HotCivicmeetsrivalsinevoSupertest - Porsche cars history

R34 SKYLINE GT-RIconic Nissan supercar driven

Hot Civic meets rivals in evo Supertest

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AMG GT CHyundai i30 N

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Ford GT to the Arctic CircleDecember 2017 evo.co.uk £4.70

Official fuel consumption figures inmpg (l/100km) for the FordMustang range: urban 14.1-28.0 (20.1-10.1),extra urban 28.8-41.5 (9.8-6.8), combined 20.8-35.3 (13.6-8.0). Official CO2 emissions 306-179g/km.

Thempg figures quoted are sourced from official EU-regulated test results (EU Directive and Regulation 692/2008),are provided for comparability purposes andmay not reflect your actual driving experience.

WALKING THE HALLS OF THE FRANKURT MESSE ISnot for the fainthearted or those who value style over substancewhen it comes to footwear. As with every Frankfurt motor show,the home manufacturers ruled the roost this year, or rather theywould like you to think they did. And while the remarkableachievement of AMG turning Lewis Hamilton’s 2015 F1 car into aroad car can never be underestimated – where on Earth do you startwith such a project? – the ‘me too’ approach to product planning byfilling every niche with a crossover was beyond tiresome.

However, away from the Mercedes cathedral, the VW Group’shanger and BMW’s new town, there were as many, if not more,interesting stories percolating throughout the other eight halls.None more so than on Hyundai’s stand.

It wasn’t brash, over the top or attempting to rival a smallcity’s population when it came to the number of staff working onit. Rather there was a selection of products to demonstrate whyKorea’s largest car manufacturer should be taken seriously now ithas decided to enter the performance car market.

The first road-going fruit of this strategy is the i30 N, driven onpage 32, but it was what was positioned around it – the WRC i20Coupe, the i30 N TCR race car, and the i30 N that Hyundai enteredinto this year’s N24 – that illustrated the breadth of the company’saspirations. So it was no surprise to spot a handful of execs andengineers from Europe’s leading manufacturers passing by to takein the rather impressive, if understated, message of intent.

While others focus on the thrill of niche filling, it’s refreshing tosee a new contender take on the challenge of delivering the thrillof driving. L

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Hot Civic meets rivals in evo Supertest

R34 SKYLINE GT-R

AMG GT CHyundai i30 N


DR IVEN

Why the WRCneeds to change

PLUS

Ford GT to the Arctic CircleTOP OF THE WORLD

TYPE R FOCUS RSCUPRA 300V

Iconic Nissan supercar driven

DECEMBER

2 412 0 1 7 # 1 2

T H E T H R I L L O F D R I V I N G

Cover image photographed byAston Parrott

076

ALFA ROMEOMUSEUMAlfa Romeo’s history is as richin heritage and extraordinarymachines as it is mired inturmoil and duffers we wishwe could forget. Thankfully thecompany’s excellent, recentlyrefurbished museum near Milanfocuses on the magnificent ratherthan the mediocre. And it’s morethan worth the entry fee

070TOMORROW’S HOT HATCHWe’ve got it good now, but the hothatches due in 2018 show signs ofeven greater things to come

082FORD GT TO THE ARCTICThere are closer racetracks,there are faster roads, but it’s notevery day you get asked to take anew Ford GT to the Arctic CircleRaceway to set a new lap record

094WRC – WHAT NEXT?evo’s best bobble hat aficionadosdiscuss what’s wrong with theWRC and how they’d fix it

098ICON : N ISSAN R34SKYL INE GT-RIt was the first Skyline Nissanofficially imported and sold inthe UK, and it’s still one of thevery best. We drive it

054CIV IC T YPE R v FOCUSRS v LEON CUPRA 300The hot hatch sector is currentlyworking overtime, and thismonth Honda’s new Civic Type Rfaces its toughest challenge asit goes up against Ford’s wildFocus RS and SEAT’s manic LeonCupra 300 in the evo Supertest.Three days on the road, followedby sessions at the proving groundand Bedford Autodrome will tellus which one reigns supreme

F E AT UR E S

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013BR IEF INGThe good, the bad and the ugly ofthe Frankfurt motor show, plusTVR has revealed its first new carfor over a decade

029LET TERSAriel’s Hipercar, BMW’s M5,Hyundai’s i30 N and same-dayparcel delivery – you’ve all hadplenty to say this month

107EVO MARKETA Deep Dive look at AstonMartin’s V8 Vantage, a BMWF10 M5 buying guide, and allyou need to know about car wax

137LONG-TERMERSNissan’s GT-R joins the fleet, theAlfa continues to seduce, the RS5attacks a pigeon and the DS 3Performance phones home

152THE KNOWLEDGEEssential data and an evo starrating for every performancecar worth mentioning. Is yourcar listed?

170F INAL FRAMEA Norwegian archipelago and aFord GT provide an unbeatablesource of photographic delight.Here’s one of our favourite shots

032F IRST DR IVES032 HYUNDAI i30 N038 ASTON MARTIN DB11 V8042 LEXUS LC500h046 MERCEDES-AMG GT C

048COLUMNSMeaden, Porter and Kravitzentertain with views on life, cars,motorsport and the Nissan Leaf

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Team evo picks the highs, the lowsand the could-do-betters from therecent Frankfurt motor show

THEGOOD,THEBAD&THEUGLY

HONDAShould evo readers be excited by a small electrichatchback? Because that’s exactly how we feelabout Honda’s Urban EV Concept, whichappeared from nowhere to become one of theFrankfurt motor show’s biggest stars.

As a design exercise alone it’s worth a look– for reference, it’s based on the original, 1972Honda Civic rather than the Mk1 Golf or Peugeot205 that some see in its details. Given the stylingof recent Honda road cars has been challenging,the retro-inspired but undoubtedly modernUrban EV feels like taking a breath of crisp Fujiair after a decade of Tokyo gridlock.

The details are beautiful too, from the bonnetshut-line that’s continued under and around the

side windows and ends with a small electricalplug detail, to the glowing Honda emblem –apparently set to be a feature on future Hondaelectric vehicles.

Remarkably, it’s due to go on sale in 2019,though how much of the concept survives willbe another matter entirely. Antony Ingram

SUZUKIIt can’t just be us hoping that Honda also makesa variant of its Urban Concept with a small,turbocharged petrol engine, can it? It would bethe perfect rival to another of Frankfurt’s stars,the new Suzuki Swift Sport. Its 138bhp turbo1.4 won’t make any headlines, but at 970kg theSport is significantly lighter than anything that

might be considered a competitor. If Suzukikeeps the price down and the fun factor up, theSwift Sport could be one of 2018’s real hits. AI

AUDIAudi is building a rear-wheel-drive R8. Based onthe non-Plus model, it still provides you with a533bhp 5.2-litre V10 and 398lb ft of torque, butremoving the transmission to the front wheelshelps make the new car 50kg lighter thanits four-wheel-drive equivalent. The 1545kgR8 RWS (Rear Wheel Series) will reach 62mphin a claimed 3.7sec (0.2sec slower than the 4WDcar) and will cost £110,000 (a saving of £13,000)when deliveries start in early 2018. Just 999 willbe made, split between coupes and Spyders.

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THE GOODFRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW

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NEW METAL

Joining the R8 RWS at Frankfurt was Audi’slatest über-wagon in the form of the new RS4Avant. Powered by the 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V6seen in the RS5, it produces the same 444bhpand 442lb ft, which is identical in power to theold V8 RS4, but with torque up by 125lb ft.

There’s an eight-speed automatic gearboxdriving all four wheels, with a rear SportDifferential on the options list along with ceramicbrakes. It will shoot from zero to 62mph in 4.1secand go on to 155mph or, for an extra £1450,174mph. Prices start from £61,625.

Audi also confirmed that its next RS7 coupe-saloon will be offered with 650bhp from a twin-turbo V8 or with even more power as a hybrid,while in 2020/21 Audi Sport will deliver its firstall-electric sports car. Stuart Gallagher

The Honda Urban EV feels like taking a breath of freshFuji air after a decade of Tokyo gridlock

BMWThe new i3s is BMW’s first attempt at aperformance city car and it will hit the charge-points next year. With 180bhp – 12bhp more thanthe basic i3, which has also been facelifted – it willoffer a 0-62mph time of 6.9sec in electric-onlyform (7.7sec with a range-extender engine), atop speed of 99mph and a 125-mile range. Pricesstart from £32,475 with a government grant.

The new M8 GTE race car edges it fordrama, though. The precursor to the new M8supercoupe, both the race car and the road carwill be powered by a 4-litre, twin-turbo V8, asfound in the new M5. While the racer will begoverned by FIA regs, we can expect the road carto boast over 600bhp and four-wheel drive. SG

From leftto right:Honda’s Urban EV Conceptstole the show; newSuzuki Swift Sport is animpressive 75kg lighterthan its predecessor; newRS4 Avant gets the RS5’s444bhp twin-turbo V6

PORSCHEThe 911 GT3 Touring Pack isn’t a standalonemodel; rather it’s a GT3 without the rear wing,and with a shorter front splitter and a 911 R-stylerear diffuser to balance the aero. The 493bhpmotor stays the same but the only gearboxavailable is a six-speed manual. The cost?£0. Yes, a freebie from Porsche – once you’vesecured an order for a £111,802 GT3, that is. SG

BENTLEYIt was a positive show for Bentley, the generalfeeling being that the firm had just about hitthe bullseye with the new Continental GT.CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer, meanwhile, was

looking further into the future: ‘We can be theleader of electrification in the luxury sector; themovement is unstoppable, and it fits into theBentley motoring character,’ he claimed. ‘Ournext new car will be a pure electric car.’ Thatcar will be a sports car, at a stroke removing asmaller SUV from the masterplan.

But it’s not an all-electric future he has inmind for Bentley. ‘I believe strongly in a bigdiversity of powertrains,’ he added. By thathe means diesel in the Bentayga – but only forthat model – plug-in hybrids (the next model toarrive will be a V6 hybrid Bentayga, followedby the same powertrain in the GT), all-electricvehicles and even hydrogen fuel cells.

As Dürheimer tantalisingly pointed out:‘Hybrids don’t have to be six cylinders. Why noteight, or even 12?’ The prospect of a hybridisedW12 is a fascinating one. Adam Towler

016 www.evo.co.uk

Bentley canbe the leader ofelectrification inthe luxury sector;the movement isunstoppable

Left: newBentleyContinental GTwaswell

received.Below:Porscheannounced a Touring Pack

for the GT3, a no-costoption that removes therear wing and is available

with amanual gearbox only

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SEATWe need to talk about SEAT. Specifically, aboutCupra. Once upon a time, SEAT’s sportingbrand could be relied upon to do something alittle different – something brightly coloured,boasting more power than its Volkswagen Groupequivalents and fizzing with a Balearic vibe thatgave SEAT a youthful customer base the envy ofevery other company in the industry.

The Leon Cupra R presented at Frankfurthad barely a hint of that, despite its wider archesand a promise of real carbonfibre components,stiffer engine mounts and a revised chassis.Where are the bright colours? (The choice isblack or grey.) Where’s the Golf R-crushingpower output? (The SEAT matches the VW on

306bhp – and then only if you take the manualgearbox.) Where’s the price tag to undercut aGTI? (A price hasn’t been announced yet, but itwill inevitably be the wrong side of £30k.)

Cupra’s current image is worryinglygrown-up – more Bremen than Barcelona. Itcomes as no surprise that the brand’s biggestmarket is Germany: last year, 5000 Leon Cupraswere sold there, from 9200 across Europe. Thesedays SEAT feels more like a Spanish Audi thanits popularised image as a Spanish Alfa Romeo.

With promises to Cupra-fy models such asthe Ateca and Arona SUVs, a pricing modelbarely different from the Volkswagens on whichSEATs are based, and internal politics keepingpower figures in-line with sister brands, Cupraincreasingly feels like a brand with no USP.

Dr Matthias Rabe, SEAT’s vice president ofR&D, says Cupra stands for ‘contemporary,sophisticated and stylish.’ It’s completelymeaningless – every other car company onthe planet would say the same thing if askedto define its brand. Only it’d probably be themarketing chief saying so, not the man behindits cars’ dynamics. Try these words for size,Dr Rabe: Fun. Exciting. Affordable. AI

VOLKSWAGENVW Group chairman Matthias Müller told theassembled masses at Frankfurt that the grouphad ‘got the message and we will deliver’ asa result of its little indiscretion of cheating at

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THE BADFRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW

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NEW METAL

b y S T U A R T G A L L A G H E R , A D A M T O W L E R & A N T O N Y I N G R A M

emissions testing. In terms of delivery therewill be one electrified variant of every modelwithin every VW Group brand; in total the groupwill have 50 new electric and 30 plug-inhybrid models on sale by 2025. There waseven a promise of a 600-mile range thanks to thenext generation of solid-state batteries that areunder development.

Throw in the 50billion-euro investment, the150 gigawatt-hours of battery capacity requiredand the factories needed to produce it all and,on the surface, it looks like VW is chargingahead with transforming the power source ofevery car it makes. Every VW brand exec wespoke to at Frankfurt was quick to offer an olivebranch to evo by saying they will be looking tobattery and electric power as a means to provideperformance advantages for tomorrow’s rangeof performance cars.

So far, so good. Apart from the small issue thatwhat VW announced is little more than whatyou would expect of a car manufacturer thatconstantly vies to be the world’s number one.The whole performance came across as just that– a performance. Amidst the fanfare and chestthumping on stage there was an air of ‘so what?’from the floor. These are steps that many othermanufacturers are already undertaking, fromBMW to Jaguar to Toyota, and even the likes ofAston Martin, and none feel the need to justify itby saying that they ‘have got the message’.

The difference is that these strategies havebeen an integral part of the general automotiveindustry’s game plan long before VW decided itneeded to be seen to be doing the right thing,having been caught so humiliatingly doing thewrong thing. SG

VW says it willbe looking to batteryand electric power asa means to provideperformance advantagesfor tomorrow’s range ofperformance cars

Left: new SEAT LeonCupra R goes some of theway to reviving past glory,but not far enough.Below:VWchairmanMatthiasMüller wants to atonefor the group’s recentemissionsmisdemeanours:good luck, Herr Müller…

POWERElectrification may have been the talk of theshow, but there was still too much emphasis onmassive power outputs for our liking. A case inpoint: Mercedes-AMG. The 1000bhp-plusProject One is a car that both enthralled andbemused. It’s virtually impossible not to becaptivated by the technology it contains, andthe sheer boldness of integrating that Formula 1powertrain. But when AMG CEO Tobias Moersreckons that ‘it’s mandatory that the next A45AMG has a power output beginning with thenumber four,’ the relevance of this generation ofperformance cars – whether Project One or thecurrent breed of hyperhatches – must surely becalled into question.

Don’t get us wrong, we’ll be the first in linefor the chance to sample such high-poweredmachines, but given that our roads, and the

020 www.evo.co.uk

It’s impossiblenot to be captivatedby the sheerboldness ofintegrating that F1powertrain

speed limits applied to them, haven’t changedmuch in decades, we do wonder just where andhow often they can realistically be enjoyed totheir full potential, or even anywhere near it.

This was the show, after all, that saw sucharrivals as the new 691bhp Porsche 911 GT2RS and the new 592bhp BMW M5 – cars withstartling acceleration figures and toweringpower outputs that push the boundaries of whatcould be termed ‘useable’.

Are there any signs of change? Arguably, bydownsizing the new Mégane RS (see page 70)to a 1.8-litre engine, and capping power below300bhp in the face of rivals that now surgebeyond that level, Renault Sport is making itsown stand on what it believes a hot hatch needsunder the bonnet. Most encouraging of all is thatnew Suzuki Swift (page 14), with a hot hatchkerb weight harking back to 1987. That can onlybe a good thing. AT

Below: the road-goingMercedes-AMGProjectOne features a genuine F1powertrain; wewonder,though, if the ongoingpower war amongst carmakers is a lesson in futility

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SUVsWe go on about how the unimaginative driveto produce endless crossovers and SUVs forevery conceivable niche is an ugly blot on ourindustry. The counter argument is that they arewhat customers want: high seating positions,the sense of safety implied by size, and themisconception that they offer greater interiorspace and practicality for our ‘active lifestyles’.

What’s conveniently missed from thesearguments is the inefficiency of a crossover orSUV compared with a conventional saloon,hatch or estate car and how, because of their

size, weight and high centre of gravity, theyare little safer, and sometimes no safer, thana regular car. And this is before you take intoconsideration the damage they can do to anythird-party object they’re in a collision with.

But it’s the hypocrisy seeping from Frankfurtthat grates. One minute we’re being toldefficiency, low and zero emissions and anelement of responsibility is key to every brand’sstrategy. The next, the wraps are coming off thefirst all-electric, zero tailpipe emissions cars thatare less than 18 months away from productionand are, yes, oversized and overweight SUVs. SG

BMWThe BMW X7 (below right), when it arrives in2018, will no doubt be very impressive. It’s sureto handle well by the standards of the class andwill pack high technology into its mechanicaland electrical features – expect everything fromrelatively frugal hybrid power units to V8s andpossibly even V12s.

But in contrast to the Z4 and 8-seriesconcepts also shown at Frankfurt (see evo240), the X7 seems – putting it mildly – like a bit

of a styling misstep. All three (plus the i VisionDynamics that previews the forthcoming i5)feature a distressingly large interpretation ofBMW’s traditional kidney grille, but the depthand width of the X7’s is sure to make it evenmore terrifying when sitting inches from yourrear bumper on the M25. AI

PORSCHEWhat appears to be a trend for homogenisationwithin the VW Group continues, and it’s a worry.Skoda and SEAT interiors that look more andmore like those from Volkswagen; Porsches thatdrive more like big Audis…

And now this, the new Cayenne (below left).The original model might just sneak into the tenugliest cars of all time. However, at least it hada clear identity. You could begrudgingly respectits unapologetic bravura. The new Cayenne is soobviously a Q7, but less attractive.

Another aesthetic disappointment was theFerrari Portofino, which looked appealingin early photos (see evo 240), but is so large,showy and gauche in the metal – the idealaccompaniment to an oversized watch. AT

THE UGLY

You could respectthe original Cayenne’sunapologetic bravura,but the new one is soobviously a Q7, butless attractive

FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW

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NEWS

b y S T U A R T G A L L A G H E R

TVR returns with a 5-l itre V8 and sophisticated composite chassis and bodywork

BRAWN AGAIN

Top:Griffith’s styling has received amixed reception;we’re waiting for prolonged exposure to it beforepassing judgement.Middle: cabin blendsmodernelectronics with slightly left-field design.Above: 5-litreMustang V8 sits a longway back in the engine bay

T HERE’S NO TURNING BACK FOR TVRnow. Les Edgar and the consortium ofwell-heeled enthusiasts who brought the

much-loved sports car firm back from the deadhave revealed their first new car – the Griffith.

With a 480bhp, 5-litre V8 crate engine fromthe Ford Mustang, a claimed 1250kg kerbweight, a six-speed manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive, there’s no denying that TVR DNA– as defined by the late Peter Wheeler – is allpresent and correct. And that engine has enjoyeda small amount of attention from Cosworth, too,in that a bespoke flywheel, clutch and dry sumphave been developed for it.

Beneath the body – designed by David Seesingof Gordon Murray Design (GMD) and featuringcarbon-composite and aluminium panels – is thelatest development of GMD’s iStream chassis.This is a steel and aluminium framework withbonded carbon-composite sections for addedstrength at minimal weight.

Suspension is by double wishbones andadjustable coilover dampers with concentricsprings, front and rear, while the steering is anelectrically assisted set-up. The Griffith rolls on19-inch alloys at the pointy end, 20s at the rear,and braking is by 370mm ventilated discs andsix-piston calipers at the front, with 350mmdiscs and four-piston calipers out back. In a first

024 www.evo.co.uk

NEW CHALLENGES FACING NEW TVRTheperformance car landscape is unrecognisable sinceTVR leftour roads back in 2006. Jaguar has delivered theF-type–ahearty, front-engined, two-seater coupe androadster smothered in hairy-chestedBritishness. Thenthere’s AstonMartin: its V8Vantage (front-engined,two-seater, equally hirsute andBritish),whichwas in itsinfancywhen the last TVRunderNikolai Smolensky’s reignleftBlackpool, has evolved and aged gracefully andwill bereplacedby an all-newmodel next year.

Then, of course, there’s Porsche. TVR’s nemesis duringtheWheeler years, the 911may nowbe turbocharged, largerandheavier than adecade ago, but its popularity andstatus are beyondquestion. There’s theCayman, too– thefour-cylinder Smay struggle against the newV8Griffith, butthe six-cylinder normally aspiratedGT4andBoxster Spydermodels rumoured for 2018might have something to sayto the newGriffith. It’s great that TVR is back, but the realchallenge has only just begun.

for a TVR, there’s ABS and traction control, too.The Griffith’s interior isn’t as striking as those

of TVRs of old, yet it blends an imaginativestreak with some up-to-date technology, such asa TFT screen in the instrument binnacle.

Initially TVR will build 500 launch editionGriffiths costing £90,000, with productionscheduled to start at the end of 2018 anddeliveries in early 2019. In the interim evo willkeep you up to date on what could be one of themost exciting comebacks our industry has seen.

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NE WS

W E RETURNED TO OUR HOME TURF FOR THEpenultimate evo track evening of 2017, thepitlane at Bedford Autodrome once again

playing host to a brilliantly eclectic collection of cars.Standing out this time were a rarely spotted Lotus 3-Eleven,an Ariel Nomad (complete with frame-mounted spotlights)and a hot hatch legend: a Renault Sport Mégane R26.R.

The 2.8 miles of the South West Circuit and its mixture ofcorners provided their usual challenge for cars and driversalike. The left-to-right flick through New Pif-Paf proved thehardest to master for many, along with the tight turn of BankComplex immediately afterwards.

A skyborne cauldron of grey threatened throughout thesession, releasing a brief shower with a well-defined rainbowas compensation. Many sought temporary refuge in the pitgarages before heading back out on track.

Once again GT Radial’s fleet arrived wearing the firm’styres for attendees to test, while present from evo’s FastFleet were the Mazda MX-5 RF and Mini John CooperWorks Challenge.

The final evo track evening of the year was held shortlyafter we went to press – visit evo.co.uk/trackdays to see apicture gallery from the event and for hints and tips to getyou ready for the 2018 trackday season.

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evo track evening1 September, BedfordAutodrome

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

ADAM

SHORROCK

terrifying than public roads full ofunder-trained, over-enthusiasticdrivers itching to deploy Ludicrousmode at the first opportunity. SoI’m all for an autonomous driveroverwatch – just as long as it can beswitched off at the racetrack.Hugo Evans

A winning formulaI have just read your article ‘Le Mans:Does it have a future?’ (evo 240). Iam 72, andmy first visit to La Sarthewas in 1966, the year of the first Fordvictory. The prototypes of todaycannot be seen as ‘cars’ in the sameway as those GT40s. They are testbeds for whoever manufacturesthem. Sir William Lyons said that‘racing improves the breed’. Itcertainly does, but it shouldn’t be atthe expense of interesting racing.

In 1995 when the McLaren F1[below] was victorious, the weatherwas atrocious, yet it was wonderfulto see a car that I could buy (if I hadthemoney) winning at Le Mans.I have always thought Le Mansshould be for cars that anyone withthe right amount of money couldbuy. The prototypes are just not asinteresting. The Peugeots of ’92/’93cornered as though they were onrails due to the ground effect builtinto their chassis.

GT cars would not be as fastas the hybrids of today but theycertainly sound wonderful. Not toomany years ago the fastest car onthe straight was a V12 Ferrari GT car,and it sounded glorious.

So I say bring back a GT-only LeMans. After all, the crowds will still bethere in their thousands.Ken Westmoreland

I N BOX

LETTER OF THE MONTH

Breaking pointBMW CLAIMS ITS NEW M5 CAN GET TO 62MPH BARELYhalf a second after a McLaren P1; the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifogliohas the same top speed as the Honda NSX; the latest MercedesE63 S has more brake horsepower than a Ferrari 458 Speciale.Performance figures are reaching a breaking point.

If a manufacturer finds itself in a position where it can claim onlya 0.1 second decrease in the 0-60 time of a new model comparedwith the car it replaces, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone whowould be able to tell the difference without timing equipment andeven harder pressed to find a situation where that would be useful.

Manufacturers seem terrified of claiming that their new car isslower than the old one, but physics can only be pushed so far, sowhy not leave the numbers arms race and focus on things driversmight actually be able to utilise? Instead of creating a car that willleave the driver astonished at what it is capable of, maybe theyshould focus on what the car and driver can do together.Will Dickens

TheLetteroftheMonthwinsanAviatorwatchThe writer of this month’s star letterreceives an Aviator Airacobra P45 Chrono.Inspired by the pilots’ watches of the1940s, it has a 45mm case, a Swiss-madequartz movement, and SuperLuminovaindexes for outstanding legibility.

receives an Aviator Airacobra P45 Chrono.

1940s, it has a 45mm case, a Swiss-made quartz movement, and SuperLuminova

Keeping controlI was completely stunned when Iopened evo 240 and read aboutthe new Ariel Hipercar [below]. Notonly does it look incredible but thequoted acceleration figures arebeyond comprehension. It’s fasterto 100mph than Porsche’s insane917/30. And it’ll be road legal.

I can’t imagine what 0-100 in3.8sec would feel like, but havingexperienced 2.5sec to 60 at a themepark I know that most people thisside of Andy Green would struggleto even keep their hands on thesteering wheel, let alone guide thecar down a road. Which brings meto my point. How is any mortaldriver supposed to control all of thisperformance?

As a staunch petrolhead I usedto fear the day where autonomouscars take over, but after readingabout the Hipercar it struck me thatself-driving technology may be theonly way cars like this can be safelyenjoyed on the road. Stay with meon this… What if the self-drivingfunction was applied as a safetynet, with the systemmonitoring alldriver inputs and only stepping in ifyou push it too far? Imagine your carrefusing to turn in too early, or autobraking or applying corrective lock ifyou run out of talent; it could eventake over the driving completelyshould you black out for a momentunder full acceleration…

We are fast approaching a timewhere even run-of-the-mill electricsports cars will be capable ofmind-bending acceleration figures,and I can’t think of anything more

[email protected] t@evomagazine f@evomagazine

Conti concernOnemust admire Bentley for itspersistence in using very big engines inthe front of its cars and its attentionto detail in terms of tolerances andengineering (new Continental GT,Briefing, evo 240). At the same time,though, I can’t help but feel sorryfor the second or third owner whohas to pay for themaintenance onsuch a vehicle. For it is these peoplewho will surely pay the price for a carengineered on suchminute tolerancesand with small spaces to work in.

I’ve owned both an Alfa 156 GTAand a VW PassatW8 and I have seenfirst-hand (and paid for) the difficultyinvolved in maintaining these cars. Ispent an hour in the car park of Turin’smain Alfa dealership replacing aheadlight bulb, losing much skin frommy knuckles in the process. I also sawthe labour bills for any and every jobthat involvedmanoeuvring around theengine bay. Not pretty. Not cheap.

So when I read that the three-facedash component in the new Conti GThas a gap of half a millimetre each side,I’m impressed. But when I see that ‘thefront driveshafts pass through thesump – clearing the number six mainbearing by just 1.5 millimetres’ my eyedevelops a slight twitch.

Of course, Mr New Bentley Ownerwon’t care, but pity the used Bentleyowner, who already stretched to affordthe car, when it comes to amorefundamental problem than a new tyreor topping up the washer fluid. A hat tipand best wishes to these people. Youhavemy respect. Start saving now.Gareth Banton, Bedfordshire

Fashion faux pasFellas, fellas, fellas… Cars today arebetter than ever – they’re sharper,more sculptured, more colourful

and generally better turned out thanever. Your mag does a great job ofdisplaying them brilliantly and helpingus fantasise that we could be behindtheir wheels. But then I turn to page70 of evo 240 and I am presentedwith three scruffy, saggy and baggyold gits [above] who look like they areplotting how to steal an RS5!

Come on, guys, a bit of sartorialelegance is needed to look like youbelong in these cars. Or if you can’tmanage that, only allow the officeyoungsters in the photos!Matt Stretch

Lacking identityWill Beaumont is right when hedescribes Hyundai’s decision to enterthe performance hot hatch marketas ‘bold’ (Briefing, evo 239). Yet thecar the company is developing to doso is anything but. Hyundai has a realchance of putting itself on the hothatch map, but it is squandering it bytrying to be German.

First, there’s the looks. The i30 N[above right] looks like a Germanhatch. Then we find out it’s beingbenchmarked against the Germans,and is being developed by a Germanon a mountainous German road.There’s nothing wrong with beinginfluenced and inspired by the peopleat the top of their game, but you knowwho’s best at doing ‘the Germans’?The Germans.

It’s not like Hyundai doesn’t havethe technical capabilities to make agreat car, because it clearly does. Italso has mountains, and lots of them.South Korea has a deeply rich andunique culture, too, but Hyundai is notinfusing its cars with this identity, andI think the motoring world is worse offbecause of it.

It’s great that Hyundai is shooting

I N BOX

for the stars – it just needs to shootfor the right ones.Nino Rosella

Hyundai hoorahFinally! A hot hatch I want to buy. I amvery pleased to hear that the Hyundaii30 N has a manual gearbox, an enginethat sounds good and front-wheeldrive. This is good news. For the pastfew years manufacturers have beensucked into races for Nürburgring laptimes, 0-60 numbers and top speeds.But this isn’t really what hot hatchesare about. Four-wheel drive is forSUVs, automatic gearboxes should befor luxury cars, and why do downsizedengines even exist?

Now a few car companies havestarted to focus on driving enjoyment.Renault is another focusing on smilesrather than speed with the newAlpine. Hopefully more car makers willfollow suit, and if the government sayswe must all move around in silent,robot-driven boxes, I’m going to buya few i30 Ns and A110s, so that whenthe apocalypse does come, I will havesomething good to drive.Jamie Dilnot

Shattered dreamsAnother month, another evomaglands on my doormat, with numeroushelpings of the latest enthrallingexotica being pushed to its limitsin glossy photos showing the stern,concentrating faces of focusedjournalists behind the wheel.

I make my way through the newspages, the first drives, the features,the buying advice, and then I reach myfavourite bit: all this exotica for saleat dealers, just waiting for you… andyour lottery win. Slowly the depressionof knowing I could never afford one

of these cars without selling a feworgans sinks in.

Every month I go through thisrollercoaster of emotions: the love ofknowing these machines exist to thehate in realising I will never own one.Thank you, evo. I love/hate/love you.Oliver Cooper

All things to all menRichard Porter suggests the 691bhpGT2 RS [above] isn’t really whatthe Porsche 911 is about (column,evo 239). I would say that all of uswho read evo are, to some extent,fantasists. My personal fantasyinvolves a transcontinental blast,an Alpine ascent and descent toa boutique hotel by the lakes ofnorthern Italy, and a beautifultravelling companion who is almostalways my wife. That is why my 911 hasfull leather, climate control, a goodstereo and four-wheel drive.

The fantasies of others, however,involve all-in-one jumpsuits, Nomexunderwear and face masks. I do notjudge. The magic of the 911 is that it isflexible enough to cater to all of theseesoteric tastes.Christopher Leonard

Out of linePaul Guy (Inbox, evo 240) says hewouldn’t buy an Alfa Romeo GiuliaQuadrifoglio because it is not availablewith a folding rear seat and that thisthis might prevent him ‘popping to thelocal Argos on a Saturday afternoon topick up a new washing line’.

