The MOTOR Awards 2021: Most Exciting New Car

Welcome to the MOTOR Awards 2021, where our team offer a tip of the hat to those that displayed automotive excellence in the last 12 months.

Most Exciting New Car Winner: Nissan Z

Yes, 2022 promises more exotic, more powerful and more technologically advanced performance cars than the Nissan Z, but once in a while a car is launched that whether by accident or design, lands in a neglected spot in the market and is all the better for it.

Sub-$100k sports coupes aren’t exactly thick on the ground and the ones that offer a manual gearbox can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Your choice comes down to the Z, a Mustang, an MX-5 RC, or an 86/BRZ. And if you then want the easy tuning potential of forced induction, the Nissan finds itself in pole position.

It has to be said that part of our anticipation is based on intrigue. We hope that it won’t steer like the old Infiniti Q60 Red Sport, with its vague Direct Adaptive Steering. The initial signs appear promising.

Nissan has ditched the lazy old auto ‘box and offers a Mercedes-sourced nine-speed auto, but it’s a fact that sports coupes might be halo products but they often aren’t big contributors to a company’s bottom line. Let’s keep ‘em crossed that Nissan has made smart decisions on how to bring the Z to market cost-effectively.

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There’s potential here for a cracker of a sports coupe. The fixes are easy to identify and the bare bones of the car, while old, are solid. The 298kW VR30DDTT engine is tough and well-proven and let’s not forget that even the outgoing 370Z can deliver a level of entertainment and immersion that can shame many newer rivals.

If only the rest of the package had moved with the times. In many ways, the new Z needs to take on the work of two model generations and that is a very big ask.

Performance fans of every colour will be hoping that Nissan succeeds and with an industry-wide development push towards electrified drivetrains, those years of benign neglect could, serendipitously, put Nissan into a position that few other manufacturers could replicate.

Manual gearbox, rear-drive chassis, pure-ICE powerplant and delivered at an aggressive price: you have to wonder which car makers have the ability to launch a car like that these days?

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Honourable mention: Porsche Cayman GT4 RS

Finally Porsche uncorks the Cayman. Anything that can lap the Ring in 7m09s is an absolute weapon. That’s pretty much on par with bona fide supercars like the McLaren 600LT and is quicker than the current 992 Turbo S. If you want to dominate at a track day and then drive home in the same car, the GT4 RS should be near the top of your list.

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Honourable mention: Toyota GR86

There wasn’t much wrong with the old 86/BRZ. Dial in more torque, fit some decent tyres, pay a little more attention to interior quality and that’s about it. Three from three on that score. It’s up to Toyota and Subaru to keep on top of development through its life cycle.

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