Do different cars of the same type have any performance difference?

In Motorstorm RC, you unlock new cars by completing certain events or getting certain trophies. These cars are split into 8 types (Monster Truck, Racing Truck, Buggy, etc.) and there are few models for each types and each models offer you different paint jobs and colors.

I can tell different types have different performance, for example, some types offer better grip and others offer better acceleration, however there's no indication what are the strengths (or stats) of each model. I was wondering if there's a reason, other than aesthetic, to pick a specific model for each type.

No- In MotorStorm RC, as well as all previous MotorStorm games, all the different cars within a specific vehicle type are just aesthetically different. NOTE: The different vehicle types handle differently from game to game, but in each MotorStorm game, not the vehicle itself, but the vehicle type determines the stats (in MotorStorm I, Big Rigs had 4/10 speed. In MotorStorm: Pacific Rift, they had 8/10 speed, meaning the stats for an individual vehicle type vary from game to game). All in all, the different vehicles within a class/type are statistically identical, they are just aesthetically different.