Mr Guy may be interested to learnthat Argos offers a same-day deliveryservice for £3.95 – probably less thanit would cost to drive the 503bhp Alfato his nearest Argos and back.Gilbert Toyne

[email protected] t@evomagazine f@evomagazine TAILOREDFINANCE FORSTUNNING

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032 www.evo.co.uk

HYUNDAI i30 N PERFORMANCE PACKAGE //ASTON MARTIN DB11 V8 // LEXUS LC 500h //MERCEDES-AMG GT C

032 www.evo.co.uk

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Hyundai i30 NPerformance

PackageUnleashed in production form at last, Hyundai’sfirst hot hatch lives up to the hype – and then

some. Its rivals had better be worried

Photography by Aston Parrott

T’S A FAIRLY ALIEN CONCEPT, PUTTINGfingers to keyboard for evomagazine towrite about a car that wears a humble

Hyundai badge. It hasn’t happened toomany timesin the past, after all.Then again, as we discovered whenwe had an

exclusive drive of a development prototype a fewmonths ago (evo 236), the i30 N ain’t no ordinaryHyundai. Conceived by the company’s new Ndivision, which is itself led by one Albert Biermann,whomastermindedmost of BMW’s best M-carsfor 20 years until Hyundai poached him in 2014, thei30 N is without doubt one of themore intriguinghigh-performance hatchbacks of themoment.But even so, and despite the undeniable credibilityof its chief engineer and Hyundai’s very obviousdesire to persuade us all that it really has crafted aproper drivers’ car out of the i30, you dowonder…You can’t help but wonder.I mean, how on Earth can Hyundai be expected

to produce a car that can stand shoulder toshoulder with the genuine hot hatch greats – theHonda Civic Type Rs and the Golf GTI Clubsports ofthis world – having had precisely zero experienceat building such cars in the past? Also, evenMrBiermann himself admits to not knowing a greatdeal about front-wheel-drive cars beforemakinghis move to Hyundai. So once again you can’t helpbut harbour a nagging doubt or two about the truelife potential of the i30 N.All it takes, though, is one good drive across

one great road in the i30 N to banish such doubts,and for the scepticism to be replaced by amixtureof mild disbelief, major respect and, most of all,a refreshing wave of pure pleasure about whatHyundai has created.Which is to say, a thumpinglygood hot hatchback; one that can absolutely standcomparison with the best. Which is little short ofextraordinary if you stop and think about it, butalso perhaps a touch ominous for the Europeanmanufacturers in terms of what else the Koreanswill come upwith over the coming decades.

On paper the i30 N is not a rule-breaker in anyspecific area. Instead it nudges towards the topof its sector right the way across the board. InPerformance Package trim its 2-litre turbo engineproduces 271bhp and 260lb ft of torque, with

I

034 www.evo.co.uk

279lb ft available on overboost for 18 seconds.(There’s also a non-PP version that offers 24bhpless but the same torque.) As such it can hit 62mphin 6.1sec and has a top speed of 155mph, all decentenough stats but nothing outrageous comparedwith the likes of the latest Type R.

But in a way that’s what Biermann and his teamwanted. His theory was that by being good or verygood in everything it does, rather thanmind-bending in only a few areas, the car would, and will,appeal tomore people, more of the time. Especiallyso given that it will have an asking price of less than£28,000, which undercutsmost of its potentialrivals and which includes not just the sink but therest of the kitchen as well when it comes to spec:satnav, cruise control, a decent stereo – you nameit, the i30 N has it. As standard.

Having said that, it is no shrinking violet, noton paper and certainly not to drive, even if it isfractionally disappointing on the eye, in asmuchas I personally wish it looked, well, a bit moreaggressive from some angles, especially aroundthe nose. Maybe with somemildly blisteredwheelarches to persuade the naysayers that ittruly is the real deal, because, to drive, it truly is thereal deal, and then some.

There are several reasons why. One, it hasa proper electronically controlled limited-slipdifferential that works out all sorts of cleverthings to keep the front tyres keyed into the road

‘It is capable of takingjust about any roadyou’d care to throwat it to pieces’

Above: interior isn’t wanting for kit.Below:rear strut brace improves suspension control.Bottom:Performance Package version gets19in wheels, up an inch over standard i30 N’s

at all times. Two, its chassis has been endlesslydeveloped by Biermann and his team to delivermaximum precision in its most hardcore settings –which you’d expect given his background – but alsoa surprising range of comfort and refinement whenyou dial it all back down. Three, it rides on a set ofPirelli P Zero tyres that are bespoke to this car, andas you know, this alwaysmakes a big difference tothe end result, even if it is an expensive route totake for themanufacturer. (The i30 N isn’t quiteamoney-no-object car for Hyundai, but it hasn’texactly been constrained by budgetary concernseither.) Four, it sounds the absolute nuts if youpress the N button on the steering wheel, give it fullbeans in third gear and then back away from thethrottle momentarily.

Oh yes, and it also goes rather well in a straightline, too, and features a six-speedmanual gearboxwith an auto-blipping function on downshifts thatis mostly delightful to use, even if the third-to-second shift on our test car has a tendency to baulkfrom time to time, especially under load from highrevs when turning into left-hand corners.

What really marks the i30 N out as something alittle bit special, though, is its chassis. The way itslices so cleanly into corners and then just sticks,without there being any kind of overreaction fromthe tail. I hate the term ‘all of a piece’, but if ever itcould be applied to the way a hot hatch goes downa road, this is it.

In Nmode, which stiffens up the dampers to themax and alters the exhaust noise, the ESPmap,the throttle map and even the e-diffmap, the i30 Nis so composed yet also so sharp, it is capable oftaking just about any road you’d care to throw at itto pieces. Genuinely, it is thatwell sorted, that crispand clear and precise in its responses, and in prettymuch everything it does.

Especially the way it steers and slows down forcorners, and then just sits so sweetly in them fora second or so before taking full power once againat the exit. I also like the fact that you need to learn

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Lotus Exige Cup 380

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036 www.evo.co.uk

+ A very impressive first effort fromHyundai’s N division - More character and guts from the enginewouldn’t go amiss evo rating ;;;;4

EngineIn-line 4-cyl, 1998cc, turbo

Power271bhp @ 6000rpm

Torque279lb ft @ 1450-4500rpm

0-62mph6.1sec (claimed)

Top speed155mph (claimed)

Weight1429kg (193bhp/ton)

Basic pricec£28,000

Specification

how to get the best out of the e-diff in order to getthe best out of the car itself. And to do that it’s allabout having the confidence to get on the throttleas early as possible in a corner – because whenyou do the diff really comes to life and, so long asyou haven’t got your entry speed cataclysmicallywrong, the front tyres bite and your exit speedsbecome increasingly ridiculous.

In a way the engine plays second fiddle to thechassis, but it’s still an essential ingredient to thecocktail. In short it does the job, and does it prettywell, without ever making the hairs on your neckhead north. There’s very little lag, the throttleresponse is strong and clean, and it deliversenough performance to enable the star of theshow – the chassis – to sing. And if it hadmoreboost in order to give it, say, 320bhp rather than271, then it would be even better still. Butmaybe

that’s another state of engine tune, for anothercar, for another day… In the present, the i30 N as itstands is a thoroughly convincing – no – stunningfirst effort from the N division.

Inside, you get all the usual stuff you’d expectfrom a Hyundai – high-quality switchgear andcontrols, lots of room front, rear and in the boot,plus that great level of spec – and in this case youalso get a good pair of electric sports seats and allsorts of buttons andmodes to play with as well. Intotal there are five different drivemodes to choosefrom: Eco, Normal, Sport, N and N Custom, thatlast one allowing you to tailor the car’s individualcomponents to your own personal desires.

And so when you’ve had enough of all theexhaust pops and bangs (which are entirelynatural, says Hyundai, not at all computergenerated) and the idea of wringing the car’s

‘It’s one of the most exciting,well sorted, well executed hot

hatchbacks money can buy’

neck in Nmode has begun to lose its appealmomentarily, you really can dial it back toNormal and the whole thing settles right down.The dampers still deliver quite a taut level ofride control, but no longer do your fillings feelvulnerable, while the exhaust system climbs backinto its box and goes to sleep for a while.

It won’t be long before you press themagicbutton again, though, because when you do, youunlock one of themost exciting, well sorted, wellexecuted hot hatchbacksmoney can buy.

Precisely how good it is we’ll find out whenweput it through amore thorough test against itsrivals in a future issue. But for now, be in no doubt:at 28 grand the i30 N is an absolute steal. So youcan forget all about it being just a humble Hyundai,because in reality it is anything but.Steve Sutcliffe

038 www.evo.co.uk

HERE’S SOMETHINGinherently ‘right’ aboutthe combination of the

words ‘AstonMartin’ and ‘V8 engine’.It instantly evokes images of thebrutish, lantern-jawed ‘Oscar India’AMV8 that kept the company afloatin the ’80s, or the current Vantage,which helpedmake the brandaccessible to amuch broader rangeof customers.

So the arrival of the DB11 V8 shouldbe cause for celebration. Not leastbecause it bears themost obviousfruit of the collaboration betweenAstonMartin andMercedes-Benz:under its long bonnet is the sametwin-turbocharged 4-litre V8 thatnormally nestles beneath the

far less elegant bodywork of theMercedes-AMG C63 S.

Lighter than its V12-engined bigbrother, the DB11 V8 promises to be amore agile, driver-focused GT –moreof an evo DB11, if you will. The smallerengine plays a huge part in a weightreduction of 115kg (overall weight isnow 1760kg), while setting the blockfurther back in the chassis reversesthe front-to-rear weight distributionto 49:51, versus 51:49 for the V12.

Apart from Aston’s own ECUsoftware and a shallower sump fora lower centre of gravity, the 4-litreunit is carried over prettymuchunchanged from the C63, whichmeans the same 503bhp peak poweroutput. However, the exhausts have

been retuned to deliver a differentexhaust note, while the remappedelectronics are aimed at giving amore progressive torque delivery.

There are further changes to thechassis, which has been tweakedto both sharpen the car’s focus as adriver’s machine and to compensatefor the reduction and repositioningof themechanical masses. Forinstance, themulti-link rear axlegets stiffer bushes, and elsewherethere are tweaks to the geometery,springs and dampers. Also, thesix-pot front brake calipers getsmaller pistons as a result of the lessweighty nose. A happy by-productof this modification is that theall-disc set-up is more progressive

T

Has substituting Aston’s V12 engine with Mercedes-AMG’s smaller,lighter, twin-turbo V8 created a more agile, more responsive DB11?


Aboveand top right:visually there’s very littleto distinguish the newV8from its V12 sibling, but twinbonnet vents where the V12has four is a clue.Right:V8 nestles further back inthe engine bay, pushing theweight balance rearwards

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‘You’d neverguess it wasthe same unitused in thebombasticMercedes-AMG C63 S’

guess it was the same unit usedin the bombastic C63 S. There’s atheatrical flare of revs as the enginecatches, but it settles down to amuchmore subdued idle. This lower-key approach continues on themove, when the V8’s characteristicburble is moremuted, more inkeeping with the car’s GT character.

Squeeze the throttle and it takeson amore aggressive timbre, yet it’smore cultured tenor than theMerc’sear-bashing baritone. Switching toSport or Sport+mode increases thevolume and adds some entertainingpops and gurgles on the overrun, buteven as you home in on the red linethe V8’s bellow stays the right sideof antisocial.

The V8 DB11 is fast, too, withAston claiming the 0-62mph sprintis all over in 4sec dead, whichis just a tenth slower than the600bhp V12. However, the V8 revsmore freely than the V12, while itsthumping torque peak of 498lb ft(516 for the V12) is on tap from just2000rpm – all of whichmeans thesmaller-engined car feels moreresponsive. In fact, it’s so potentlow down that, on the rain-lashedroads of our test route, even fairlyrestrained applications of throttlehave the traction control workingovertime. Get the Bridgestoneshooked up, though, particularly inthe higher gears, and the V8 deliversa relentless surge of acceleration.

than the snatchy anchors on the V12.Interestingly, apart from the brakes,most of the changes will eventuallyfind their way onto the V12.

So, what’s the V8 like to drive?Okay, full disclosure first: ignore thepictures, because the weather onthe Spanish test route was prettyhorrendous, raining with varyingintensity from start to finish, sowe’ll have to caveat any impressionsagainst that. However, such low-gripconditions are always good forthrowing up any foibles, particularlyin the handling department.

Let’s start with the engine,though, because this is themostintriguing aspect of the new DB.The good news is that you’d never

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+ Potent and characterful engine; sharper chassis responses - Is there still the need for the V12? evo rating ;;;;2

EngineV8, 3982cc, twin-turbo

Power503bhp @ 6000rpm





Basic price£144,900

Specification

madeobviousbecause the interior isotherwiseacalmandquietplace tobe.

In all other respects, this V8 feelsmore solidly constructed than earlyV12s we sampled, with good panelgaps on the outside and impressivefit and finish on the inside – if notquite to Bentley standards. The laid-back driving position is supremelycomfortable, while theMercedesswitchgear is well integrated,though the German firm’s trademarkcombinedwiper and indicator stalksticks out like a sore thumb.

We’ll have to wait until we get a V8on UK roads and in decent weatherto deliver a definitive verdict, butthis drive is enough to confirm thatthe DB11 is closer to the car it shouldhave been when it debuted latelast year. What’s also certain is thatthe arrival of the V8makes the V12rather redundant, as it’s every bit asfast, fractionally sharper to drive andcosts £13,000 less.James Disdale

Belowandbottom left:interior has the same standardequipment as the V12, includingTFT instruments.Bottomright: alloy wheels get adifferent finish for the V8

In terms of real-world pace, there’svirtually nothing to separate thismodel from the V12.

The eight-speed auto is carriedover unchanged, but the steeringcolumn-mounted paddleshiftershave 50 per cent less travel, makingfor a faster andmore responsive feelwhen you want to take control of theshifts, which are barely any slowerthan with an equivalent twin-clutchunit. Leave the transmission to itsown devices and it slurs ratios assmoothly as you’ll want.

The V8 gets the same steeringrack as the V12, whichmeans it’sfast at 2.4 turns lock-to-lock, butrecalibrating the electric assistancehas resulted in ameatier feel,boosting confidence. It’s difficult tojudge outright grip in the slipperyconditions, but the DB turns in crisplyand clings on well, provided youdon’t push too hard. You need to bemore careful on the exit of corners,

where the twin-turbo’s torquemakes it all too easy to spin-up therear wheels. On the plus side, theAston feels extremely well balanced,with any transition from grip to slipbeing well-telegraphed.

Ramp up the damper stiffness byselecting Sport or Sport+ (you cando this independently of the similarsettings for the steering, throttlemap and gearshift strategies) andthe Aston feels taut and controlledover themost undulating roads.

Thumb the damper button intoComfort and the Aston rides forthemost part with impressivesuppleness, bolstering its grandtouring credentials. Yet while it’sparticularly adept at soaking upbumps onmotorways, the ridebecomes firm and fidgety overscarred and pockmarked tarmac.Our test car also suffers from someirritating wind rush from a poorrubber door seal, an issue that’s only

‘What’s certainis that thearrival of theV8 makes theV12 ratherredundant’

FOR EVERYTHINGASTONMARTININTHE SOUTHWEST ANDWALES.We would like to invite you to our state-of-the-art Aston Martin showroom in Bristol, located at Cribbs Causeway, just off Junction 17 of the M5 motorway. The two-storey dealership is fully approved for New and Timeless Certified

Pre-Owned Car Sales, Servicing and Parts.

To find out more please call 01179 007 007 or search Aston Martin Bristol.

Aston Martin BristolVantage Point, Cribbs Causeway, Bristol BS10 7TU

Phone: + 44 (0) 1179 007 007 Email: [email protected] Web: www.astonmartinbristol.co.uk

042 www.evo.co.uk

GGS, FLOUR, MILK ANDsugar are enough to rustleup a sponge cake, but

cook them differently and you’ll alsocreate a pretty fine pancake.

In the sameway, Lexus has takensome classic automotive ingredients– a generous power output, rear-wheel drive, a low centre of gravity,evenly balanced weight distribution– but, rather than create a sportscar, Toyota’s luxury arm has whisked,beaten and baked itself a brand newgrand tourer.

Theremight be a dash ofchocolate and a hint of toffee inthere, too, if this car’s colour schemeis anything to go by, while the new

Lexus LC’s striking linesmight haveseen the attention of a kitchen knife.The familiar ‘spindle’ grille definitelyhas a hint of cookie-cutter to it, butthe result is definitely more PhilippeStarck than Tesco kitchenware.

The proportions and details aretruly stunning in themetal. View thecar from a low three-quarters, asyoumight when following it throughamountain hairpin, and it looksfantastically darty and low-slung.Catch it from the right angles andthere’s also a hint of AstonMartin tothe bold rear haunches and slim LEDtail lights; it’s by quite amargin themost captivating shape Lexus hasever produced.

If only – and here’s the inevitablebit – the same could be said of thedrivetrain of this LC 500h variant.We’ve already tested the 5-litre V8-engined LC 500 (evo 231), the V8 asenticing there as it is in the similarlyendowed RC F and GS F, but, as the‘h’ implies, this model has a hybridpowertrain, though not, it should bepointed out, one you can plug in.

It’s based around a 3.5-litre petrolV6 and, as with the V8, it runs onthe efficiency-biased Atkinsoncombustion cycle, which delays theclosing of the intake valves duringthe compression stroke to changethe compression ratio for a cleanerburn. But whereas the V8 can switch

E

The hybrid version of Lexus’s stylish LC 500 looks good onpaper – and in the metal – but does it gel as a drivers’ car?

Lexus LC 500h

between this and the traditional,no-delay Otto cycle, the 500h useselectric assistance tomitigate theperformance drop inherent withAtkinson combustion.

The V6 develops 295bhp at6600rpm and 257lb ft at 4900rpm,the electric motor 177bhp and221lb ft. However, due to the differentpoints at which these outputs aredeveloped, peak combined power is354bhp, while peak combined torqueis an unknown as it’s Toyota/Lexuspolicy to not quote this figure forits hybrids. Nomatter, on paper,the results are perfectly sufficient:0-62mph takes 5.0sec, which is justthree tenths behind the V8.

Photography by Barry Hayden

www.evo.co.uk 043

Lexus LC 500h

Left: from its ‘spindle’grille to its flared rear arches,

the LC is a genuine looker.Above right: inside, too,it’s stylish and beautifully

appointed.Right: V6 engineis supplemented by an electricmotor for a combined 354bhp

‘The revs flareas the ’box huntsfor ratios as ifit can’t decidewhether it’s aregular auto orold-school CVT’

044 www.evo.co.uk

It feels strong on the road, too,though in a different and ultimatelyless satisfying way than the V8.Having pressed the starter button– to the sound of silence, as withmost hybrids – the LC steps awaysmartly. Push the throttle anymorethan about a third of the way tothe carpet and the engine fires upsmoothly to give a helping hand.

Trundle around atmoderatespeeds and the engine andtransmission – a stepped, ten-speedCVT that Lexus says it has tuned foramore ‘direct’ feel –mesh happilyenough, and allow you tomakereasonably effortless progress.But push harder and the revs flareas the ’box hunts for ratios, as if itcan’t decide whether it’s a regular

automatic or an old-school CVT.Some changes can be surprisinglystaccato, too, while the V6 becomesbreathless and tuneless. Braking isalso less than satisfying, thanks tothemixture of initial regenerationand delayed friction braking, thepedal both grabby andmushythrough its travel.

The upside is that the hybridsystem spends an impressiveamount of timewith the engineoff altogether, at which point theLC 500h plays its trump card: it’s asupremely relaxing and elegant wayto travel. The cabin is a wonderfulplace to spend time, with thecaveat that the touchpad for theinfotainment system is a generationor two behind rival set-ups.

The seats are shapely andincredibly comfortable, thedriving position perfect and, somebackground tyre hum aside, thecabin is admirably hushed. There aresome great details, too, from thealuminium door handles, seeminglyfloating against an Alcantarabackdrop, to the location of thedrivingmode selection switch,mounted in your eye-line to the sideof the instrument binnacle. Thedrivetrain is at its most responsive inSport and Sport+modes, though thebehaviour of the conventional multi-link suspension is unchanged.

That’s no bad thing, for theLC 500h actually has a very goodchassis. While it won’t bombard youwith feedback, the steering is quick

+ Stunning looks; excellent comfort and refinement; fine chassis - Hybrid systemhurts the fun factor evo rating ;;;42

EngineV6, 3456cc, plus 132kW electric motor

Power354bhp (combined)

Torquen/a (see text)




Basic price£76,595

Specification

and accurate, and there’s a flow anda consistency to the car’s responsesthatmake brisk driving predictableand enjoyable. The stiff structureand excellent build quality ensurethat the rare bumps on our Alpinetest route are dismissed without asingle shudder or creak.

The optional Sport+ trim levelbrings four-wheel steering, avariable-ratio steering rack and alimited-slip differential, but whilethey turn the V8 into an amusinglyagile device, the extramoney wouldbe wasted on the hybrid. Better tostick to the (cheaper) Luxury trimand revel in the LC’s style, comfortand 44mpg potential. You can’t, itseems, have your cake and eat it.Antony Ingram (@evoAntony)

‘It is by quite a margin the mostcaptivating shape Lexus has

ever produced’

046 www.evo.co.uk

OUCOULD BE FORGIVENfor thinking that theMercedes-AMGGT C is a

little over-equipped. It borrows theelectronically controlled limited-slipdifferential, rear-wheel steeringandwide rear track from AMG’sweaponised track tool, the GT R, butit doesn’t have the same power.

Then you learn its dry-sumped,twin-turbo, ‘hot-V’ 4-litre V8 putsout 549bhp and 501lb ft of torque –80bhpmore than the standard AMGGT and only 28bhp down on the R.It isn’t far off the latter in terms ofperformance either. Acceleratingfrom 0 to 62mph in a claimed 3.7secand topping out at 196mph, it’s just0.1sec and 2mph slower.

If its performance wasn’tconvincing enough, one glimpse of

the GT C’s fat rump – uninterruptedby the bolted-on fixed rear wingfound on the R – and it makes acase for itself on appearance alone.It looks far more sophisticatedthan the overtly sporty R, yet it’sevenmore stylish than the regular,malnourished-looking GT. Themattgrey paint of our test car is only forthe Edition 50model that celebratesAMG’s 50th year. Once all 500 unitshave sold out, regular gloss finisheswill be available and the cost shoulddrop by around £12k from the Edition50’s £139,855 price tag. Meanwhile,an R costs just £3405more.

The C’s bigger arches cover a57mmwider rear track, but thatextra width isn’t achieved withlonger suspension arms or a totallyrevised rear-end geometry. In fact,

just like the R, it’s simply down to aset of wider wheels and tyres.

The swollen arches do give theimpression that the cockpit is quitenarrow, and even though it’s nosmaller than any other GT’s, the lowroof and wide transmission tunnelmake you feel cocooned inside,surrounded by a lot of metal. Thetrade-off is that the GT’s structurefeels incredibly solid and stiff.

Add the C’s adaptive dampersand rear-wheel steering to theGT’s rigid body, and your initialimpression is just how serene andrelaxed it is from behind the wheel.It’s much calmer than the basic GT,as far less road noise and vibrationis transmitted into the cabin, andwhile the ride is firm, most of theharshness is filtered out.

YYou can still hear the engine,

though; it isn’t the shy and retiringsort and it makes itself knownwitha deep burble any time you go nearthe throttle. But it’s a pleasantnoise and its burly performancegives the C an indomitable grandtourer persona, one eager to find aderestricted autobahn.

That’s when the car is in Comfortmode, at least. Start exploring thesportier drivingmodes and the C’sinner sports car begins to emerge.Firstly the engine takes on a hardersound, making throbbing booms asit accelerates and loud cracks whenyou change gear or back off thethrottle. It could be just an illusioncreated by the noise, but the V8seems to revmore enthusiasticallyto its red line, too. Then each time

Latest addition to the AMG GT line-up has mostof the R’s power, together with its broader rearbodywork. So is it the best of both worlds?

Mercedes-AMGGT C

www.evo.co.uk 047

Mercedes-AMG GT C

you flick the right-hand paddle theGT C’s seven-speed dual-clutchtransaxle delivers a sharp and fastupshift – it’s amuchmore preciseand satisfying gearchange than youget from any of Mercedes-AMG’sautomatic-based gearboxes.

Initially, there is something oddand unnatural about the GT C’s faststeering rack and your distance fromthe front wheels. You sit a long wayback, almost over the rear axle, sosteering the C should be like tryingto pick up rice with eight-foot-longchopsticks, but amazingly it isn’t. Beprecise with yourmovements andyou’ll find the front end is direct andalert to every steering input. There’sa substantial amount of front grip,too, so after just a handful of cornersyou’ve forgotten how far you arefrom the front wheels.

‘The top portionof the throttleprovides anextraordinarilylarge shove’

+ As good at being a GT as it is a sports coupe - Eager throttle responsemakes it difficult to drive fast and smoothly evo rating ;;334

EngineV8, 3982cc, twin-turbo

Power549bhp @ 5750-6750rpm





Basic price£139,855

acceleration isn’t an issue, asthere’s enough traction from the305-section rear tyres to keep themstuck to the road. Tighter corners orwet conditions can cause tractionissues, though, and you have to bevery tentative with the throttle,but with the help of Michelin PilotSuper Sport tyres rather than the R’sCup 2s, the chassis is transparent,while the fast steeringmakes it easyto react appropriately when thetail slides.

With really well judged controls– aside from the throttle – andaccessible, dependable handling,the GT C is a fun and satisfyingsports coupe. That it’s also such acompetent grand tourer as well is awelcome bonus.Will Beaumont(@WillBeaumont)

You can exaggerate that frontgrip evenmore by using the brakesdeep into a corner; the pedal isreassuringly consistent and the frontsuspension allows just the smallestamount of dive as you slow the cardown. There isn’t a lot of feedbackthrough the steering wheel but thechassis is controlled and preciseenough that you can guide the frontthrough a curve confident of howmuch grip is available.

The engine and throttle’senthusiasm in Sport, Sport+ andRacemodes doesmake it tricky toget smoothly back on the powerwhen you hit an apex. With the topportion of the throttle providingan extraordinarily large amountof shove, it can feel jerky as youtry to feed in the power. In fastcorners with dry tarmac, the abrupt

Clockwise fromfar left:broad rear end is borrowedfrom the GT R; envelopingcabin can be surprisinglyserene; twin-turbo V8’s549bhp is only 28bhp shy ofR’s power; carbon-ceramicdiscs are optional

Specification

H AVE YOU EVER DONE ANYTHING REALLYstupid? Flown in the face of what you know to befact, suppressed common sense, turned a deaf earto all your internal alarm bells, fought the fear and

gone ahead anyway? In short, have you ever thrown yourself intothe abyss that is a decade-old, 140,000-mile TDV8 Range Rover?

Some of you might say an old Range Rover isn’t core evo territory.I would strongly contend otherwise. Partly because lots of peopleI know with fine taste in fast cars also own Rangies, but mainlybecause it’s really not so different from buying a superannuatedsports car or supersaloon. You’ve read the forum horror storiesabout 996 Carreras or V10 M5s and readily concede they exposeyou to ruinous running costs, yet you can’tresist the fact they are a colossal amount ofcar for the money. It’s the battle of risk versusreward that’s catnip for car nuts like us.

In a world skewed by so-called ‘investmentcars’ it also makes a refreshing, if somewhatnihilistic change to buy a car that could veryeasily cost you more in snagging and servicingthan it did to buy. Right now I’m strugglingto think of a car capable of inflicting greaterfiscal self-harm than a Range Rover morethan halfway round its sixth lap of the world.Yet the seductive powers of a car that could well have cost its firstowner eight or ten times as much are without parallel.

As you entertain the thought, it creeps like Japanese knotweed,from the warm, non-threatening recesses reserved specially foridle automotive pipe-dreams to the very forefront of your mind.Over the next few weeks lovely examples of your four-wheeledobsession taunt and tempt you from driveways, car parks andopposing carriageways. Judgement now clouded by the fog ofphwoar, you tentatively broach the subject with your other half,partly hoping they throw a bucket of cold water on the insanity.They don’t. Worse, they condone it, resorting to the kind of shadyMan Maths® you’d never dream of using on them.

Still you resist. Until fate decides to step in, when completelyunprompted a great and trusted friend asks if you’re after an oldRange Rover. Their old Range Rover. The old Range Rover theybought from the first owner (who they know extremely well),have kept for years and maintained fastidiously. The Range Roveryou’ve ridden in and loved. The Range Rover they recently sold to

When the alarm bells (and suspension failure warnings) are ringing,should you still buy that well-used dream car? Meaden did

another friend, whose circumstances have changed. The RangeRover that’s now up for sale at a price that’s too good to ignore.

So of course, after a few days of cold sweats, hot flushes andwildly fluctuating emotions you phone the vendor and arrange toview the car. Which brings us neatly onto test drives. Much like afirst date they’re full of anticipation, yet hideously awkward. Youwant things to go well. Really well. What you absolutely don’t wantis the dreaded chime of a suspension fault warning less than fiveminutes after taking the object of your desire for a spin. Awkward.

The post test drive conversation with the vendor went somethinglike this: ‘Yep, really like the car. Great old thing, isn’t it? Socomfortable. Love it. Er… um… haha… you won’t believe this,

but no sooner had we got down the road thanthe dashboard flashed up with a “SuspensionFailure: Max Speed 30mph” warning…’

‘Well, that’s a new one on me. Shall wehave some coffee?’

Note to self: don’t attempt to negotiate witha man who used to broker hostile takeoversfor a living…

You know what’s coming next. We boughtthe Rangie. And yes, the suspension warningbinged and bonged a few times on the wayhome. Though, it has to be said, without the

classic gangster lean normally associated with shonky RangeRover suspension. The rational side of my brain says I should takeit to our nearest specialist – Bishops 4x4: I checked, like parentsresearch school catchment areas before buying a house – so theycan plug in their diagnostic kit. The side prone to denial pins hopeon a faulty sensor, or the Rangie – christened Kanye, becausehe’s brilliant but high-maintenance and prone to breakdowns –somehow possessing a Christine-like ability to self-repair. Thewarning hasn’t reappeared recently, so maybe I’m not so crazy.

What’s the moral of this column? That car buying can still bean adventure. Whether your folly of choice is a hedonistic 4x4 or adog-eared sports car, it’s one of the rare moments in life where youcan do your homework, do the maths, then do the unthinkable andbuy it anyway.

In years to come, if Mrs M and I are stony broke and living in acaravan (again), this moment of madness will be cited as the rootof our demise. Until then we’ve got a noble old Range Rover in ourlives, and it feels great. L

‘I’m strugglingto think of a

car capable ofinflicting greaterfiscal self-harm’

Richard is a contributing editor to evo and one of themagazine’s founding team t@DickieMeaden

RICHARD MEADEN

048 www.evo.co.uk

Nick Mason’s (Pink Floyd) Ferrari 250 GTO - QuickSilver Stainless Steel Heritage Sport Exhaust.

