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Road & Track names its 2013 Performance Car of the Year

Road & Track recently staged its first annual Performance Car of the Year test, pitting 13 new and updated performance cars against each other on track, then graduating the top six to a road test before picking a winner. Additionally, the magazine staff picked the best automobiles of the year in eight categories.
But first, let's cover the PCotY segment. Here's the list of cars brought to the comparison test: Audi R8 V10 Plus; BMW 435i; BMW M6 Competition Package; Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51; Ferrari F12 Berlinetta; Ford Fiesta ST; Jaguar F-Type V8 S; Jaguar XFR-S; Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S-Model Wagon; Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series; Mini John Cooper Works GP; Nissan GT-R Track Edition; and Porsche Cayman S.
To find out the results of the comparison, head over to Road & Track's website or check the press release below, where you'll also find the magazine's top-rated vehicles in eight categories. Want more? Head over to the 2013 PCotY hub. But before you do that, take a stab at guessing the winner of PCotY (we'll give you one hint: it isn't a Porsche).

Mini Clubman Final Edition could be the end of the Clubman line

The Mini range is in for an enormous overhaul next model year, the little Anglo-German hatchbacks getting more mature, more roomy, more powertrains, more digital. The Clubman trim could be saying goodbye for good, the wagon's restrained dimensions perhaps not a fit for where Mini's going. For 1,969 buyers around the world, the Mini Clubman Final Edition will be a way to say "Farewell." As with the Mini Convertible Seaside Edition, the Clubman Final Edition commemorates the birth of the original Clubman produced from 1969 to 1981. It's available in three colors: Enigmatic Black, Melting Silver, and Nanuq White. Those base hues will be accented by Shimmer Copper trim on the grille and fender vents, as well as three stripes running up the passenger's side of the hood. Another three Shimmer Copper stripes run along the lower sides underlining the "1 of 1969" badge on the C-pillar. The wagon sits on 18-inch wheels with a two-tone Final Edition Spoke lacquered to recall copper.  The side sills carry "Final Edition" lettering at the threshold to the front seats, and a "1969" badge across the rear threshold. Inside, there are a lot more warm brown and badging to behold. Three-tone Mini Yours leather sports seats are far flashier than anything from 1969, set off by anthracite Piquet fabric, blue contrast stitching, stitched badging and a copper-colored button. A range of "Final Edition" and "1 of 1969" notifiers run appear on the steering wheel, instrument panel, and floor mats.  Depending on market, the Clubman Final Edition can be ordered in Cooper and Cooper S trims, with any available powertrain including diesel, and in two- or four-wheel drive. We're not sure how many will come to the U.S., if any, nor what they will cost, so check with your dealer. The 100 specials being sent to the UK will start at GBP37,000 ($45,250 U.S.) on-the-road, about GBP10,000 ($12,230 U.S.) above an entry-level Clubman Cooper Classic. Related Video This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. New MINI Clubman Cooper S review

Longer, wider, still a Mini | 2017 Mini Countryman First Drive

Think of the 2017 Mini Countryman as the brand's "ah, to hell with it" moment. At a whopping 8.1 inches longer and 5.4 inches wider than the vehicle it replaces, it is quite obviously the least-mini Mini ever. Yet, that size increase makes it more useful, comfortable riding, and better proportioned. If a compact crossover SUV is what's to be, then this is the size it should be. However, it's still quite mini for a compact SUV, coming in at 3 inches shorter than the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class and 4 inches shorter than an Audi Q3. Neither of those are what anyone would describe as "large." And yet, the Countryman boasts a considerably more spacious and usable interior than either of them. Sit in the new Countryman's back seat and you'll be amazed at the space, with plenty of leg- and headroom for even tall people despite a standard panoramic sunroof. Crossovers of similar exterior dimensions, luxury or otherwise, just don't come close to providing as much passenger space. The cargo area isn't quite as impressive on paper, but its boxy shape and the sliding second-row seat make it far more versatile in practice. So, despite being the least-mini Mini ever, the new Countryman is still in keeping with the brand's ethos from the very beginning when Alec Issigonis created a car that was microscopic on the outside but disproportionately spacious inside. There's far more to this redesign than just dimensional changes – the 2017 Countryman grows up figuratively as well. The original model always felt like a Mini Cooper hardtop that ballooned in size and door count. Compared to SUVs of similar price, and more damningly of lesser price, it was crashy, loud, a bit cheap inside, and relatively uncouth. The base model was also embarrassingly slow. The new version feels more like a proper compact luxury SUV flavored with a robust Salt Bae of Mini spice. Actually, that's pretty much what it is. The Countryman now shares its front-wheel-drive platform with the new BMW X1, which itself benefits from various trickle-down elements from elsewhere in the BMW Group. For instance, processes developed for the 7 Series are in part responsible for the new, stiffer structure that contributes greatly to the 2017 Countryman's other great advancement: the exponentially better ride. The old one harshly crashed over bumps in a way that only Fred Flintstone wouldn't find tiresome.