Five slick sports cars square off to see who comes out on top as ACOTY’s Best Sports Car.
How Does ACOTY Define This Class?
Hot hatches, coupes, cabriolets and wagons are allowed in this category. They need to go around corners like a wet dream and get their owners hot under the collar before each drive.
Meet The Contenders
Three Germans feature this year. They are the Porsche Boxster (top left), Volkswagen Golf R (top right) and Mercedes-Benz CLE 200 (middle left).
Also in the contest, representing the UK, is the Lotus Emira (middle right), and representing Japan is the Subaru BRZ STI.
The Porsche Boxster needs no introduction. With wind in your hair, the Boxster is as quick as lightning, goes around corners like its on rails, feels beautifully exquisite to sit in and touch, and wears the glorious Porsche badge. ’nuff said.
If it’s hot-hatchery you’re after, the Volkswagen Golf R comes highly recommended. 315hp and 420Nm of torque make this hatchback go like the proverbial scalded cat. Practicality doesn’t take a backseat either, as it has very usable back seats and boot. Strap your family in and go for a blast!
Want a more practical coupe instead? The Mercedes-Benz CLE 200 has you covered. It may not be the quickest thing around, but can neatly string a set of bends together while looking and feeling bespoke, refined, and designed with a purpose. All done with comfort, style and efficiency.
What about a coupe with an almost single-minded purpose then? Look no further than the Lotus Emira, which stands testament to Lotus’ ability to build a proper sports car that looks absolutely gorgeous.
It goes like the clappers, changes direction faster than a traumatized feline, stops smartly and does all of that with the delicacy of a ballerina executing physics-defying moves. Get one while you can.
Which then brings us to the entry-level sports car of the group, the Subaru BRZ STI. Endowed with a naturally aspirated 2.4-litre boxer engine and rear-wheel drive, this is one seriously sweet-handling coupe without the price tag of the others. And it’s quite practical.
Although only one won, you won’t go wrong with any of these diverse choices.
AutoApp Car Of The Year Best Sports Car
Mercedes-Benz CLE 200
| Vehicle | Points Tally |
| Porsche Boxster | 352 |
| Volkswagen Golf R | 351 |
| Mercedes-Benz CLE 200 | 377 |
| Lotus Emira | 373 |
| Subaru BRZ STI | 342 |
Believe us, we were as surprised as you are when the points were totted up and the result announced internally. But, in a very interesting way, we all arrived at the same conclusion with our individual scores.
The Mercedes-Benz CLE 200 takes the W with 377 points. Let’s face it, most car owners in Singapore need their one car to do practically everything, and the Merc fits that all-round bill the best.
More on the scoring categories used to derive points here.
Congratulations to the Mercedes-Benz CLE 200 for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2025 Best Sports Car!
Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV and on TikTok!