SOME ARE BORN GREAT ,

HAT DO YOU WANT FROM A CAR? YOUmight say performance or handling but it’s morethan those things alone. What you really wantis a car that’s fit for purpose. A Porsche 911 GT3

chasing the soft light across the Scottish Borders soon after dawnon a summer Sunday. That’s fit for purpose. A Golf R hammeringthrough the gloom on a dismal Tuesday when all in front of you issluggish but well-sighted A-road and all you want to do is get home.That’s fit for purpose. An old-shape Land Rover Discovery trackingstraight and true through the lashing rain of a Welsh winter withthe kids happy in the back and your heated seat on max. That’sfit for purpose too. Because fit for purposemeans a car which, in a given circumstance,makes you struggle to think of anything you’drather be driving. And to this list I’d like toadd the circumstance of the modern urbancrawl and, weirdly, the Nissan Leaf.

I’ve been fuss-arsing around electric carsfor a while because I find them intriguing and,after all, one day most of us will have one.Twice I came close to signing a deal on a BMWi3 and twice I baulked at what happens toyour monthlies when you think that, actually,yes I would like heated seats and alloys thatdon’t look like the trims from an ’87 Astra.Then a nice man from Nissan offered me anattractive deal on a short Leaf lease and forthe past six months my new friend’s been electric.

I’ve considered this an experiment, not least to see if the futureis practical when you can’t charge at home. Which I can’t, unlessI buy a bloody long extension lead and become comfortable withthe idea of garrotting a neighbour. So charging happens onlyat the public point around the corner or from a three-pin socketwhen I visit the Grand Tour office, assuming TV’s Jeremy Clarksonisn’t around to accuse me of ‘literally stealing’ his electricity. Youmight think this sounds inconvenient. The lack of home charging,I mean, not the having to deal with Jeremy Clarkson. Well, yes itis. The dealing with Jeremy Clarkson, I mean, not the lack of homecharging. Being unable to plug in at my house is actually fine,because most of us don’t drive as far as we think.

With a realistic range of just over 100 miles, my Leaf can humaround London for over a week before it needs juicing up again,

Richard is evo’s longest-serving columnist and the script editor on TheGrandTour

Admire a car that’s fit for purpose? Then if you do most of your drivingin an urban environment, Porter reckons you need a Nissan Leaf

‘When the lightsgo green you

simply plant itand watch them

recede intothe silent void

behind you’

and that’s perfectly manageable. It helps that I have another car,of course. If someone rang and asked me to be in Leeds, pronto, I’dprobably take the internal combustion powered option. Or maybenot. There are fast chargers in service stations. If the appointmentin Leeds wasn’t so urgent, maybe I’d give it a go.

But motorways are not where the Leaf shines. They aren’t whereit’s wholly and completely fit for purpose. No, that’s in town wherethe Leaf is an absolutely brilliant companion. It rides pretty well. Ithas no gears so it’s zero aggro in coagulated stop-start traffic. Andit’s incredibly smooth and quiet, which in turn makes it extremelysoothing. In fact, there’s nothing short of a Rolls Phantom that

can touch it for calm in the face of the urbancrawl. Plus, like a Phantom, it has the greatesteasy-going quality a car can possess: lashingsof torque. In the Leaf it’s all delivered fromzero rpm, which makes it relaxing, yetalso capable of absolutely smoking othermotorists away from the lights. It’s not thepoint of the Leaf, but it’s enormous funnonetheless. Some chancer in a Focus ST orlow-spec Boxster pulls alongside in the frontrow of a dual-carriageway junction and whenthe lights go green you simply plant it andwatch them recede into the silent void behindyou. There’s even a point when they visiblydrop back a bit more and you know they’rechanging gear.

Naturally, the Leaf is not perfect. It’s a fugly old thing forstarters, and its interior is 2011’s idea of futuristic. It also has weirdbrakes, it runs out of puff at higher speeds, and though the steeringhas an admirably consistent weight right from just off-centre in away that’s almost Porsche-ish, I wouldn’t call it a drivers’ car in theconventional sense. But I would call it a perfect urban cruiser. It’ssmooth and balming and it makes you feel like you’re beating thesystem because it’s also very cheap to run, especially if you stealJeremy Clarkson’s electricity.

I wouldn’t recommend a Leaf if you’re about to attack the fineroads across the Black Mountains. But then I wouldn’t really wanta 911 GT3 RS if I was about to sludge from north to west Londondropping a child at nursery along the way. For that I would wantthe relaxing, untaxing Nissan Leaf. Because in that circumstanceit’s perfectly fit for purpose. L

t@sniffpetrol

RICHARD PORTER

W

050 www.evo.co.uk

Aston Martin DB5, 1st in class at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance 2016 - QuickSilver Heritage Exhaust.

SOME ACH I EVE GREATNES S ,

’VE A SOFT SPOT FOR McLAREN. I SUSPECT MOSTof us have. Bruce McLaren would have been 80 this Augustand one hopes he would have been proud of what’s rollingout of his pristine Woking workshops. What Bruce might

have thought of his racing team’s performance is another matter.Being a man who valued achievement over everything else in life,he would probably have muttered that it’s ‘bloody unacceptable’,and looked the other way.

That’s what the Formula 1 media has done in recent years.McLaren’s results have been so poor, yet respect for the companyand its people is so rich, that many feel it kinder to leave it to itsmisery and try not to draw attention to the on-track mediocrity.

The real story behind McLaren’s downfall has, therefore, goneuntold. Why did Lewis Hamilton leave? Whathappened to Martin Whitmarsh? Who rushedHonda into a return before it was ready? Whywas Honda forced to fatally compromise itspower unit architecture by squeezing it intothe McLaren ‘size zero’ rear end just to pleasethe aero department? Not to mention the bigone: why was Ron Dennis really forced out ofthe team he built?

One day someone will write the book:McLaren Racing: 2008–2018, although abetter title would surely be From Ron to Ruin.Might write it myself.

In the meantime, McLaren is a racing team where the driversaren’t happy, the sponsors aren’t happy and the fans aren’thappy because, for the third year running, the cars are slow andunreliable. That’s mostly, but not entirely, Honda’s fault.

Honda’s hybrid system is chronically unreliable and the engineitself is beset with high internal friction and vibration problems.Engineers have been trying to fix the issues, but with little success.What makes things worse is that Honda set ambitious targets butrepeatedly failed to meet them, which eroded McLaren’s long-term faith in Honda’s technology. And so, tacitly admitting that thelast three years have been a massive waste of time, McLaren hasdecided to end the partnership. The story of how it did it, especiallyconsidering Honda wanted to stay together, is Formula 1 politics atits complicated best.

Looking at other options, McLaren ideally wanted Mercedes orFerrari engines because they’re the most powerful. But Mercedes

Ted is the pitlane reporter for Sky Sports F1

There’s a maze of politics behind McLaren’s upcomingengine swap. Kravitz navigates us through it

I

TED KRAVITZ

and Ferrari wouldn’t supply because they see McLaren as apotential threat down the line. Which left Renault. It said it wouldsupply, but as it’s already flat-out making and developing enginesfor its own team plus Red Bull and Toro Rosso, the only power unitsavailable for McLaren would be of an older spec.

This, of course, wasn’t acceptable to McLaren, so rather thanconclude that all options had been exhausted and just stick withHonda, it got to work prising one of the top-spec engines out of theRed Bull family – a deal that would involve one team accepting aHonda engine in exchange. Red Bull Racing didn’t want Honda asit is now, but might fancy it in the family in case it comes good. Sofrom 2018 Toro Rosso will run Honda engines.

Opportunistically, Renault said that it would only agree to thewhole deal if it got something it wanted,namely Toro Rosso driver Carlos Sainz. Sonot only has Toro Rosso lost its decent enginesupply, it’s also lost its best driver to Renault,reportedly from this year’s Malaysian GrandPrix, at the expense of Renault’s JolyonPalmer. Sure, Toro Rosso will be financiallyrecompensed for its loss (at McLaren’sexpense), but it’s still a bit of a raw deal.

Liberty Media and the FIA desperatelywanted to keep Honda in F1 so were alsoinvolved in smoothing things out, allowingthe jigsaw pieces to fall into place.

It’s like a dysfunctional Christmas morning. Your brotherdecides that despite asking for a bottle of Scotch, he now wantsyour pair of socks. You’ve already got a new PlayStation so you’renot too bothered. Your parents just want everyone to be happy sotell you to get on with it, and your brother promises to give you afew quid to sweeten the deal. You don’t mind because you could dowith the money and while the whisky might not be what you wantright now it will probably get better with age. But there’s a twist:your sister, who gave you the socks, will only give her blessing toyou and your brother’s exchange if she gets your PlayStation. Youdon’t really want to give it away but then your brother gives youenough money to buy 12 PlayStations so you grudgingly accept.

What I can’t work into this analogy are bits about why Hondawould agree to this humiliating public rejection, the very realprospect of them suing McLaren for breach of contract, and poorJolyon Palmer… But hey, I told you it was complicated. L

t@tedkravitz

‘Many feel itkinder to not

draw attentionto McLaren’s

on-trackmediocrity’

052 www.evo.co.uk

Jon Olsson’s 810HP Rolls Royce Wraith ‘GEORGE’ - QuickSilver Straight Through Active Valved Custom Sport Exhaust.

SOME HAVE GREATNES S THRUST UPON ‘ EM .

Supertest

Honda’s new Civic Type R has arrived in the UK, and we’ve lined upa meeting with its two closest rivals to establish just how good it is

by JA M E S DI SDA L E

PHO T O GR A PH Y by A S T ON PA R RO T T

Civic Type R v Focus R

HONDA C I V I C TYPE R v FORD FOCUS RS v S EAT L EON CUPRA 300

s RS v Leon Cupra 300

056 www.evo.co.uk

ITHE DRIVE

First stop, the North York Moors, to test our trio on the toughest roads

more power from the K20C1 engine, up 10bhp at 316bhpand with claims of much improved response, but with thesame 295lb ft of torque. The chassis, meanwhile, has beenheavily revised. The biggest change is at the rear, wherethere’s now a sophisticated multi-link axle instead of afar simpler torsion beam, while the adaptive dampers areclaimed to work across a much wider bandwidth.

Closest in spirit to the Honda is the Focus RS, which is alsodeterminedly unapologetic in its visual statement. Thereare scoops, slats and spoilers, plus a lowered ride height anda pair of exhausts that could double as drainpipes. It backsup these pugnacious looks with a mechanical make-up thathas the upper hand when it comes to social-media braggingrights. For a start, its turbocharged 2.3-litre four has themost puff at 345bhp, plus the strongest twist, with 347lb ftavailable from just 2000rpm when overboosting. Yet whilethe Civic uses aerodynamics to keep it glued to the road, theFord gets GKN’s sophisticated four-wheel-drive system.

By comparison, the recently updated Leon Cupra couldeasily be overlooked in this company. Aside from discreetbadging on the grille and bootlid, plus a pair of overlylarge oval tailpipes, the SEAT is virtually identical to morehumdrum versions of the hatchback. Even in ‘coupe’ SCguise (there are five-door and estate versions too) the Leonblends into the background.

However, the low-key looks mean the Cupra is somethingof a Q-car, because this current ‘300’ version is pulled alongby a feisty 296bhp blown 2-litre that’s mated to a cleverelectronically controlled front differential. Plus, it tips ourscales at just 1347kg (the Honda weighs in at 1412kg, theFord at a slightly chubby 1569kg), so in power-to-weightterms the SEAT is right on the money. And let’s not forgetthat in Ultimate Sub8 spec the pre-facelift Leon was brieflythe quickest front-driver around the Ring.

So, three superheated hatches vying for Supertesthonours; how are we going to weed out a winner? Onceagain we’ll be hitting the track and proving ground toharvest all the data we can, but before that, deputy editorAdam Towler, staff writer Antony Ingram and I have twodays on the best roads North Yorkshire has to offer.

The Focus RS is the oldest of our trio and it’s been a whilesince I last drove one, so I make a beeline for the blue oval.It’s a long way up M1, meaning there’s plenty of time to getunder the Ford’s skin.

Unfortunately it doesn’t start well. This car is fitted with

T’S JUST A BRIEF MOMENT, BUT IT’Senough to confirm that the new Honda CivicType R is going to be a formidable adversary inthis Supertest. We’re powering across the NorthYork Moors, but the weather is against us. Yesthe rain has stopped, but rivers are still runningacross the tarmac and up ahead there’s a cattlegrid followed by a deceptive, crested left-hander.

Undeterred, I hook third gear, squeeze thethrottle to the floor, and hold on. The Civic

lunges forward as its front tyres take the full force of theturbocharged engine’s mid-range muscle. There’s themerest flicker of the traction control light as we powerover the ice rink-like grid, then the Type R simply rocketsthrough the corner and out the other side. There’s notorque-steer, axle tramp or heart-stopping understeer, itjust grips and goes. Hmm, this is going to be interesting.

We’re getting ahead of ourselves, though. First up weneed to introduce our contenders: the Honda, the FordFocus RS and the SEAT Leon Cupra 300, each of whichbrings its own take on the familiar hot hatch recipe.

The Honda is the newest car, and the reason we’re here.Civics bearing the Type R badge have often housed anengine that’s a bit special, but as with the last model, theFK2, they often miss the mark. Adopting turbocharging forthe first time, the FK2’s 2-litre VTEC motor certainly madethe power, but it was surprisingly laggy at times, while thequest for Nürburgring superiority resulted in an extra-firmchassis that, while hugely capable on most surfaces, couldcome undone when the going got particularly rough.

Then there were the divisive looks, which featured wildwings and various vents to attention-grabbing effect –great for the McDonald’s car park, less desirable when yousimply wanted to mooch under the radar. Clearly Honda’sdesigners disagree, their more flamboyant tendencies arein full swing with the new FK8 machine, which is arguablyeven more visually aggressive. Yet the deep skirts, hugerear spoiler, vast front splitter, bonnet scoop and roof-mounted strakes aren’t just for show, because the FK8, likeits predecessor, is one of only a handful of road cars thatproduces actual downforce. The further honing of thisaero is part of the reason why the new Type R shaved sevenseconds from the old car’s Nürburgring lap time.

The other factors involved in making the Civic faster stillare found under its eye-catching skin. There’s a fraction

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the optional £1145 Recaro ‘shell’ seats, which are supremelysupportive but set far too high, so you always feel like you’reperched on top of the RS, not hunkered down into it, likeyou are in the Civic and, to a lesser extent, the SEAT.

Then there’s the ride, which is just the wrong side of firm,even in the softest of the two-stage dampers’ settings. ‘It justfidgets constantly,’ explains Towler. ‘The front end picks upruts and cambers too, meaning you’re giving constantcorrections to keep on course.’

It’s not all bad, though. The meaty steering delivers aninstant sense of connection, while the short-throw gearshifthas a pleasingly weighty action.

The RS feels quick from the outset, that healthy torquefigure helping to overcome the hefty mass. Overtakingslower traffic is the work of a moment, and unless you’rein a ‘Gosh, is that the time?’ hurry, you can dispatch mostdawdlers without needing to touch the gearlever.

The four-pot also sounds good, in a slightly artificiallyaugmented sort of way. There’s a purposeful burble at idlethat changes to an egg-you-on rasp as the revs rise beyond3500rpm. Back off the throttle and you’re treated to afusillade of algorithmically generated pops and bangs – it’sa nice touch, but it also smacks of a car that’s trying veryhard to be fun.

I’m expecting a similarly over-the-top feel from the Hondaafter we stop and change keys. One thing’s for sure: you’llcertainly need a settled stomach when you climb aboard.The latest Civic’s interior isn’t as mad as the Dan Dare affairof its predecessor, but it’s a fairly startling place to be. Boldred accents abound, plus there are the digital instruments,which are dominated by a large, centrally mounted TFTrev-counter. Yet despite the try-hard aesthetics, the Hondaaces what really matters. For starters, the driving position isfaultless. You sit low in the car, while the Technicolor seatssupport you in all the right places.

Even at low speed there’s an inherent ‘rightness’ aboutthe way the Civic goes about its business. The steering isquick without being nervy and is weighted just so, while themetal-topped gearlever delivers a deliciously precise andmechanical shift action.

Yet it’s the ride that’s most surprising. Even in Sport (thereare Comfort and +R settings too) the Honda flows down theroad with uncanny smoothness. Deep potholes can catch it

out, leading to a crash that you hear rather than feel, but inall other respects the Type R is an effortless grand tourer.

If there’s cause for disappointment, it’s the engine. ‘It justsounds a little bland,’ comments Ingram. ‘I’m not really afan of the sound generators used in cars like the Ford, but ifthey mask an engine note like the thrashy Honda’s, then I’mall in favour.’ Not everyone feels the same, however: Towlersay he likes its authentic note.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with the way it goes.Boost builds steadily from around 1500rpm, but it reallycomes on strong above 3000rpm, allowing the Honda tocover ground at an eye-widening rate.

After the Ford and Honda the Cupra feels more Thriftyrent-a-car than fast flagship. The driving position is good,with a wide range of adjustment, but if you didn’t knowbetter you’d swear you were behind the wheel of somethingfar more humble. It’s solidly screwed together, sensiblydesigned and easy to use, but you could say that of anyLeon. Worst offenders are the standard ‘sports’ seats, whichlook like they’ve been lifted out of a sales rep’s SE.

The Cupra is as straightforward to drive as the standardcar, too. The steering is light and direct, as is the gearshift(a six-speed manual here, although uniquely in this groupa twin-clutch transmission is an option), while in their

‘The Ford is ferociouslyfast, helped by four-

wheel-drive traction thatcatapults it out of corners’

Left: the ability to power oversteer is the four-wheel-drive Focus’s party piece.Above right:interior is spoiled by the driver’s seat being set

too high.Right: 345bhp 2.3-litre four-cylinder isthemost powerful engine here by 29bhp


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‘At first it feelsa bit too refinedto be a serioushot hatch, butpress on andthe Civic’s

towering abilitybecomes clear’

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Comfort mode the dampers deliver a composed ride that’salmost a match for the Honda’s. Only the relentless urgefrom the engine hints at the SEAT’s potential. The tried andtested EA888 2-litre is a real zinger, revving smoothly andfreely with a nicely rorty note as it spins beyond 4000rpm.It makes the Leon feel properly quick as well, easily keepingthe Honda and Ford in its sights as we head into Pickering,just south of the North York Moors.

We stop here to fuel us and the cars, before picking upthe A170 out of town, then hooking right and setting acourse for the picture postcard surroundings of Hutton-le-Hole. From there, the road climbs steeply onto themoors, where it rollercoasters its way across the landscapetowards Castleton. It’s real thriller of a road, with a mix ofchallenging curves and heart-in-the-mouth crests.

I stick with the SEAT, which turns from Plain Jane intoMad Margaret as the route comes alive. With the Cupramode engaged (weightier steering, sharper throttle, firmerdampers and more aggressive diff), the Leon becomessomething of a wild child. It’s mainly down to that engineand its rampant top end. ‘It’s that classic hot hatch recipe’,says Ingram. ‘You stick a big engine in a small, light body forinstant performance. The Leon simply feels like it’s luggingaround less mass than the other two’.

However, the SEAT’s chassis also plays its part here – andnot necessarily in a good way. Over these tortuous roads theexplosive power delivery comes close to tying the chassis

in knots. Even in the dry the combination of a limited-slipdiff and traction control struggle to contain the forcesunleashed by the engine. In the wet there’s wheelspin inthe first three gears, which is often accompanied by the sortof violent axle tramp that makes you think the next thingyou’ll see in the rear-view mirror is a driveshaft.

‘Even in its firmest setting the damping can’t quite cope,’reveals Towler. ‘The Leon is more easily knocked off linethan the other two, plus it pushes wide much earlier whenyou get on the power coming out of a corner.’

Make no mistake, it’s exhilarating stuff, but driving theCupra quickly for extended periods eventually leaves youfeeling drained and reaching for the Comfort button.

Climbing back into the Focus comes as a shock, becauseit instantly feels bigger and heavier. Pulling away you canfeel the motor fighting against inertia, yet once it’s up andrunning the Ford is ferociously fast, helped in no small partby the benefits of four-wheel-drive traction that catapults itout of slower corners. And it’s this drivetrain that dominatesthe RS experience, delivering the sort of sensations thatwill come as a surprise to those schooled on front-drive hothatches. Power out of a slow- or medium-speed corner andyou can feel the rear of the car being pushed around as thetorque-vectoring rear axle starts to work its witchcraft. ‘It’san uncanny sensation,’ remarks Towler. ‘In the wet the car’straits are exaggerated and there were a couple of cornerswhere I was getting on the power and the car was starting to

Left:Civic’s cabin a bitbonkers – but it has the

best driving position.Below left: engine now

has 316bhp, while revisedcalibration and a single-mass flywheel improveits response; powerful,350mm front Brembobrakes are a highlight


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AL FA ROMEO G IU L I A QUADR I FOG L I O v BMW M3 COMPET I T I ON PACKAGE

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slide like a rear-driver, yet it never gets out of hand becausethe computers quickly send power to the front, almostbefore you’ve had a chance to apply corrective lock.’

The Ford’s steering is the quickest here and its front endresponds instantly – you have to calm your inputs afterspells in the other two. There’s bags of front-end grip too,which encourages you to make the most of that mobile rear,and in a series of corners you can have the Focus dancingthis way and that, just on the edge of oversteer. However,unleash the car’s performance on the exit of a bumpycorner and there’s some disconcerting torque-steer as thecomputers frantically work out where best to send thetorque. It’s almost as unruly as the SEAT in this regard.

On the plus side, with more speed, the more sense thefirm damping makes, as it does a sterling job of keeping theFord’s mass in check – the faster you go, the lighter and moreagile the RS feels. The standard mode is all you’ll need forthe road – Sport is so stiff that on most UK roads it’ll leaveyou with double vision.

This isn’t a complaint that can be levelled at the Honda,which feels like it’s breathing with the road, rather thanpummelling it into submission. At first it feels a bit toorefined to be a serious hot hatch, but press on and the Civic’stowering ability soon becomes clear. As we pointed outright at the beginning of this story, it’s the Honda’s uncannyability to use all of its performance to such devastatingeffect that really astounds.

The steering isn’t as fast as the Focus’s, but its rate ofresponse is spot on and the amount of front-end grip onoffer is staggering. Simply turn in and the Honda responds,regardless of entry speed, while the traction it generates onthe exit of a bend, even in the wet, is borderline absurd for atwo-wheel-drive machine. As Towler points out: ‘You comeout the other side of almost every corner thinking, hmm, Icould have gone faster than that.’

Yet the Honda isn’t some one-dimensional, nailed-to-the-rails merchant, even if it can feel a little aloof at low speeds,because you can express yourself behind the wheel. Surethe steering isn’t as alive as the RS’s, but lift off the throttleor brush the brakes and you can subtly alter the Civic’sline. Plus the interaction between driver and machine isheightened by that glorious gearshift and the perfect pedalaction of the powerful and progressive brakes. This is amachine that’s been designed by people who understandwhat it takes to build a drivers’ car.

The next question is: has the same team built a fast car?Millbrook awaits.

‘With Cupra modeengaged, the Leonbecomes somethingof a wild child’

Leftandabove: clues that this Leon hasnearly 300bhp are few.Top: it’s a similarstory inside, with a cabin that’s perfectlyfunctional andwell built, but lacking flair;optional (£1290) bucket seats are sadlyabsent here, too.Abovemiddle: free-revving 2-litremotor punchier than ever

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IVEN THE DIFFERENT POWERoutputs, kerb weights andtransmission layouts of our trio, it’ssurprising to see just how closelymatched their power-to-weight ratios

are. Using the figures from our scales, theHonda manages a healthy 227bhp per ton,while the Ford and SEAT record exactly thesame 223bhp. This should be close, then.

First up is the SEAT, and given its slightlyscrappy nature on the road I’m expecting it tobe tricky to launch off the line. I’m not wrong.Even in Cupra mode with the ESP switched off,the traction control cuts in, making it difficultto nail a clean getaway. After some trial anderror we find that launching at 2500rpmdelivers the best result, but even with carefulthrottle control the battle between engine,traction control and tyres results in severe axletramp in first and second gears. The 0-60mphdash is covered in 6.2sec, half a second behindSEAT’s claim to 62mph. A result of our testbeing carried out with two people and a fulltank of fuel on board? Maybe. However,once it’s rolling, the Cupra gathers speed at

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G

THE DATAAcceleration and braking tests, and the cars’ true weights are revealed

an alarming rate and beyond 100mph it’s thefastest car here, cracking 130mph in 21.7sec.

Getting the Honda off the line is a muchsimpler affair, the car’s excellent tractionallowing you to make the most of the 316bhp.As with the Leon you need around 2500rpmdialled in before dropping the clutch, but theCivic serves up just enough over-rotation of thefront wheels for a peachy getaway. The result isa 0-60mph time of just 5.9sec, which is a tenthoff Honda’s 0-62 claim.

Nonetheless, both the SEAT and Honda haveto give best to the four-wheel-drive Focus when

it comes to the emergency start. The car’stotal traction plays its part, but so does itslaunch control system. You need to put anymechanical sympathy on hold as you plantyour foot on the throttle then side-step theclutch as the engine screams at a computercontrolled 5000rpm. It feels brutal, but it’sundeniably effective as the RS explodes offthe line and smashes 60mph in 4.9sec (0.2secbehind Ford’s claims to 62). However, oncepast 100mph the Focus is overhauled by boththe Leon and the Civic.

There was an even clearer winner of ourbraking tests. Against any rival the Honda’sperformance would be excellent, butcompared with the Ford and SEAT it was in aclass of its own. The combination of tenacioustyre grip and brakes with terrific bite allowedthe Honda to stop from 100mph in just 85.1metres, which was over 15 metres shorterthan the Ford’s best effort. Perhaps moreremarkably, even the Type R’s worst resultout of ten stops was better than the Ford orSEAT’s best. There is a small caveat, though,as on two of the tests the Honda hit a bumpthat bamboozled the ABS and caused a brief,tyre-smoking lock-up. But while it looked andsmelled dramatic, the data showed it had anegligible effect on the results.

Impressively, all three cars stood up tothe ten consecutive stops well, with the onlysymptom of the hard work being a slightlylonger pedal from the eighth run onwards.

In-line4-cyl, 2261cc, turbo

345bhp@6000rpm

347lbft@2000-4500rpm

Six-speedmanual, four-wheel drive,torquevectoring reardifferential

235/35R19 front and rear,MichelinPilot SuperSport

1472mm/1823mm

1569kgas tested (1547kg claimed)

223bhp/tonusing test-carweight(227bhp/tonclaimed)

4.9secas tested (4.7 to62claimed)

166mph(claimed)

22.2 (averageoverdurationof test)

£32,265

£445 (36months,£3500deposit,9000milesperannum limit)


316bhp@6500rpm

295lbft@2500-4500rpm

Six-speedmanual, front-wheeldrive, limited-slip differential

245/30R20 front and rear,Continental SportContact6

1434mm/1877mm

1412kgas tested (1380kgclaimed)



169mph(claimed)


£30,995

£491 (36months,£3500deposit,10,000milesperannum limit)


296bhp@5500rpm

280lbft@1800-5500rpm

Six-speedmanual, front-wheeldrive,electronically controlled LSD

235/35R19 front and rear,Pirelli PZero

1423mm/1810mm

1347kgas tested (1300kgclaimed)



155mph(limited)


£30,155

£409 (36months,£3500deposit,10,000milesperannum limit)

Engine

Power

Torque

Transmission

Tyres

Height/width

Weight

Power-to-weight

0-60mph

Top speed

evompg

Basic price

PCPmonthly price

Engine

Power

Torque

Transmission

Tyres

Height/width

Weight

Power-to-weight

0-60mph

Top speed

evompg

Basic price

PCPmonthly price

Engine

Power

Torque

Transmission

Tyres

Height/width

Weight

Power-to-weight

0-60mph

Top speed

evompg

Basic price

PCPmonthly price

Ford Focus RS Honda Civic Type R SEAT Leon Cupra 300

59%front 41%rear305kg

Weights&balance

331kg

482kg

451kg


Weights&balance

279kg

452kg

429kg


Weights&balance

262kg

429kg

408kg

Length 4390mm Wheelbase 2648mm Length 4557mm Wheelbase 2699mm Length 4246mm Wheelbase 2596mm

*out

of10

runs

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120

GEAR 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th1.7 3.1 5.6

20-40 2.1 3.3 6.92.0 2.9 6.71.8 2.6 3.5

30-50 1.9 2.5 4.32.0 2.4 3.52.1 2.6 3.2

40-60 2.0 2.4 3.32.1 2.4 3.2 5.9

2.5 3.2 4.3 5.4

50-70 2.5 3.2 3.8 6.22.5 3.3 4.1 5.12.8 3.3 4.3 5.4

60-80 2.6 3.3 3.9 5.32.7 3.3 4.3 5.3

3.5 4.4 5.5

70-90 3.6 4.1 5.43.2 4.5 5.63.8 4.7 5.8

80-100 3.9 4.4 5.83.7 4.7 5.9

In-gear accelerationAcceleration from standing start

Braking

SPEED (mph)

SPEE

D(m

ph)

DISTANCE(metres)

SPEED (mph)

TIME (seconds)

100-0worst *100-0 best *70-030-0 60-0

0-10 0-20 0-30 0-40 0-50 0-60 0-70 0-80 0-90 0-100 0-110 0-120 0-130

25

20

15

10

5

0

TIME(sec

onds

)

0.5

1.1

1.7

2.8 3.

8

4.9

6.9

8.4

10.1

12.6

14.9

18.9

22.4

0.8 1.6

2.6

3.7 4.

7

5.9

7.3

8.6

10.7

12.6

15

18.5

22.2

0.9 1.8

2.7 3.

9 4.9

6.2

7.5

8.8

10.8

12.7

14.8

18.4

21.7

35.2m8.6m 48.4m 108.1m100.8m8.0m 43.6m31.8m 85.1m 99.0m

114.7m35.1m8.9m 102.8m48.5m

0-604.95.96.2

0-301.72.62.7

0-10012.612.612.7


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ON TRACKCan our contenders cut the mustard on a trackday? Hot laps at Bedford Autodrome will reveal all

FIRST OUT ONTO THE WESTCircuit is the Focus. It’s a punchything with impressive traction out ofthe hairpin and it’s keen to flick left-right-left through the Club Chicane.

The surprise is that in corners with enoughroom for a sustained throttle, it poweroversteers. Pulling through the second partof New Pif-Paf especially, the tail edges gentlywide, kissing the kerbing on the outside andfiring the Focus neatly out on a trajectoryfor the next clipping point. It’s an unusualsensation in a fast hatch and gives the RS adifferent demeanour to the other pair here.

Through the faster turns that complete thelap it can be guided in on exactly the chosenline, but if you’re abrupt with your input it cansnap into oversteer. It’s also oddly reluctant toturn into the medium-speed corners, lackingthe bite to change direction, as if its mass isrunning away with it, and the brakes start to

feel the pressure at the end of the third flyer,but overall it’s a good performance that setsthe benchmark at 1:26.9.

You sit much lower in the Civic, the shiftis snappier (but throttle pick-up a little lessinstant) and the brakes bite right from thetop of the pedal, inspiring confidence. Thehandlingandtractiondon’tdisappoint,either,the car changing direction with alacrity andpulling solidly out of the tightest turns. Aswith the Focus, it’s possible to overload thefront end with an ambitious entry speed or bybeing too early on the throttle, but the Civicfeels like a more precise tool, telegraphingthe level of grip through the steering withmore detail. It’s easier to drive up to the limit,hit apexes more consistently and get into asatisfying flow with the car. While the Focusfeels like a heavy car with some clever tricksup its sleeve, the Civic feels like a lighter carhoned for the track. It’s shorter geared, so

requires more gearshifts, but it comes as nosurprise that it’s faster, nailing a 1:26.2 lap.

