Autocar puts together some of the most exciting sports cars one can buy today. From Munich, the Englishmen brought the new BMW M4 Coupe; from Zuffenhausen comes the Porsche Cayman GT4; the i8 comes from Leipzig while the Lexus RC F all the way from Tahara, Japan. Four cars that can’t be more different from each other – yet all four have their own appeal and customer base. Three of them are rear-wheel based – M4, GT4 and RC F – while the i8 can run in three different driving modes – front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive.

What about the engine power? The Lexus RC F is powered by a naturally-aspirated 5.0 liter V8 engine producing 467 horsepower and 389 lb-ft of torque sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. 0 to 62 mph is achieved in 4.5 seconds. It weighs 4,057 lbs (1,840 kg).

In contrast, the new BMW M3 and M4 have dropped the V8 naturally-aspirated engine and are now using a 3.0 liter, six-cylinder inline turbocharged unit. The all-new, 3.0-liter BMW M4 engine is approximately 10 kilograms lighter than its V8 predecessor and packs an even stronger punch. With 425 horsepower from 5,500 – 7,300 rpm, 406 lb-ft of torque from 1,850 – 5,500 rpm, and capable of 0-60mph in 3.9 seconds when equipped with the M-DCT transmission (4.1 seconds with standard 6-speed manual). It has a DIN-balanced weight of 3,300 lbs (1497 kg) – without driver and luggage).

The Cayman GT4 is the hottest Cayman to be released and uses the 3.8 liter flat-six engine from the 911. That 911 engine produces a healthy 385 hp, revs out to a snarling 7,800 rpm and is paired to the aforementioned six-speed manual transmission. Porsche rates its Cayman GT4 at doing the sprint from 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds. The Cayman GT4 weighs around 3,100 lbs (1,406 kg).

BMW i8 uses a plug-in hybrid system consisting of a turbocharged three-cylinder BMW TwinPower Turbo petrol engine and BMW eDrive technology in the form of an electric drive system. The 1.5-liter combustion engine develops 170 kW/231 hp and drives the rear wheels of the BMW i8, while the 96 kW/131 hp electric drive sends its power to the front wheels and allows an all-electric range of up to 35 kilometers (22 miles) and a top speed of 120 km/h (75 mph). BMW rates the i8 from 0 to 62 mph at 4.4 seconds. It weighs 3,284 lbs (1,490 kg).

So which one do you think came first and last?