Every year for the past eight, Motor Trend has undertaken a comprehensive shootout to determine the answer to one ultimate question: Which is the single best driver’s car on the market?
After a week of driving on and off the track, the votes have been tabulated and the winner named. This year’s Best Driver’s Car is the Ferrari 488 GTB.
The turbocharged eight-cylinder supercar won out over a varied yet compelling array of competitors, including the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, Aston Martin DB11, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE and Corvette Grand Sport Z07, Lexus LC 500, Mazda Miata RF, McLaren 570GT, Mercedes-AMG GT R, Nissan GT-R NISMO, and the Porsche 718 and Porsche 911 Turbo S.
We’d be hard-pressed to choose just one from all of those assuredly stellar driving machines, but Motor Trend has worked it down to a science. The editors instrument-tested each one at Auto Club Speedway, lapped them around Laguna Seca, and finessed them down an undisclosed stretch of canyon road in central California.
“The Ferrari 488 GTB is one of the purest distillations of driving enjoyment ever created,” said editor-in-chief Ed Loh. “The way the engine, transmission, and chassis systems all work together reflects Ferrari’s deep understanding of high-performance road cars and long history in racing at the highest level.”
This marks the second time that a Ferrari has won the award, following the 488’s predecessor – the naturally aspirated 458 Italia – which won in 2011. Porsche and its iconic 911 remain the most victorious in the award’s history, with the 911 Carrera 4 S, Carrera S, Cayman S, and 911 GT3 having each won previously. Last year’s winner was the McLaren 570S, preceded by the Mercedes-AMG GT, the Chevy Camaro Z/28 the year before that, and the Audi R8 in 2008 (when the title was Best Handling Car).
“In nominating the Ferrari 488 GTB as its Best Driver’s Car, Motor Trend is celebrating those characteristics our clients recognize and demand,” said Ferrari marketing chief Enrico Galliera. “We are committed to developing Ferraris that excel in terms of driving pleasure—usable performance, razor-sharp responses, and great handling. In other words, the quintessential sports car.”