10 Best Luxury Sports Cars for 2016

Luxury sports cars bridge two worlds by offering outstanding performance without asking you to pay a comfort penalty to get it. It seems like with each passing year the list of the best luxury sports cars gets that much longer, with automakers the world over seeking out the healthy profit margins and prestige that come with this category of vehicle. It's a win-win for both manufacturers and customers, with the latter benefiting from the high level of investment in go-fast technologies and advanced features. Let's take a quick look at 10 of the best luxury sports cars available for 2016.

1. 2016 BMW M4

The 2016 BMW M4 is the two-door sibling to the brand's best-selling M3 performance sedan, and it takes the same luxury-oriented performance package and shrinks it down into either coupe or convertible form. A 425 horsepower, 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six engine sits under the hood of the BMW M4, mated to your choice of either a seven-speed automated manual or a six-speed traditional manual transmission. Also capable of producing 406 lb-ft of torque, this engine makes a 0-60 sprint of 3.9 seconds possible thanks in part to its launch control system.

Photo by Lyndon Bell

2. 2016 Cadillac ATS-V Coupe

The 2016 Cadillac ATS-V coupe is a direct competitor to the BMW M4, with the difference being that this vehicle is all-new for the current model year. Lighter and more powerful than its German rival, the Cadillac ATS-V coupe relies on a 3.6-liter, twin-turbo V-6 engine that produces 464 horsepower and 445 lb-ft of torque. Rear-wheel drive is standard with the ATS-V, as is a six-speed manual gearbox, but you can specify an eight-speed automatic transmission with the car if you like. 60-mph arrives in a scant 3.8 seconds when piloting the Cadillac.

Photo by General Motors

3. 2016 Audi R8 V10

The 2016 Audi R8 is a redesigned effort for the current model year, and it shows off a weight reduction despite being wider than the model it replaces. There are two versions of the Audi R8 available, each with a 5.2-liter V-10 mounted amidships: the first makes 540 horsepower and just under 400 lb-ft of torque, while the second (V10 Plus) produces 610 ponies and 413 lb-ft of torque. A seven-speed, dual-clutch automated manual is the only transmission available with the new R8, and combined with the car's quattro all-wheel drive system it allows for a 0-60 time of 3.2 seconds.

Photo by Audi

4. 2016 Porsche 911 Turbo S

The face-lifted 2016 Porsche 911 Turbo S continues to be the most frightening member of the 911 family - at least when you've got the pedal mashed to the floor. The rear-engine, all-wheel drive Porsche Turbo S combines a twin-turbo, flat six-cylinder engine (560 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque) with a seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual gearbox. The end result? A three-second leap to 60-mph from a standing start, and a top speed of over 200-mph, all while wrapped in a cocoon of luxury. You won't find a quicker 911 in the extensive Porsche lineup.

5. 2016 Mercedes AMG GT S

The 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT S (and upcoming, lesser GT model) is intended to do battle with the Porsche 911 Turbo S and the Audi R8 on the world luxury sports car stage. Although it might lack the gull wing doors of the previous Mercedes-Benz ultra-performance coupe, that doesn't mean it's a slouch on the track. The Mercedes-AMG GT S produces 503 horsepower and 497 lb-ft of torque from its twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 engine, and it also features a seven-speed, dual-clutch automated manual transmission. 60-mph arrives in 3.7 seconds from a standing start from behind the wheel of the AMG GT S.

Photo by Mercedes-Benz Media

6. 2016 Jaguar F-Type

The 2016 Jaguar F-TYPE offers both coupe and convertible models, each of which stands apart from the rest of the crowd as two of the most beautifully-styled luxury sports cars on the market. The Jaguar F-Type starts out with a 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 that's good for either 340 (base) or 380 (S) horsepower, but you can upgrade to the F-Type R which introduces a 550 horsepower, 5.0-liter supercharged V-8. Also capable of generating 502 lb-ft of torque, the motor enables a 0-60-mph run of 3.9 seconds for the coupe. All-wheel drive is standard with the R, and optional with the six-cylinder F-Type, and you can choose between a six-speed manual (V-6 models) and an eight-speed automatic (available across the board) transmission when ordering the car.

Photo by Jaguar

7. 2016 BMW Z4

The 2016 BMW Z4 convertible offers three different models to tickle your luxury sports car fancy. Entry-level editions of the BMW Z4 come with a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 240 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, while the next-step-up sDrive35i version provides a 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine that's offers 300 horses and 300 lb-ft of twist. The top-tier sDrive35is edition of the BMW Z4 ups the output of that same 3.0-liter unit to 335 horses and 332 lb-ft of torque, allowing the car to reach 60-mph in a brisk five seconds. Transmission choices for the BMW include a six-speed manual and an eight-speed automatic.

Photo by BMW

8. 2016 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class

The 2016 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class is another German roadster on our list, albeit one that leans more towards the luxury than the sport side of the equation. Skip the base four-cylinder engine - it's really not quick enough to be considered a performance car - and head right to the SLK350 model with its 302 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque, or even the SLK55 AMG, which features a 415 horsepower, 5.5-liter V-8 engine that also produces a hefty 398 lb-ft of torque. A seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission is standard with either of these versions of the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class, and the AMG model can reach 60-mph from a squat in a quick 4.5 seconds.

Photo by Mazda USA

9. 2016 Porsche Boxster

Rounding out our Teutonic trio of roadsters is the 2016 Porsche Boxster. The mid-engine Porsche Boxster delivers a more balanced chassis than the rear-engine 911, and it's also much more affordable. Despite its relatively inexpensive starting price (compared to other models on our list of the best luxury sports cars), the Porsche Boxster is no laggard: the base model's 265 horsepower, 2.7-liter six-cylinder offers 5.5 seconds in the race to 60-mph, while the Boxster S (3.4-liter six-cylinder) upgrades to 315 horsepower. The top-tier Boxster GTS squeezes 330 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque out of the S edition's engine, and hauls the car to 60-mph in 4.2 seconds when equipped with its seven-speed, dual-clutch automated manual transmission (a traditional six-speed manual is also offered with the car).

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

10. 2016 Dodge Viper GTS

The 2016 Dodge Viper GTS steps into the luxury sports car world after previous generations of the coupe turned their back on comfort in the pursuit of all-out performance. The Dodge Viper GTS' all-leather interior, digital gauge cluster, and adjustable suspension settings make it more livable than past editions of the car, but the bite is still there in the form of an 8.4-liter V-10 engine. Tuned to produce 645 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque, and offered exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission, the Viper GTS screams its way to 60-mph in an impressive 3.7 seconds.