CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

The field contending for Robb Report's 2025 Car of the Year was the most varied and exclusive to date, from a 400hp four-cylinder fury to a 1,900hp EV. And the votes are in.

- Words: Robert Ross and Viju Mathew

THE ULTIMATE VARIETY PACK

A striking dichotomy defines the top tier of today’s automotive market. Performance capabilities considered extreme just a few years ago are now common in vehicles ranging from luxury grocery-getters to baronial sedans to grand tourers, all with a similar baseline of amenities. (Shared platforms, it should be noted, play no small part here.) But when it comes to where that boost in output comes from, the engineering decisions are now as disparate as can be, reflecting the fact that the industry is in a state of flux unlike any other in the history of the motorcar—which, evidenced by the broadest assemblage of contenders presented in the more than two decades of Robb Report's Car of the Year (COTY) competition, one could argue is a very good thing indeed.

Not everyone agrees, of course, especially today, when no topic is immune from politicisation—even power-train development. In the drive towards total electrification, which has raced at full throttle the past few years, automakers now seem to be lifting their collective foot off the pedal, content to coast into a future made uncertain by ever-changing emissions regulations, relaxed legislative timelines, and a polarised consumer base. The current limbo translated to a COTY field ranging from the four-cylinder, 400hp Lotus Emira to the 771hp Bentley Continental GT Speed hybrid to the 1,900hp all-electric Pininfarina Battista hypercar, the most powerful and exclusive automobile (in both price and rarity) ever entered in the contest.