Most Performance Car Buyers Go For The Fastest Version Possible

It’s a pretty common trend for fast cars these days: you get the entry-level version, and one that’s a bit faster. The top-of-the-line model will have more power, perhaps a few more options plus a chassis change or two. And whether it’s called an S, a Plus or something else, we were curious to know: just how many people go for the fastest possible option?

To find out, we got in touch with a few manufacturers, and from what we’ve found, most UK buyers opt for the shoutiest version available. The first example is the Audi R8, where buyers are presented with two choices: the 531bhp V10, or the 602bhp V10 Plus. Audi told us that a whopping 80 per cent of buyers thus far have gone for the Plus, which does make sense: for the £18,000 premium you get a lot more power, and so much extra kit that if you specced it all on the standard V10, it’d end up being more expensive than the Plus.

So, what’s the point in the standard one, then? An Audi spokesperson told us that: “there are Audi customers who also want the supercar experience delivered in a slightly more understated form. This is evident when you compare traditional entry-level R8 sales, which in the majority of cases include features such as comfort seats and darker or more understated colour combinations.” The fact that just the Plus was available initially has skewed the figures, but we’d expect the Plus to remain the most popular version.

While Mercedes was unable to give us exact figures, it hinted that the split for the AMG-GT and AMG C63 models were weighted heavily towards the more power S models of each, while rivals BMW are predicting that 70 per cent of all M3 and M4s will be ordered with the new £3000 Competition Pack. This echoes the company’s experiences with the E9x M3, most of which were sold with its version of the pack after it was introduced.

If you go further down the food chain, it’s the same story. Seat originally offered 265 and 280 versions of its Leon Cupra in the UK, with the former - less powerful - car coming without the sensational VAQ differential. However, Seat UK dropped the 265 from the range due to poor sales - recently a spokesperson from the company told us that “less than five per cent” of buyers opted for the ‘lesser’ car.

Its rival from the Peugeot stable - the 308 GTI - enjoys a less extreme split between the 270 and the 250 editions of the car (the 270 comes with bigger brakes and wheels, an LSD and posher seats). But the more powerful 270 still takes a substantial 70 per cent of sales.

As with Audi, Peugeot’s rhetoric on the subject of the faster models dominating sales again focuses on defending the less powerful version. Some buyers might want something extreme, is the reasoning. However, when it comes to most of us rowdy performance car buyers in the UK, it seems that if we’re going to do it, we’re going to do it properly and get whatever version shouts loudest.

Where do you stand? Would you get the ‘lesser’ version of any of the cars we mentioned?