HSV GTSR W1 Day 4 05
HSV GTSR W1 Day 2 17 d4hy
HSV GTSR W1 Day 4 19 tkfg
HSV GTSR W1 Day 2 07 5ar9
ABDC Day 3 26 zk39
Mike Sinclair7 Jun 2017
NEWS

ABDC 2017: Local hero

ABDC came of age in 2017... And at the same time, kicked off a long farewell

In the end it was the local hero that triumphed.

Little wonder, for almost from the first moment it turned a wheel in anger on Australia’s Best Driver’s Car 2017, jaws started hitting the floor. To a judge, I watched our drivers emerge from their stints in the HSV GTSR W1 with wide grins. The most common alternative response on alighting from the orange warrior was a shaking head.

“How can a car as big and powerful be so involving and yet so easy and forgiving to drive...” And I quote...

It was the antithesis of what you’d expect...

We knew HSV’s GTSR W1 had potential to become the first (and last) local winner from our sampling of it pre-ABDC. At Sandown it impressed. On the road against seriously expensive German machinery pre-Tassie it did so too. But ABDC is about more than grunt and lap times.

Indeed, when we crafted the idea for ABDC a few years back, it was because we felt there was a need for a serious group test that was all about how a car makes you feel, when you’re behind the wheel. As the world hurtles toward autonomous vehicles and blanket ‘fun policing’, we’ve re-affirmed our commitment to this and its importance...

Your involvement, comments and social engagement have reinforced our opinion. So, I’m pleased to be able to confirm, on the back of record editorial traffic figures alone, ABDC will be back in 2018...

Australia has had some vintage performance car years in recent times. In 2017 I had some concerns that the field would not be so close. I worried that the cars on the list would generate a good rather great result. Those feelings were unfounded – runners less fancied on paper were impressive across the range of conditions and roads that ABDC threw up. Among the favourites there were slips twixt cups and lips. Solid performers, performed, well... very solidly...

HSV GTSR W1 Day 4 19 tkfg
“Who said a big muscle car can’t be a driver’s car – and one of the finest. A truly great send-off...”

One of our pre-event favourites, the Alfa Romeo Giuila QV, was not rated. That decision was not an easy one – and involved some significant soul searching and not just in the motoring.com.au office. It is, as they say in the classics, an ongoing situation.

We’ll revisit the QV soon with its direct rivals – and we've invited it back to ABDC 2018.

Cars like BMW’s M140i Performance Edition proved you don’t have to spend a fortune to get both a prestige badge and truly great driving dynamics.

The Nissan GT-R on the other hand showed that you can get too much of a good thing – and that time is marching on.

Judges of fact
Watching the furrowed brows and their moments deep in thought, it was clear that in ABDC 2017 our judges felt an added level of responsibility. We try and make the process as transparent as possible (the scores are published hereabouts) but for the avoidance of doubt I can vouch for the bona fides of how each and every one of them went about their task.

Given this studious approach (I’ve read and re-read all of their notes and scoresheets) and the passionate discussions I witnessed, it’s especially galling to see some of the feedback we’ve received – especially on Facebook. But alas via Disqus comments too. NB: if you’re going to accuse us of taking bribes, at least have the decency to include your real name so we can exercise our right of reply.

The plus side is there have been many of you that have proffered well thought out responses to our impressions. We welcome this...

Ford Focus RS Day 2 09 26zb

A trio of individuals
After many kilometres of testing, track laps – and just about every sealed road and weather condition that Tasmania could throw at us (save for proper snow), the voting was close. And therefore threw up its own surprises. That three completely different vehicles ended up on the podium, is instructive.

Ford’s Focus RS won friends instantly but pissed as many off with a driving position that was more SUV than hot hatch. We know why technically, Ford (the Blue Oval doesn’t want to re-crash [test] its RS models); but why devalue one of the world’s great pocket rockets with a Transit stance?

Porsche’s 718 Cayman S arrived at ABDC as the four-cylinder ‘lesser’ replacement of its glorious six-cylinder predecessor. It left having impressed every judge and thoroughly converting all (correct me if I’m wrong, gang) to blown boxer four fans. Here is definitely a case of less is more...

Porsche Cayman S Day 4 16 hrue

And so to the car it seems a fair swag of the Aussie performance community love to hate.

Although the conspiracy theorists have already descended into meltdown, let me state for the record, HSV’s GTSR W1 really is something. We had to convince HSV to make it available – but I’m glad Road test Editor Matt Brogan was so persistent.

It is a car that defies logic in some instances. It is very much more than the sum total of its parts. Indeed, I’m still not entirely sure how the Holden 'hot haus' engineers have achieved what they achieved.

And our judges agreed – it wasn’t every one’s top pick but it was never far from it.

“World class... Every time I drive it I’m more impressed...”

“Hugely hairy-chested yet feels much more wieldy...”

“You don’t have to make excuses for it – even against GT-R, Cayman and Focus RS..”

“Subjectively this car wins it. Objectively, it’s exceptional...”

“Who said a big muscle car can’t be a driver’s car – and one of the finest. A truly great send-off...”

Coming of age
ABDC came of age in 2017. We had our first crash, our first stalker (that’s another story completely), new lap records, new readership records, for the first time, a closed-road stage (fitting given Tassie’s Targa legacy), and our first black eye.

And all this just in time to say goodbye to Aussie-built driver’s cars.

In ABDC 2018 there will not be an Aussie-built car but if our New Car Calendar is anything to go by, there will be an embarrassment of driver’s car riches. In fact at last count we have 22 models we think could earn a place in the queue for the Spirit of Tasmania.

We’re looking at ways you dear reader can be involved next year – in picking the cars we take to Tasmania in 2018 and, just perhaps, in the event itself.

The list of prerequisites will be long and will probably include a [very] thick skin... And a decent left jab if Feann Torr’s 2017 shiner anything to go by.

ABDC 2017
>> 1st - HSV GTSR W1
>> 2nd - Porsche Cayman S
>> 3rd - Ford Focus RS
>> 4th - BMW M140i
>> 5th - BMW M3 Competition
>> 6th - Audi S5 Coupe
>> 7th - Mercedes-AMG C 43
>> Track test - The fastest ever
>> A sideways glance at ABDC
>> 8th - Volkswagen Golf GTI 40 Years
>> Stats never lie – ABDC by the numbers
>> Not ranked - Alfa Romeo Guilia QV
>> All the ABDC FAQs
>> 10th - Abarth 124 Spider
>> Quarter-mile bragging rights
>> Meet the judges
>> 11th - Nissan GT-R

>> In search of Australia's Best Driver's Car 2017

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