TG's Performance Car of the Year 2025: what is it and why should you care?

Welcome to Performance car of the Year 2025. That’s right, not ‘Speed Week’. We’ve had a refresh of our sports car showdown’s name, because ‘PCOTY’ is easier to understand. We’re not ragging round at vmax for seven days. This extravaganza, the highlight of the Top Gear calendar, is dedicated to finding this year’s greatest fast car.

Our tried and tested TG format remains unchanged. We’ve invited an eclectic bunch of mouthwatering metal to Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, better known to Brits as the Portimão circuit in southern Portugal.

It was rightly put on the international map by hosting two F1 GPs during the COVID seasons of 2020 and 2021. If its wild elevation changes, blind crests and a challenging collection of technical and tyre killing corners was a challenge for the world’s best drivers, it’ll sure sort the best from the rest among our contenders.

Once we’ve whittled the grid down to a shortlist of five, through a few heats and offbeat groupings, we’ll set off onto the roads of the Algarve to find an overall champion. This isn’t a quest to set the fastest lap time, or hit the highest top speed. We’re here to seek out a car that’s exciting regardless of how quick it is. Something that has the magic, the glint of genius, a machine that feels like a moment. We’re also here because Stig gets cranky if he’s not unleashed on a big scary racetrack once a year.

As ever, there were cars we campaigned for that didn’t make it along. The Corvette ZR1, Lamborghini Temerario and Ford Mustang GTD were all unable to attend. We searched in vain for a decent new hot hatchback or lightweight, but the landscape is tragically desolate. Reigning champ McLaren is having a fallow year, which seems to have helped the F1 team.

Ferrari said it was too soon for an F80, so it sent along something with the correct number of cylinders instead. Fair enough. So, sit back, belt up and place your bets. Only one can be our 2025 Performance Car of the Year.

Keep an eye on TopGear.com over the coming days to find out which one took the top spot...