Right from the off, the Leon feels out ofits depth. Pitch and roll are so pronouncedcompared with the others that you wonderif it really is in its Cupra setting. The growlyengine certainly delivers but the differencesbetween the Sub8 chassis, which we havepraised in the past, and this standard oneare stark. The pitching and rolling seemto compromise grip, while the anti-lockactivates at a much lower threshold than inthe other cars here and there’s much moretyre squeal in the corners.

While the Honda feels like a car that wasdesigned for track use, the SEAT feels likeit skipped that part of its development. Itsfastest lap of 1.27.8 flatters the car; on thesecond lap the tyres felt overheated and gripwas falling away so rapidly that there was nopoint in attempting a third. John Barker

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CircuitVenue Bedford Autodrome,

Bedfordshire, UKLayoutWest CircuitLength 1.8 miles

Direction Anti-clockwiseConditions Dry, 15deg C

Ford Focus RS1:26.9

Honda Civic Type R1:26.2

SEAT Leon Cupra 3001:27.8

CLUBCHICANE

PEAK SPEED (mph)

PEAK SPEED (mph)

103 103 106

105 104 101

59 58 60

46 48 44

54 53 53

71 71 72

PEAK BRAKING G

PEAK CORNERING G

PEAK CORNERING G

PEAK CORNERING G

1.0 1.0 1.0

1.0 1.0 1.0

1.1 1.1 0.9

0.9 1.0 1.0

HANGERHAIRPIN

TOWER

28 30 26

74 83 76

49 51 51

PALMERCURVES

NEWPIF-PAF

BANKCOMPLEX

BECKHAMESSES

O’ROUGE

88 89 91

200m

400m

600m

800m

1000m

1200m

1400m

1600m

1800m2000m

2200m

2400m

2600m

2800m

2900/0m

START/FINISH

Lap times

CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS GENERATED BY OURVBOX timing gear often throwsup some fascinating insightsinto how different cars string together their lap times – andthis Supertest encounter is no exception.

The Honda is a case in point. Throughmid-speed cornerssuch as the Club Chicane or New Pif-Paf, you can see it’s nofaster than the heavier and four-wheel-drive Ford. However,theCivic scoreswell throughthe really slowstuff, suchastheHanger Hairpin and Bank Complex. Here the driver can leanon the Honda’s strong front-end grip, which helps deliver ahigher minimum corner speed. Yet where the Type R reallylays down amarker is when confidence in the car is needed,such as the fast, off-camber right-hander at Tower. Herethe Honda was travelling at an outrageous 83mph at theapex, comparedwith 76mph for the SEATand 74mph for the

oversteering Focus. To put that into perspective, the fastestcar through that corner in our previous Supertest (evo 240)was the Audi RS5, which clocked 78mph.At the other end of the scale is the Leon, which used its

lower mass and strong top-end acceleration to good effectthrough faster direction changes, where its lack of biteon turn-in wasn’t as much of an issue – witness its 91mpheffort through the Palmer Curves. Yet when the course wastighter, it was a struggle to get the SEAT turned in; you onlyneed to look at its sluggish minimum speeds through thehairpins at Hanger and Bank for proof of that.The Focus sat between the two here. It was fast early in

the lap, but its mass eventually told, with both the brakesand tyres giving out, which resulted in the lap time literallyslipping away.

SPEED (mph)

SPEED (mph)

SPEED (mph)

SPEED (mph)

SPEED (mph)

SPEED (mph)

SPEED (mph)SPEED (mph)

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THE VERDICTIt’s decision time. So which of these three very hot hatches is our clear winner?

WE COULD TEASE OUT THE WINNER OFthis test, but there’d be no point because in thefinal reckoning the Honda walks it.

It comes out on top thanks to its staggeringbreadth of abilities. It’s no exaggeration to say

that the Type R redefines what’s possible for a hot hatch –either front- or four-wheel drive.

‘It bristles with capability, seriousness, competency,aggression,’ enthuses Towler. ‘It successfully melds theoutrageous performance people expected of it with old-fashioned, but extremely relevant, qualities of interaction.

It feels like a special car, honed for the task by a team on topof their game.’

It delivers excitement and thrills on demand. That it wasfastest around the track, is practical day-to-day and won’tcost the Earth to run are the icing on top of a hard-earnedvictory cake. We even got used to the looks.

Deciding between the Ford and SEAT was trickier,because despite having very different takes on the hot hatchformula, they’re both desirable propositions. Yet when theshouting subsided, it was the Focus that emerged just ahead.Its hardcore ride, compromised driving position, heavy fuel

consumption and wide-boy image are demerits, but whenyou start to push on, the RS’s ability to engage and entertainis unquestioned, plus the novelty of a hot hatch that handleswith a rear-drive swagger never really wears off. Towleragain: ‘The Ford seems weighed down by expectation andmarketing involvement, but get it on a challenging roadand its qualities really shine through. It’s one of those carswhere you can throw any surface, camber or bump at it atvery high speed and know that the chassis will respond.’

So that leaves the SEAT holding the wooden spoon. TheSpanish flyer used to be one of our favourites, but the pace ofchange in this class has left the Leon languishing. That’s notto say the Cupra doesn’t have its charms. We’re huge fans

of its lightweight construction and ferocious performance,plus when you’re in the mood it’s a genuinely excitingmachine, but push it as hard as the other two and it quicklyunravels. And that’s not all. ‘I can’t understand why it looksso ordinary,’ muses Ingram. ‘A more adventurous bodykitwould help it stand out, while inside it needs decent seats asstandard at the very least.’ Perhaps more pressingly, SEATneeds to launch a Sub8 pack for this latest 300 version; we’reconvinced this would address some of the weaknesses.

Even so, it’s unlikely even an upgraded Cupra couldtopple the remarkable Honda. In fact, it’s going to takesomething spectacular to knock the Type R off its top spot.Over to you, Renault. L

evo ratings

;;332

Ford Focus RS

;;333

Honda Civic Type R

;;332

SEAT Leon Cupra 300

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With the latest Honda Civic Type Rraising the stakes in the hot hatchmarket, we look at how its rivals willrespond over the next 12 monthst

by A DA M T OW L E R

NOW MEETTOMORROW’SHOT HATCHHEROES

TOMORROW ’S HOT HATCH HEROES

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TWENTY-SEVENTEEN MIGHT JUST GOdown as a watershed year in the history of thehot hatch. With 400bhp now the target forthe most powerful of the breed, it’s also causefor reflection on what attributes a hot hatchrequires to succeed as the decade draws to aclose, and what the next batch of new arrivalspromise for the years ahead.

First and foremost, can the new AudiRS3 Sportback (Driven, evo 240) even betermed ‘a hot hatch’ given its power (394bhp),acceleration capability (0-62mph in 4.1sec),generous weight (1510kg) and other vitals?Perhaps the time has come to start properlydifferentiating the merely potent from theextraordinary with some trite term such as‘superhatch’ or even ‘hyperhatch’.

Then again, not all the new arrivals seem tobe complicit with a race for more horsepower,and the third-generation Renault Sport Mégane

is a case in point. The Mégane’s substantialportfolio of talents has never been definedby raw power alone, although its numbershave usually been competitive. Nevertheless,in recent years it’s been the trusty 2-litre ‘F4’engine that has started to show the package’sfirst signs of weakness in the face of its rivals.In a class where 300bhp has rapidly become tobe seen as the minimum required, the old car’speak of 271bhp (in its ultimate guise), and a topend without the same effervescence as the mostpotent VW TSI engines, had started to betrayits age. Not, it must be said, that we cared: itremained the pick of the bunch to drive right upuntil its demise.

Yet Renault Sport has not – yet – joined the300bhp collective: it is actually downsizing,adopting the 1.8-litre engine also used inthe forthcoming Alpine A110, initially with276bhp. That a 296bhp Trophy edition has

already been announced for the end of nextyear is either merely a logical development ora tacit admission that power does indeed sell.

For years it was said that 200bhp was themaximum that could be deployed through thefront wheels alone, but 20 years of technologicaladvancement has overturned all of that.Renault Sport and Ford can take much of thecredit, developing twin-axis front suspensionsystems – PerfoHub and RevoKnucklerespectively – that separate the steering anddamper forces from each other, and combiningthese with ever-more sophisticated limited-slipdifferentials to deploy not just the horsepowerbut, more significantly, substantial amountsof turbo-fed torque. Meanwhile, Ford’s FocusRS and VW’s Golf R have continued the four-wheel-drive bloodline from cars such as theLancia Delta Integrale and the Ford Escort RSCosworth, but these blur the line between the

‘Not all the newarrivals seem to

be complicit witha race for more

horsepower’

Above:Toyota is re-enteringthe hot hatch fray with thelimited-edition Yaris GRMN,powered by a supercharged1.8-litre four-cylinder.Right:third-generation Renault SportMégane retains its focus onthe driving experience ratherthan outright power, although aTrophy versionwill have 296bhp

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hot hatch and something altogether grander.Renault Sport would probably much rather

we focus on the new Mégane’s four-wheelsteering than its power output, which in termsof dynamic agility may do for the large-sizedhot hatch what a similar set-up has achievedfor the Porsche 911. In both cases, the corecar has grown to a point where the inherentagility possessed by earlier models becamecompromised. Although the average C-segmenthatchback has stopped piling on the poundsin the way of its recent forefathers, generaldimensions, wheel size and the sheer breadth ofcapability of the modern car is still increasing.A case in point is the new Honda Civic Type R,the only real weakness of which is perhaps thatthe pitch of its stellar abilities, and its stability atanything other than ten-tenths, are in danger ofmaking it feel undramatic on occasion.

And so the way ahead may be shown by

the supermini class, where even the newcontenders are at a size and weight morecompatible with the traditional charms of thehot hatch. If the new Mégane RS turns out tobe a winner, expectations will inevitably risefor future developments of the current Clio, acar that has disappointed so many to date. Inthe meantime we have our class favourite – thePeugeot 208 GTi by Peugeot Sport – to celebrate.We’re big fans of the 308 GTi by Peugeot Sport,too, but it’ll be the next generation of cars thatreally prove whether Peugeot is back to its oldbrilliance. PSA CEO Carlos Tavares has rathera lot on his plate at the moment, redefiningand securing the future of Peugeot, Citroënand DS, integrating Opel into the group, andthe continued rumblings of cheat softwareon diesel-powered PSA cars, but he’s an avidpetrolhead, so we live in hope.

We’ve already driven a Toyota Yaris GRMN

in near production-ready form (evo 239),and impressed we were, too. By using asupercharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine theYaris is neither downsized or turbocharged,and in many ways it’s all the better for it. Itsloud exhaust, feisty character, appetite andrequirement for revs and bespoke feel mark itout as a more traditional type of hot hatch, andthat’s no bad thing. In the longer term, just ahundred 209bhp GRMNs retailing at £26,295will do little to change the overall hot hatchmarket in the UK, but Toyota will surely notleave it at that – particularly given CEO AkioToyoda’s enthusiasm for sporting machinery.The new Supra and, further off, new MR2 areon the way to complement the GT86, but who’dbet against a Yaris of slightly lower specificationthan the GRMN to eventually join that range.

Which brings us neatly to the new Fiesta ST.Having swept to the top of the hot hatch sales

charts in its previous incarnation, the next ST isone of the most eagerly anticipated performancecars of 2018. Unlike its predecessor, it’ll bea product of the Ford Performance division,which is riding high after the Focus RS and theGT supercar, but the big news is the switch to a1.5-litre, three-cylinder engine. While the lossof a cylinder and 100cc hasn’t resulted in a dropin power – the peak of 197bhp matches the oldcar’s 1.6-litre four-pot on overboost – the newengine is based on the 1-litre EcoBoost triple,and that motor has never felt even remotelylike a responsive, sporting power unit. Theadoption of an electronic sound enhancer andrumours of driver modes and adaptive dampershave raised a few eyebrows, too; the beauty ofthe old Fiesta ST was its relative simplicity andpaucity of gimmicks, which concentrated thesimple driving thrills of an enjoyable chassisand punchy engine. Let’s hope none of that hasbeen lost with the new car.

Over at SEAT we await the arrival of abronze-embellished Leon that had us ratherworried. We say ‘had’, because it turns out thatunderneath the Cupra R’s gaudy detailing and

questionable bodykit is different suspensiongeometry, a new steering rack, new enginemounts and more, meaning the 10bhp powerincrease to 306bhp – and only if you spec themanual gearbox – is of much less interest.Perhaps this car will address the shortcomingsof the Cupra 300 in our Supertest this month.

It’s a pity, though, that the visual updatesare such a clumsy response to the accusationsthat the current Cupra is so plain, so sensible.As discussed in this issue’s Briefing (see page18), from its exterior design and colour paletteto its dour, black interior, it’s not a car thatconjures up the sort of bubbly enthusiasm oncegenerated by red carpet and yellow paint.

If SEAT surprised us at the recent Frankfurtmotor show, then our enthusiasm was really litby the next Suzuki Swift Sport (see page 14),and with good reason, for this is a modern carmeeting all relevant crash test legislation andyet with a kerb weight under a ton (970kg). Fora mass-produced, relatively humble car, that’sa fantastic effort, and it puts the Swift Sport insomething of an exclusive club alongside otherweight-conscious sporting minnows such as the

current Mazda MX-5. With 138bhp and 170lb ftof torque from its turbocharged 1.4-litre engine,the Swift should be more than powerful enoughfor its mass, but it’s what that lack of kilos coulddo for the car’s dynamics that really excites us.

Which, in a way, is where we came in.Because you can drop a 400bhp engine intoa hatchback, and it will go very fast indeed,probably easing into the 170mph-plus territory.Mercedes AMG CEO Tobias Moers told us atFrankfurt that it’s ‘mandatory’ for the nextA45 to have a power number beginning witha four. And that will surely be good fun on anautobahn, and very quick between roundaboutA and roundabout B. But as anyone who’s drivena Mk1 Golf GTI, a 205 GTI or a Clio Williamswill attest, it’s not power that makes a great hothatch, but the perfect blend of qualities frompracticality right through to chassis balance.And all infused with a sort of magical spirit thatmakes any driver grin at any speed. With theever-increasing pressure of emissions and fuelconsumption reduction, maybe the necessity tocut the flab will be the key to a new generationof enjoyable-anywhere hot hatchbacks. L

Above:SEAT’s Leon Cupra hasso far been a ‘nearly’ hot hatch– nearly great, but falling justshort of greatness; can the newCupra R rectify this?

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‘As anyone who has drivena Mk1 Golf or 205 GTI will

attest, it’s not power thatmakes a great hot hatch ’


AL FA ROMEO MUSEUM

Alfa Romeo’s museum notonly charts the company’slong and sometimes glorioushistory, it also makes youaware of the passion thathas kept the company goingthrough its rockier periods

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Delightsatthemuseumby A N T ON Y I NGR A M | PHO T O GR A PH Y by A S T ON PA R RO T T

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HINK ALFA ROMEO, THINK CURV ES. THINKlustrous crimsons, cherries, scarlets and garnets, rollinglike the Tuscan hills over sophisticated underpinnings andstrident engines, and glittering with heart-shaped scudettosor the occasional serpent or delicate four-leaved clover.Think Franchini, Nuvolari, Caracciola, Ferrari, 8Cs, Giuliasand Spiders.

You do not think wedges. Certainly not wedges of dazzling,glimmering, disco-era emerald, brought to an abrupt halt bybands of traffic-cone orange, with cavernous vents and aprofile low enough to trim the lawn on Centre Court. Yet theCarabo show car from 1968 (see opening image) is a vibrantinsight into an Alfa Romeo that might have been.

Instead, Alfa has carefully cultivated the crimsoncurves image, somehow infusing even its most deridedproducts with the kind of cultural heritage and a loyal,impassioned following that most car makers would killfor. So as a journalist you must fight to remain resolutelyobjective, enduring the disappointment when a Fiat-basedfront-drive hatchback with a 1.3 diesel isn’t some kind of1965 GTA incarnate, hoping that the next car might turnthings around.

Perhaps deliberately there are no Mitos, diesel orotherwise, visible within the recently refreshed environs

Above: 1960s GiuliaTZs – one in cutawayform– flank a 1974 GTJunior 1.3.Right, fromtop: a row of ’30s Alfas,startingwith an 8C2300 Corto ‘Mille Miglia’and a pair of 6Cs; 33Spider ‘Cuneo’ conceptfrom 1971; beautiful 8C2900 B Lungo; stunningTipo 33 Stradale

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of the Alfa Romeo Museo Storico in Arese, near Milan.It’s the first time evo has visited the museum since its refitbetween 2011 and 2015, and from the humble saloons to theeye-popping concepts and cigar-shaped racers, it’s a perfectopportunity to relearn why Alfa Romeo still matters.

I’ll get right to it and say the collection is absolutely worththe 12-euro entry fee. Don’t try to go on a Tuesday as that’sthe day it’s closed, and definitely bring a camera – you’ll beusing it a lot. One more piece of advice: give the slightly oddvirtual reality ride a miss, particularly if you’re wearing askirt (I wasn’t but Alfa’s PR was), since the jets of air that areinexplicably fired at your legs in an attempt at immersioncould be cause for discomfort and embarrassment.

The only other embarrassment you might face is realisingjust how many of Alfa’s cars you were unaware of beforevisiting, like the 33 Spider ‘Cuneo’ that sits immediatelyopposite the turnstiles as you enter – a Pininfarina-bodiedone-off created in 1971, based on the chassis and 2-litreV8 running gear of the Tipo 33. A Montreal prototype sitsadjacent, as does a Disco Volante, and across from those isanother 1971 wedge, the Alfasud-based Caimano.

An architectural red band winds its way around thecollection above your head, feeding you past the brand’saero-engined history and up an escalator to the museumproper. It’s presumably meant to represent an artery, but itfeels, equally appropriately, much like you’re making yourway through the intake or exhaust port of an engine.

The artery feeds you into the first hall and exhibit numberone, a 1910 ALFA 24 HP. It was the company’s first car, anda vehicle built when the name Alfa was still an acronym forAnonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, or ‘AnonymousLombard Automobile Factory’. The name Alfa Romeo cameten years later, under the stewardship of entrepreneur NicolaRomeo, and it’s in the 1920s and particularly 1930s that thefoundations for Alfa’s current reputation were built, both onthe road and track.

At first, this division is difficult to see – the pair of beautiful1930s 8C roadsters look much like their racing counterpartsa few storeys below, but Alfa’s road car progression iswonderfully illustrated through the 6Cs aimed at wealthyowners, to the 1900s, Giuliettas and Giulias that gavethe brand a more mass-market appeal. All were hugelyinfluential and innovative in their day, from their use ofindependent suspension and streamlined bodywork, to theGiulietta and Giulia’s twin overhead-cam engines at a timewhen most rivals were still using pushrods.

Alfa continued to innovate, although – as is evident fromthe museum’s chronological layout – the cars began to changein less positive ways, too. For most observers, the 1970s arewhen the rot set in, metaphorically and literally. Strugglingfor money, owner Fiat bounced between cost-cutting andjoint ventures, and despite turning out everyman drivers’cars such as the transaxle Alfetta and front-drive Alfasud,quality began to slip.

It’s a real shame, as the pristine examples of Alfa’s ’70s, ’80sand ’90s output on show at Arese are all deeply appealing intheir own way. Alfa’s current range cries out for a small car asuncomplicated and nimble as the ’Sud, while resplendent ina coat of unblemished silver paintwork, the 75 looks far morehandsome today than it did in 1985. Nearby, an early 156 inNuvola Blue serves to illustrate how large and needlessly

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aggressive the latest Giulia appears in comparison. It alsoreminds you how much the current saloon, Quadrifoglioaside, is crying out for an engine with the character of Alfa’sTwin Spark and Giuseppe Busso-designed V6s.

If you absolutely must have aggression, the wedge-shapeddesigns of the 1960s and 1970s in the concept hall remainan object lesson in how to package it. The metallic greenCarabo absolutely steals the show, but 1969’s ItaldesignIguana – painted in a metalflake finish that hot-rodderscan only dream of (see page 77) – and the bright yellow33/2 Speciale from the same year look nearly as stunningwith their glassy cabins and balloon-like tyres. The Nuvolaconcept from 1996 (from which the aforementioned 156 gotits colour) hasn’t come of age just yet, but it proved a valuablevisual inspiration for Alfa’s pretty 1990s output.

In modern times much of Alfa’s past reputation has beenforged by a resurgence in its 1960s and early 1970s fare.Giuliettas and Giulias have risen rapidly in value on the backof a wave of interest in historic racing and the restorativeand tuning efforts of companies such as Alfaholics. Theopportunity to see a genuine Giulietta Sprint Zagato or SprintSpeciale should certainly never be missed. The lightweight,aluminium-bodied Zagatos proved much more successfulracers in period, so the latter has adopted more of a grandtouring reputation. Both were produced between 1957 and1962 and both use the same 1290cc variant of Alfa’s classictwin-cam, inhaling through a pair of twin-choke sidedraftcarbs and producing a healthy 99bhp.

Zagato’s next compact coupe has long been one of my

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favourites. The Junior Zagato was by now based on the105-series platform (the Spider), though like those earlierZagatos, the Spada-penned Junior Z featured aluminiumpanels to keep the weight down. Alfa’s 1972 example, asidefrom being a spectacular shade not dissimilar to Porsche’sViper Green, is a later 108bhp 1.6-litre car.

Alfa’s road cars might have changed the motoringlandscape but its racers virtually defined the early yearsof motorsport: if you visit Arese for only one reason, theastonishing collection of Grand Prix and Le Mans machinesshould be it. The thought of starting up the Scuderia Ferrari-badged Bimotore – which used a pair of 3165cc, 270bhpstraight-eight engines and could reach 202mph in 1934 –sends shivers down my spine.

Incredibly, even the Bimotore fails to upstage the othercars in Alfa’s racing room. The twin-supercharged straight-eight 8C 2900 B Speciale was leading 1938’s 24 Heures duMans by a hundred miles when it retired with tyre trouble,while the Tipo 158 and 159 ‘Alfetta’ proved to be one ofGrand Prix racing’s most successful cars ever, taking 47 winsfrom 54 Grands Prix between 1938 and 1953.

A lone Tipo 33 Stradale sits across from these GrandPrix monsters, punctuating a space otherwise full ofracing cars with one of the most beautiful road-goingshapes ever devised. Its specification is almost as perfectas the provocative, Franco Scaglione-penned shape: a tiny

2-litre, 90-degree V8 with alloy heads and chain-drivencamshafts, dry-sumped and fed by Spica fuel injection.It sits on independent wishbones all-round, attached to atubular chassis clothed in aluminium and weighing in atjust 700kg – as slight as an early Elise and, despite the V8,almost as tiny. At 39 inches tall, its roofline seems roughlylevel with your hips.

This being a ‘living’ museum, some exhibits are absentduring our visit as they wow crowds at events such as theGoodwood Festival of Speed, but you wouldn’t know it– when Alfa can wheel out an ex-Giovanardi, EuropeanTouring Car Championship-winning 156 Supertouring andNannini’s 155 Ti DTM car as mere stand-ins, you wonderwhat else might be stashed away in the darker recesses ofArese’s storage rooms. Next to the 156 sits a pugnacious GTA1300 Junior; nearby are two of Alfa’s lesser-known foraysinto racing – a Lola T91/00 IndyCar and a 1981 F1 car.

But you’ll have to ask nicely for the museum’s mosttantalising taste of nostalgia. Positioned down a longsliproad near the main building are a set of woodendoors with frosted glass panes. Inside is Alfa’s workshop;terracotta-tiled and pungent with the aroma of metal andold oil, pipes spanning the ceiling and achingly desirableroad cars and racers parked diagonally throughout theroom. Whatever you think of when you think Alfa Romeo,places like this make it very difficult to think straight. L

Oppositepage,fromtop: cutawayTipo 159 ‘Alfetta’Grand Prix car from1951; 155 Ti DTMwith156 Supertouring;Pininfarina 33/2Speciale conceptand a glimpse of theNuvola concept; F1and IndyCars fromthe ’80s and ’90s.Above: temporarilysitting in themuseum’s workshop,the 33/2 ‘Daytona’from 1968

AL FA ROMEO MUSEUM

F J O R DG T

by S T E V E SU T C L I F F E

PHO T O GR A PH Y by A S T ON PA R RO T T

So far the latest Ford GT has seemed too hardcorefor its own good. Can a week-long road-trip through

stunning Norway, and the chance to set a lap record atthe Arctic Circle Raceway, convince us otherwise?

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FORD GT I N NORWAY

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S OMETIMES STUFF JUST WORKS.Sometimes. Ideas get presented, plans getmade; hotels, flights and hire cars get booked.But all too often they later get un-booked. Andsometimes re-booked but for a different day.

And then every once in a blue moon it allturns out to be just fine. It all turns out to be justright. Which is what happened pretty much allthe way down the line when we took a brightyellow Ford GT to Norway.

First of all we went to the Atlantic OceanRoad near Molde, which, as you can see,

was a reasonably mind-altering experience in itself. Butthen we drove the GT 500 miles north via Trondheim andthe extraordinary E39 and E6, all the way up to the townof Mo i Rana and beyond. Right up to the Arctic CircleRaceway, the northernmost racetrack in the world.

The original idea was nothing if not simple. Take the GTto arguably the most beautiful road in unarguably one ofthe most beautiful countries on Earth. Drive it there for acouple of days and, of course, film and photograph it therefrom every which angle. And then head north, all the wayup through half of Norway and, once there, try to break theroad car lap record for the Arctic Circle Raceway, held byan Audi R8.

In total it would take us just over a week to complete ourmission, but the planning had begun many months earlier.The journey from ‘our’ GT’s temporary home in Essex toMolde in Norway is an absolute monster in itself – some 1400miles across seven different countries – and because thereare just two GTs in Europe at the moment (both of whichare looked after by Ford GB), Ford, quite understandably,didn’t want us to put that much mileage on the car merely bydriving it to and from the location.

So a truck was organised to deliver it there: a very big truckthat also happened to contain lots of spare tyres, one or twospare parts, a Focus ST Estate camera car and an awful lot ofcamera equipment. Which also meant that something calleda carnet form had to be completed, detailing every last nutand bolt of the truck’s cargo, including serial numbers forevery single item. So as you can imagine, the planning ofthis element alone took us weeks to get right. And oncewe join the Norwegians and come out of Europe, finally, itwill be exactly the same pantomime each and every timewe travel abroad with professional camera equipment. Sowe’ve got that to look forward to post-Brexit, cheers…

In the here and now, however, what’s equally clear is

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‘It’s a surreal pieceof roadonwhich theGT looks–and just is–outof thisworld’

that the average Norwegian goes absolutelycrackers for the Ford GT, because even as thetruck was unloading in an otherwise desertedcar park in the coastal town of Kristiansund –which sits at one end of ‘The 64’ Atlantic Road– a decent crowd had already begun to form.

By the time the GT was actually off thetruck and parked up, ticking over loudly, as itdoes, a sea of smiling faces was snapping thecar from all angles on all sorts of phones. Andten minutes after that the entire staff from thelocal Ford garage had turned up, including theboss, all with their heads shaking and theireyes bulging in bewilderment.

I had to pinch myself for a second when,finally, I stood back and realised that we’dactually put this thing together; that we’d madeit to the location without any major issues, andthat for the next week it would be all aboutdriving the Ford GT. And not just driving it butalso living with it, looking at it, photographingit, filming it, listening to it, watching otherpeople go completely berserk for it.

And at the end of that week we’d know all

about the Ford GT. Not merely how quick it isor how lovely it is just to look at, but also howgood it is as a supercar, full stop. And by theend of it all we could surely, genuinely, decideif a) the new Ford GT actually warrants itscirca-£335,000 price tag or not, and b) whetherit deserves a place among the true greats.

FIRST STOP, THE ATLANTIC ROADitself. Completed in 1989 at a cost of some120million Norwegian krone (around£11.5million), its 5.2 miles cross a series ofarchipelago islands to link the villages ofKarvag and Vevang. It’s a surreal piece of roadthat’s won numerous design awards over theyears, rightfully so, and on which the GT looks– and just is – out of this world.

To be honest, though, the Atlantic Road isnot the best place to get properly beneath theskin of a Ford GT, even if the surroundingsare entirely spectacular. And the problemultimately is the speed limit. And the traffic.

What happens when you reach the AtlanticRoad is this: You take one good look at it and

think, right, here we go, what a road, what aplace. And then you see a sign telling you thespeed limit is 70kph, which rises to the headyheights of 80kph in the evening, when there areone or two fewer camper vans around drivingbackwards and forwards along the road.

So in a Ford GT with 647bhp you quitequickly begin to wonder what all the fuss isabout over the Atlantic Road. You soon wantto be somewhere else. But the circumstancesdo force you into thinking about the car in adifferent kind of light, at a different speed, onethat’s considerably lower than you’d naturallylike to do in a 216mph mid-engined car thatwas essentially designed to win at Le Mans.

At a heavily enforced 45-50mph, forexample, you have lots of time to drink in themore fundamental aspects of the GT, such as itscabin design, its dashboard layout, its drivingposition and its basic mechanical refinement,none of which is especially brilliant.

Actually that’s not true, the driving positionitself is peachy once you’ve managed to climbin and hunker down into the seat. But the

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Top left:Storseisundet Bridge isa highlight of the Atlantic Road.Right: interiormaterials and finishseem a little low-rent for a nearhalf-million-dollar car, but it’s stillone helluva place to be

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LAMBORGH IN I AV ENTADOR S DR I V E STORY

Above: E6 north of Trondheimoffersmile aftermile ofunforgettable driving – especiallywhen you’re in a bright yellowFord GT. Left: heavily boosted3.5-litre V6 produces 647bhp, andan awful lot of fabulous noise

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problem is, the seat doesn’t move because it ispart of the carbonfibre tub. So instead you haveto heave on a piece of cable down in the footwell,at which point the entire pedal box is released,and then moves. You then need to either hookyour feet beneath the assembly to pull thepedals up towards you or push them away toget them just where you want them. Which tobe honest is a right old palaver compared with aseat that moves back and forth.

Once you’re in and have got the pedals whereyou want them, however, the GT feels great;it feels like a proper, bona fide mid-enginedsupercar. Even if its instruments, steeringwheel and cabin materials are the wrong side ofordinary for a car that costs around £335,000.

It sounds good, though. Boy does it soundgood. It sounds awesome actually, and that’ssurely more important than a cabin that wantsfor a bit of design flair and which is strangelylacking in the usual exotic materials.

The noise the GT makes at low-ish speeds isdeeply intense, quite Neanderthal in its appealin some ways, and maybe even a bit OTTcompared with some rivals. The car as a wholesounds incredibly busy, even down at 40mph,with stones pinging into the wheelarches anda fair old bit of road roar from those massive325-section 20-inch rear Michelin Pilot SportCup 2 tyres. The engine and its exhaust are alsoalways audible, even when you’re just potteringabout at 2000rpm in top gear. Yet in a way thisis what defines the Ford GT as the car that it is;as the racing car for the road that Ford mightnot want us to think it is but which, in fact, itabsolutely is.

