Three very different performances car. A whole lot of fun.
May was a crazy and fun month. I got to drive a variety of cars and I got to learn so much.
I love my performance cars and I love my adventure vehicles.
Here are my three favourite performance car drives from May 2021.
1. Toyota GR Yaris
This manual-only hot hatch was a lot of fun to drive and dare I say it, is my favourite hot hatch under AUD$60,000.
This muscular two-door AWD hatchback is powered by the world’s most powerful 1.6L 3-cyclinder turbocharged production engine, producing up to 200kW/270Nm.
It is surprisingly quick, achieving 0-100km/h in 5.2 seconds.
Not only is the Toyota GR Yaris a powerful and fun hot hatch to drive, but it also sounds incredible and has a reasonable exhaust note.
I like my cars to sound grumpy and aggressive and I was really surprised that the GR Yaris was able to achieve this.
So, the GR Yaris performs the part and sounds the part, but does it look it?
ABSOLUTELY. The Toyota GR Yaris looks mean and has some great exterior additions that really add to its sporty appearance. Including sporty twin exhausts, wide wheel arches and 18” ENKEI made alloys, a carbon fibre polymer roof, and a lowered roofline.
What makes the GR Yaris truly great is although it is a sporty performance hatchback, it also includes plenty of comforts making it a great daily driver, such as heated seats, a decent JBL audio system with 8 speakers, head-up display, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility.
The GR Yaris also includes a plethora of safety and assistance features, such as adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and pre-collision safety systems.
All-in-all, although the Toyota GR Yaris may be considered expensive for a ‘Yaris’ coming in at just under AUD$55,000 driveaway… at the end of the day it’s not just your regular Yaris.
Take it to the track. Drive it to work. Go for a road trip. The AWD Toyota GR Yaris can handle it.
2. BMW M4 Competition
Arguably the most eye-catching of all three performance cars tested in May, the BMW M4 Competition in Sao Paulo Yellow demanded attention.
This aggressive and athletic two-door RWD coupe is powered by a 3.0L twin-turbocharged inline 6-cyclinder engine, producing up to 375kW/650Nm and achieves 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds.
The new kidney grille design and a brand-new colour certainly grabbed people’s attention. If anything, I feel like people saw the colour of the car before they knew what the car was.
It is absolutely a head-turner and an attention grabber which is absolutely what you are looking for if you are driving the BMW M4 Competition. There is nothing subtle about it, and that’s kind of the point.
The black carbon fibre roof pops against the bright yellow exterior and carbon exterior package (optioned on).
The BMW M4 Competition looks mean as hell, but it sounds even meaner. The exhaust notes are addictive, and I could not get enough of the crackle and pops. It’ll make you laugh and it’ll make you smile.
The BMW M4 Competition is an 8-speed M Steptronic (automatic) transmission and does not come in manual. It does technically have manual paddles, but that is not the same.
If you do really want a manual transmission M4 you will have to go for the standard BMW M4 Coupe variant which offers manual or automatic transmission.
Although I did drive the RWD variant, there will be an all-wheel drive BMW M4 Competition coming later in 2021.
The BMW M4 Competition takes performance seriously and so if you are wanting to track this car (and trust me you will want to), the performance car comes jam-packed with performance and track features! To read more about some M Performance features to try in the BMW M4 Competition, check out my article here.
This car can absolutely be enjoyed on the track and as a daily driver.
The BMW M4 Competition is also crammed with incredible technology and safety features making it a great all-rounder.
It includes Comfort Access, so you can get in and out of your car without physically touching your key fob.
It’s got plenty of comfort and safety features such as head-up display, automatic high beams with selective beam, front seat heating, adaptive cruise (with stop & go), an incredible harmon/kardon surround system and more.
The BMW M4 Competition is priced at AUD$159,000 before on-road costs, with my tester coming in at AUD$188,980 before on-road costs.
The BMW M4 Competition is loud, borderline obnoxious but an absolute thrill to drive and that’s just how I like it.
This one is getting added to my dream car list that is for sure.
3. Porsche Taycan Turbo S
Now before you all come at me with pitchforks, because yes, this is an all-electric car… The Porsche Taycan Turbo S is a worthy addition to my top 3 performance car drives of May.
Hear me out, sure it is not the same experience that you might have with an inline 6-cyclinder petrol vehicle or any other performance petrol/diesel but that does not make it any less worthy of this list.
Firstly, this is Porsche’s first all-electric car. They are a sports car brand so you can bet your top dollar that will have poured everything they had to not just build an electric car but one worthy of their name.
Before I talk about the nitty gritty, I have to say that this car is an absolute incredible feat of engineering. What Porsche have been able to achieve here is honestly insane and teeters on the edge of what is possible and what is not.
This sleek four-door AWD sports sedan has a 93.4kWh battery paired with a Dual AC synchronous electric motor and delivers 460kW (560kW w/overboost)/1050Nm! It achieves 0-100km/h in 2.8 seconds. That is only 0.1 second slower than the Porsche 911 Turbo S!
To launch the Porsche Taycan Turbo S, you simply must hold your one foot on the brake and one on the accelerator then let go of the brake to launch it.
The Porsche Taycan Turbo S is a silent killer. It’s incredible quick but incredibly silent. Besides hearing the switch up from first to second, in this two-gear electric sedan, not much else is heard. The cabin space is well insulated so road and tyre noise are minor.
If you do want some noise or ‘feedback’, you can opt to turn on the Porsche Electric Sport Sound which is an acoustic sound clip specially created by Porsche. Yes, essentially, it is just fake noise, but I still think it’s pretty damn cool.
The Taycan Turbo S is blistering fast and another worth tracking to enjoy the pace and performance.
Aside from the performance the Porsche Taycan Turbo S looks futuristic but at the same time is instantly recognisable as a Porsche.
It’s an electric car that doesn’t feel like an electric car while driving it (besides the lack of noise). The driving feel is incredible and in line with what you would expect from any Porsche.
It is the perfect sports car for everyday driving, especially you have a decent home charger set-up.
The Porsche Taycan Turbo S is priced at AUD$345,800 before on-road costs, with my tester coming in at AUD$377,610 before on-road costs.
These three performance cars may be very different, but at the end of the day they all made me smile and isn’t that the most important thing?
Which of the three would you love to drive? Let me know in the comments below.
Words and photography by Andrea Michelle Indy
ANDREA IN ARCADIA 
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