2018 BEST DRIVER’S CAR
There is a heavy stillness in the air, the weight of expectation.
Less than an hour before, our resident pro driver, Randy Pobst, had flung the mighty McLaren 720S around WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in 1 minute, 29.78 seconds—the fastest lap ever recorded in the history of our Best Driver’s Car competition. Now, he’s powering the 911 GT2 RS down the infamous Corkscrew, the echoes of the Porsche’s barrel-chested bellow, so much like the iconic 935 racer, cascading through the surrounding hills.
A silent crowd clusters around the giant Racepak monitor in the pit garage. The folks from Porsche North America HQ are here, as are Chevy handlers from Detroit, the McLaren and Aston Martin support teams from the U.K., the Lamborghini guys from Italy, a pair of helpful Honda people, and a posse of Motor Trend editors. We hold our collective breath, transfixed by the real-time trace showing the Porsche’s progress around the 2.2-mile track. The clock deconstructs the lap, by fractions of a second. The 911 explodes onto the front straight and dashes for the finish line.
Distance. Time. Time. Distance. Eyes flicker across the screen; synapses snap the calculus.
THE JURY
Ed Loh, Editor-in-Chief Mark Rechtin, Executive Editor Jonny Lieberman, Senior Features Editor
Chris Walton, Road Test Editor Scott Evans, Features Editor Frank Markus, Technical Director
Angus MacKenzie, International Bureau Chief Erick Ayapana, Associate Road Test Editor
Miguel Cortina, Managing Editor, Motor Trend en Español
Jethro Bovingdon, Host, Ignition and Head 2 Head Randy Pobst, Professional Racer
The Contenders
Alfa RomeoStelvio Q4 Quadrifoglio
Aston MartinVantage
Audi TT RS
BMW M5
ChevroletCorvette ZR1 (1ZR w/ ZTK)
FordMustang GT (Perf Pack 2)
Honda CivicType R
Kia Stinger GT
LamborghiniHuracán Performante
Mazda MX-5 Miata(Club)
McLaren 720S
Porsche 911 GT2 RS (Weissach)
BEST DRIVER’S CAR IS NOT ABOUT LAP TIME. IT’S ABOUT CONFIDENCE: THE CONFIDENCE A CAR GIVES YOU WHEN YOU TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT, BE IT YOUR OWN OR THE CAR’S.
Let’s back up. Our Best Driver’s Car shootout is not about a lap time. It’s about confidence: the confidence a car gives you when you take it to the limit, be it your own or the car’s. But
