8 best luxury sports cars in India

While serious performance numbers, lap records at racetracks and downforce-enhancing wings and diffusers are great marketing tools, the truth is most sports car buyers, especially in India, will have little use for all that. Yes, buyers love the sleek styling of a sports coupe – low slung, with two doors and loads of attitude, but they also want comfortable suspension to tackle bad roads and a plush and beautiful cabin to make them feel like they’ve got their money’s worth.

So here, in order of price, are some of the best luxury sports cars in India that offer a heady supply of performance and good looks, but which also excel at providing interior comfort, high-tech features and luxury appointments. These Grand Tourers are equally at home on a long road trip, driving up a twisty mountain road, or even parked outside a fancy hotel.

All prices are ex-showroom, India.

Price: Rs 2.11 crore to Rs 2.83 crore

Perhaps the most recognisable sports car in the world, and certainly among the best to drive, what many don’t realise is just how comfortable and luxurious it can be too. The thing about the Porsche 911 is that there are always many versions to choose from (although at present, just two in India), and with the latest version, which has grown bigger and is more comfortable, it’s far more versatile as a luxury vehicle too.

Speaking of luxury, there are plenty of aesthetic and functional upgrades to purchase as optional extras, which enhance the look and feel, as well as the driving experience. There are currently two versions of the Porsche 911 available in India – the Carrera, which uses a 394hp flat-six turbo-petrol engine, and the Carrera 4 GTS, which uses a 541hp flat-six turbo-petrol hybrid powertrain.

Porsche 911 review

Price: Rs 2.44 crore

While the famed BMW M Division has several sporty coupes on offer in India, the one that fits this list best is the flagship M8 Competition. Beautifully proportioned with little of the divisive styling that has come to define modern BMWs, it is truly a head-turner. Being the brand’s flagship sports car, it offers some of the highest luxury specification that BMW has to offer, including quilted leather trimmings, Alcantara and even carbon or crystalline elements.

Performance is certainly strong, with the brand’s venerable 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 channelling 625hp to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic gearbox. It’s also got great long-distance capability, as we found out when we drove an M8 from Delhi to Mumbai. However, it should be noted that the BMW M8 is now quite old and doesn’t feature the latest tech that the brand, or its rivals, has to offer.

BMW M8 review

Price: Rs 2.72 crore to Rs 2.90 crore

No one does style and extravagance quite like the Italians, and the latest Maserati Granturismo is a fine example of that. Its luscious curves echo prior models in the marque’s storied history, as well as previous Granturismos, while bold new details speak in the brand’s modern design language. This continues on the inside, where traditionally flamboyant Italian design and luxurious materials meet modern tech, including three screens and a wireless phone charger. There’s also considerable customisation potential on offer for buyers to make the Granturismo their own.

Performance comes via Maserati’s 3.0-litre turbocharged ‘Nettuno’ V6, which produces 490hp and 600Nm in the Modena variant and 550hp and 650Nm in the Trofeo variant. Performance is strong, and it sounds good too, enough that buyers might not rue the departure of the previous car’s V8 engine. Handling is engaging, though the ride can be a bit firm on our roads.

Maserati Granturismo Review

Price: Rs 3 crore

Where its predecessors were focused, performance-bred sports cars, the latest Mercedes AMG GT does a better job of living up to its name. Based on the latest Mercedes SL roadsterit is larger, more spacious, comfier, more laidback to drive and better equipped than its famously hardcore forebear. It looks the part, too, with a sleek coupe profile and tastefully executed LED illumination front and rear. The interior is plush yet purposeful, with a sporty driving position, comfortable seats and the latest tech, centred around Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment.

Performance comes via Merc’s tried-and-tested 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, which, in the GT 63, produces 585hp and 800Nm, and thanks to AMG’s 4Matic+ AWD system, it can get to 100kph in just 3.2sec. There is a more powerful version called the GT 63 Probut its more track-focused nature would likely compromise some of the luxury and comfort that the cars on this list aim to deliver.

Price: Rs 5 crore (est)

Though not officially on sale yet, the order books are open for Ferrari’s latest grand tourer. The successor to the drop-dead-gorgeous Ferrari Romethe Amalfi is an evolution that takes things a step further. The looks are more refined, though perhaps not quite as delicate or unique-looking as the Roma, and the interior has been given a big overhaul. The dashboard is simplified, with a lower centre console giving a greater sense of space. There’s Ferrari’s newer, landscape-oriented touchscreen that’s better to use, and there’s a return to hard buttons on the steering wheel, in place of capacitive touch pads.

While 640hp and 760Nm are nothing to scoff at, they are modest increments from the 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8, which returns from the Roma. This is a concerted effort from Ferrari to focus on driving pleasure and emotion with its front-engine GT cars and save the lofty performance benchmarks for its mid-engine sports cars. Just as well, because the Roma was sensational to drive, and it’s likely the Amalfi will be too.

Price: Rs 5.15 crore

One could argue that almost every Aston Martin is a grand tourer, but the one that’s best suited to the task is the DB12. Elegant, powerful and attention-grabbing like few others, it sits at the heart of the brand’s model range, between the Vantage and the Vanquish. Downsides include a small boot and an even smaller pair of rear seats, but you can’t deny that the interior is exquisitely appointed and designed like no other. And that’s before you dive into the Q catalogue and begin personalising it; you can really go down into minute detail here.

The performance, too, reflects the DB12’s more comfort-oriented positioning. 680hp and 800Nm are not small numbers, but performance is delivered in a progressive surge. The exhaust note is tuneful and emotive. Driving dynamics, similarly, aren’t overly aggressive or hard-edged, and what’s most impressive is that there’s enough ground clearance to tackle most Indian speed breakers. For a price, this could just be the most well-rounded of all the grand tourers.

Aston Martin DB12 review

Bentley Continental GT

Price: Rs 6 crore to Rs 7 crore (est)

The new Bentley Continental GT launch is right around the corner, as Bentley has recently been folded into the Skoda VW India Group family, which should mean better after-sales and service support across the country. The new GT is far bolder in its look, with its larger, single-unit headlamps and wide oval tail-lamps, while the interior is no less grand and, in fact, offers greater personalisation potential. It’s one of the few cars on this list that has somewhat usable rear seats, and the interior appointments are of the highest standard in this latest version.

The W12 engine is gone, and now the Continental GT range is currently entirely V8 PHEV, with the ‘lesser’ variant producing 680hp and the more powerful Speed variant making a goliath 780hp. However, whichever version you choose, the GT’s famously laidback and luxurious character remains, with superb refinement and smoothness, and easy access to performance. Ride quality is excellent as well, making this a great long-distance companion; that hybrid range certainly helps too.

Bentley Continental GT review

Price: Rs 7.62 crore to Rs 9.5 crore

The ultimate in two-door luxury is the Rolls-Royce Spectre, which delivers possibly the finest interior appointments on the market today. The metal, leather and wood are of the highest quality, and though quite sophisticated under the skin, the layout is rather traditional. The look is arresting, and though this is a two-door car like the rest on this list, it is massive, at 5.5 metres long. Unlike its upright stablemates, the Spectre is sleek and aerodynamically efficient, while sacrificing no road presence in the process.

It’s the only car on this list that is electric, and despite having a huge 105kWh battery, the range is just 530km, which will limit its touring ability. However, it manages to feel almost as characterful as Rolls’ V12-powered luxury cars, and unlike any other electric car on the market. It rides just as comfortably, too, and there’s plenty of performance from the standard version. If you want more still, however, there is the 659hp Black Badge Spectre, which comes at a hefty premium.

Rolls-Royce Spectre review

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