2025 PERFORMANCE CAR OF THE YEAR - TRACK

The first trial of our 10 contestants was two days of nonstop lapping.

- JETHRO BOVINGDON

IT’S ALL LED TO THIS MOMENT. I’m weaving on the long downhill run between Turn 2 and the fast chicane of Turn 3 to bring up the pressure in the Lamborghini Revuelto’s tires. The mid-engine monster is at least a size too big and several hundred horses too potent for Thunderhill’s two-mile West course. I’m trying to be calm, but my mind is racing ahead to the start of the fast lap and the short, sharp braking zone into the first corner.

Everything feels good. The big Lambo is shockingly agile, and the light, fast steering acts on the front end with response and grip that an Aventador owner could only dream about. The Italian crew looking after the Revuelto has primed all the systems so I’m in Corsa mode—full noise for everything and with enough slip in the stabilitycontrol system to allow for fast lap times but buff away the sharpest edges through high-speed transitions. Or so I think.

In fact, they’ve gone one stage further than Corsa and deactivated the traction and stability systems. Which is how I find myself slewing sideways across the grass on the exit of Turn 6, the Revuelto drawn inexorably toward the tire wall. The world’s most expensive lawn mower heading toward the world’s most embarrassing crash. It had all started so well too.

How could it not? At PCOTY, the format is simple. I get an out lap, two fliers, and an in lap. In this oppressive three-digit heat, the first lap is usually the best. So, while the resulting laps are representative, it’s not about running multiple lap sessions to get the perfect, untouchable qualifying time. They’re more useful to draw a picture of how exploitable the cars are without the luxury of many laps and an endless supply of new rubber. And, logically, we start from the slowest car and work upward. Which means I begin in the Mazda MX-5 Miata Club. Like I said, a very good start.