Two superb sports cars square off to see who comes out on top.
How Does ACOTY Define This Class?
No hot hatches, performance sedans or wagons are allowed in here. They need to be purpose-built coupes or cabriolets that go around corners like a wet dream and get their owners hot under the collar before each drive. They should also be priced below the 90th percentile.
Meet The Contenders
One is German and the other Japanese – Toyota GR86 takes on BMW M2.
Toyota, in collaboration with Subaru, came out with the successor to the famed AE86 with the rear-wheel drive GT86 back in 2012. Here in its second generation, this GR86 gets a larger 2.4-litre boxer-four engine taking horsepower and torque upwards, making this sports coupe that much more flexible than its predecessor.
Some enthusiasts may bemoan the lack of a turbocharged powerplant, but being naturally aspirated means the GR86 can be driven at or close to ten-tenths without getting one into too much trouble. The driver sits low in the cockpit and feels every molecule of the tarmac through their hands, lower back and bum. The GR86 handles so well and is so easy to drive that it easily qualifies as “my first sports car.”
The BMW M2, on the other hand, brings a bazooka to a knife fight. Putting 453hp through just the rear wheels means that its driver better knows what they’re doing, for if they do, the M2 will reward in buckets. Bucket-like sports seats come as standard, and carbon-fibre buckets can be optioned if one decides to be that hardcore.
Put your foot down, and the M2’s three-litre turbocharged straight six howls with glee as it hurls the car down the straight to set up for and negotiate the next corner. This IS the spiritual successor to the much-beloved E36 and E46 BMW M3.
Although only one won, you won’t go wrong with either of these superb choices.
AutoApp Car Of The Year Best Sports Car
BMW M2
| Vehicle | Points Tally | Price Percentile |
| BMW M2 | 373 | 86 |
| Toyota GR 86 | 330 | 58 |
The BMW M2 takes the W with 373 points. Despite being significantly more expensive than the GR86, you get a lot for your money here. Add to that the special experience that comes with M-cars and it’s not difficult to see why the M2 won.
More on the scoring categories used to derive points here.
Congratulations to the BMW M2 for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2024 Best Sports Car!
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