A new award for 2024, the Best Luxury Sports Car award represents the hero cars of the marketplace: exotic brand names associated with extravagant lifestyles, hefty price tags and outrageous performance.
You’ll find coupés and convertibles here, with the engines either out front or behind the driver. Petrol power is a given, with as many as 12 cylinders, although some models are now available as plug-in hybrids. Full electric power will be arriving soon, but isn’t here yet.
Our awards recognise both the best new models to have been launched over the last 12 months, but also the best overall cars in each category – because newer doesn’t always mean better, as you can see below.
Best new luxury sports car: Aston Martin DB12 (85%)
It’s true that the Aston Martin DB12 carries a lot over from its predecessor, the DB11. But that’s not unusual for plenty of cars touted as ‘all-new’. It is, however, a significant step forward over the DB11 in virtually every way and has impressed reviewers.
Better to drive and much nicer inside the luxurious cabin, the DB12 is a wonderful machine. If you’re looking for the quintessential luxury GT, this is it. The Aston Martin DB12 combines vastly improved comfort and devastating performance in a stunningly-styled package.
Class champion: Ferrari 296 (96%)
The DB12 may be a wonderful car, but the class champion for luxury sports cars is also the highest-rated new car in the Expert Rating Index. The Ferrari 296 has a frankly astonishing Expert Rating of 96% from 18 different reviews, which means that almost every single review has awarded it a maximum score.
The Ferrari 296 remains the world’s benchmark supercar – you can certainly buy more expensive cars, from Ferrari and other brands, but they are not regarded as highly as this one. It’s available with either a fixed coupé roof or a targa format with removable centre section, both of which get similar adulation from the media. It’s also a plug-in hybrid, so it can cruise silently through the city if you want it to.
The Car Expert Awards 2024
