The BMW M2 CS should have been amazing, so why was it the biggest letdown?

Here we go again. That’s what I was thinking after my first drive in the GT3. Like meeting an old friend, whatever generation I find myself in, GT3s and I just seem to pick up where we left off. Such familiarity is pleasing, but so too is the confidence these cars exude. They really are a lesson in the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ mentality.

Purity and simplicity are key; a stick shift is rare indeed in 2025, as is a minimalist approach to dynamic modes. It creates a sense of timelessness that’s hard to match and makes every interaction refreshingly instinctive.

Andy Preuninger and his team might be running to stand still thanks to the mandatory fitment of four catalytic converters and two gasoline particulate filters, but the 992.2 remains resolute in its refusal to buckle under increasing environmental pressures. To maintain such an extraordinary level of performance for so long, and to subtly move the needle with every iteration, is remarkable. Where the GT3 goes from here is a helluva decision.

> Get your copy of evo Car of the Year 2025

Another car at the apex of its evolutionary arc is the A110 Ultime. I love the regular car and genuinely lust after the R, but I’ll confess that even I approached the Ultime wondering if it could possibly live up to the monster price tag.

Bravely, Alpine also sent an R for us to try. After my first drive in the Ultime, swapping into the R left me wondering if the firmer, peakier, pointier A110 might be too raw. But when I next stepped back into the Ultime I became increasingly seduced – and convinced – by its added intensity. It really is a remarkable project, led by people who have been part of the A110 programme from the very beginning, and it gave them free rein to genuinely take the chassis, engine and aerodynamic performance as far as it could go. The result is much closer to a race car than the R – the NVH team must have been locked in the janitor’s closet while the Ultime was signed off – but still with enough manners and compliance to ensure it revels in road use. It’s a truly magnificent machine.

Of the other contenders, I had a couple of great drives in the Maserati. There’s something of the F40 about the way it goes about its business. The big, bold and boosty power delivery is never less than a thrill, and its steering is much improved over the MC20’s. On the right road it’s an old-school blast, but away from its sweet spot it feels unresolved and a bit rough around the edges.

I’ve written elsewhere in this issue about the 12 Cilindri, but suffice to say I went from feeling like I was struggling to make a connection with it on day one to having my single best drive of the test on day four. That wasn’t enough to propel it to the top of my list, or indeed my top three (I placed it a close fourth), but it was comfortably my best of the rest.

With 12 cars to score, the midfield was always going to be an absolute warzone as far as the overall positions were concerned. For me, fifth to eighth spots were occupied by the cars I was extremely fond of but knew I couldn’t justify placing higher. I have a great fondness for Astons and loved the Vanquish for its explosive performance and awesome road presence, but its monumental muscle could be hard to manage. The Morgan Supersport looked like a concept car and drove so much better than the previous-gen cars. It’s a beautifully executed, covetable car that combines a deceptive turn of speed with unmatched charm.

The same could be said for the Octa, which was a hoot to hoon around in and absolutely devoured the 2000-mile round trip from the UK. If I had the dosh, an Octa and a 992.2 GT3 would be my new-car two-car garage of choice.

> BMW M2 CS review – another all-time great M car?

Disappointments? The biggest letdown was the M2 CS. I had high hopes, and enjoyed an encouraging first drive on the morning of day one, but with each subsequent stint I was left feeling it lacks a true sense of connection. Ultimately it feels hamstrung by a platform that’s too big and heavy to capture the spirit of its eCoty-winning forebear. Shame.

As for the overall result, well it’s the standing joke that a Porsche – specifically a GT3 – must always win eCoty. But the flipside of that perceived inevitability is that it takes a truly extraordinary car to beat it. This year that car was the Lamborghini Revuelto. Not by a whisker, as has become the norm in recent eCotys, but by a serious margin and a rare unanimous decision.

It’s testament to Lamborghini that despite being longer, taller, wider and heavier than the Aventador, the Revuelto feels smaller, lighter, faster and way more exploitable. That it also feels more tactile proves that digital can offer a compelling alternative to analogue when brilliantly applied, while the raucous exhaust note shows hybrid needn’t spell the end of supercar shock and awe. Big flagship Lambos always had a tendency to feel like dinosaurs. Revuelto is the asteroid that wiped them out.

This story was first featured in evo issue 341.