After a week in it, I’ll actually begin to go fullcircle about this particular aspect of the GT. I’llend up thinking that this might be the way togo with cars such as this. Because let’s face it,you don’t drive/own/buy a car like the FordGT – or a 918 or a P1, etc – wanting everydayMondeo-style refinement from it. You drive acar like the Ford GT to make your heart, mindand imagination go to another place, and Ithink the fact that you need to suffer a bit inthe process with regards to refinement, noise,comfort, whatever, actually heightens theoverall experience in a weird kind of way – solong as the thing delivers where and when itmatters most.

And holy smoke does the Ford GT deliverwhere it matters most.

Once we’re all done on the Atlantic Road wepack up and aim the GT and our various supportvehicles north, towards the town of Trondheimon the E39, and that’s when the GT beginsto show its teeth, mainly because there is somuch less traffic around. For the first few miles,though, not much happens on the E39, exceptfor a ferry that needs to be boarded betweenHalsa and Kanestraum, providing anotheropportunity for the people of Norway to gonuts for the Ford GT – to a point where the guywho is supposed to take the toll money actuallyrefuses to accept any payment because we aredriving ‘the Yellow Car. The one that’s in thelocal newspaper today.’

According to someone else on the ferry we’vebeen talked about on the local radio stationthis morning as well. Norwegians, it seems, arerather fond of the Ford GT, and as the trafficbecomes thinner on the other side of the ferryand the E39 gets into its stride – in places it is anastonishing piece of road – the Ford GT starts tolike Norway.

But that’s nothing compared with whatunfolds 90 miles later, on the far side ofTrondheim, where the E39 disappears and isreplaced by the E6. For the first 20 miles or sothis road isn’t up to much, but the further northyou go on it, the madder it gets. And it goes onfor literally hundreds and hundreds of miles,spearing through some of the most hauntinglybeautiful countryside you will ever see.

And in a bright yellow supercar – hypercar?– it is pretty much impossible not to get carriedaway from time to time on the E6, despite theseemingly draconian speed limits, becausethe road itself is so fantastic, but also because,well, there’s quite often no one else around.You sometimes don’t see another car for 15, 20minutes. So how can you resist the temptation?And that’s when the GT goes to another place.

Technically you’re not supposed to drive itin Track mode on the road at all, somethingto do with pedestrian protection laws or somesuch because the ride height drops by a chunkand a big wing automatically rises out of thetail. But when there’s no one else around, whocares? The car looks utterly incredible withthe wing out, and it drives that much sharperas well because the gearbox and throttle mapsget snappier while the suspension firms up, too.Not that the GT feels in any way turgid in anyof its regular modes, even if the ride comfort

Ford GT

Engine V6, 3497cc, twin-turboPower 647bhp @ 6250rpm

Torque 550lb ft @ 5900rpmTransmission Seven-speed dual-clutch, rear-

wheel drive, limited-slip differentialSuspension, front and rear Double wishbones,

coil springs, adaptive dampers, anti-roll barBrakes Carbon-ceramic discs, 394mm front,

360mm rearWheels 8.5 x 20in front, 11.5 x 20in rear

Tyres 245/35 R20 front,325/30 R20 rear

Weight (dry) 1385kgPower-to-weight (dry) 475bhp/ton

0-60mph Sub-3.0sec (claimed)Top speed 216mph (claimed)

Basic price $450,000 (c£335,000)On sale First 500 sold out; order book

for second 500 opens in 2018

evo rating;;;;4

‘It’s prettymuch impossiblenot togetcarriedaway,because the road isso fantastic, butalsobecause there’softennooneelsearound’

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becomes a touch smoother and less noisy in theNormal setting.

But that’s the thing about the GT. Evenin Normal it’s still noisy and unrefined anduncompromising compared with somethinglike a McLaren 720S or a Ferrari 488, so youmight as well drive it in full nuts mode allthe time. And in full nuts mode it is tiringand loud and has almost no ride refinementwhatsoever on the public road, but it is also aquite fantastically exciting car to drive. It evenhas some good old-fashioned turbo lag becausethe boost pressure, as you can imagine, is quitehigh in order to squeeze 647bhp and 550lb ftout of a 3.5-litre V6. It’s one of those cars inwhich every millimetre of throttle travel makesa difference, incites a slightly stronger reactionfrom what lies beneath the rear bodywork.

A small squeeze on the accelerator pedal stillincurs an almighty cacophony of whooshes and

whistles from behind you, but not necessarily ahuge level of thrust, not yet. Press a bit harderthough and – bang! – there is it, a massive hitof energy that compresses you back in the seat,and makes you grip the not especially lovelylooking steering wheel that little bit harder.And still you haven’t yet got anywhere nearfull throttle.

When you do, the GT feels and sounds andjust is ever so slightly mental. Officially the0-60mph claim is ‘under three seconds’, butunofficially it’s 2.8sec, which if you really stopand think about it is borderline insane for a rear-wheel-drive road car. Yet the most shockingaspect of its performance is that it actually feels,and sounds, considerably quicker between, say,50 and 120mph than it does when going from0 to 60. The way its torque builds so fast in themid-range and just explodes into the rear tyresbeyond 3000rpm is pretty rude. And the seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox works quite nicely,too, even if it doesn’t have quite the same snapof response as the very best dual-clutchers fromFerrari, McLaren, et al.

Like I say, it’s easy to get completely carriedaway in a Ford GT, on a mostly deserted road,among some of the most breathtaking sceneryyou’ll ever come across, anywhere. But… wehave one last piece of the jigsaw left to completeour week-long tour of Norway in the GT, andthat is to try to break the lap record at the ArcticCircle Raceway. And to do that we have enlistedthe services of one Stefan Mücke, who normallydrives his GT at Le Mans.

WHEN WE GET TO THE RACEWAY THEsun is shining and the paddock is chock full ofracing bikes, whose owners and riders are morethan a little bit interested in the GT. Once againthe car takes centre stage, and when I go outin it later for a bit of a play it feels like half ofNorway’s eyes are watching, listening, pointingat it and almost certainly timing it too.

And on the track, which turns out to be anabsolute belter, well, that’s when the Ford GTcomes right into its own. It might have a fairlycivilised-looking interior and tread on its tyresbut, fundamentally, on a circuit it feels much

FORD GT I N NORWAY

Aboveand left: journey’s end is the Arctic CircleRaceway, whereWEC Ford GT driver StefanMücke

(far left)will get his first go in the road versionattempting to set a new production car lap record

‘Itmighthaveacivilised-looking interior andtreadon itstyres, butonacircuit it feelsmuch likea racingcar’

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FORD GT I N NORWAY

like a racing car, with massive roll stiffness,huge straight-line performance, major tractionand a basic level of grip that, to begin with, isactually quite hard to get your head around. Inthe quick corners especially, of which there arelots at the ACR, it just feels glued. Plus the way itstops is right off the chart, even beside the usualsupercar suspects.

As a combination it makes the Ford feelvery special indeed to drive on a circuit. It alsomakes it astonishingly quick on any given lap.How quick? The existing production car laprecord for the ACR is 1min 41sec dead, and itwas set with a first-generation Audi R8 V8. AsMücke climbs aboard we take bets on how fasthe’ll be on his first flying lap, having done just afew sighting laps in a hire car. My punt is 1min39sec and I’m soon proved wrong. He does a1min 38sec lap straight off and then comes backinto the pits. He reckons the tyre pressures area touch too high.

So we drop the pressures by 4 psi all roundand off he goes again. Eventually, after anothercouple of stints during which we can hear theGT being well and truly murdered all the wayround the 2.3-mile lap, Mücke gets the timedown to 1min 36.29sec. And at that point heclimbs out and says that’s that, can’t go muchfaster today, cheers, my work here is done.

Interestingly, he also says that this car (he’snever driven the road car before) feels quite abit quicker than his Le Mans racer. Not for aerogrip or braking power but just purely the thrustin a straight line. How cool is that? A road carthat can monster its racing equivalent in a

traffic light Grand Prix? But then what wouldyou expect when the road car has 647bhp andweighs just under 1400kg dry, whereas theracer weighs not a lot less and has 500bhp at theabsolute max because of its air restrictors.

So with a new lap record to its name andseemingly an entire country now head overheels in love with it, we put the GT back in thetruck and, with some very fond memories tosavour, send it back home to Essex. And havingnow spent a lot more time with it than I did onits launch in the US (evo 236), I’m now a verybig fan of the Ford GT.

It’s not perfect, but then I think I now get whyit is how it is. In some ways the imperfectionsare what make it so memorable, althoughone decent burst of acceleration in third gearthrough a Norwegian forest with a fjord oneither side is pretty spectacular, too.

Amazing country, amazing car, amazingroad trip. The end. L

‘TheFordGT isnotperfect, butin someways theimperfectionsarewhatmake it somemorable’

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RALLYINGDoes it have a future?

THE FUTURE OF RA L LY I NG

Despite a huge collective fondnessfor rallying, the sport seems to be in

decline. How can it be saved? The evoteam don their thinking bobble hats to

come up with a possible solution

by A DA M T OW L E R

HOW TO SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE R ALLYING?That most noble of motorsports: not merely driver pitted againstrival driver in a controlled environment, but a partnership oftwo human beings, trusting each other implicitly in the face ofpotentially mortal danger. Man and machine battling not just tobe the fastest of all from point A to point B, but to conquer theconditions and the natural environment, too. Motorsport to theoriginal template.

But something’s not right with rallying. Sure, it’s become almostfashionable to knock it, so we’ll aim to be a bit more constructivethan that, but when Messrs Meaden, Barker, Vivian, Goodwin,Ingram and Beaumont, and yours truly, get round a table, apattern emerges. Well, apart from the wily old Viv, that is: ‘Stillthe only place you can witness genius driving and the deploymentof giant cojones together,’ he opines. ‘Splendid. Wouldn’t change a

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THE FUTURE OF RA L LY I NG

thing.’ Somehow I think the rest of us are going to havea different view…

You’ll often hear the phrase ‘I don’t know where towatch it’ applied to modern rallying, a perception basedon the time when the WRC disappeared from terrestrialprogramming. In fact, there’s a variety of ways to watch:highlights are on Channel 5 and BT Sport in the UK,while there’s also coverage on Red Bull TV (online) andon the sport’s dedicated online portal (WRC+), whichalso enables all sorts of data to be accessed – althoughyou’ll have to buy a subscription.

Rallying is crying out for the sort of fan interactionenabled by the modern world of smartphones and socialmedia content. It’s a sport on a large scale, often elusiveto cover – and far too expensive we’re always beingtold. But surely modern technology, from smartphonesto drones, offers so many solutions.

Will Beaumont makes a sound point about the natureof the coverage: ‘I prefer the old style of rally coverage,where you’d see each car go around the same corner oneafter another before moving on to another corner. Thatway you got to see how each car and driver drove, theirdifferent styles. The modern WRC show of quick cuts,on-board crash footage and slow-mo jumps is muchmore spectacular and more inclusive, but it doesn’tsatisfy the nerdy urge to compare the cars and drivers.’

There’s no doubt that rallying has especially sufferedin the UK. In much of Europe, the sport’s top echelonenjoys a much healthier following, bolstered by thesuccess of drivers from those countries – the ‘Loebeffect’ in France, for example. But UK rallying hadits guts ripped out with the tragic demise of WorldChampions Richard Burns and Colin McRae. Their loss,and that of their mainstream media-attracting starquality, still casts a shadow over the sport.

It’s clear, though, that what we really don’t like arethe cars. Specifically, the fact that they’re nothing likethe ones we can actually buy. How ironic, given that the2017 regulations, with their boost in power to nearly400bhp and wild aero devices, were meant to put theGroup B flavour back into the WRC. It seems all they’veachieved is to turn us off.

‘What I loved about rallying was the connectionbetween road and rally cars,’ says Meaden, getting allmisty eyed. ‘Group A was the zenith for me, but evenGroup B cars were road cars, albeit built in very smallnumbers. The first WRC cars were cracking things, butas soon as manufacturers don’t have to build the carsthey compete with, I tend to switch off.’

Barker agrees: ‘The cars now look too little like roadcars – or aren’t available as road cars.’ Antony Ingramconcurs: ‘Another series hurting from a lack of roadrelevance. Probably more so than any other series, sincethe WRC and its various regulations over time has givenus some of the world’s most exciting drivers’ cars.’

I agree. There seems to be this misconceptionfrom the powers-that-be in motorsport that everycompetition car needs to have huge spoilers, massive

arches and so on. It wasn’t enough to just up the powerwith the new-era cars: downforce and chassis tech hadto be increased too, so the speeds went up, and the carsare more capable than ever. But for what? They mightbe able to fly in Finland at a height that would makeEddie the Eagle wince, and drift around hairpins withmetronomic precision, but it’s too clinical, too perfect.

As an antidote, head to YouTube and watch footageof the 1994 Tour de Corse rally. Look at the snarling,flame-spitting Group A cars in their pomp: the varietyof shapes and sizes; the different noises they make; theway they need to be grabbed by the scruff and reallydriven, and in turn display the differing driving stylesof those behind the wheel. You don’t need to be toldthat’s McRae in the Impreza, not Sainz, it’s blatantlyobvious. Look closely too at the Impreza 555, theGroup A homologation version of the Impreza Turbo. Ithas neither big arches nor a low front splitter. It runs themeek ‘boomerang’ rear wing off the original WRX JDMand UK Turbo 2000 models. And yet has there ever beena more glorious, emotive competition car than this?

Goodwin’s more of a circuit racing man, but as hepoints out: ‘I would like to see more variety of carstaking part in the WRC – like 911s and the Toyota GT86.Not much interested in hatchbacks.’ Quite. By forcing allrally cars to effectively look – and be – the same, we’relosing the variety that gave us the Celica GT-Four andthe Mazda 323 Turbo, let alone the Skoda 130 RS andthe Lancia Stratos. The FIA tried recently with its RGTclass, but it got nowhere outside a handful of howling911 GT3s, so beloved in national championshipsthroughout Europe.

For years we were told that manufacturers didn’twant the trouble and expense of homologation cars.And yet there are more performance cars on the currentmarket than ever before, and a bigger appetite thanever for limited-run cars. Why not a Ford Focus RS andVW Golf R on the stages? Cars that fans could havedriven themselves to come along and spectate, or evenprepare and enter themselves into events at a muchmore reasonable level. A new Group N, if you like, as inthe days of the original Ford Sierra RS Cosworth.

Rallying needs that sense of adventure, too. Nightstages, long stages. More than one of our collectivementioned the loss of the old Safari Rally – ‘rallying’sLe Mans 24-hours,’ as Meaden puts it. When DavidRichards ushered in the World Rally Car era, the eventschanged too, with centralised servicing, shorter andfewer stages – all to make the series more televisable.But rallying lost so much in the process, including,ironically, TV coverage.

So what have we learnt? Bring back the homologationspecials, perhaps with a modern, slightly moreaccessible twist; make rallies feel like adventures again,and utilise new tech to spread the coverage. Not an easychallenge, but one that’s more than worthwhile. Thesport deserves nothing less than all our perseveranceand attention. L

‘It’sclear,though,thatwhatwereallydon’t likeare thecars’

Opposite: spectatorshaven’t warmed to the

latest breed ofWRC cars;they’re too far removedfrom their showroom

counterparts, and unliketheir predecessors there isno road-going equivalent –

limited or otherwise

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NISSAN R34 SI CON

N I S SAN R34 SKY L I N E GT- R

b y JOH N B A R K E R

PHO T O GR A PH Y b y A S T ON PA R RO T T

The last of the original Skylines and the first to beofficially imported into the UK, there is no disputingthe R34 GT-R’s status as a genuine icon

4 SKYLINE GT-R


RUNDLING GENTLY UP AND DOWNthis road for car-to-car shots, we’ve held up acouple of cars, and the old Ford Ka has beendelayed a bit longer than most. So when itslows to a halt as we’re turning around foranother run, I’m braced for a scowl or maybe ahand gesture. I look across and the lady in her50s is gesticulating alright. But she’s giving thedouble thumbs up and smiling madly. Beforepulling away she shakes her head like she justcan’t believe she’s seeing an R34 Skyline, blowsa few kisses, and is gone.

I’ve been fortunate enough to drive somegreat cars in great locations and I’ve neverexperienced such universally positive reactionsas greeted the R34 when we turned up inMargate. There’s probably no more subtle acolour than silver and this UK-spec car has thestandard twin-pipe back-box rather than theoptional Nismo drainpipe, so it’s quieter thana 370Z, but as we amble along the seafronton this busy, sunny afternoon, I’m getting a

taste of what it must be like to be a celebrity.At one end of the scale there’s nudging andpointing, double-takes and ‘subtle’ raising ofcameraphones, and at the other plain awe,reverence and wild enthusiasm, occasionallywith sweary, can-you-believe-this?! shouting.And it’s all sorts of people too, from kids topensioners, parents to youfs. No question,driving an R34 gets you a whole lotta love.

Back in the spring of 1999 when I firstdrove one, the R34 was a stranger in the UK.It was evo’s cover car on issue 009 and it wasan import – quite possibly the first – loaned tous by Simon Lerner of Intercar (still sourcingspecialist Japanese cars today). I don’t recall itbeing spotted by anybody on our whistle-stop24-hour trip from London to north Wales andback. It was a huge step on from the chubbier-looking R33 and more aligned visually with thedelectable R32, the first Skyline GT-R to make ithere, in tiny numbers via grey importers such asIntercar and Rare Imports.

Left:quality of theplastics dates the cabin,but the basics are right,including a precisegearshift and a perfectlysized steeringwheel.Above: even todaythe R34 is an imposingsight on the road

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Skyline specialist Middlehurst Motorsporthad brought in 100 R33s and when the R34came along Nissan GB wanted to bring the carofficially into the UK itself. There would be adelay, though, because although the all-wheel-drive running gear was lightly stressed by thestock ‘276bhp’, it wanted to add a packageof upgrades to protect the car in the event ofsustained autobahn running – oil coolers for theengine, gearbox and AWD transfer box. Therewas a new engine ECU too and, completing themods, the interior was enhanced with Connollyleather-trimmed seats.

This slightly odd mash-up of Japanese hightech and traditional British craftsmanship liespartly in the passion of the Connolly brothersfor the Skyline. They had been fans since theR32 and were friends with the owner of RareImports, who was able to source cars for them.

Middlehurst Motorsport carried out the workrequired to make the R34 ‘Euro-proof’ andsome 80 V-spec UK’s were sold, this being oneof them. It was later acquired for the Nissan UKheritage press fleet and is completely standard.

It took some finding, apparently, which is hardlysurprising as unmodified R34s must be as rareas unclaimed lottery tickets. Anyone obliviousto the untapped potential of the legendary2.6-litre twin-turbo straight-six would havebeen put right by a certain movie franchise thatkicked off a year or two later, the frankly absurdFast and Furious series that helped grow thecult of the GT-R to global proportions.

This unmodified car has less power thanmy SEAT Cupra long-termer, and as you mightexpect from its square-jawed, Minecraft-likelooks, it’s hefty too, getting on for 1600kg. Ihave always been sceptical that the R34 hadonly 276bhp as standard, which was a ceilingagreed between car makers in Japan at thetime. It had a bit more torque than the R33,and ceramic turbos running ball-race bearingsthat gave snappier throttle response, but evenso, it always felt a bit more like 300-plus. Fast-forward to the launch of the R35 and manycommentators reckoned that had more thanthe quoted 473bhp. Maybe Nissan’s horses are alittle bigger or its kilograms a bit lighter…

‘THIS STANDARD CARTOOK SOME FINDING,APPARENTLY, WHICHIS HARDLY SURPRISINGAS UNMODIFIEDR34s MUST BE ASRARE AS UNCLAIMEDLOTTERY TICKETS’

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What Nissan and the many tuners knewwas that this was the ground floor. A simpleECU remap – the equivalent of pulling a bungout of the exhaust – could lift this to around350bhp, and the potential of the RB26DETTengine was good for up to three times that,which is incredible. The rest of the car couldtake a great deal more power and torque too,so as a consequence the chassis appeared ratherover-specced – ATTESA four-wheel drive, SuperHICAS four-wheel steering and handsome 18-inch wheels that we described as ‘massive’ backin the day but which look modest now withtheir hot hatch-sized 245/40 R18 Dunlops.

It’s old school in so many ways. The keycomes with a connector on the fob that you haveto touch against a receptor on the dashboard todisarm the immobiliser, and the Alpine headunit is unfathomable at a glance. But what’sretro in a good way is that iconic, competition-hardened straight-six under the long bonnet.Here’s an engine with character in both soundand delivery.

It’s not like other turbo units, lacking theimmediate, small-throttle response of today’slight-pressure turbo engines but also not beinglike early turbos, with their eye-widening, blue-touch-paper delivery, though I’m minded this

may be an effect of it being in a low state of tune.Toting little more than 100bhp per litre, thisSkyline’s delivery builds more like a naturallyaspirated engine, with not much up to 3000rpmand growing enthusiasm thereafter. You canhear and feel the boost arriving, the loping,gravelly growl of the straight-six swamped bythe hiss of air being ingested, compressed andfed into the engine. As the revs march ever-more confidently upwards, the engine finds itsvoice again and its delivery grows and expandsits impact until you’re at 6000rpm and the car’ssurging determinedly forward.

Oddly, it doesn’t seem to matter what gearyou’re in. This gathering-momentum deliveryfeels as strong in fourth and fifth as it does insecond and third. The speed just keeps pilingon, the engine firing the R34 at the horizon withever-greater purpose. Just the 276bhp? Stillfeels more. The stability is awe-inspiring, too,the Skyline tracking straight and true, spearingdown the road with a solid, unwavering purposethat cements your confidence. It feels built forGermany’s autobahns, so Nissan GB was smartto uprate the cooling of the drivetrain’s vitals.

The temperature of the transfer case oil isone of the few ‘vitals’ you can’t monitor via thedash-top MFD (Multi Function Display), whose

mini-tablet styling is remarkably modern-looking. Mind you, the screen resolution isn’tall that great, and rather than offering nav andconnectivity, the display allows you to monitorthe status of many obscure items, most of whichyou’d think would only be of interest to a tuner– injector delivery, exhaust and intake manifoldair temperature, that sort of thing…

For me, what cements the R34’s claim to be adrivers’ car is that the weighting and feel of allthe major controls – the gearshift, pedals andsteering – are in harmony. The shift of the six-speed Getrag gearbox is particularly delicious,moving with a weighty, solid but slick actionaround a well-defined gate, as if below the leverthere are precision-machined, well-oiled blocksof steel sliding over each other. Heel-and-toeis easy thanks to an ideal brake bite point andpedal spacing, so it responds well to finessing,but there’s an underlying strength revealedwhen you rush the shift, a sense of durabilitythat is no illusion, because the whole drivetrainis rated for much higher torque.

Another indication that the car was craftedby people who love driving is the steeringwheel. It’s just the perfect diameter, its rim is theideal width and shape and there are no buttonson it. True, the steering isn’t the sharpest but I


Above left: twin-turbo 2.6-litrestraight-six still impresses, evenin its basic tune of 276bhp orso. Left: dash-top display wasinspired by that fitted to the R32GT-R of Hiroshi Tamura, projectleader on the R34 GT-R

‘WHAT CEMENTS THER34’S CLAIM TO BEA DRIVERS’ CAR ISTHAT THE WEIGHTINGAND FEEL OF ALL THEMAJOR CONTROLSARE IN HARMONY’

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Nissan Skyline GT-R V-spec (R34)

Engine In-line 6-cyl, 2568cc, twin-turboPower 276bhp @ 7000rpmTorque 289lb ft @ 4400rpmTransmission Six-speed manual, four-wheel drive,active rear limited-slip differentialFront suspension Multi-link, coil springs, dampers,anti-roll barRear suspension Multi-link, coil springs, dampers,anti-roll barBrakes Ventilated discs front and rearWheels 9 x 18in front and rearTyres 245/40 ZR18 front and rearWeight 1560kgPower-to-weight 180bhp/ton0-60mph 4.8sec (claimed)Top speed 165mph (claimed)Price when new £50,000 (1999)Value now £50,000-70,000

evo rating;;;;;


find the chassis of the R34 more transparent,more readable than that of the current R35.Essentially, it’s rear-biased, though in the dry,up to the high limits (elevated by the modernDunlops fitted), it feels like it has an excess ofgrip, delivered by a chassis that has a sweet,biddable overall balance. The fact that youcan’t feel the rear steering counter-steer on theway into a corner (aiding turn-in) and quicklyswitch to parallel steer (to restore stability) is abig compliment to the engineers.

Then there’s the all-wheel-drive grip. Nail itout of a roundabout and there’s a bit of squatand absolute traction. Previous experienceshows that on low-grip surfaces it becomesdistinctly rear-drive, in a friendly way. TheV-spec car gets an active rear diff and only whenthis can’t find enough grip at the rear tyres todeploy the torque does drive head to the front.The progressive ramp-up of torque allows theslip to be accurately managed and drive to thefront wheels keeps things moving forward andhelps to pull the car straight.

The V-spec is firmer than the standard set-up and back in the day seemed a bit too toughfor UK roads. But, in the same way that theuncompromising ride of the 964 RS seems tohave softened over the years (it hasn’t, really, it’sjust the context of modern cars), so the V-specR34 feels firm but not rough, detailed but notjittery. It has a no-nonsense way of dealingwith bumps that aids confidence; in the sameway that the boost seems to build with speed,so does the firmness and control of the ride. It’sgreat to be back in the hot seat. I’m genuinelyimpressed by how this near-20-year-old hangstogether as a drivers’ car.

At 9pm we rumble the R34 down to the endof the deserted harbour wall to get the shotlooking back at Margate in all its night-timeglory. Disappointingly, the main lights we

were hoping to see – the yellow and blue of theDreamland amusement park – aren’t yet lit up.It also turns out the wall is not deserted: there’sa little gathering of lads drinking cans of stronglager. They get very animated when the Skylineappears, delivering a barrage of questions:‘Is it yours, mate?’, ‘How fast have you been init?’, ‘Can I sit in it?’. It’s all very good humouredand respectful. The ones who know exactlywhat they’re looking at explain to the othersthat they’re in the presence of an icon. And thebest question? ‘Why the f*** did you come toMargate?!’ Aston shows them the back of hiscamera and they are amazed.

Why did we come to Margate? Mainly forthe brightly lit arcades, for the old-schoolvibe. This traditional British seaside resort ismid-transformation, the catalyst for whichhas in part been the opening of the TurnerContemporary art gallery. So it’s a place ofcontrasts, with new, cool, gentrified bits sittingcheek by jowl with kiss-me-quick brashness.You can see it in the people, too: they’re halfhip, half hip replacement. In a couple of yearsor so, it will be a much more modern, moresophisticated place, and more expensive too.Not unlike the R35 GT-R is compared with theR34. But that doesn’t mean the simple pleasuresare any less relevant. L

Topandabove right:aerodynamic efficiencyis only one of the bigrear wing’s functions.Above: lager-swilling ladsonMargate seawall joinourman Barker in showingcritical appreciation forthe iconic Skyline

‘IT’S GREAT TO BEBACK IN THE HOTSEAT. I’M GENUINELYIMPRESSED BY HOWTHIS NEAR-20-YEAR-OLD HANGSTOGETHER’

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ASTON MARTINV8 VANTAGEIt ’s been on sale since 2005 and has steadi ly evolved

in that time, with numerous specia l editions along the

way. Here’s the ful l h istory of Aston’s biggest sel ler

by Bob Harper

DEEP DIVE

Market

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ASTON MARTIN V8 VANTAGE TIMELINE

April 2005V8Vantage4.3

November2006V8VantageRoadster

January2007ProdriveV8Vantage

November2007V8VantageN400

May2008V8Vantage4.7

D ESIGNED AS AN ENTRY-level model to broadenAston Martin’s range andprovide a viable alternative

to Porsche’s evergreen 911, the V8Vantage looked achingly beautiful atits launch in 2005 and has aged withgrace. Under that svelte aluminium,steel and composite exteriorwas Aston’s ‘Vertical Horizontal’architecture and a 4.3-litre V8 with adry sump for a low centre of gravity.Peak power and torque were 380bhpand 302lb ft respectively; 0-62mphtook 5.0sec, top speed was 175mph.The transmission was a six-speedtransaxle manual with a carbonfibre

propshaft. In 2006 this was joined bya Sportshift automated manual.

In late ’06 a Roadster versionwas announced, with an identicalmechanical set-up but an extra 80kgbecause of the additional stiffening.The three-layer fabric hood with aglass rear screen could be raised orlowered at road speeds up to 30mph.

Early in 2007 Aston Martin andProdrive announced a series offactory-sanctioned upgrades tocelebrate the two companies’ racingexploits, with engine, suspension,wheel/tyre and aero packagesoffered, sharpening the original car’sslightly wayward handling. Outputs

were boosted to 425bhp and 325lb ftwith the 0-60mph time dropping to4.7sec. Together the upgrades costthe best part of £19,000, but theycould be specced individually too.

The Prodrive kit demonstrated anappetite for racing-inspired editions,so at the end of 2007 the N400arrived to celebrate the Vantage’ssuccess in the Nürburgring 24-hourrace. Outputs were up to 400bhpand 310lb ft and a Sports Pack addednew wheels and uprated springs anddampers, while there were someexterior tweaks including N24-themed colours and clear rear lenses.

In mid-2008 both the coupe and

Roadster received technical updates,including a 4.7-litre version of the V8,now good for 420bhp, 346lb ft and a180mph top speed. A modified clutchand flywheel, revised upper dampermountings, stiffer springs andBilstein dampers were added andthe Sports Pack from the N400 wasalso an option. There were updatesinside too, the most significantbeing the debut of a hard-disk-basednavigation system.

Another N24-inspired machinefollowed: the N420. It was basedon the 4.7 – still with 420bhp – andgained the Sports Pack, a new sportsexhaust and wider sills. The use

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V8, 4282cc

380bhp @ 7000rpm

302lb ft @ 5000rpm

1630kg

237bhp/ton

5.0sec (claimed)

175mph (claimed)

2005-09

£79,995 (2005)

V8 VANTAGE

FIRST AND LAST

Engine

Max power

Max torque

Weight

Power-to-weight

0-62mph

Top speed

On sale

Price new

V8, 4735cc

430bhp @ 7300rpm

361lb ft @ 5000rpm

1610kg

271bhp/ton

4.8sec (claimed)

190mph (claimed)

2017

£97,995 (2017)

V8 VANTAGEAMR

Middle top: original V8 Vantage of 2005had 4.3-litre V8with 380bhp.Above left:by 2011 and the 4.7 ‘S’, power was up to430bhp.Aboveand top right:N430 andAMR both inspired by racing Vantages

July2010V8VantageN420

January2011V8VantageS

February2014V8VantageN430

April 2016V8VantageGT8

June2017V8VantageAMR

of carbonfibre for the splitter, sidestrakes, diffuser and seat backs saveda claimed 27kg, helping to justify thecar’s whopping £96,995 price when itarrived in 2010.

Announced at the beginning of2011, the V8 Vantage S had 430bhpand 361lb ft along with a 4.5sec0-62mph time, and the revised V8was mated to a new seven-speedSportshift II transmission withshorter ratios. There was also a

quicker steering rack, larger frontdiscs with six-piston calipers, newsprings and dampers, wider rearwheels and recalibrated tractioncontrol. Externally it had new frontand rear bumpers and wider sills –changes that filtered down onto theregular V8 Vantage in 2012.

