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Car of the Year Awards 2021: Performance Car of the Year

First and foremost, a great performance car is entertaining and involving to drive, but unlike pure sports cars, they also have to be practical and comfortable enough to use every day...

WINNER: Performance Car of the Year

Porsche Taycan 4S

What Car? Car of the Year 2021 logo with sponsor

Some might view it as heresy to give this award to an electric car, but the Porsche Taycan is proof that such cars can be just as rewarding and usable as the best petrol rivals, and then some.

Even the entry-level 4S can sprint from 0-62mph in just 4.0sec, with the more powerful Turbo and Turbo S being quicker still. Granted, some versions of the Tesla Model S can accelerate even more forcefully, but they’re no match dynamically for the Taycan, which has exceptionally precise, tactile steering and incredible poise and grip in corners. Its brakes are monstrous, too.

2020 Porsche Taycan dashboard

With a smooth ride, a gorgeous interior and a respectable 252-mile official range, the Taycan is comfortable for four adults and remarkably easy to use every day. For those who want to do longer distances, there’s also the option of a larger battery that boosts the range to 287 miles.

Some might bemoan the absence of a rowdy soundtrack like you’d get in a BMW M5 or a Mercedes-AMG E63, but most people will be so blown away by the way the Taycan drives that they won’t miss it. If this is what performance cars are going to be like in the future, we’re not complaining.

We like

> Massive, instantaneous performance
> Remarkably agile handling
> Gorgeous interior

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Read about more Car of the Year 2021 winners >>