Top 16 popular performance cars axed in the past decade
Demand for EVs and SUVs has helped sound the death knell for more than a dozen iconic performance vehicles over the past 10 yearsAustralia has lost many of its most beloved, iconic and accomplished performance cars – across just about every class and price point – over the past decade.
And with the overall passenger vehicle market continuing to decline amid seemingly endless wait times for many of the mainstream performance models you can still buy, that got us reflecting on some of the biggest and most heartbreaking model retirements in recent memory.
On that basis, here’s our pick of the 16 most significant performance cars to be axed over the past decade, including 2023.
1. Ford Falcon XR8 – 2016
As the arch-enemy of the Holden Commodore SS, the Ford Falcon XR8 was defined by a naturally-aspirated big-bore V8 since its introduction with the 1991 EB Falcon, and proudly stood as the ultimate non-FPV Falcon for almost all of its 25-year lineage until Ford ceased Australian manufacturing in 2016.
In mid-2010, the seventh-generation FG Falcon XR8 and its 5.4-litre Boss V8 were discontinued due to emissions, but at the same time FPV adopted the Mustang’s 5.0-litre Coyote V8, before the swansong FG X Falcon XR8 was blessed with a local supercharged ‘Miami’ variant of the Coyote V8, producing and heady 345kW/575Nm in the swansong 2016 XR8 Sprint.
2. Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo – 2016
Offering similar power and outright performance – but delivering it in a very different way – was the XR6 Turbo, which packed a homegrown turbocharged 4.0-litre straight six good for up to 325kW/576Nm in final Sprint guise.
3. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution – 2016
Having duked it out with Subaru for decades, both in the World Rally Championship and on the streets, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution was as close as you could get to a road-legal rally car and is still one of the most formidable point-to-point vehicles on the road. Axed in 2016, the final Evo X epitomised its intoxicating blend of turbo performance and all-wheel-drive grip.
4. Holden Commodore SS – 2017
The Holden Commodore SS outlasted its life-long Ford foe by 12 months and is still deemed by many as the definitive homegrown rear-drive V8 sports sedan (and wagon and ute), combining big, lazy pushrod V8 power with oodles of room and a ride-handling balance that could only have come from a local development and production process. The final VFII Commodore SS of late 2015 saved the best for last, with an HSV-style 6.2-litre LS3 V8 (304kW/570Nm) matched to a shorter final drive ratio.
5. Honda NSX – 2020
Honda Australia landed just nine examples of the reborn Honda NSX supercar over a four-year period that ended two years before it went out of production. The second-generation NSX blended a twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 with three electric motors for a combined output of 427kW/646Nm.
6. Audi R8 – 2021
In stark contrast, Audi sold plenty of R8s in Australia across two generations, but the sexy mid-engined supercar was eventually shown the door locally because the German brand stopped producing our particular version of the Lamborghini-sourced 5.2-litre V10 amid tightening emissions regulations.
7. Alpine A110 – 2021
Riding on a bespoke platform and featuring the same basic powertrain as the Renault Megane RS, the Alpine A110 sports coupe combined hot hatch outputs with rear-drive dynamics and a circa-1100kg kerb weight, but fell foul of ADR 85 side impact protocols introduced in November 2021.
8. Lexus GS F – 2021
Lexus has never been afraid to do things its own way, and that went for its aspiring BMW M5 fighter, the GS F, which also fell victim to ADR 85. Under the bonnet was a Yamaha co-developed 5.0-litre V8 good for 351kW/530Nm, which combined with sharp rear-drive dynamics to create something of a value unicorn in the large luxury sports sedan segment.
9. Lexus RC F – 2021
It’s a similar story with the Lexus RC F, which was pitched as the Japanese premium brand’s BMW M4 and Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe rival, though it didn’t quite reach the same highs as its bigger four-door stablemate.
10. Chrysler 300 SRT – 2021
One of the few muscle cars that could be had for similar money as the V8 Falcon and Commodore sports sedans listed above was the HEMI-powered Chrysler 300 SRT, later versions of which featured a huge 6.4-litre V8 good for 350kW/637Nm. Though still employed by several state police forces, it was the last of the big four-door mainstream performance cars to go when the plug was pulled on Chrysler in Australia.
11. Nissan GT-R – 2021
Another victim of the latest side impact regulations, the R35 Nissan GT-R was one of the oldest performance vehicles on the market when it stopped being imported in late 2021, having been offered here since 2009. The GT-R rewrote the mainstream supercar rulebook when it was launched with sharp pricing, immense capability and fastidious production.
12. Subaru WRX STI – 2021
When Subaru announced in 2021 that it would not produce a fifth-generation WRX STI, it sent shockwaves through the industry and caused outrage among fans. While the Japanese brand’s famous performance sub-brand could live on as part a new focus on electrification, the last WRX STI – like the Evo – combined big turbo power with an aggressive AWD chassis to deliver a road-going rally experience.
13. Ford Focus ST – 2022
The Ford Focus ST’s local axing last year was another shock to the system, not just because hot hatch sales are booming but because we’d just named it our Best Hot Hatch for 2022. Ford’s 206kW/420Nm VW Golf GTI-killer was ultimately seen off by crippling supply issues stemming from the semi-conductor shortage.
14. Ford Fiesta ST – 2022
It’s a similar story with the smaller Fiesta ST, which Ford Australia said would leave our market in August last year, but then Ford HQ revealed in October it was scrapping the entire Fiesta model line globally, with production winding down this year.
15. Kia Stinger – 2023
In a case of perfect timing for big rear-drive sports sedan fans, the Kia Stinger arrived around the same time as the death of the VF Commodore, but now the big Korean four-door is at the end of its lifecycle and there’s no planned replacement. The flagship 274kW/510Nm twin-turbo V6-powered GT accounted for more than 90 per cent of local sales, which speaks volumes about Australian tastes.
16. Renault Megane RS – 2023
This one’s been coming for a while now given Renault announced its Renault Sport performance division was being binned in favour of a new EV assault under the Alpine banner back in 2021. Production of the cult-hero Megane RS hot hatch is already winding down, but the swansong Ultime variant is still available while stocks last.
Related: Eight sub-$70K rear-drive cars you can still buy – for now
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