The Audi R8 V10 has been named Performance Car of the Year by Auto Express. The weekly car magazine tried out 19 of the fastest and most exciting cars launched in 2009, and last year’s champion the Nissan GT-R, on road and track, before crowning the R8 V10.

The GT-R did well again to take fourth place, but it was the R8 V10 that grabbed the lion’s share of the plaudits and first place, beating two of Porsche’s most highly-rated products, the Cayman S and the 911 GT3 into second and third places.

“We knew from past experience that the R8 would be a contender,” said Auto Express, “but the new V10 left us gasping for superlatives... the R8 was the stand-out choice for our test team.”

The TT RS also made it into the final 20, attracting its share of the praise, “The TT RS lives up to expectations, as it has all the traits we have come to expect from a performance Audi,” said the report.

The magazine’s conclusion though returned to the winner, stating: “If we could award six stars for desirability, we would. But even without its extra star the R8 V10 is a worthy winner of our Performance Car of the Year crown.”