The Australian Motoring Awards for 2019 have come and gone, held in Melbourne on Wednesday January 30, 2019, and that means the Performance Car of the Year for 2019 has been officially announced.

With several weeks now passed since the testing, undergone both in the Adelaide Hills and at The Bend Motorsport Park, we’ve had time to crunch the data and declare a winner. In front of an audience of industry VIPs, MOTOR Editor Dylan Campbell was pleased to announce the winner of the Performance Car of the Year trophy for 2019 as…

…the Porsche 911 GT2 RS.

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Perhaps unsurprisingly, the fastest of the 991.2 911 generation has deservingly taken Australia’s top performance car award, with our judges astonished by its capability both on and off the racetrack.

Topping other cars tipped to be contenders, the GT2 RS subdued its rivals with ease, with our racing driver and guest judge Rick Kelly calling it one of the closest-feeling road cars to his work car – the Nissan Altima V8 Supercar – he’s ever driven.

Take a look at the list of competitors below, and keep an eye out for the February 2019 issue of MOTOR Magazine, on sale Feb 7, for the full PCOTY feature and final rankings.

Alpine A110

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2018 Alpine A110 specs: Engine: 1798cc inline-4, DOHC, 16v, turbocharged Power: 185kW at 6000rpm Torque: 320Nm at 2000-5000rpm Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch Weight: 1103kg Price: $106,500 (Australian Premiere Edition)

Audi R8 RWS

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2018 Audi R8 RWS specs: Engine: 5204cc V10, DOHC, 40v Power: 397kW @ 7800rpm Torque: 540Nm @ 6500rpm Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch Weight: 1590kg Price: $299,500

Audi RS4 Avant

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2018 Audi RS4 Avant specs: Engine: 2894cc V6, DOHC, 24v, twin-turbo Power: 331kW @ 5700-6700rpm Torque: 600Nm @ 1900-5000rpm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Weight: 1715kg Price: $152,900

BMW M2 Competition

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2018 BMW M2 Competition specs: Engine: 2979cc inline-6, DOHC, 24v, twin-turbo Power: 302kW @ 5250-7000rpm Torque: 550Nm @ 2350-5200rpm Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch Weight: 1550kg Price: $99,900

BMW M5 Competition

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2018 BMW M5 Competition specs: Engine: 4395cc V8, DOHC, 32v, twin-turbo Power: 460kW @ 6000rpm Torque: 750Nm @ 1800-5800rpm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Weight: 1865kg Price: $229,900

Chevrolet Camaro SS

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2018 Chevrolet Camaro SS specs: Engine: 6162cc V8, OHV, 16v Power: 339kW @ 6000rpm Torque: 617Nm @ 4600rpm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Weight: 1710kg Price: $85,990

Ford Mustang GT

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2018 Ford Mustang GT specs: Engine: 5038cc V8, DOHC, 32v Power: 339kW @ 7000rpm Torque: 556Nm @ 4600rpm Transmission: 6-speed manual Weight: 1732kg Price: $62,990

Hyundai i30 N

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2018 Hyundai i30 N specs: Engine: 1998cc inline-4, DOHC, 16v, turbo Power: 202kW @ 6000rpm Torque: 353Nm @ 1450-4700rpm Transmission: 6-speed manual Weight: 1509kg Price: $39,990

Mercedes-AMG GT C

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2018 Mercedes-AMG GT C specs: Engine: 3982cc V8, DOHC, 32v, twin-turbo Power: 410kW @ 5750-6750rpm Torque: 680Nm @ 1900-5500rpm Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch Weight: 1625kg Price: $316,500

Porsche 911 GT2 RS

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2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS specs: Engine: 3800cc flat-six, DOHC, 24v, twin-turbo Power: 515kW @ 7000rpm Torque: 750Nm @ 2500-4500rpm Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch Weight: 1470kg Price: $645,400

Renault Megane RS

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2018 Renault Megane RS 280 Cup specs: Engine: 1798cc inline-4, DOHC, 16v, turbo Power: 205kW @ 6000rpm Torque: 390Nm @ 2400-4800rpm Transmission: 6-speed manual Weight: 1430kg Price: $44,990