Is This the Sports Car of the Year?

Is 2015 the year of the Porsche? Luxury automobiles only make up about 15% of the U.S. car market, but the latest news from Porsche might inspire some drivers to start saving up for 2016. Last year, 47,007 Porsches were sold here in the U.S., but we’re betting some of those drivers really wish they’d waited just a little longer. That’s because Porsche has been making headlines all year for its latest creations, the new 911 and Cayman.

In fact, many people are calling the new and most-definitely-improved 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 the “sports car of the year.” For years, luxury car lovers have complained that the Cayman drove in the shadow of its “big brother,” the notorious 911. But that all changed this year, when Porsche revealed that the 2016 Cayman would be infused with the turbocharged engine previously reserved for the highest-performing 911 models.

And that has exotic car lovers drooling, especially now that the new GT4 is getting its first tests on American soil to rave reviews. Soon, all GT4’s will come with a turbocharged 385 horsepower version of the classic 3.8-litre flat six from the 911 Carrera S. The company says standard 911s will now be turbocharged as well, although “standard” isn’t really a word we’d apply to Porsche. And the 911 is getting an upgrade as well, with the automaker expected to officially reveal the new 911 in Frankfurt this September.

The reason for the turbocharged turbo-change might surprise some drivers; Porsche said they rolled out more turbo models to reduce emissions. Not only that, Porsche’s chief of engineering says he expects electrification to be the next leap forward for the company. If the thought of an all-electric exotic car gives you pause, you can at least take comfort in knowing that such a move is at least five years away. But it wouldn’t be the first time Porsche pioneered new features in their classic cars. You may remember that Porsche was the first automaker to roll out passenger airbags.