The next two years saw severalspecial editions – 100 V8 VantageCentenary Editions with special paintand silver badges, the European-only,VLN Nürburgring-inspired Vantage SSP10, and the third of the N cars, theN430. This machine, available asa coupe or Roadster, was based onthe Vantage S and was once again

inspired by the GT4 race cars. It had430bhp, came with the six-speedmanual as standard (Sportshift II wasa cost option), and shaved 20kg offthe S’s kerb weight thanks to carbon-Kevlar seats and forged alloys.Exterior and interior detailing evokedthe race car’s styling with plenty ofcarbon and Alcantara trimmings.

Another racing-inspired arrivalmade its debut in 2016, the limited-production GT8, to celebrate the V8Vantage GTE race car. Power was up to440bhp and it could be mated to eitherthe six-speed manual or seven-speedSportshift. Dramatically sculpted andunique carbon bodywork along with

lightweight seats and carbon doorpanels saw 100kg of weight savingsand there were three ‘Halo’ paintschemes available. Limited to just150 examples, the GT8 cost an eye-watering £165,000.

Proving there’s still life in theVantage, 2017 saw the likelyswansongs for the range before nextyear’s replacement arrives: the RedBull Racing edition – more or less aV8 S with a Red Bull-inspired colourscheme – and the V8 Vantage AMR,with Aston Martin Racing-inspiredgoodies and colour schemes. Just200 V8 AMRs will be built, with bothcoupe and Roadster offered.

EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTORT: 01933 685 840E: [email protected]

CLP (Sheffield)T: 0114 2701025ECOTUNE (Glasgow)T: 0141 8824669JFA (Maidstone)T: 01622 321500LITCHFIELD (Gloucester)T: 01684 850999

MOTECH PERFORMANCE(Northampton)T: 01604 810000NV MOTORSPORT(Birmingham)T: 0121 4487515PROJEX (Bristol)T: 01275 337800

REVOLUTION (Newcastle)T: 0191 4619200RTEC (St Albans)T: 01727 790100TUNED UK (Chester)T: 01244 683119TUNINGWERKES (Croydon)T: 0208 6810208

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ALL YOU NEEDTO KNOWABOUT…CARWAX

Market

www.evo.co.uk 111

WHAT IS IT?‘Wax’ typically refers to a hard hydrocarbonsubstance that comes from a natural source – suchas the carnauba plant or palm trees – or is madesynthetically from silicones. In order to be usefulas an automotive protectant, solvents and oils areadded to the mix to make a more pliable product.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEENAWAXANDAPOLISH?Polish is used to remove defects from a car’s clearcoat while wax is designed to protect the polishedclear coat – see last issue’s ‘All you need to knowabout…’ for more information on polishes.

DO I REALLY NEED TOUSE IT?If you like shiny, gloss-looking paintwork, yes. Awell applied wax will also protect against damageto the clear coat such as water marks, acid rain, birdlime and fine scratches.

I KEEP SEEING THEWORD ‘CARNAUBA’…WHAT IS IT?The most popular wax for use in the automotiveindustry is carnauba, which comes from the leavesof the palm Copernicia prunifera, native to andgrown only in north-eastern Brazil. It’s perfect forautomotive uses as it’s virtually insoluble in water(meaning it doesn’t easily wash away), has a highmelting point (so shouldn’t turn runny in sunlight)and provides a durable and glossy finish.

SOWHATABOUT SYNTHETICWAXES?Typically available in liquid form, these containman-made polymers or resins rather than the morenatural ingredients of a conventional wax. Theseingredients mean that ‘sealants’, as synthetic waxesare known, tend to last longer than a natural wax.

DODIFFERENT CARSNEED DIFFERENTWAXES?A new car should require less waxing than anold one, and it would generally be better to use a

Want to protec t your car ’spa intwork? You need to getwax ing . Here’s the lowdownon exact ly what waxes areand how best to use themby Bob Harper

‘Lighter-colouredvehicles may respondbetter to syntheticwaxes, darker oneswill look better with anatural wax finish’

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sealant than a wax on a showroom-fresh machine.Cars that have lost their showroom shine willbenefit most from a polishing and waxing session.Lighter-coloured vehicles may respond better tosynthetic waxes, darker ones will look better witha natural wax finish.

HOWDO I USE AWAX?Wax should be applied after a good wash and, ifneeded, polish. Typically an applicator pad is used,and the wax should be allowed to haze over or drybefore being buffed with a microfibre cloth. If indoubt, follow the maker’s instructions.

HOWOFTEN DO I NEED TOUSE IT?This depends on car use and your car cleaningregime, but generally speaking a natural wax willneed to be applied every two to three months for avehicle in everyday use or two to three times a yearif using a synthetic wax.

PASTES, LIQUIDS, SPRAYS –WHICH IS BEST?All will provide a good finish but pastes tend to beharder and more time-consuming to apply. Liquidsare easier, while sprays will be the quickest to usebut generally have the least long-lasting results.Ultimately results will depend on the quality of thepolished clear coat and how much effort you put in.

CAN I JUST USE A SHAMPOOWITHWAX IN IT?Yes you can, but the results will be less impressive.These are best used when washing in betweenperiodic wax applications.

HOWMUCHDOESWAXCOST?Prices vary enormously but high cost doesn’tnecessarily equate to most effective. Wax starts ataround £5 for a tin to several thousand pounds forbespoke high-end products.

Buying guide

BMWM5 (F10)2011-2016Controvers ia l but a lso mighty,the F 10 was the f i r s t of a newbreed of M-cars . Today youcan buy one f rom just £30kby Peter Tomalin

fashion thanks to a dual-clutch gearbox in place ofthe previous automated single-clutch manual. Theperformance figures – 0-62mph in 4.4sec and arestricted top speed of 155mph, or 190mph with theoptional M Driver’s Package – told only part of thestory. On the road, and despite weighing a massive1870kg (115kg more than the E60), the new car waseffortlessly, breathtakingly, dizzyingly rapid.

There was even more power if you specced the£6700 Competition Package, introduced for the2014 model year alongside a minor facelift andinterior revamp. The pack lifted peak power by15bhp to 567bhp, cutting the 0-62 time to 4.2sec. Italso included a louder exhaust, a tauter chassis anda drivetrain recalibrated for sharper responses.

Even a ‘regular’ F10M had a hugely impressivearmoury of hardware and software to manageits prodigious outputs, with a new electronically

controlled Active M Differential, multiple modesfor damping, steering and throttle, and not one buttwo M buttons on the steering wheel to call up yourpreferred combinations.

In 2015, BMW launched the limited-edition ‘30Jahre M5’ to mark the 30th birthday of the M5. Itwas essentially a Competition Package with another25bhp, lifting the total to 592bhp and trimming the0-62mph time to 3.9sec. Just 30 were brought to theUK, all in striking, matt-finish Frozen Dark Silver,with a list price of £91,980. The same mechanicalspec was used for the swansong CompetitionEdition, launched in 2016 with a run of just 200,laden with extra M goodies and priced at £100,995.

But then even a regular M5 could be speccedclose to £100k. Temptingly, one of these magnificentmachines could today be yours for as little as £30k.Here’s how to find a good one.

D OWNSIZING AND TURBOCHARGINGare old hat now, but back in 2011 they werestill the cause of much soul-searching.

Especially when the outgoing model was poweredby a race-bred 5-litre naturally aspirated V10.Somehow a 4.4-litre V8, even one with twin turbos,didn’t have quite the same cachet. Most perturbingof all, the engine note would be supplemented bysynthesized sounds from the hi-fi…

On the other hand, the V8 in the new, £73,040F10 M5 did have one or two things in its favour.A peak power figure of 552bhp overshadowedeven the V10 E60’s fabulous 500bhp, making thenew model the most powerful road car BMW hadyet built. In terms of torque, the V10 was simplymonstered. Where the old unit made its 384lb ftat 6100rpm, the new one had 501lb ft all the wayfrom 1500 to 5750rpm, delivered in near-seamless

www.evo.co.uk 113

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ENGINE AND TRANSMISSIONThe ‘S63’ twin-turbo V8 didn’t get off to the best ofstarts, with a number suffering oil pump failuresleading to severe engine damage. Around 700M5s and 6s built between July and September2012, including 19 UK cars, were recalled andthe defective parts replaced. Happily, the recallnipped the problem in the bud, and the engine issince proving extremely reliable, observes MunichLegends’ Stuart Draper.

‘The one issue we do occasionally see is high oilconsumption,’ says Stuart. ‘I’d say it affects aroundone in ten cars, usually where the first ownerdidn’t stick to the running-in guidelines anddrove it harder than they should over the first fewhundred miles. Cars seem to fall into two camps.Most use no oil or very little oil, but in the worstcases they can use a litre every 500 miles.’ So lookfor the usual clues: blue smoke, specks of oil on therear bumper, an oil container in the boot…

‘We’ve seen occasional problems with injectorsand airflow meters, which can be expensive if

the car’s not under warranty,’ says Stuart, ‘butgenerally it’s a good, robust engine. Same goesfor the transmission, which is proving incrediblyhard-wearing. We’ve seen no selection issues.’

Servicing intervals are variable, depending onusage. The S63 uses timing chains, so there are nobelts to replace, but the third service is the biggie,as it includes transmission fluid, spark plugs andother pricey items.

SUSPENSION, STEERING, BRAKESNo serious issues to worry about here. ‘TheF10 chassis was so stiff that the drivetrain andsuspension could be pretty much solid-bushed.’says Stuart Draper. ‘Consequently they don’t haveas many wear and tear issues as earlier cars.

‘The brakes are a big improvement on those ofmost earlier M-cars, with proper discs and six-potcalipers. Very few buyers went for the carbon-ceramics. Today anyone looking for an upgrade fortrackdays tends to go for a Brembo set-up.’

To replace a set of front discs and pads is about

£1300, and it’s a similar sum for the rears, whichactually wear at least as fast because they’re usedby the traction control. ‘In fact the brakes seem towear extremely well, usually lasting 30,000 milesor more,’ says Stuart.

A few owners prefer the ride and lower roadnoise on 19in wheels, but the vast majority oforiginal buyers went for the 20in option. Checktheir condition carefully, including on the insideof the rims. Tyres seem to last surprisingly well,with some owners even reporting getting 20,000-plus miles from the rears. Budget around £250 percorner if the tread is marginal.

BODY, INTERIOR, ELECTRICSNo serious issues here. Do check that the airconditioning works as it should – F10s weresubject to recalls for air-con failures. Some carssuffer slight but irritating rattles from around theB-pillars and door trims, which can take time totrace and rectify.

Market BUYING GUIDE

CHECKPOINTS

114 www.evo.co.uk

£252.42 front,£266.90 rear (MichelinPilot Super Sport)

£478.99 (set, includingsensors)

£852 (pair)

£869.33 (single)

£33.06 (per bank)

£23.75

£194.11 (set)

Tyres (each)

Front pads

Front discs

Damper

Air filter

Oil filter

Spark plugs

PARTS PRICESPrices from munichlegends.co.uk. Tyreprice from blackcircles.com. All pricesinclude VAT but exclude fitting charges.

V8, 4395cc, twin-turbo

552bhp @ 6000-7000rpm

501lb ft @ 1500-5750rpm

Seven-speed DCT,rear-wheel drive,Active M Differential

1870kg

300bhp/ton

4.4sec (claimed)

155mph (limited, 190mphoption)

£73,040 (2011)

Engine

Max power

Max torque

Transmission

Weight

Power-to-weight

0-62mph

Top speed

Price new

SPECIFICATION

INFORMATION

£418.09

£954.32

Minor service

Major service

Prices from munichlegends.co.uk,including VAT, Servicing is condition-based with variable intervals.

SERVICING

WHAT TO PAY

You do occasionally see F10s for as little as £25k,but these tend to be high-mileage cars with less-than-watertight service histories. A more realisticbudget for a good 2011/12 car is £30k, or around£35k for a facelift model (introduced late 2013),and £35k-40k for a Competition Package. Desirableoptions include extended Merino leather, the Bang& Olufsen hi-fi, M multi-function seats, SurroundView and split folding rear seats.

The car pictured here is an early faceliftmodel from 2013 with 23,950 miles on the clock.It’s for sale at Dove House Motor Company inNorthamptonshire for £33,900. Call 01933 354144.

Above: 552bhp V8was the firstturbochargedM engine; it’s provingreliable too, but look out for cars witha thirst for oil.Topandbelow right:interiors generally trouble-free: justlisten for rattles and check the air con

www.evo.co.uk 115

£4273.82

£2273.67

£1737.67

£1394.80

£3075.50

£80.56

Average engine repair

Average gearbox repair

Average suspension repair

Average electrical repair

Average brake repair

Warranty (per month)

WARRANTYRepair bil ls for the F10 M5 can be big.The table below shows the averagerepair costs for the top five major faultsalongside the price of buying peace ofmind with a warranty from Warrantywise.

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BLAIR McCONACHIE

WHAT WE SAID

‘I BOUGHT ONE’

‘ I ’d gone to the dealership tolook at a 335d – I needed a newtow-car for my Caterham – buthaving previously owned an E39[’99-’03] M5, the 335d didn’treally do it for me. Then thesalesman mentioned they hadan F10 M5 that had just arrivedwith 20,000 miles on the clock.I wasn’t sure if the F10 was forme – I had steered away fromturbos previously and always hadmanual gearboxes – but I wentfor a test drive and shook hishand an hour later.

‘That was three years ago.The car has now done 42,000miles and I can compare the twoM5s as an ownership prospect ,having used both for the dailycommute, on European journeysand also on track. The F10 was

even pressed into service atKnockhil l for a round of theSuper Lap Scotland time attackevent [superlapscotland.co.uk]when my Caterham wasn’t ready.I have to say, I was impressedwith what a standard M5 coulddo on track, given its weight .

‘Considering that weight andthe performance, costs haven’tbeen unreasonable. I get 25-26mpg on long journeys – I oncesaw 30mpg by showing ultimaterestraint – while if I stretch thecar I get low teens. I ’ve just hadtwo new front tyres fitted at£270 each; the rears are duefor replacement soon but havelasted 10,000 miles. I ’ve replacedthe front discs and pads, andalso the rear pads. The bigservice for me was £919, while a

standard service plus differentialoi l change was £514. I kept theextended BMW warranty, whichhas proved its value by coveringthe replacement of an air-concondenser and some turbocoolant hoses.

‘ I had thought the E39 M5 wasthe consummate all-rounder,and I do miss the burble of theV8, but I wouldn’t go back toone now. The F10 really growson you: the speed is evidentfrom the start , but the chassisis malleable and it has a greatfront end. I now prefer it overall .It really is the do-it-al l car.’

IN THE CLASSIFIEDS

Market BUYING GUIDE

2011 M5£29,500

45,000miles,MonteCarloBlue,blackextendedMerino leather,20inMalloys,

Mmulti-functionseatssytner.co.uk

2014 M5£33,990

28,350miles,SpaceGreyMetallic,blackextendedMerino leather,oneownerfrom

new,fullBMWservicehistorylloydmotorgroup.com

2014 M5 COMP PACKAGE£37,537

27,180miles,SapphireBlack,blackextendedMerino leather,CompetitionPackage(567bhp),Professionalsatnav

stratstone.com

JAGUAR XFRLacks the quality and depth of its Germanrivals, but its supercharged 5-litre V8 gives503bhp and 461lbft and there’s plenty toenjoy. £35-40k buys a low-mileage 2014/15 car.

MERCEDES-BENZ E63 AMG (’11-’16)Its twin-turbo 5.5-l itre V8 can outpunch eventhe F10M, with 577bhp in ‘S’ trim; non-S had518bhp then later 549bhp. Its chassis doesn’tquite have the M5’s range of talents, though.2013/14 cars currently in the £30k-40k range.

PORSCHE PANAMERAThe 394bhp Panamera S was closest to theF10M on price when new. They’re now around£30k, but the 493bhp Turbo (or 542bhp S) isthe one to have if you can stetch to £35k-plus.

RIVALS

116 www.evo.co.uk

ROAD TEST, DECEMBER 2011‘You know the way a really good auto ’boxinstinctively knows when to hold a gear andwhen to drop a cog? That’s what this DCTdoes. The calibration is exemplary because atlow speed it must juggle a torque curve that ,from 1000 to 1500rpm, jumps several hundredlb ft . But somehow it manages everything withserene indifference. Compared with the V10M5’s auto mode, it’s a revelation.

‘As for the driveabil ity, character andflexibi l ity of the radical new motor, well ,they’re all exceptional. I ’m trying to think ofanother turbocharger installation that givessuch stupendous torque from virtually noengine revolutions, but keeps pull ing to over7000rpm, all the time increasing in potency.

‘Does it rev l ike the old V10? Of course itdoesn’t . But just as the torque curve subsides,so the power takes over and the result mustbe one of the most remarkable powertrains ofmodern times.

‘The car feels noticeably heavier than itspredecessor, but the brakes are just fine. Theymake plenty of noise but the pedal stays firmand the stopping power is commensurate withsomething that weighs so much and yet buildsspeed so quickly.

‘Like the best M-cars, it doesn’t feel l ike afast 5-series, it feels l ike a stand-alone model.Something too heavy and not perfect , but sti l lsomething very special indeed.’ – evo 163

evo.co.uk061

c ov e r s t o ryn e w bm w m 5

29/09/2011 15:39

060 Pictures: BMW

The M5’sBACK!

With 552bhp from its controversial

twin-turbo V8, the new M5 is the

most powerful road car BMW has

ever produced. But is it also one of the

greatest? Chris Harris decides

30/09/2011 15:59

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Market

I T DIDN’T TAKE LONG FOR GARETH TO FINDhis niche: modified Japanese cars. After a coupleof European hatchbacks he bought a Nissan 200SX

that he soon set about tuning.He hasn’t stayed loyal to just one brand, though,

trying something from Mazda in the form of an RX-7,then a Honda Accord Type R and a Toyota Corolla.Admittedly that last one wasn’t very exciting but ithad an important role: it was a workhorse so he could

keep his pride and joy, an R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R, forspecial occasions only.

As well as appreciating the big power from boostedJapanese engines, Gareth also has a taste for a fine, well-tuned chassis. The Renault Sport Clio might actuallyhave been his girlfriend’s, but he spent so much timedriving and enjoying it that he included it in his ownlist. He also enjoys his Focus ST Estate so much that it’scaused him to make a radical decision…

BUYINGJOURNEY

Ford Focus ST Estate‘ I got fed up of driving mundane cars every day, so Idecided to treat myself to this. It’s incredibly practical– very useful when you also ride mountain bikes for fun– yet it’s sti l l a quick and fun car to drive. I had noplans to modify it , but after one of the standardfront springs broke I replaced them all witha set of lower H&R ones. Thankfully,they haven’t completely ruined theride. Owning the ST has almostsealed the fate of the Skyline.Driving dull cars day-in day-outalways made the R32 feelspecial . Now I can drive a carthat is nearly as fast , yet withthe comfort of not having toworry about the next big bil l! ’

The Japanese-b ia sed ownersh iph is tor y of evo readerGareth Rober ts

118 www.evo.co.uk

Email your buying journeywith a selection of images [email protected]

‘ I ’m pretty certain I wil l sel l theSkyline next spring. I ’d love toreplace it with a Toyota Supra orMitsubishi Evo VI, but the way theprices of these are going I doubtI’ l l ever own one. Plus they’d justhave the same fate as the Skyline,sitting in the garage doing nothing.I ’ l l keep the Focus for another twoyears. After that I quite fancy anE61 BMW M5 Touring, even if a V10estate seems almost irresponsibleand very expensive.’

WHAT NEXT?

Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32)‘As much as I enjoyed the Accord Type R, I did

get bored with it and longed for the torquefrom something turbocharged. I also

really wanted to be the first UK ownerof a car imported from Japan. I initial ly

looked for another 200SX but then Isaw what a bargain Skyline GT-Rs were

at the time. A couple of months laterI bought an R32, and I sti l l own it now.

It was standard apart from an exhaustand air fi lter when I bought it , but I’ve

upgraded certain parts such as thebrakes, clutch and bushes, and it sits on

coilovers now. Sadly I rarely use it . I don’ttake it out during winter, it gets too hot on

trackdays and its cl imbing value puts meoff. I absolutely love it , though.’

Nissan 200SX‘Not just my first taste of Japanese cars but alsoof rear-wheel drive and turbocharged engines. Ittaught me a lot about driving and really got me intomodifying. It ran a modest 270bhp and I did variouschassis upgrades. I was very fond of it . I rememberseeing huge flames lighting up the rear-view mirrorwhilst driving with some colleagues across the NorthYork Moors. One winter I took it off the road for anoverhaul and found the rear strut tops hadgone rotten, so instead I broke it forparts and scrapped the shell .’

1997 Fiat Cinquecento Spor ting

2001 MG ZR 120

1998 Nissan 200SX (S14A)

2004 Renault Spor t Clio 182

1998 Renault Mégane 1.4

1996 Efini (Mazda) RX-7

2000 Honda Accord Type R

1994 Nissan Sk yline GT-R (R32)

2000 Toyota Corolla 1.6

2003 Ford Mondeo Estate 1.8

2012 Ford Focus ST Estate

THE CARS

‘ I got fed up of driving mundane cars every day, so I decided to treat myself to this. It ’s incredibly practical – very useful when you also ride mountain bikes for fun – yet it ’s sti l l a quick and fun car to drive. I had no plans to modify it , but after one of the standard front springs broke I replaced them all with a set of lower H&R ones. Thankfully,

take it out during winter, it gets too hot on trackdays and its cl imbing value puts me

off. I absolutely love it , though.’WHAT NEXT?

from something turbocharged. I also really wanted to be the first UK owner

of a car imported from Japan. I initial ly looked for another 200SX but then I

saw what a bargain Skyline GT-Rs were at the time. A couple of months later

I bought an R32, and I sti l l own it now. It was standard apart from an exhaust and air f i lter when I bought it , but I ’ve

upgraded certain parts such as the brakes, clutch and bushes, and it sits on

coilovers now. Sadly I rarely use it . I don’t

2003 Ford Mondeo Estate 1.8

2012 Ford Focus ST Estate

take it out during winter, it gets too hot on

Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32)‘As much as I enjoyed the Accord Type R, I did

get bored with it and longed for the torque

‘Not just my first taste of Japanese cars but also of rear-wheel drive and turbocharged engines. It taught me a lot about driving and really got me into modifying. It ran a modest 270bhp and I did various chassis upgrades. I was very fond of it . I remember seeing huge flames l ighting up the rear-view mirror whilst driving with some colleagues across the North York Moors. One winter I took it off the road for an overhaul and found the rear strut tops had gone rotten, so instead I broke it for parts and scrapped the shell .’

‘As much as I enjoyed the Accord Type R, I did get bored with it and longed for the torque

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www.evo.co.uk 121

Market

James Disdale: If you’re going to sink £30,000into a supersaloon then you might as well splashyour cash on the car that arguably pioneered thefashion for fast four-doors – the BMW E28 M5(above). There had been quick saloon cars before theE28 landed in 1985, but none was quite as specialas the shark-nosed M5. With its snarling 282bhp3.5-litre straight-six from the M1 supercar underthe bonnet and Plain Jane looks, this for me is theultimate Q-car and one that’ll always be part of mydream top ten. Just over 2000 were built, making itone of the rarest M-cars, yet prices haven’t yet gonestratospheric, so £30k should buy a tidy example.

Stuart Gallagher: You can get more powerfulsupersaloons for £30,000 and faster ones, too,but having covered tens of thousands of miles inPorsche’s first attempt at a four-door saloon thattroubles sports cars, the Panamera (above right)is hard to ignore. Our budget affords you an early(2010) 4.8-litre, naturally aspirated V8 ‘S’ with four-wheel drive (rear-drive models are rare). Its 394bhpisn’t a great deal of shove for a car weighing nearly2000kg, but the Panamera 4S is near untouchablewhen it comes to executing the supersaloon briefof covering vast distances at a discreet speed insublime comfort before rolling up its sleeves andtelling a B-road to let you enjoy yourself.

There’s something utterly bewitching about a four-door saloon that’s equally at home blitzing a back road as it is potteringto the supermarket. But if you had £30,000 to spend, which one should you buy? Let the evo team help you choose

Adam Towler: Thanks to the sort of savagedepreciation that affects the majority ofsupersaloons, a lot of my potential suggestionsactually fall short of the budget. The smart approachwould be to buy the best you can find and put therest away for some potentially ruinous bills, as is alltoo likely with ageing heavy metal. However – andapologies for making this an M5-fest – I’ve workedout that I can get both a decent E34 M5 five-speed(right, middle) and a reasonable E39 M5 for thirtygrand. Two of the most glorious sporting saloonsever made, nestled together in my garage. Job done.

Antony Ingram: As everyone else has pickedGerman cars, I’ve perhaps unwisely chosensomething Italian to compensate. The MaseratiQuattroporte Sport GTS (bottom right) is perhapsthe ultimate incarnation of the previous, muchprettier Quattroporte, and our £30k budget willleave change for any remedial maintenance youmight need after purchase. It uses a ZF six-speedautomatic rather than the occasionally recalcitrantautomated manual, and GTS models receivedrecalibrated software for even quicker changes.With 433bhp it’d struggle to meet 2017 definitionsof a supersaloon, but the Ferrari-sourced 4.7-litre V8makes the right noises and this QP topped the classfor handling back in the day. And just look at it!

I WANT TO BUY A…£30,000 SUPERSALOON

THE RS6 HAS ONE MAJOR PROBLEM. FINDING SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS IT.

The Audi RS6 is probably one of the world’s finest automotive engineering achievements on the roadtoday. The V8 is sophisticated, not harsh. Complex, not complicated. And intoxicatingly outrageous.So much is the personality of the RS6, that you’ll notice if it’s a little under the weather. But you don’tjust get anyone to diagnose and deliver a prognosis. And there lies the problem. Not many understandyour RS6 like we do. Because at Unit 20, we’ve been taking them apart and putting them back togetherfor well over a decade. Which is why our customers – from far and wide – return to us with their RS6sfor the finest tuning, servicing and repairs. Understandably.

If your RS6 is a little misunderstood, call Unit 20 now on 0151 336 6888, or visit unit20.com

UNIT 20 | FIVEWAYS HOUSE | LIVERPOOL ROAD | CLAYHILL INDUSTRIAL ESTATE | NESTON |WIRRAL CH64 3RU | TELEPHONE 0151 336 6888.

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2000/W Aston Mar�n Vantage Volante Speical Edi�on SWB -V600 Engine Specifica�onRolls Royce Royal Blue with Parchment Hide, Aston Mar�n Works Service History, Recent Service,No.5 of a total of 8 produced. One of the last V8’s to be built at Newport Pagnell.Only 2,937 Miles £1,400,000

2016/16 Ferrari F12 Berline�aRosso Fiorano with Sabbia Hide Interior,Carbon Fibre Driving Zone, Enhanced Hi-Fi.Only 760 Miles £284,850

2010/10 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMGAlubeam Silver with Black Hide, Ceramic Brakes,Reversing Camera, AMG Steering Wheel.6,200 Miles £199,850

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Ferrari began its programme to redevelop the BB seriesin 1978. At first the brief was to redesign the existing512BBi but revised safety and emission regulations ledto Ferrari developing a complete new model.

The all new Ferrari Testarossa premiered at the 1984 ParisAuto show. With blistering performance, Striking looks,superb handling and yet more luxury it’s easy to see how thenew Ferrari GT car became the poster car of the 80’s. Thismodel was face lifted in 1992 to become the 512TR. Only thevery early Ferrari Testarossa’s carry the ‘FlyingMirror’ and arereferred to as the Monospecchio. This unusual characteristicwas the result of a misinterpretation of European law by thedesign team, The design was later revised to a conventionalset up. The very first US car to carry double mirrors waschassis No. 67487 and built in 1987.

THEFERRARITESTAROSSA

CURRENTLY IN STOCK:

1977 FERRARI 308 GTB Race Car 3.0L RHD1985 FERRARI Testarossa Monospechio 4.9L LHD1990 FERRARI 348 TS 3.4L RHD1990 FERRARI Testarossa 4.9L LHD1999 FERRARI 360 Modena 3.6L RHD2000 FERRARI 550 Maranello 5.5L LHD2004 FERRARI 360 Spider 3.6L RHD2005 FERRARI F430 Spider 4.3L RHD

SALES • SERVICE • RESTORATION

RENAISSANCE CLASSICS, Trackspeed House,Portsmouth Road, Ripley, Surrey GU23 6HB

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www.classiccarauctions.co.uk

1974 Jaguar E-Type SIIIV12 Roadster

Interested in consigning your car or attending our next auction?Visit www.classiccarauctions.co.uk or call 01926 801084 to find out more.

CCA December 2017 Classic Car Sale

1980 Porsche 911 3.0 SC TargaSold for £20,900

JOIN US AT OUR NEXT SALE

2nd December | Indoor auction hall | Over 150 carsThe Warwickshire Exhibition Centre, Leamington Spa CV31 1XN

1971 Ford CortinaMK3 1600 GT

Sold for £55,000 Sold for £13,420

www.evo.co.uk 135

A brand new racing app has popped uponto our radar this month

ESSENT I A L SW H AT ’ S N E W

As an evo reader, chances are you liveout someof your driving fantasies inthe virtual world. But the scope to takeForza orGran Turismowith youwhenout and about is limited. You’d lookpretty daftwith your steeringwheeland pedals on a train…

Somobile app developer Hutchhas created a game that allows you touse all the knowledge and skill you’vebuilt up from years of reading evo, andwhich you can play anywherewhereyou can take your phone or tablet.Youmay even recognise someof thepictures and data from your favouritecarmagazine.

Rather than the player drivingthe cars, TopDrives is like amoresophisticated, interactive and infinitegameof Top Trumps. You start offwitha basic ‘pack’ of cars and put theminto races against a selection of othervehicles on different tracks, roads,muddy circuits and drag strips.

Victory is rewardedwithmore cars,virtualmoney and in-game ‘gold’. Allallow you to buymore cars – servedup in special packs that look like thePanini football stickerswe all used towaste our pocketmoney buying – orupgrade your current fleet to improveperformance and handling.

The clever part is the need to chooseyour racers carefully depending onthe road andweather conditions. Ano-hope off-roaderwill leave aMcLarenfloundering on a snowy hairpin, forexample.

It promises to be seriously addictivestuff, especially for car geekswhoinstictively knowa car’s strengths. It’sfree to download from theApple AppStore or Google Play Store, while in-apppurchaseswill see youwith nicer carssooner and save someplaying time.

