Five Best Performance Car Launches Of 2018

It is obvious that 2018 is the year of SUVs and performance models. These vehicles lead the charge of the best new cars with a flood of incredible models hitting the showrooms and dealers. While a variety of launches in all segments like SUVs, sedans or hatchbacks also draws great attention from the enthusiasts, a sheer number of remarkable performance cars from big players like Ferrari, Mercedes and BMW and Audi created a tremendous resonation in the domestic market.  Here is the list of 5 most attractive performance cars in various categories landed in India this year.

1. Ferrari Portofino

Price: Rs 3.5 Crore

The Ferrari Portofino stands first in top India's performance car launches of 2018

Regarded as the culmination of sportiness, elegance and comfort, the Ferrari Portofino reached our shore as an entry-level traditional coupe. The Italian marque has created a particularly evocative name referring to a beautiful fishing village in Italy for the drop-top model.

First premiered at Ferrari’s 70th-anniversary celebrations, the Ferrari Portofino was officially launched in India on September 28, 2018, at the price of Rs 3.5 Crore (Ex-showroom, Delhi). The Portofino offers not merely a gorgeous opulent aesthetical outlook but also an impressive robust driving performance.

The Entry-level Ferrari Portofino is powered by a fantastic 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 engine which is capable of making 600 bhp at 7,500 rpm and a peak torque of 760 Nm at 5,250 rpm. The car can reach the top speed of 320 kmph and travel up from 0 to 100 kmph in only 3.5 seconds.

The Portofino’s interior boasts the best feelings of understated luxury with a 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a separated screen compatible with Apple CarPlay for rear passengers. It is also equipped with 18-way electric adjustable seats and 2+2 seating configuration. On the outside, the new Ferrari Portofino presents an aggressive dapper and sexier look with a convertible hard-top, LED headlamps with boomerang shape and typical Ferrari’s lines and curves in the body. The Portofino is the most attractive looking and the most expensive model in the list.

2. Aston Martin Vantage

Price: Rs 2.95 Crore

The newest model of the legendary British automobile manufacturer is also among the top car with outstanding performance. The iconic luxury sport car has been revived and designed for the young and modern customers who have an intense passion for controlling the adventurous high speed.

Aston Martin proves its hardcore presence with its brand new Aston Martin Vantage

Blowing the fresh air into the market, the 2019 Aston Martin Vantage is the most affordable offering of the brand available in the country with the introductory price of Rs 2.95 Crore (ex-showroom, India). The super sport car gets an overhaul in design and style over its predecessors and shares the platform as the DB11. Featured with the world’s renowned design and dynamic performance, the Aston Martin Vantage is like an agile athlete in the race with other badass rivals like the Mercedes-AMG GT, Porsche 911 Turbo, Audi R8 V10, etc.

The high-performance Vantage gets a price tag of Rs 2.95 Crore (Ex-showroom, India)

The distinctive interior of the Aston Martin Vantage displays a unique absolute functionality and versatility. The car offers a lower driving position and intimate connectivity with the driver overhauling the magnetic driving convenience and pleasure.

Exploiting a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine that churns out 503 bhp of power at 6000 rpm and 685 Nm of torque at 2000-5000 rpm, the Aston Martin Vantage is fitted to a driver package that helps accelerate from 0-100 kmph in 3.6 seconds at the top speed of 350 kmph. The heart is mated to a ZF-sourced 8-speed gearbox with paddle shifters.

3. BMW M5

Price: Rs 1.43 Crore

The fastest and aggressive BMW M5 of all time has been launched in India earlier this year with the ex-showroom price starting at Rs 1.43 Crore. First came under the spotlight at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, the 6^th-gen BMW M5 is the first BMW M xDrive arriving in India via CBU format.

The BMW M5 is the first BMW M xDrive of the German luxury marque

Has been long in the tooth with 30-year presence, the high-performance executive sedan is totally a benchmark of its class. The sport car has been redesigned to dramatically lessen the total weight and feature a more aggressive and robust style. The powerful sporty look of the sedan has been improved by a refreshed front, rear bumper, rear diffuser and spoiler. The car is also available with scores of advanced interior highlights such as

• Adaptive full LED headlights

• Park Distance Control

• 12.3-inch Dynamic Digital Instrument Cluster

• 19-inch alloy wheels

The heart of the new-gen BMW M5 is the upgraded 4.4-litre V-8 engine with M TwinPower Turbo Technology that sends a power output of 591 bhp and 750 Nm of torque. The motor delivers its power to the front wheels via an 8-speed M Steptronic transmission. The high-performance sedan can sprint from 0-100 kmph in only 3.4 seconds at the top speed of 250 kmph and can be extended to 300 kmph with the driver’s package.

4. Mercedes-AMG E63s 4MATIC+

Price: Rs 1.5 Crore

The fast and furious beast of the German carmaker, the Mercedes-AMG E63s 4MATIC is the next incredible performance car in the list. The range-toping vehicle of the Mercedes E-Class comes up with a new Panamericana radiator grille, refreshed front bumper and larger air intakes.

The Rs 1.5 Crore- AMG E63s 4MATIC is the top-of-the-line Mercedes model in the Indian market

Powering the AMG E63s 4MATIC+ is a meaty 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 powerhouse that can produce 603 bhp of max power and 850 Nm of peak torque. It comes equipped with a 9-speed AMG Speedshift dual-clutch transmission along with a 4MATIC+ AWD system. This model can reach the peak speed of 249 kmph while the added AMG driver’s package can boost the acceleration up to 300 bhp.

Standing out in the car’s driving performance is the Drift mode which can electromechanically connect the rear axle to the front one. It helps calculate the driving conditions and driver’s input. When the Drift mode is on, the Mercedes-AMG E63s 4MATIC+ will turn out to be a purely rear-wheel drive vehicle until it is deactivated.

5. Audi RS5

Price: Rs 1.10 Crore

Priced at Rs 1.10 Crore, the Audi RS5 is the most affordable model in the list

Sitting in the last-but-not-least 5^th position of the list is the Audi RS5. The second-gen Audi RS5 coupe has hit the dealers in India from April 2018 with a brand new platform. Based on the strong and ever-lasting reputation of the legendary marque, the Audi RS5 came to India as a CBU unit, regarded as a big hit into the market. With the most affordable price, the Audi RS5 comes featured with a plethora of luxurious technological equipment and imposing performance. Available with a larger redesigned front grille, a sporty sharper bumper and massive air intakes, the RS5 offers a smarter styling design language appealing to a wide range of customers.

The luxury coupe sources the power from a new smaller 2.9-litre TFSI bi-turbo V6 engine generating 444 bhp/ 600 Nm units. The car’s acceleration is 3.9 seconds when sprinting from 0-100 kmph at the top speed of 250 kmph. The speed can be extended to 280 kmph when adopting RS Dynamic Package.

What do you think about these vehicles? Let us know at the comment section below.

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