What's The Best High-Performance Car You Can Buy Right Now?

Chevrolet recently announced its record-setting laps at the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany. They clocked the fastest times of any American auto manufacturer, beating rivals like the Mustang GTD by several seconds around the 12.9-mile track. The ZR1X set a blistering time of 6:49.275 while the standard ZR1 wasn't far behind it, completing its run in 6:50.763. The internet almost immediately set itself ablaze with talk about the ZR1 and ZR1X and how they compare to other vehicles that hold production-car records around the Ring. 

I've been testing and reviewing cars for over a decade, and every time a new car does a record-breaking lap around the Nürburgring, I think about performance metrics. "What makes a high-performance car good? Is it just speed? What about handling? Comfort has to be in there too, right?" And with my experience behind the wheel of literally hundreds of cars over the years, I believe that what makes a high-performance car good is a combination of factors. 

For something to be the best high-performance car you can buy right now, it needs to have the performance part nailed, but it needs to be engaging and entertaining too. It needs to feel premium. It needs to have some relatively attainable trim levels right alongside the record-smashing trims, and all of that is present in the Porsche 911. On top of being a record-holder in its own right, the 911 is one of the most well-rounded and versatile high-performance cars on the road.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time behind the wheel of the latest C8 Corvette. It was just as engaging and entertaining as you'd expect from a V8-powered sports car with all that history. While I absolutely believe that driving the ZR1 and ZR1X would be even-more thrilling experiences, I think the Porsche 911 is a better car. I've driven a number of different 911 configurations over the years, and they've all left me feeling the same way: that it's one of the most well-rounded, well-executed cars that money can buy.

The Porsche is more expensive than cars like the Corvette, yes, but it's also more refined, with better interior quality. It's also worth noting that when Porsche took its turn at the ring, it was faster. Back in 2021, the 911 GT2 RS set a production-car record with a time around the Nurburgring of 6:43.300 — about six seconds faster than the ZR1X. 

Yes, the ZR1X has a top speed of 233 mph, which is significantly faster than any current version of the 911, but the 911 Turbo's top speed of 205 mph is still incredibly fast. There are other exclusive and expensive high-performance cars that are worth considering, like the McLaren 750S we recently reviewed, or any number of Ferrari's or Lamborghini's you can choose from. Exotic performance cars, however, are typically outside the range of affordability and accessibility, even for affluent car enthusiasts.