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Top 10 popular performance cars revealed: Ford Mustang leads the way

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Author: | Updated: 23 Aug 2016 11:27

It seems Ford is taking the performance market by storm with its iconic Mustang, as new registration statistics reveal demand for the sports coupe in the UK has outstripped that for Jaguars, BMWs and Porsches so far this year.

The Ford Mustang is the most popular new performance car, figures reveal

See more Ford Mustang lease deals: business / personal

For the first time since production began over 50 years ago, the Mustang is officially available in the UK, and almost 4,000 Mustangs have been ordered. 2,317 of these are already on the UK’s roads so far.

Exhilaration over economy

The figures show that despite the availability of the 2.3-litre Ecoboost unit (a detuned version of the engine found in the Focus RS), over two thirds of customers are opting for the charismatic 5.0-litre V8 – proof people don’t mind the higher running costs in order to get a through-and-through American muscle car.

2.3 Ecoboost or 5.0 V8? Most people opt for the bigger engine

Read our first drive review of the Ford Mustang 5.0 V8

The car’s success looks set to continue with 19,500 now confirmed in European order books. This is the first Mustang to ever be officially launched in Europe, and it looks like it’s going to be more than a gimmick.

The Mustang is the current centre piece of Ford’s expanding performance division that includes the ST range and the Focus RS. It’ll only be eclipsed by the upcoming GT, which promises to deliver around 600hp from a 3.5-litre V6. Impressive, but if you’re after a slice of proper Americana, we doubt it’ll eclipse the character of the raucous V8 Mustang.

Want something a little more European?

It’s been a good year for other manufacturers too, with demand for performance vehicles on the up across the board. Here’s a full rundown of who’s doing well in the performance car sector…

Car Total registrations
Ford Mustang 2,317
Jaguar F-Type 1,446
BMW 6 Series 1,367
Porsche 911 1,315
Porsche Cayman 787
Audi TT 778
Porsche Boxster 526
Mercedes SL 489
Porsche 718 482
BMW i8 382

The Jaguar F-Type and BMW 6 Series remain popular choices for those after peppy performance, with both combining their luxurious cabins with sub-six second 0 to 60 runs. However, it’s Porsche that seem to be doing best with four of its cars in the line up, with a combined total of over 3,000 registrations so far this year.

Jaguar F-Type and BMW 6 Series are also popular performance coupes

Jaguar F-Type lease deals: business / personal

BMW 6 Series lease deals: business / personal

Alternative fuelled cars may be the future, but it’s still petrol power that dominates this sector of the market, signified by the 70% of people opting for the full fat V8 Mustang. When it comes to hybrids and EVs, BMW’s i8 is the only one to make the line up.

This is all set to change in the next few years however, with Porsche revealing its plans for an electric future, starting with the Mission E concept. Who knows what this list will look like in ten years’ time?

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