The Robb Report has been publishing their “Car of the Year” awards for 15-years now. In all that time, there has never been a tie, until now.
For the first time ever, two nominees have tied for the title of Robb Report Car of the Year
This year, the event was not only judged by a familiar group of automotive panelists, but by millions of a “automotive aficionados” as well. Editors at the Robb Report decided to open the voting to the general public via RobbReport.com and social media. While the online votes held some sway, the final decision was ultimately left to the judges.
2017 Robb Report Car of the Year Competitors
This year’s competition featured a number of familiar marques and models as well as a few new ones. They included:
- Lamborghini Huracán Spyder
- Porsche 911 Turbo S
- Aston Martin DB11
- Audi R8 V10 Plus
- McLaren 570GT
- Mercedes AMG S63 Cabriolet
- Jaguar F-Type SVR Coupe
- BMW Alpina B7 X-Drive
- Rolls Royce Dawn
- Bentley Bentayga
- Lincoln Continental Black Label
- Nissan GT-R
- Cadillac CT6 Platinum 3.0TT AWD
Porsche 911 Turbo S Wins Robb Report’s 2017 Car of the Year Award
In the end, there could only be one two winners. Tied for first place, next to the Lamborghini Huracán Spyder, was the venerable Porsche 911 Turbo S.
911 Turbo S Engine: 3.8-liter flat 6 | Power: 580 hp | Zero to 60 mph: 2.8 seconds (with Sport Chrono) | Top speed: 205 mph | Starting price: $188,100
Paul Altieri expressed the sentiments of many drivers—at the Car of the Year contest and elsewhere—when he said, “The 911 has always been and always will be the world’s best sports car. With the Turbo specification, it can also rip the doors off anything Italian that gets in its way.”
Rob Sechan noted the longevity of the Turbo, which launched in 1974 as the 930, and how well it has aged. “The old dog can still really run,” he said. The 2017 911 Turbo S is the fastest 911 yet. 2.8 seconds is all it takes for this beast to reach 60 mph from a complete stop (using launch control in a Sport Chrono equipped car). Just as important, if not more so, it stops when you want it to. “It has the best brakes of any car I’ve driven in the competition,” said Danny Del Medico.
The other Robb Repor judges were impressed with the Porsche’s exquisite handling, “I could feel my cheeks shaking from the gs,” said Bruce Burkard after some high-speed cornering. With regard to steering feel, Preben Ostberg said, “It feels like it is part of your reflexes.”
Judge Laura Burstein, perhaps, summed it up best when she said, “It’s nearly impossible to find fault with the 911 Turbo S. Like the overachiever that everyone secretly admires, it does everything remarkably well.”