here, but does a terrific job masking its weight, until the tires go greasy about 10 minutes into each session. Even after its tires have faded, the Ioniq is a blast to drive.
Charging is an issue, however. The N chews through its meager range at the track, and the nearest fast-charger to Willow Springs is a half-hour away. You’ll lose a chunk of every track day during charging. Still, everyone loved it. Editor-in-Chief Travis Okulski summed up the car simply: “A party.”
The Aston provided similar fun. With huge V-8 power up front and two driven rear wheels, how couldn’t it?
“Delicious chassis balance,” said Staff Writer Chris Rosales, “Incredible and playful on the throttle.” The experience reminds him of those onboard videos of 1950s race cars. Dial the highly variable traction/stability control back further, and the Aston’s hooligan side shines.
“So much rowdier than I thought it would be,” said King. “Just wants to drift every corner.”
While the Aston’s torque-converter automatic doesn’t win an award here, it doesn’t hinder the car either. My bigger issue is you feel every pound of the Aston’s 3,847-lb. curb weight, especially during and after big compressions.
Yet somehow, the Vantage’s Michelins didn’t look too shabby, all told (until Rosales ripped the mother of all brake-stand burnouts).
It’s a feel-good car, with big power, a bombastic sound, and the drive-it-on-the-throttle balance everyone loves.
“The stately fornicator’s choice,” said Kinard. “An absolutely filthy car.”
Britain's other entry is different and divisive. Our Emira was a Tour-spec model, with a softer suspension setup and Goodyear Eagle F1 tires instead of stickier Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s.
The staff struggled to find front-end grip in the Lotus, and a few reported a worrying brake disengagement, seemingly related to the ABS, that happened while trailing into a corner.
“I just don’t trust it,” Smith said of the Lotus.
The Emira’s pedals are also offset to the right and narrow, and the steering felt surprisingly uncommunicative compared to our expectation of the marque. Yet, like all modern Lotus, there’s so much to love.
“Drove this after all the heavy cars and it’s a reminder just how pleasant something lighter and balanced can be,” said Silvestro. There’s wonderful compliance from the chassis, and the supercharged V-6 and six-speed manual proved to be a super engaging combination.
As expected, the Porsche is basically flawless. Being a convertible, the Spyder RS is more of a road car than a road-course car, yet it still performs incredibly well on track. There’s something to it, hearing that 9,000-rpm ‘six suck desert air while the sun warms your helmet. It’s a Porsche that stokes genuine romance.
But, the Spyder’s road-oriented setup has limits. Silvestro, Rosales, and Okulski complained about the soft rear end, wanting a bit more grip and more-predictable breakaway from the tires in the track’s hairiest high-speed corners. And while the PDK ‘box is as good as automatics get, many thought a manual would make this car sing.
Smith, however, was infatuated. “I want to spend a year learning this car.”
While every contestant earned their ticket here, none inspired awe like the Revuelto.
“It’s on a completely different level,” said Smith. “Ballistically fast,” Silvestro added. Some staffers saw more than 150 on the dash. “This is not a 150-mph track,” said Rosales, driving the point home.
One thousand and one horsepower will do that. But the Revuelto is so much more than astonishing speed. The hybrid front axle’s torque vectoring, combined with rear steer, made the Revuelto feel at least 1,000 pounds lighter.
And that Lamborghini V-12 just revs, with smooth power delivery contrasted by its all-consuming sound. It has a perfect partner in Lamborghini’s new eight-speed dual-clutch, too.
Somehow, this hypercar is both approachable and terrifying. The steering feels pretty mute but you get plenty of information up through the seat and pedals. It offers basically limitless grip.
“It turns now. It accelerates now. It stops now,” said Smith. “Wow,” remarked King, opening up the scissor door.
As the sun set behind the mountains, we finished photography but weren’t closer to a decision. This field is simply so strong. And while track work proved illuminating, it wasn’t disqualifying for any of the six. All lined up for beauty shots, we kicked the can down the road, prolonging the inevitable debate for a winner.
-Chris Perkins, Senior Editor
The Winner and The Rest
When rants turned out a split decision, we raged and gnashed until a victor was chosen. Send up the lime-green smoke. We chose the Lamborghini.
Usually with these things, a winner quickly emerges. This was not the case with the inaugural Cool Car Cup. Polite debate devolved into chaos. A foot or two may have stomped against the dinner table and after yelling got us nowhere, we leaned on democracy. A two-stage ranked-choice vote selected a final three, then a second vote picked our inaugural Cool Car Cup champion.
In no particular order:
The Miata is the ideal sports car, the one that keeps everything else honest. But it’s perhaps a bit too familiar, being a lightly updated version of a 10-year old car. Still, it’s one many of us dream of owning.
Porsches so often win these tests, and while everyone loved the Spyder RS, its limitations on track and lack of a manual felled it. There’s a philosophical disconnect—an open top RS car that’s compromised on track, yet not quite as engaging as it could be on road.
The Lotus’s flaws couldn’t be overlooked, even if some argued passionately for its merits. Right now, it’s a few tweaks away from total greatness.
A strong contingent wanted the Ioniq 5 N to take the win, but with its propensity to eat through its limited battery range, it’s not really practical for track days, so long as we lack for charging infrastructure. But we suspect that will change in the coming years. The Hyundai proves our future is bright.
The Vantage won many hearts with its looks, power, and playful handling. Others couldn't gel with the car's always-manic handling.
All of us struggled with the Lamborghini's outrageous price and the fact that it’s so much car for the street. Yet no other car left the staff quite so astonished, reduced to a puddle of expletives when describing its driving experience. The Revuelto is everything you imagined a Lamborghini to be, and more.
The Revuelto isn't just fast and high-tech—it’s approachable, engaging, and above all, cool as hell.