GAME

Top Drives£ f r e e (+ i n - a p p p u r c h a s e s)Apple App Store &Google Play Store

N I S S A N G T- R // L E X U S R C F // A U D I R S 5 // S E A T L E O N S T C U P R A 3 0 0 4 D R I V E //P E U G E O T 1 0 6 R A L L Y E // F O R D F O C U S S T E S T A T E // M I N I J C W C H A L L E N G E //D S 3 P E R F O R M A N C E // V W G O L F G T E // A L F A R O M E O G I U L I A Q U A D R I F O G L I O

T H I SM O N T H

In 2017MY guise, the GT-R is supposed to be asfearsome as ever but also easier to live with.Time to find out if those claims are true

NISSANGT-RNEW ARRIVALS

NCOMFORTABLE,uncompromising,unbelievably quick, but

also unfathomably difficult to livewith on a daily basis. These arejust some of the ways in which theNissan GT-R has been describedover the years.Nowadays, though, the GT-R has

been smoothed out, says Nissan,in order tomake it less spikey inits overall appeal. Tomake it moreuseable, it says, and that’s preciselywhat I’m about to find out over the

comingmonths behind the wheel ofOY66 UOP – a 2017-model-year GT-Rwearing £1750 of optional KatsuraOrangemetallic paint and preciselyzero other options. Price on theroad: £83,745.Because after all, let’s face it, we

all know already how fast and howmind-bending the GT-R can be whenit comes to reshaping the space-time continuum. It has 562bhpcourtesy of a 3.8-litre twin-turboV6, it puts its power on the roadvia a revised six-speed dual-clutch

U

138 www.evo.co.uk

Dateacquired July 2017Totalmileage 6215

Mileagethismonth 848Coststhismonth £0mpgthismonth 18.8

gearbox, and it has a computer-controlled four-wheel-drive systemthat even themost respectedengineers at NASA can’t quite gettheir heads around. As a result ithas a top speed well the other sideof 190mph and, with launch control,can do 0-60mph in not a lot morethan 2.5 seconds.So it’s exciting and fast and

maybe a little bit mad, often all atthe same time. But we’ve knownthat about the GT-R for almost tenyears now.What’s less certain aboutthis 2017MY GT-R is how easy it is toget on with just as a car; as ameansof getting from point A to point Bwithout necessarily needing to setyour heart on fire in the process.So the questions, I guess, are

these: Is the latest GT-R sufficientlyeasy enough to get on with thatyou can actually use it for the dailygrind? And if it really is thatmucheasier to live with than the GT-R ofold, has this blunted its core appealas a true drivers’ car?Visually, the 2017 GT-R looks

similar to, yet actually quite differentfrom, what’s gone before. Some ofthe edges have been softened invarious places and this hasmade itappearmore handsome/less brutalfrommost angles. But inmetallicorange wearingmassive black 20inwheels, it still looks fantasticallyintimidating. And it simply wouldn’tbe a proper GT-R if this aspect hadgonemissing.It’s the same story inside, too. The

cabin has been simplified in styleand therefore improved in severalkey areas – the removal of some ofthemore perplexing buttons andthe clearer dash and instrumentlayouts being themain ones. Yet atthe same time it still feels much likethe car I drove originally on its launchin Japan at the end of 2007. It stillfeels like a GT-R inside, still smellslike one, even if the seats aremorecomfortable and the instrumentseasier to understand.But the big thing about the 2017

GT-R is the way it now rides. Flick thedigitised dampers to Comfort and

keep everything else in Normal and,yes, I think I can live with this car ona daily basis. It now rides OK ratherthan not OK. But can you love theGT-R on a daily basis? Has it taken abig step forwards in all sorts of otherareas – transmission refinement,tyre noise, steering kickback,gearchange quality, even windnoise – but without it feeling anyless dramatic when the time comesand you flick all the settings tomaxand let rip? Is it still just as excitingto drive as it ever was when you dothat? Is it more exciting, if anything,because you can use the speedrather than be terrified by it?

We’ll see. But one thing’s for sure:I think I’m going to enjoy the next sixmonths with this still-extraordinarycar finding out.LSteve Sutcliffe

Above: reduced button-countmakes for a less-daunting cabin.Below:

Katsura Orange paint is theonly option on our car

www.evo.co.uk 139

Dateacquired August 2017Totalmileage 2483


‘There’s none of the burping andfarting and general shenanigans youget from an M, AMG or Jaguar’

S IWRITE THIS SECONDreport on the Lexus it’sonly been a fewweeks

since I took possession of the car.However, in that short space of timeI’ve still managed to cover somemeaningful miles in it and have beenenjoying getting to know it.One thing you have to get used

to straight away is the amount ofattention it gets. Much of this isdue to curiosity – RC Fs are rarebeasts indeed, and it has the kindof presence thatmeans it’s not justpetrolheads who notice it. There’salso an appreciation for Lexusamongst enthusiasts as a credibleplayer in an area of themarketdominated by AMG, M and the RSAudis. The LFA halo effect remainsreal and strong.There’s some surprise when I

explain it has a stonking naturallyaspirated 5-litre V8, as there’s anexpectation that there will also bea level of hybrid tech. That car-savvy enthusiasts happily connect

A

Lexus RC FThe getting-to-know-you phasecontinues with our V8 Japanese coupe –and the early signs are promising

fast cars with enviro-friendlytechnology bodes well for thefuture, but in themeantime it’scool that Lexus is happy to build atraditional, big-hearted front-engined, rear-drive coupe.It’s taking a little while to get

my head around the infotainmentsystem and its interface, as it’s verydifferent from the German set-upsthat I’mmore used to. It’s a bit likepicking up amate’s Android phoneif you’re an Apple user – you feel abit lost. That said, I rather like thetrackpad-and-cursor method ofnavigating around the screen, andI’m sure themenus and promptswill become intuitive in time.Annoyingly, I can’t seem to get thesatnav to accept full postcodes,but that could beme. I may evenconsult the owner’s manual…

The all-pervading feeling ofquality continues to impressme,and those who have taken a ridein the car. Much like this solidityof build, the RC F tackles the road

in a similarly steadfastmanner.There’s an underlying firmness to thedamping, but an absence of fidget ordistraction by bumps or cambers.

I’m still exploring the dynamicmodes. As you’d expect, Eco is thegentlest, with Normal, Sport andSport+ offeringmeasured stepsup in response and aggression. In arecent 300-mile round trip (most ofit motorway) I was impressed witha 29mpg average. That was in Eco.Shorter journeys, where I’mmorelikely to engage Sport, have thusfar shown 22mpg to be nearer theeverydaymark, which is a bit painful,but not bad for a near-500bhp V8.One thing I am really enjoying is

the RC F’s ability to be quiet and

discreet unless you really get yourtoe down. Even in Sport+ there’snone of the burping and farting andgeneral shenanigans you get fromanM, AMG or Jaguar, but whenyou open the throttle and get theV8working hard under load it hasa rich and tuneful howl, not unlikean American V8. I’ll endeavourto hear muchmore of it over thecomingmonths.LRichard Meaden(@DickieMeaden)

140 www.evo.co.uk

T

VolkswagenGolf GTEA long journey allows our hybrid hot hatch toshow the benefits of dual power sources

Dateacquired August 2017Totalmileage 4055


HEWHOLE POINT OF Aplug-in hybrid is that itshould deliver many of

the benefits of an electric car, butwithout the dreaded range anxietythat oftenmeans you daren’t travelmore than a fewmiles from home. Sowhen a family camping holiday to theNew Forest was on the cards I had nofears about jumping into the GTE.However, while there would be no

problem getting there and back – thefully charged batteries and fuel tankgave a combined range of about 400miles – there were one or two softlyuttered expletives when loadingthe Golf for the trip. Squeezing thebattery pack under the rear seatsmeans the fuel tank has beenrelocated beneath the boot floor,shrinking the Golf’s luggage-carrying

capacity by nearly a third. Still, we’dalways planned to take two cars,and with the VW’s rear bench foldedthere was just enough room forthree bikes plus any overspill fromthe family estate car.On the trip south from

Hertfordshire, the effortless andhushed Golf delivered on the ‘GT’ inits GTE nametag. Given it wasmostlyamotorway slog I left the car inHybridmode and let the computersshuffle between petrol and electricpower, the only clue to the switchbetween sources being the tiniestof hiccups in the delivery and thechange of TFT dash display from revcounter to power gauge.

On the rare occasions that trafficwas light and the speed limitsallowed, I was able to explore the

VW’s sporting side on some ofHampshire’s twistier roads. You needto be in GTEmode for maximum go,however, because the Golf’s 100bhpelectric motormakes for leisurelyperformance when it’s going solo.With petrol and electric workingtogether to give a combined totalof 201bhp, the VWpulls remarkablystrongly, while the change betweenregenerative braking and traditionaldiscs is smoother thanmost similar

systems. Push really hard and theGTE’s mass starts to tell (it weighsa portly 1540kg – around 250kgmore than a five-door GTI), butdial it back a bit and this Golf isas precise and poised as its moreconventional cousins.Upon arrival at our destination

I enjoyed the smug satisfactionof trickling through a ForestryCommission campsite in silent,zero-emissionsmode. There wasabout 15miles of range remainingfrom the original 26 as the internalcombustion engine had done thelion’s share of the work on the waydown. This was enough for the oddshort hop to shops for provisions,but with no charging points locally Ihad to rely on petrol power alone onthe way home.Speaking of which, the return

leg was tackled after dark, whichgaveme the first opportunity tosample the car’s brilliant adaptiveLED headlamps. Not only does theset-up effectively ‘mask’ areas ofthe full beam for vehicles ahead,it’s also speed related, so the beamchanges to adapt to either urban orfast-moving roads. Very cool.Just as impressive is the car’s

classy cabin, which offers a greaterfeel-good factor than any otherfamily hatch. After four nights undercanvas there were few other placesI’d rather have been.LJames Disdale

‘I enjoyed the smug satisfaction of tricklingthrough a Forestry Commission campsite

in silent, zero-emissions mode’

www.evo.co.uk 141

Audi RS5

S

The high of a strong Supertestresult is followed by thelow of a bird strike

URRENDERING A LONG-termer so that it canfeature in a test elsewhere

in themagazine is never somethingI feel entirely comfortable with. It’snot that evo’s road testersmistreatcars – far from it. It’s just that therigours of thoroughly testing amanufacturer-supplied vehicle,particularly if the acquisition oflap times and acceleration andbraking figures is involved, inevitablyresults in some accelerated wear.Often a key will be handed backwithmuttered warnings of the carneeding ‘just’ a couple of new tyresor having ‘just a bit’ of a grumblecoming from its brakes.So when the RS5 returned after

the best part of a week and 1000miles on evo’s inaugural Supertestlast month – one of themostthorough tests ever devised by acar magazine – it was with somerelief that I found its tyres hadsuffered surprisingly minimal wear(approximately 1mm lost at each

And if you like numbers, a 0-60mphtime of just 3.6sec (against Audi’sclaim of 0-62 in 3.9) is sure to piqueyour interest, too.

So the result was healthy, as wasthe car, whichmade it particularlygalling when, just tenminutes aftergetting back behind its wheel, aparticularly chunky pigeon triedtomake a surprise landing in frontof the RS5while it was travellingalong at 40mph. The Audi’s noseclobbered the dozy bird and sent itsomersaulting into the air, sprayingunidentifiable pigeon juice over theroof and rear screen. Stopping toinspect themess, I found that theunfortunate creature had bullseyedthemost vulnerable part of theRS5’s grille, cracking it in a few placesand rather spoiling the uniformity ofits honeycomb pattern. The fine finson the radiator behind had also beenlightly crushed in a couple of smallspots, but thankfully there were noaccompanying leaks.So back to Audi UK the RS5went

Dateacquired June 2017Totalmileage 4801

Mileagethismonth 884Coststhismonth TBCmpgthismonth 22.3

to have a new grille fitted, while Ispent a couple of nail-biting weekshoping it would return in time fora big journey I had inmind for it.One that would put its GT-leaningcredentials to the test and whichwouldn’t be quite the same in thediesel Q2 courtesy car. More on thattrip next time.LIan Eveleigh

corner) and that its brakes seemednone the worse for enduring ten100mph-to-zero stops in quicksuccession. There is perhaps ateeny-weeny hint of rumble if youlisten very carefully, but I couldn’tswear it wasn’t there before; not badconsidering our long-termer is notfitted with the optional carbon-ceramic set-up.

Better still, the RS5 had comeback from the Supertest with itshead held high, having nudged theMercedes-AMG C63 S Coupe intothird place to take the second stepon the podium behind the 2017MYBMWM4Competition Package.I suspectmost of the evo team,and quite possibly many evoreaders, expected the RS5 to finishlast in that trio, especially withits self-proclaimed bias towardseveryday useability. But it seemsthis fit-for-purpose approach, whichhad already wonme round duringmy first fewweeks with the car, alsoworked its magic on the test team.

142 www.evo.co.uk

HAD A DREAM LASTnight that I’d boughta Peugeot 106 Rallye.

Nothing unusual about that, youmight think, only when I openedmygarage this morning there was aPeugeot 106 Rallye sitting wheremyEunos Roadster normally lives.There’s a perfectly reasonable

explanation for this: I’ve boughta Peugeot 106 Rallye. I didn’t planto, and indeed about three weeksbefore writing these words I wasn’teven looking for one. But you knowhow it goes: leaf through a few oldissues of evo, a conversation with acolleague, a YouTube video or two,and a couple of hours later you’retapping your password into anonline banking page and coming upwith contentious reasons why you’llprobably notmiss a few digits fromyour balance.Of course, all this is moot if the

I

Peugeot 106 RallyeHot hatches don’t come any purer than this: 103bhp,865kg, steel wheels, white paint and some fabulous decals

car for sale is at the other end ofthe country, but this one was onlyabout 15minutes from the office.Increasing the temptation was thefact that the seller’s advert was verywell written and detailed a long listof recentmaintenance items thatimplied he was probably making anet loss on the car he’d bought only ayear previously.

So I organised a viewing a week orso later, hoping some other poor sapwould fold in themeantime and buythe car so I didn’t have to. But theydidn’t. So I drove it, and enjoyed it,and foundmyself walking to a cashmachine around the corner to takeout a deposit. And then I turnedup the next week, handed over therest of the sum and drove home in aPeugeot 106 Rallye.

So what exactly have I bought?It is, specifically, a 1998 example,painted in one of only two colours

available on second-generationRallyes like this, BiancaWhite. Notonly that, it’s retained the white14-inchMichelin steel wheels thatRallyes were sold with new, butwhichmany owners unfathomablytraded for naff alloys over the years.All its other original components arepresent and correct as well, rightdown to the gummy plastic steeringwheel rim and the simple cloth seatswith their flashes of Peugeot Sportyellow, blue and red. All for £3350.

It’s mechanically standard, too,whichmeans a raspy 1.6-litre, single-overhead-cam four-cylinder witheight valves, multipoint fuel injectionand 103bhp. The five-speedmanualgearbox has a long and slightlyrubbery but otherwise lightning-fast throw, and the three pedals arecrammed into a tight footwell, offsetto the left compared with the largesteering wheel.

NEW ARRIVAL

And as the eBay advert hadimplied, it’s also in greatmechanicalhealth. It’s recently undergone atop-end overhaul to cure a smokingissue, which turned out to be wornvalve guides rather than anythingmore serious. At the same timeit had a comprehensive service,along with a new cambelt and othersundries such as HT leads.It’s in no way perfect, with fading

stickers and badges outside, andcrumbling foam in some of the seatbolsters. It’ll also need some newenginemounts soon and I’m sure Ican hear a leak from a particularlysealant-heavy section of the(otherwise standard) exhaust.But this morning when I opened

my garage door and realisedmyPeugeot 106 Rallye wasn’t a dream,it mademy day just a little brighter.More nextmonth.LAntony Ingram (@evoAntony)

www.evo.co.uk 143

‘Its originalcomponents areall present andcorrect, and as theeBay advert hadimplied, it’s in greatmechanical health’

Dateacquired August 2017Totalmileage 111,114

Mileagethismonth 129Coststhismonth £0mpgthismonth No idea yet

N66 ZHR HAS BEENWITHus for about six monthsnow, but it’s been nearly

six weeks since I last spent anytime behind its wheel, with launchevents, press vehicles and variousother factors conspiring to keepmefrom its attractive lines and slightlyuncomfortable seats (see evo 238).

One of those factors is newlyappointed road test editor JamesDisdale, who sang the RF’s praiseslast month having conveniently heldon to the keys throughout the recentheatwave. Naturally, he’s spot-onwithmost of his observations, fromthe unusual lack of headroom (I’m aninch shorter andmy bonce has stillcontacted plastic once or twice whileshuffling inmy seat) to the satisfyingflow you can adopt once you’vetuned in to the car’s responses.I do have to disagree on a couple

of points, though. Firstly, I’ve foundthe RF far noisier roof-down thanthe regular roadster version, mostlybecause there’s a large B-pillarbehind your head collecting air that

Y ‘The RF is able to slipalmost imperceptiblyinto my daily routinewhile still offering upsome driving fun’

Mazda MX-5 RFOur roadster gets its mid-term report. Do the RF’s foiblesundermine its status as themost versatile MX-5?

Dateacquired February 2017Totalmileage 8922


would otherwise flow undisturbedaway from the car. I’d go as far assayingmyMk1 MX-5 generates lessatmospheric kerfuffle inches fromyour right ear, though noise aside,the RF’s cabin is less disturbed bywind than the fabric-roofed versions.I dare say James’s choice of radio

stations is more conducive to clearaudio than the podcasts and tunesonmy iPhone, too.While you canbeat the wind noise with volume,the sound quality leaves plenty to bedesired – it’s more Alba than Bose.In fairness, it’s perfectly audiblewith the roof up, andMazda’sinfotainment system, while lesssophisticated thanmany on themarket, is intuitive enough thatprodding-in a navigation destinationor playlist takes only a few seconds.There’s no longer the frisson of

excitement from climbing behindthe wheel that I experienced inmyfirst fewmonths with the car, butthat’s to be expected.What’s clearfrom continued ‘ownership’ of theRF is that it’s able to slip almost

imperceptibly intomy daily routine,while still offering up some drivingfun when the traffic clears.That others in the evo office all

return with a word of positivity,be it for theMX-5’s handling, itsfantastic gearshift or its absolutelyremarkable frugality, suggestsMazda has judged things pretty well.Here’s to the next six months.LAntony Ingram (@evoAntony)

144 www.evo.co.uk

Ford FocusST Estate

I

It takes a certain typeof journey to play to thisfast Ford’s strengths

Dateacquired October 2016Totalmileage 23,240


T FEELS LIKE I’VE HAD A BITof a downer on the ST inmy last few reports. This

doesn’t sit well withme becausedeep down I’ll try to see the best inany car. So, while my opinions onthe ST’s choppy ride and scrappytractionmean I could never sing itspraises in the same breath as VW orSEAT’s fast Golf and Leon estates, Ihave to give it credit for being a swiftand tireless workhorse.In recent weeks I seem to

have beenmaking regular, butunconnected, trips to Goodwood.It says a lot for the Sussex racecircuit that I always look forward toreturning there, even though eachleg of the 260-mile round-trip alwaysseems to take between three andfour hours thanks to the combinedevils of the A1, M25 and A3. As youcan imagine, this oftenmakes for along day.If there’s one thing the ST is good

at it’s the long, tediousmotorwayjourney. An abundance of low-revtorquemeans it’ll sit very happily insixth for hours on end, with a smallsqueeze of throttle all that’s requiredto surge by slower traffic. The brittleride isn’t a problem onmulti-laneroads either, and because I knowhow to get to Goodwood the slow-witted satnav doesn’t annoyme.One piece of the ST’s tech that

does work well is the blind spotmonitoring, which serves as anextremely useful and effectivebackupwhen driving in heavilycongested and unpredictable traffic.

‘An abundance of low-rev torque meansthe ST will sit very happily in sixth gearfor hours on end’

Talking of tech, away from themotorways I’ve also been grateful forthe parking sensors’ ability to warnof an unsighted car approachingfrom one side when reversing out ofan awkward parking space.In many waysmy journey to

Goodwood is ametaphor for theST’s strengths andweaknesses. Itcopes with the tedious bits of thedrive as well as any other Focus –perhaps even a little better thanksto the effortless performance andgenerous equipment. But when I

turn off the A3 and tackle the final 30miles of country roads I’m remindedof the rough edges and lack of polishthat undermine its desirability as apractical and sporting car.LRichard Meaden(@DickieMeaden)

www.evo.co.uk 145

I

SEATLeon ST Cupra 300 4DriveAfter being temporarily substituted, our Leon rubs shoulders with a supersaloon great

much like Audi’s ‘Virtual Cockpit’.As for the journey to Port Talbot,the Passat took it in its stride, theride supple and quiet, the 2-litrediesel remarkably hushed, if notas economical as expected; weaveraged 38mpg at a steady pace.

It was great to get back in theSEAT, though. If I’m gentle, I cansee 38mpg in it, too, althoughadmittedly without three bikes or aload of kit in the back, and it’s alsopretty comfortable and refined, butwhen you want it to it can really pileon the pace, engage you, and hackacross country.It recently spent a couple of

days acting as camera car for BarryHayden for a shoot with a LotusCarlton and a Vauxhall VXR8 thatyou’ll see in a future issue. This ispartly why this month thempg iscloser to 30mpg than 40… It’s atestimony tomodern turbochargedengines like the SEAT’s, with theirlight-pressure technology, that ina straight line even amonster of

Dateacquired May2017Totalmileage 6541


its day like the 377bhp Carlton can’teasily shake the 296bhp Cupra.While the Lotus is winding up, theLeon is delivering peak torque(280lb ft) from 1800, the table-topdelivery sustained until 5500rpm.The contrast in delivery is evenmoredramatic compared with anotherold-skool turbo I’ve driven recently,the 300-ish-bhp R34 Skyline GT-R(see page 98).Aside fromwash it and put fuel

in it, the only other thing I’ve hadto dowith the Cupra this monthis top up the air in the right-reartyre, which was flagged up by themonitoring system. It looked OK andthe car didn’t feel any different but itproved to be about 7 psi down on therecommended 38.LJohn Barker (@evoJB)

‘Even the 377bhpCarlton can’t easilyshake the Cupra’

’VE SPENT A LOT OF THISmonth not driving theSEAT. Versatile as it is for

one so sporty, what it doesn’t haveis a towbar, and I needed one for a‘big boys’ trip toWales for the annualmountain biking weekend of theWafty Crankers. To the rescue camea Volkswagen Passat Alltrack, theequivalent of Audi’s Allroad: mildride height lift, some plastic bodyprotection and all-wheel drive.And the towbar. Neatly, at the

flick of a switch in the load area, thisdrops from its hiding place behindthe rear bumper. A gentle upwardstap of a foot locks it into position andonce the bike rack is on, you plug therack’s electrics into the socket on theside of the swan neck. Easy as.It was interesting to see the next

level up in HMI (humanmachineinterface), with even better satnavgraphics than the SEAT and digitalinstruments that can be configuredwith smaller main dials and amapfilling the space between them,

146 www.evo.co.uk

Mini JCW Challenge

M

Getting down and dirty with the adjustable suspensionhas brought some life to the Challenge’s chassis

ORE GRIP, GREATER SPEEDand quicker lap times:easy, quantifiable goals

to aim for when setting up a racecar. Tweaking and tuning a car forthe road or a trackday, however, is acompletely different task. You wantthe car to be fast, yes, but evenon track you’re not timing yourself(it’s banned onmost trackdays), soultimate speed ismostly irrelevant.Making a road car feel natural,

involving and enjoyable are insteadthe attributes to aim for, and onesthat our Mini, I think, has beenlacking slightly. No one could faultits grip and pace – it could corner atsome startling speeds – it just didn’tdeliver the feedback and responseyou expect from awell-sorted front-drive car. Making your way around acorner was a task that required a lotof commitment, but little in the wayof delicate, nuanced inputs.

To liberate evenmore grip at thefront it felt as though the front tyresneeded to be pushed into the tarmacwithmore force. To achieve this, Iraised the rear ride height by 5mm.Initially this made the rear roll a littletoomuch, but twomore clicks onthe back dampers cured it. And thisis the set-up I have settled on.Now the rear feels as though it

wants to shiftmid-corner, the carthrowing its shoulders into a bend.

Dateacquired July 2016Totalmileage 12,745


So inmy quest to add a bit of lifeto the Challenge, I began addingsome stiffness to the rear adjustabledampers and softness to the fronts,three clicks at a time. It started tofeel right when the fronts were fullysoft – zero clicks out of 25 – andthe rears at 14 out of 20; any stifferat the rear and big undulationshad the back-end pogoing a littletoomuch. However, while thesesettings helped the car turn-inmoresprightly, it still didn’t endow it withmuchmid-corner dexterity.Next up: tyre pressures. The

Challenge was running 34 psi all-round; dropping the fronts to 30 psigave the ability to lean on the frontevenmore andmarginally improvedtraction out of corners, too. As thebalance of the car’s grip shiftedtowards the front, the Mini becamemore involving, as the rear end nowfelt active in the cornering process.

Themasses of grip generated bytheMichelin Cup 2 tyresmeans itdoesn’t break away, but it’s enoughrotation tomake sure the front tyresare totally locked on-line just at themoment you want to get on thepower. A little, well-timed lift of thethrottle exaggerates themovementfrom the rear with the tyres still justabout holding on. The higher andfirmer rear-end alsomeans the fronttyres don’t seem to unload in quitethe sameway as you accelerate,improving traction andmaking themost of the limited-slip diff.I’ll be honest, it’s still not as playful

as a Fiesta ST, nor as buzzing withlife as a Peugeot 208 GTi by PeugeotSport. But, and I know I said it wasn’timportant, it feels even faster thanbefore as well as beingmore fun.In fact, I doubt any other smallhot hatch could now stay with ourChallenge on a smooth B-road.LWill Beaumont(@WillBeaumont)

Leftandbelow: theMini’srear wheels came off so thatBeaumont could raise the rearride height and shift the balancetowards the front

www.evo.co.uk 147

CAN REMEMBER THEexcitement I felt when Icollectedmy first car. It

was an R56Mini One, British RacingGreen with the finest cloth seats.Lovely spec, but I was really onlyexcited about one feature: theSport button. (Sorry, I was 18.) ASport button isn’t always a welcomeaddition, but in the case ofmyMiniit inspired the belief that a car withfairly modest power could feelmarginally more responsive.

In the case of our DS 3, I similarlyfoundmyself thinking that, while it

I

DS 3PerformanceA confusing button leadsto a cockpit cock-up

Dateacquired May2017Totalmileage 4004


Ifor. So whymake the ‘DS’ buttondo something different? I’m all formanufacturers going their ownway, but when doing so causesconfusion, what is the benefit?L

Louis Shaw (@L_Shaw_)

is plenty stiff enough, a little extrasportiness elsewhere could go a longway, particularly for the steeringand the exhaust. That’s when Idiscovered the ‘DS’ button.Along the bottom of the centre

console are five buttons. One ismarked ‘SOS’, another ‘Menu’, thereare two volume keys, and then onthe far left is themysterious ‘DS’button. So I pressed it. And the carmade a phone call to France.It was an impromptu opportunity

to testmy GCSE French skills, ifnothing else, as I tried to explainthat nothing was wrong with the carand that I was fine, but I ended upwasting the time of two separatedepartments before I managed toget themessage across that I hadsimplymisunderstoodwhat the ‘DS’button was for.

For a while I thoughtmaybe it waseffectively another ‘SOS’ button,

but upon doing a little homework Idiscovered that it’s actually a wayto get technical support for the car.Yet that accidental call representsan issue that plagues the DS 3: it’s anageing car with a now dated interiorthat wasn’t particularly well thoughtout when it was new.SEAT Cupras have a ‘Cupra’

button, vRS Skodas have a ‘vRS’button, M BMWs get an ‘M’ buttonor two, and we all knowwhat they’re

Left: think this buttonadds sportiness to theDS? Think again…

148 www.evo.co.uk

AXING LYRICAL ABOUTthe Quadrifoglio is provinghard to resist. Even

ignoring the headline stuff such asthe firecracker of an engine, there’sthe oh-so-sweet auto gearbox,the quick and direct steering, thedamping and body control, and themighty ceramic brakes (althoughthey do require some serious heatin them to be at their best and theelectronic brake booster’s low-speedcalibration could do with somefine-tuning). This Alfa gets somuchso right. Then again, in base trim itcosts £61,300 and our long-termertops out at £73,305, so it reallyshould be beyond question.What of themore regular models

in the Giulia family, though? Arethey built with the same DNA asthe Quadrifoglio? Do they enjoythe same richness and depth ofability? Is the quality of the corecomponents still there to enjoy

W

‘The Giulia is as good as anentry-level sports saloon as it is

as a supersaloon’

AlfaRomeoGiulia QuadrifoglioDoes a lesser Giulia share the 503bhp range-topper’s magic?

even when the firepower is some300bhp less? If the 2.0 Super thatpassed through the evo car parkthis month is anything to go by, theanswer is a big fat ‘yes’.Its 197bhp, 243lb ft turbocharged

2-litre four isn’t going to set anyland-speed records with a 6.6sec0-62mph time and a 146mphmaximum. Not in today’s world, atleast, where there are hot hatchesthat can run sub-four to sixty.But the engine revs with a similarenthusiasm as the Quadrifoglio’stwin-turbo V6, albeit running outof puff quite quickly once you passits power peak at 5000rpm. Mindyou, with the same eight-speed ZF’box and brilliant shift paddles, it’snot a hard game to play to keep theSuper’s motor spinning.

Refreshingly, the chassis is closerin character to the Quadrifoglio’sthanmany rivals would entertainwhen signing off the settings and

Dateacquired May2017Totalmileage 11,192


characteristics of their D-segmentsaloon. There’s an unexpectedquality and sophistication to thedamping (Alfa’s standard ‘DNA’switchable drivingmodes allow youto select Dynamic for the engine andknock the dampers back to soft, asper the Quadrifoglio), the steeringis equally delicious and still quick,and despite running amore regularGoodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 318-inch tyre, the chassis stillmanages to extract prodigious andconsistent levels of the grip.There’s little trade-off inside,

either. However, while the six-wayadjustable seats look delightfulfinished in tan leather as part ofthe optional Lusso pack, they don’tgo low enough compared with therather wonderful Sparco bucketsin the Quadrifoglio. Then again, at£2950 the Sparcos should be someof the best seats available.

To be able to say the Giulia is

as good as an entry-level sportssaloon as it is as a supersaloononly increasesmy affections forthe latter. And returning to theQuadrifoglio, one of the reasonswhy I’ve been enjoying the Super isbecause our long-termer has beenin high demand. Some beg, borrowand steal it because they are alreadyinfatuated by it, others want to giveit a try because they can’t quitebelieve the hype. All come backagreeing that it’s more than just agreat Alfa – it’s a spectacular carfull stop.Which leavesmewith nochoice but to start hiding the key tokeep them away from it.LStuart Gallagher(@stuartg917)

evo (USPS 024-183) is published monthly by Dennis Publishing Ltd, 31-32 Alfred Place, London,WC1E 7DP, United Kingdom. For subscriptions in the USA and Canada, visit www.imsnews.com, phone 1-800-428-3003, fax 1-757-428-6253, or email [email protected]. U.S. Agent Pitney Bowes International Mailing Services, 158 Mt Olivet Avenue, Newark NJ 07114-2114. Periodicals postage is paid at Paterson NJ andadditional mailing offices. US POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Pitney Bowes International Mailing Services, 158 Mt Olivet Avenue, Newark NJ 07114-2114. Subscription records are maintained by

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The editors and publishers of this magazine give no warranties, guarantees or assurances and make no representations regarding any goods or services advertised in this edition.

