One of the most difficult tasks we face every year, is to eliminate the cars that do not make the Cars in Action Performance Car of the Year finals.

This year, there was a glut of cars just outside the top five on our score sheets, so it?s pretty futile chopping them out according to the weakest first, so let?s look at it alphabetically then?

Aston Martin V8 Vantage N400

"Not quite supercar enough in this company"

First up the Aston Martin.

In this company, merely being a supercar just doesn?t cut it anymore. Sure if it?s exclusivity you are after, there?s only one other car to consider here and it?s also on this spread.

But that exclusivity costs you and just about all the cars in this contest are likely to give you a hard day at the robots. And that damn bakkie will eat you for breakfast on the freeway, not to mention that you?ve had it if an M3 4-door catches you on the track ? probably with a snotty little kid waving you goodbye out the back window as his old man drives away ? it doesn?t matter how cool your ride is then.

There are plenty upsides to this beautiful car ? I for one would be a happy chap if I could park one in the missus? bay ? not only will she have her and all her friends? favourite car in the garage, but I can steal one of the finest driving tools in the shed and drive the hell out of it whenever she isn?t looking.

Pity we can?t afford it?

Ford Focus ST

"A fine showing but not enough new"

Next up is the Ford Focus. Were this a popularity contest, this is the likely winner. ST comes complete with a rabidly enthusiastic fan club ? so there?s a social plus too, if you need that ? not to mention that the car is worthy of all that praise and adulation.

Trouble is this year it?s just a facelift and not much more than that. There?s no marked improvement in performance, handling or dynamics, the cabin bar a few new niceties is just the same as before and besides a few new panels and plastics, there isn?t much to write home about.

That said, the basis of this car ? that creamy, growling five-pot turbo (especially at the Reef where altitude shoves it a class above), a pretty decent chassis set-up and all the street cred you could ask for (even more so in its wilder hues) make ST a prime contender in a pretty difficult class?

But that just isn?t enough to carry it on into the finals ? still, look at the company it?s keeping on this spread and you?ll see that despite that, Focus ST holds its head up high?

Jaguar XF SV8

"Punching in a class above"

We included the Jaguar in Performance Car of the Year because it impressed us so when we tested it. Next year, with a little luck, the car that slots above this one on the range ? the XF-R ? will likely be competing against the likes of GT-R, RS 6 and Evo X for the 2010 version of this title.

Still, SV8 did itself proud among quite a handy field of no-holds-barred performance cars and held its head up high in typical Jaguar fashion.

Look, XF is quite a performer in its own right, aided and abetted by that supercharger at those lofty altitudes that are the majority of SA, it has a trendy sophistication about it and it certainly deserves to be here.

On the racetrack, it?s almost BMW complete ? only lacking in that overall driver intimacy ? and it certainly beats its direct Bavarian rival in terms of exclusivity and style. Although probably its biggest downside and possibly an aspect that kept it from cracking the top five, is its price premium over certain trad Teuton rivals ? even though it comes better specced ? it needs to undercut them to properly compete?