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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).

We should probably call this the Jaguar Fast Pace

Jaguar appears be working on a high-performance R variant of its slinky F-Pace crossover. But, it has done an excellent job of hiding that in these spy shots. There really are no visual indicators that this test car is anything special. The lights, grille openings, and even exhaust all appear to be standard-issue F-Pace. According to the spy photographer, what doesn't come across is the sound of the crossover, which he reports is quite loud, thus this strongly sounds like the F-Pace R. We expect at least 500 horsepower, and the ute could borrow the V8 from the F-Type R, or run a new, tuned-up version of the V6. We would lean toward the F-Type R V8. Since that engine has also been used in the performance version of the XF, which shares other powertrains with the F-Pace, it would likely be the easiest to drop into the crossover. We also aren't sure when this fast-paced F-Pace will come to market, but the wait probably won't be too long. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Jaguar F-Pace R View 12 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Spy Photos Jaguar Crossover Performance jaguar f-pace

Xcar weighs in on the five best-sounding modern cars

Getting behind the wheel of a well-balanced vehicle can be a wonderfully visceral experience, thanks to the combined feeling of things like the weight of the steering, the bite of the brakes, and, of course, the roar of the engine. Unfortunately, many of the sensations of driving require actually being in the driver's seat to understand them, but thankfully the intoxicating noise of a beautifully tuned internal combustion engine can be shared with everyone. In a new video, Xcar shares their opinion on the five best-sounding modern performance cars. The list is a symphony of horsepower. As opposed to keeping all of the vehicles brand new, Xcar actually picks a few that are recently off the market. They're all definitely champs, though. While the list itself is well stocked, you might be able to argue with the specific order, and it would be nice to hear a few participants from outside of Europe for a collection like this one, too. No matter. Every listener is sure to find something they like in the bunch, though. Turn up the volume and enjoy.