According to April 2017 sales figures, the $80,000-plus sports car segment is growing at a faster rate than every other new passenger car segment except one.

The latest new-car data reveals there has been a 16.5 per cent year-on-year boost in the middle-tier, two-door coupe and convertible class. While the sub-$80,000 sports car segment dropped 4.7 per cent, the $200,000-plus sports car class soared 7.6 per cent.

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Only $70,000-plus large cars are outperforming sports cars, up 36.9 per cent because the new BMW 5 Series (up 247 per cent) and Mercedes-Benz E-Class (up 123 per cent) are in a duel that is also crippling rivals. (Audi A6 fell 42 per cent, Jaguar XF plunged 55 per cent, while the Infiniti Q70 trickled to nought.)

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The Audi R8 (with six times last year’s sales), Nissan GT-R (up 162 per cent), Lotus Elise (quadruple the haul on 2016) and McLaren (rising 270 per cent) stole the show, but Aston Martin two-doors are up 30.8 per cent this year, no doubt thanks to the all-new DB11.

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