2017 is almost over. It’s time for Christmas parties, sunshine and rose-tinted reflection on the year gone by. But here at CarAdvice, we aren’t taking our foot off the pedal just yet – instead, we’re taking the chance to look back at some of the most interesting, exciting and downright strange stories published this year.
One of the best parts about being a motoring journalist is getting to drive supercars – and we’ve driven some rippers this year. Here are the most powerful cars the team at CarAdvice has tackled during 2017.
Ferrari 812 Superfast
What list of supercars would be complete without a Ferrari? With a front-mounted 6.5-litre V12 engine making 588kW of power and 718Nm of torque, the Superfast has more than enough firepower to justify its (silly, but historically relevant) name – in fact, our beloved founder Anthony Crawford gave it a 10 out of 10.
MORE: Ferrari 812 Superfast news, reviews, comparisons and video
Lamborghini Aventador S
Of course, Ferrari isn’t the only Italian supercar manufacturer worthy of a mention. Although it takes a different approach to the genre, Lamborghini is another constant of the poster-car world, and the Aventador S is the most powerful, raging-est bull you can buy.
Its mid-mounted, naturally-aspirated 6.5-litre V12 pumps out 544kW of power and 690Nm of torque – enough for CA founder, Alborz Fallah, to label it a 10/10 on the old rating scale.
MORE: Lamborghini Aventador news, reviews, comparisons and video
Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
What a time to be alive. Along with thoroughbreds from Italy and Britain, an American family four-wheel drive is among the most powerful cars we’ve driven this year.
The big Jeep might share its bones with your mum’s grocery getter, but the engine bay is home to a 6.2-litre supercharged Hemi V8 with 527kW of power and 874Nm of torque – shared with the ‘Hellcat‘ versions of the Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger.
It’s a delightful answer to a question no-one was asking, and our year was richer for driving it. Speaking of richer, owners would want shares in Shell or BP – she’s a thirsty barge.
MORE: Jeep Grand Cherokee news, reviews, comparisons and video
HSV GTS-R W1
No, we aren’t crying, there’s just something in our eye… The W1, along with the rest of locally-built HSV and Holden models, isn’t around anymore.
Designed to send the big, locally-built V8 off in style, the W1 is powered by a supercharged 6.2-litre ‘LS9’ V8 engine making 474kW of power and 815Nm of torque. Just 300 were built.
MORE: HSV GTS-R W1 news, reviews, comparisons and video
Lamborghini Huracan Performante
With two fewer cylinders to play with, the Huracan Performante was never going to match the Aventador for outright power, but the little upstart comes surprisingly close to the ‘big daddy’.
Its mid-mounted 5.2-litre V10 makes 470kW of power and 600Nm of torque, put to all four wheels through a dual-clutch gearbox. It also debuts a clever new active aero system for the Raging Bull, hinting at a future where Lamborghini can challenge Ferrari for outright dynamic leadership in the supercar world.
MORE: Lamborghini Huracan news, reviews, comparisons and video
Podcast
Listen to the CarAdvice team discuss the Top 5 lists of 2017, and catch more like this at http://ift.tt/23kpPZz.