On Days Like These…

ON S A L E W EDNE S D AY 1 NO V EMBE RNEXTMONTH

On Days Like These…McLaren720Stacklesthe Italiansupercarheartland

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

152 www.evo.co.uk

=newentry thismonth. Cars in italics are no longer on sale. Issueno. is for ourmost recentmajor testof the car (D=Driven, F= feature). Call 0330 333 9491 for back issues.Engine is the car’s combustionengine only – electricmotors aren’t shown.Weight is as quoted by themanufacturer for the car in basicspec, e.g.with amanual gearbox. Inmost cases this is to DIN standards (i.e.with fluids butwithout adriver), butwhere themanufacturer only quotes a ‘dry’weight (i.e.without fluids) this is indicated by *.Note that a dryweightwill make the car’s power-to-weight ratio (bhp/ton) appearmore favourable.0-62mph (claimed) is themanufacturer’s 0-62 figure,with amanual gearboxwhere offered.Our0-60mph and0-100mph (tested) figures could bewith either amanual or automatic/DCTgearbox.

TheKnowledge3 = Thrill-free zone

33 = Tepid

333 = Interesting

3333 = Seriously good

33333 = A truly great car

RATINGS

OUR CHOICEVolkswagenGolf R. The Mk7.5 Golf R continues the Mk7’s trick of being the answer to justabout every automotive question, combining four-wheel-drive security with impressive paceand a truly engaging driving experience. It’s both classy and classless, and there’s even a handyestate version.

BEST OF THE RESTIf theGolf R is toomature to appeal, try theFordFocusRS, or if front-drive is your thing,consider aSEATLeonCupra300 or aVWGolfGTI, which punches above itsweight in both227bhp basic and 242bhp ‘Performance’ forms. From the smaller hatches, we’d choose thePeugeot208GTibyPeugeotSport (left) or the hardcoreMini JCWChallenge.

SUPERMINIS / HOT HATCHES

RATINGISSUE

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Abarth 595Competizione 196D £19,890 4/1368 178/5500 184/3000 1035kg 175 6.8 - - 140 +Spirited engine, still looks great - Favours fun over finesse 33322Abarth 695 Biposto 205 F £33,055 4/1369 187/5500 184/3000 997kg 191 5.9 - - 143 + Engineered like a true Abarth product - Desirable extrasmake this a £50k city car 33332Alfa RomeoMito Cloverleaf 149 F ’09-’16 4/1368 168/5500 184/2500 1145kg 149 7.5 - - 136 + Great MultiAir engine, impressive ride - Not as feisty as we hoped 33342Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce/QV 199 D £29,635 4/1742 237/5750 251/2000 1320kg 182 6.0 - - 152 + Still looks good, and now it’s got the 4C’s engine - Pricey, and it has more rewarding rivals 33322Alfa Romeo Giulietta Cloverleaf 144 D ’10-’14 4/1742 232/5500 251/1900 1320kg 179 6.8 - - 150 + Shows signs of deep talent… - …but should bemore exciting 33322Alfa Romeo 147GTA 187 F ’03-’06 6/3179 247/6200 221/4800 1360kg 185 6.3 6.0 15.5 153 +Mk1 Focus RS pacewithout the histrionics - Slightly nose-heavy 33332Audi S1 211 F £25,940 4/1984 228/6000 273/1600 1315kg 176 5.8 - - 155 +Compliant and engaging chassis; quick, too - Looks dull without options 33334Audi A1 quattro 181 F ’13 4/1984 253/6000 258/2500 1420kg 181 5.7 - - 152 +Polished 253bhp all-wheel-drive A1 - Just 19 for UK, PorscheCaymanprice 33334Audi RS3 Sportback 240D £44,300 5/2480 394/5850 354/1700 1510kg 265 4.1 - - 155 +Hugely quick point-to-point - Sometimes speed isn’t the be-all and end-all 33342Audi S3 188 F ’13-’16 4/1984 296/5500 280/1800 1395kg 216 5.2 5.4 12.5 155 + Lots of grip and one of the best-sounding four-pot turbos - Still a little too clinical 33322Audi RS3 Sportback 221 F ’15-’16 5/2480 362/5500 343/1625 1520kg 242 4.3 3.6 - 155 +Addictive five-cylinder noise;monster pace - Chassis not exactly playful 33322Audi S3 106 F ’06-’12 4/1984 261/6000 258/2500 1455kg 183 5.7 5.6 13.6 155 +Very fast, very effective, very… er, quality - A little too clinical 33322Audi RS3 Sportback 156 F ’10-’12 5/2480 335/5400 332/1600 1575kg 216 4.6 - - 155 +Very fast, very, effective, very… er, quality, with added five-pot character - A little too clinical 33322BMW 125iMSport 176D £28,940 4/1997 221/5200 229/1400 1400kg 160 6.1 - - 155 +Performance, price, running costs - Dull four-pot soundtrack 33332BMWM140i - £32,205 6/2979 335/5500 369/1520 1445kg 236 4.8 - - 155 +Pace; compact size suits UK roadswell - Lacks the precision of the best performance cars 33334BMWM135i 212 F ’12-’15 6/2979 321/5800 332/1300 1430kg 228 5.1 5.2 - 155 +Powertrain, noise, chassis -M235i looks nicer, and has an LSDoption 33334BMW 130iMSport 106 F ’05-’10 6/2996 261/6650 232/2750 1450kg 183 6.0 6.1 15.3 155 + Fantastic engine - Suspension can still get a little boingy 33332CitroënDS3 1.6 THP 142 F ’10-’15 4/1598 154/6000 177/1400 1240kg 126 7.3 - - 133 +Aproper French hot hatch - Petrolheadsmight find it too ‘designed’ 33342CitroënDS3Racing 153D ’11-’12 4/1598 204/6000 203/2000 1240kg 167 6.5 - - 146 +A faster, feistier DS3 - Not as hardcore as its ‘Racing’ tag suggests 33342Citroën SaxoVTS 020 F ’97-’03 4/1587 120/6600 107/5200 935kg 130 8.7 7.6 22.6 127 +Chunky, chuckable charger - Can catch out the unwary 33334CitroënAXGT 195 F ’87-’92 4/1360 85/6400 86/4000 722kg 120 9.2 - - 110 +Makes terrific use of 85bhp - Feels like it’smade frompaper 33334DS 3Performance 222D £21,415 4/1598 205/6000 221/3000 1175kg 177 6.5 - - 143 +All the right ingredients - Undercooked 33342Fiat Panda 100HP 132 F ’06-’11 4/1368 99/6000 97/4250 975kg 103 9.5 - - 115 +About as fun as small cars get - Optional ESP can’t be turned off 33334Ford Fiesta ST 207 F ’13-’17 4/1596 197/5700 214/2500 1088kg 184 6.9 7.4 18.4 137 +Chassis, price, punchy performance -Have you heard ofMountune? 33334Ford Fiesta STMountune 213 F ’13-’17 4/1596 212/6000 236/2750 1088kg 198 6.4 - - 140 +One of the bestmid-sized hatchesmade even better - Badge snobbery 33333Ford Fiesta ST200 225 F ’16 4/1596 212/6000 236/2500 1088kg 198 6.7 - - 143 +Massive fun - They onlymade 400 33333Ford Fiesta Zetec S 123D ’08-’13 4/1596 118/6000 112/4050 1045kg 115 9.9 - - 120 +Genuinely entertaining supermini - Renault Sport Twingo and Suzuki Swift are evenmore fun 33332Ford Fiesta Zetec SMountune 132 F ’08-’13 4/1596 138/6750 125/4250 1080kg 130 7.9 - - 120 +A touchmore go, and a fantastically loud exhaust… - …if you’re 12 years old 33332Ford Fiesta ST 075D ’05-’08 4/1999 148/6000 140/4500 1137kg 132 7.9 - - 129 +Great looks, decent brakes - Disappointing chassis, gutless engine 33322Ford Fiesta ST185Mountune 115 F ’08 4/1999 185/6700 147/3500 1137kg 165 6.9 - - 129 + Fiesta ST gets the power it always needed -OTT exhaust note 33332Ford Focus ST TDCi Estate (Mk3) 219 D £26,195 4/1997 182/3500 295/2000 1488kg 124 8.3 - - 135 +Performance not sacrificed at the alter of economy -Gets raggedwhen really pushed 33332Ford Focus ST (Mk3) 207 F £25,095 4/1999 247/5500 265/2000 1362kg 184 6.5 - - 154 + Excellent engine - Scrappywhen pushed 33332Ford Focus STMountune (Mk3) 187 D £25,595 4/1999 271/5500 295/2750 1362kg 202 5.7 - - 154+ +Great value upgrade - Steering still not as feelsome as that of some rivals 33334Ford Focus ST (Mk2) 119 F ’05-’10 5/2522 222/6000 236/1600 1392kg 162 6.8 6.7 16.8 150 +Value, performance, integrity - Big engine compromises handling 33332Ford Focus RS (Mk3) 229 F £32,265 4/2261 345/6000 347/2000 1547kg 227 4.7 4.7 12.4 166 +Torque-vectoring 4WDbrings new sensations to hot hatch sector - Needs to be driven hard 33332Ford Focus RS (Mk2) 195 F ’09-’11 5/2522 300/6500 324/2300 1467kg 208 5.9 5.9 14.2 163 +Huge performance, highly capable FWDchassis - Body control is occasionally clumsy 33333Ford Focus RS500 (Mk2) 181 F ’10-’11 5/2522 345/6000 339/2500 1467kg 239 5.6 5.6 12.7 165 +More power and presence than regularMk2 RS - Pricey 33333Ford Focus RS (Mk1) 207 F ’02-’03 4/1998 212/5500 229/3500 1278kg 169 6.7 5.9 14.9 143 + Someare great - Someare awful (somake sure you drive plenty) 33332Ford Escort RSCosworth 157 F ’92-’96 4/1993 224/6250 224/3500 1275kg 179 6.2 - - 137 + The ultimate Essex hot hatch - Unmodified ones are rare , and pricey 33332Ford Racing Puma 128 F ’00-’01 4/1679 153/7000 119/4500 1174kg 132 7.9 7.8 23.2 137 + Exclusivity - The standard Pumadoes it sowell 33332HondaCivic Type R (FK8) 238 F £30,995 4/1996 316/6500 295/2500 1380kg 233 5.8 - - 169 +Wildly exciting, with improved refinement - Looks still challenging for some 33333HondaCivic Type R (FK2) 227 F ’15-’17 4/1996 306/6500 295/2500 1378kg 226 5.7 5.4 12.4 167 +Great on smooth roads - Turbo engine not as special as old nat-asp units; styling a bit ‘busy’ 33334HondaCivic Type R (FN2) 102 F ’07-’11 4/1998 198/7800 142/5600 1267kg 158 6.6 6.8 17.5 146 + Looks great, VTECmore accessible - Steering lacks feel, inert balance 33342HondaCivic Type RChampionshipWhite 126D ’09-’10 4/1998 198/7800 142/5600 1267kg 158 6.6 - - 146 + Limited-slip diff awelcome addition to the FN2 Type R - It should’ve been on the standard car 33332HondaCivic Type RMugen (FN2) 195 F ’09-’11 4/1998 237/8300 157/6250 1233kg 195 5.9 - - 155 + Fantastic on road and track -Only 20weremade, and they’re a tad pricey… 33333HondaCivic Type R (EP3) 075 F ’01-’05 4/1998 197/7400 145/5900 1204kg 166 6.8 6.8 16.9 146 +Potent and great value - ‘Breadvan’ looks divide opinion; duff steering 33332HondaCivic Type R (EK9) 210 F ’97-’00 4/1595 182/8200 118/7500 1040kg 178 6.8 - - 135 + Sublime early incarnation of the Type R recipe - Good ones are thin on the ground 33333Kia ProceedGT 217 D £23,310 4/1591 201/6000 195/1500 1359kg 143 7.3 - - 150 + Fun and appealing package - Soft-edged compared to rivals 33332Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione 194 F ’91-’92 4/1995 207/5750 220/3500 1300kg 162 6.0 - - 134 +One of the finest cars ever built - Demands love, LHDonly 33333Mazda 3MPS 137 F ’06-’13 4/2261 256/5500 280/3000 1385kg 188 6.1 6.3 14.5 155 +Quick, eager and very good value - The steering’s iffy 33342Mercedes-AMGA45 221 F £40,695 4/1991 376/6000 350/2250 1480kg 258 4.2 3.9 - 155 + Tremendously fast - But not a true great 33322Mercedes-Benz A45AMG 194 F ’12-’15 4/1991 355/6000 332/2250 1480kg 244 4.6 4.3 10.6 155 +Blisteringly quick everywhere - Not as rewarding as some slower rivals 33322MGMetro 6R4Clubman 181 F ’84-’87 6/2991 250/7000 225/6500 1000kg 254 4.5 - - 140 +Themost extremehot hatch ever - Engine noise, heat soak, fivempg 33333

TheKnowledge

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Mini Cooper (F56) 194D £15,775 3/1499 134/4500 162/1250 1085kg 125 7.9 - - 130 +Punchy three-cylinder engine, good chassis - Tubby styling 33332Mini Cooper S (F56) 196D £19,130 4/1998 189/4700 206/1250 1160kg 166 6.8 - - 146 +Still has thatMini DNA - Expensivewith options 33332Mini JohnCooperWorks (F56) 211 F £23,305 4/1998 228/5200 236/1250 1200kg 193 6.3 - - 153 + Fast, agile, nimble - Chassis lacks sparkle found in previous JCWs 33332Mini JohnCooperWorks Challenge (F56) 237 F £32,000 4/1998 228/5200 236/1250 1215kg 191 6.3 - - 152 +Amore hardcore JCW, honedwith help fromevo! - Just 100 being built 33333Mini Cooper (R56) 185 F ’09-’14 4/1598 120/6000 118/4250 1075kg 113 9.1 - - 126 +Brilliant ride and composure; could be all theMini you need - You’ll still buy the ‘S’ 33334Mini Cooper S (R56) 149 F ’06-’14 4/1598 181/5500 177/1600 1140kg 161 7.0 7.0 - 142 + Like the Cooper, butwith added shove - Google ‘Mini death rattle’ 33334Mini JohnCooperWorks (R56) 184 F ’08-’14 4/1598 208/6000 206/2000 1160kg 182 6.9 7.2 16.7 148 +A seriously rapidMini - Occasionally just a little unruly 33334Mini JohnCooperWorksGP (R56) 231 F ’13-’14 4/1598 215/6000 206/2000 1160kg 188 6.3 - - 150 +Brazenly hyperactive - Toomuch for some roads and some tastes 33333Mini JohnCooperWorks Coupe (R58) 164 F ’11-’15 4/1598 208/6000 206/2000 1175kg 180 6.3 - - 149 + The usual raucousMini JCWexperience - Butwearing a backwards baseball cap 33332Mini Cooper S (R53) 077 F ’02-’06 4/1598 168/6000 155/4000 1140kg 143 7.2 7.8 19.9 135 + Strong performance, quality feel - Over-long gearing 33334Mini Cooper SWorksGP (R53) 144 F ’06 4/1598 215/7100 184/4600 1090kg 200 6.5 - - 149 + Storming engine, agility - Tacky styling ‘enhancements’ 33333Nissan JukeNismoRS 208D £22,905 4/1618 215/6000 206/3600 1315kg 166 7.0 - - 137 +Quirky character and bold styling - Still not amatch for a pukka hot hatch 33342Nissan JukeNismo 184 F £20,495 4/1618 197/6000 184/2400 1306kg 153 7.7 - - 134 +More than the sumof its parts - Not enough to add up to a pukka hot hatch 33342Peugeot 106Rallye (Series 2) - ’97-’98 4/1587 103/6200 97/3500 865kg 121 8.8 - - 121 + Bargain no-frills thrills - Not asmuch fizz as original 1.3 33332Peugeot 106Rallye (Series 1) 095 F ’94-’96 4/1294 100/7200 80/5400 826kg 123 10.6 - - 118 + Frantic, thrashy fun - Needs caning to extract full potential 33333Peugeot 106GTI 16v 034 F ’97-’04 4/1587 120/6600 107/5200 950kg 128 7.4 - - 127 + Fine handling supermini - Looks its age 33334Peugeot 208GTi by Peugeot Sport 225 F £22,900 4/1598 205/5800 221/1750 1185kg 176 6.5 - - 143 + Themost focused small hatch on sale - Fiesta STMountune is thousands cheaper 33333Peugeot 208GTi 184 F ’12-’16 4/1598 197/5800 203/1700 1160kg 173 6.8 6.8 17.9 143 +Agile chassisworkswell on tough roads - Could bemore involving 33332Peugeot 205GTI 1.9 195 F ’88-’91 4/1905 130/6000 119/4750 910kg 145 7.6 - - 124 + Still scintillating after all these years - Brittle build quality 33333Peugeot 308GTi (270) by Peugeot Sport 238D £28,950 4/1598 266/6000 243/1900 1205kg 224 6.0 - - 155 + Strong performance, agile handling, everyday refinement - Tiny steeringwheel won’t be to all tastes 33334Peugeot 308GTi 250 by Peugeot Sport 223 F ’15-’16 4/1598 246/6000 243/1900 1205kg 207 6.2 - - 155 +A very capable hot hatch… - …that lacks the sheer excitement of the best in class 33332Peugeot 306GTI 6 020 F ’93-’01 4/1998 167/6500 142/5500 1215kg 139 7.9 7.2 20.1 140 +One of the great GTIs - They don’tmake them like this anymore 33333Peugeot 306Rallye 095 F ’98-’99 4/1998 167/6500 142/5500 1199kg 142 7.8 6.9 19.2 137 + Essentially a GTI 6 for less dosh - Limited choice of colours 33333Renault TwingoGT 231 D £13,755 3/898 109/5750 125/2000 1001kg 111 9.6 - - 113 +Nippy performance - Less fun than a rear-engined Renault Sport-fettled car should be 33322Renault Sport Twingo 133 175 F ’08-’13 4/1598 131/6750 118/4400 1050kg 127 8.7 - - 125 +RenaultSportexperienceforpocketmoney-OptionalCupchassisgivesbouncyride 33334Renault Sport Clio 200Auto 184 F £19,725 4/1618 197/6000 177/1750 1204kg 166 6.7 6.9 17.9 143 + Faster,more refined, easier to drive -Wemiss the revvy naturally aspirated engine andmanual ’box 33342Renault Sport Clio 220 Trophy 229D £22,425 4/1618 217/6050 206/2000 1204kg 183 6.6 - - 146 +Willing chassis - Awful paddleshift gearbox 33342Renault Sport Clio 200Cup 195 F ’09-’13 4/1998 197/7100 159/5400 1204kg 166 6.9 6.6 16.7 141 + The hot Clio at its best - They don’tmake it anymore 33333Renault Sport Clio 197 Cup 115 F ’07-’09 4/1998 194/7250 158/5550 1240kg 161 6.9 - - 134 +Quick, polished and capable - Not asmuch sheer fun as 182Cup 33332Renault Sport Clio 182 066 F ’04-’05 4/1998 180/6500 148/5250 1110kg 165 7.1 6.6 17.5 139 + Took hot hatches to a new level - Flawed driving position 33333Renault Sport Clio 182 Cup 187 F ’04-’05 4/1998 180/6500 148/5250 1090kg 168 6.9 - - 139 + Full of beans, fantastic value - Sunday-market upholstery 33333Renault Sport Clio Trophy 231 F ’05-’06 4/1998 180/6500 148/5250 1090kg 168 6.9 6.6 17.3 140 +Themost fun you can have on three (sometimes two)wheels - Just 500were built 33333Renault Sport Clio 172 (Phase 2) 034 F ’01-’03 4/1998 170/6250 147/5400 1110kg 156 7.2 7.1 20.0 138 +Poised, predictable, fast - Lacks aggressive edge 33334Renault Sport Clio 172 Cup 048 F ’02-’03 4/1998 170/6250 147/5400 1011kg 171 6.9 6.5 17.7 138 +Bargain old-school hot hatch - Nervous in thewet, no ABS 33332Renault Sport Clio 172 (Phase 1) 146 F ’00-’01 4/1998 170/6250 147/5400 1035kg 167 7.2 6.6 18.2 138 +Brilliantly accomplished - Imperfect driving position 33334Renault ClioWilliams 233 F ’93-’96 4/1988 148/6100 126/4500 981kg 153 7.8 7.6 20.8 134 +One of the best hot hatches ever - Can be fragile 33333Renault 5 GT Turbo 195 F ’87-’91 4/1397 118/5750 122/3000 855kg 140 7.3 - - 120 +ClioWilliams’ grand-daddy - Fewunmodified ones left 33333Renault Sport Clio V6 255 231 F ’03-’05 6/2946 251/7150 221/4650 1400kg 182 6.0 - - 144 +Supercar dramawithout the original’s edgy handling - Uninspired interior 33333Renault Sport Clio V6 029 F ’99-’02 6/2946 227/6000 221/3750 1410kg 164 6.6 5.8 17.0 145 +Pocket supercar -Mid-engined handling can be tricky 33332Renault SportMégane 275Cup-S/Nav 275 223D ’16 4/1998 271/5500 265/3000 1394kg 198 5.8 - - 158 + The same engine as the Trophy-R - They don’tmake it anymore 33333Renault SportMégane 265Cup 195 F ’12-’15 4/1998 261/5500 265/3000 1387kg 191 6.0 6.4 14.8 158 +Ahot hatch benchmark - Cupholder could be better positioned 33333Renault SportMégane 275 Trophy 212 F ’14-’15 4/1998 271/5500 265/3000 1376kg 200 5.8 - - 159 +Another cracking Trophymodel - Stripped-out Trophy-R is evenmore thrilling 33333Renault SportMégane 275 Trophy-R 231 F ’14-’15 4/1998 271/5500 265/3000 1297kg 212 5.8 - - 158 +As absorbing as a 911 GT3 RS on the right road - Too uncompromising for some; pricey 33333Renault SportMégane 250Cup 139 F ’09-’12 4/1998 247/5500 251/3000 1387kg 181 6.1 6.1 14.6 156 + Fantastic chassis… - …partially obscured by new-foundmaturity 33334Renault SportMégane dCi 175 Cup 119 F ’07-’09 4/1995 173/3750 265/2000 1470kg 119 8.3 8.3 23.5 137 +Adiesel with a genuinely sporty chassis - Could takemore power 33332Renault SportMégane 230 F1 TeamR26 195 F ’07-’09 4/1998 227/5500 229/3000 1345kg 171 6.5 6.2 16.0 147 + The car the R26.R is based on - F1 Teamstickers in dubious taste 33333Renault SportMégane R26.R 231 F ’08-’09 4/1998 227/5500 229/3000 1220kg 189 6.0 5.8 15.1 147 +One of the true hot hatch heroes - Two seats, plastic rearwindows 33333SEATMii - £9655 3/999 59/5000 70/3000 854kg 70 14.4 - - 99 + Like VW’sUpbutmore expensive -Still predictably slow 33322SEAT Ibiza Cupra 225 F £18,465 4/1798 189/4300 236/1450 1185kg 162 6.7 - - 146 +Quick, competent, refined, andmanual only - Not exciting enough 33342SEAT Ibiza Cupra 183D ’10-’15 4/1390 178/6200 184/2000 1259kg 144 6.9 - - 142 +Punchy engine, unflappable DSG - Lacks engagement, DSGonly 33322SEAT LeonCupra 300 234D £30,155 4/1984 296/5500 280/1800 1300kg 231 5.7 - - 155 +Already potent Cupra gets yet another 10bhp - TheMk7.5 Golf R 33332SEAT LeonCupra 290 227 F ’16-’17 4/1984 286/5900 258/1700 1300kg 224 5.9 6.4 13.4 155 + Serious pace and agility for Golf GTImoney, nowwith an extra 10bhp - TheMk7Golf R 33332SEAT LeonCupra 280 220 F ’14-’15 4/1984 276/5600 258/1750 1300kg 216 5.8 - - 155 + Serious pace and agility for Golf GTImoney - TheMk7Golf R 33332SEAT LeonCupra 105 F ’07-’11 4/1984 237/5700 221/2200 1375kg 175 6.4 - - 153 +Great engine, composure - Doesn’t have the adjustability of the old Cupra R 33332SEAT LeonCupra R 139 F ’10-’12 4/1984 261/6000 258/2500 1375kg 193 6.2 6.1 14.0 155 +Bold car, blinding engine - Lacks the character of its rivalmegahatches 33342SEAT LeonCupra R 225 067 F ’03-’06 4/1781 222/5900 206/2200 1376kg 164 6.9 - - 150 +Cross-country pace, practicality, value - Not as thrilling as some 33332SkodaCitigo - £8275 3/999 59/5000 70/3000 854kg 70 14.4 - - 101 + Like VW’sUp, but 2mph faster flat out - 101mph isn’t something to boast about 33322Skoda Fabia vRS (Mk2) 146D ’10-’14 4/1390 178/6200 184/2000 1218kg 148 7.3 - - 139 +Clever twincharged engine andDSG ’box - Do you homework on the reliability of the engine 33342Skoda Fabia vRS (Mk1) 077 F ’03-’07 4/1896 130/4000 229/1900 1315kg 100 9.6 - - 127 + Fun and frugal hot hatch - A little short on steering feel 33342SkodaOctavia vRS (Mk3) 187 D £24,885 4/1984 217/4500 258/1500 1345kg 164 6.8 - - 154 +Quick, agile, roomier than aGolf - Ride is harsh forwhat could be a family car 33332SkodaOctavia vRS 230 (Mk3) 215 D £25,130 4/1984 227/4700 258/1500 1345kg 171 6.7 - - 155 + Limited-slip diffmakes for a sharper steer - It could handlemore than the extra 10bhp 33332SkodaOctavia vRS TDI 4x4 (Mk3) 223D £28,050 4/1968 181/3500 206/1750 1475kg 125 7.6 - - 142 + Four-wheel drive tightens the vRS chassis - Diesel andDSGonly 33332SkodaOctavia vRS (Mk2) 163 F ’05-’13 4/1998 197/5100 206/1700 1395kg 143 7.3 - - 149 +Drives like aGTI but costsmuch less - Green brake calipers? 33332Subaru ImprezaWRXS 125D ’08-’10 4/2457 251/5400 288/3000 1395kg 180 5.5 - - 130 +An improvement over the basicWRX - Still not theWRXwewanted 33342Subaru Impreza STI 330S 124 F ’08-’10 4/2457 325/5400 347/3400 1505kg 219 4.4 - - 155 +Abit quicker than the regular STI… - …but not better 33332Suzuki Swift Sport (Mk2) 175 F £13,999 4/1586 134/6900 118/4400 1045kg 130 8.7 - - 121 + Still a great pocket rocket - Not quite as adjustabie as the original 33334Suzuki Swift Sport (Mk1) 132 F ’05-’11 4/1586 123/6800 109/4800 1030kg 121 8.9 - - 124 + Entertaining handling, well built - Lacking in steering feedback 33334Vauxhall Corsa VXR 211 F £19,245 4/1598 202/5800 206/1900 1278kg 161 6.8 - - 143 +Begs to bewrung out - You’ll need the £2400Performance Pack 33332Vauxhall Corsa VXR 154 F ’07-’14 4/1598 189/5850 192/1980 1166kg 165 7.2 - - 140 + Looks snazzy, punchy engine - Lacks feel, uncouth comparedwith rivals 33342Vauxhall Corsa VXRNürburgring/Clubsport 164 F ’11-’13/’14 4/1598 202/5750 206/2250 1166kg 176 6.8 - - 143 +VXR getsmore power and a limited-slip diff - But they comeat a price 33332Vauxhall Astra/GTCVXR (Mk2) 207 F £29,665 4/1998 276/5500 295/2500 1475kg 190 6.0 - - 155 +Better than theMk1 Astra VXR; loony turbo pace - Lacks the Renault SportMégane’s precision 33332Vauxhall Astra VXR (Mk1) 102 F ’05-’11 4/1998 237/5600 236/2400 1393kg 173 6.4 6.7 16.7 152 + Fast and furious - Lacks a little composure and precision 33332VWUp 171 F £8995 3/999 59/5000 70/3000 854kg 70 14.4 - - 99 +Accomplished city car is dynamically sound… - …but predictably slow 33322VWLupoGTI 034 F ’01-’04 4/1598 123/6500 112/3000 1038kg 120 8.2 8.9 30.1 127 + Looks, performance, chassis - Lacks the fizz of the 106GTI 33332VWPoloGTI 211 F £19,430 4/1798 189/4200 236/1450 1197kg 160 6.7 - - 146 +Smooth and brawny - Fiesta ST ismore engaging 33342VWPoloGTI 154 F ’10-’14 4/1390 178/6200 184/2000 1184kg 153 7.4 - - 142 +Modern-dayMk1 Golf GTI gets twin-clutchDSG - It’s a little bit bland 33342VWGolf GTI (Mk7.5) 233D £27,865 4/1984 227/4700 258/1500 1289kg 179 6.4 - - 155 + Still themost capable all-round hot hatch - Should bemore thrilling 33334VWGolf GTI Performance (Mk7.5) 236 F £29,280 4/1984 242/5000 273/1600 1312kg 187 6.2 - - 155 +AGTIwith an extra 15bhp and an LSD - Could still bemore thrilling 33334VWGolf R (Mk7.5) 235D £32,310 4/1984 306/5500 280/2000 1408kg 221 5.1 - - 155 +Outrageous yet accessible performance -Manual gearshift isn’t the best 33333VWGolf GTD (Mk7) 200D ’13-’17 4/1968 181/3500 280/1750 1302kg 141 7.5 - - 143 +Pace, fuel economy, sounds good for a diesel - Lacks the extra edge of theGTI 33332VWGolf GTI (Mk7) 236 F ’13-’17 4/1984 217/4500 258/1500 1276kg 173 6.5 - - 153 + Brilliantly resolved - Lacks the punch of newer rivals 33334VWGolf GTE (Mk7) 236 F ’15-’17 4/1395 201 258 1524kg 134 7.6 - - 138 + Themost enjoyable plug-in hybrid in its price range - Golf GTI still quicker andmore fun 33342VWGolf GTI Clubsport Edition 40 (Mk7) 230D ’16-’17 4/1984 286/5350 280/1700 1300kg 224 6.3 - - 155 +A faster, sharper,more entertaningGTI - Some rivals aremore exciting on track 33334VWGolf GTI Clubsport S (Mk7) 229 F ’16 4/1984 306/5800 280/1850 1285kg 242 5.8 5.8 12.8 165 +Runner-up at evoCar of the Year 2016 -Only 400were built 33333VWGolf R (Mk7) 220 F £31,865 4/1984 296/5500 280/1800 1401kg 215 5.1 5.2 12.4 155 +AVW ‘R’model you can take seriously -Mégane 275 just edges it as a pure drivers’ car 33333VWGolf GTI (Mk6) 172 F ’09-’13 4/1984 207/5300 207/1700 1318kg 160 6.9 6.4 16.5 148 +Still a very accomplished hot hatch - 207bhp isn’t a lot anymore 33332VWGolf R (Mk6) 140D ’10-’13 4/1984 266/6000 258/2500 1446kg 187 5.7 - - 155 +Great engine, tremendous pace and poise - High price, adaptive dampers optional 33334VWGolf GTI (Mk5) 195 F ’04-’09 4/1984 197/5100 207/1800 1336kg 150 7.3 6.7 17.9 145 +Character and ability; theGTI’s return to form - Lacking firepower? 33333VWGolf R32 (Mk5) 087 F ’06-’09 6/3189 246/6300 236/2500 1466kg 170 6.5 5.8 15.2 155 + The traction’s great and you’ll love the soundtrack -We’d still have aGTI 33332

VWGolf R32 (Mk4) 053 F ’02-’04 6/3189 237/6250 236/2800 1477kg 163 6.6 6.4 16.3 154 +Charismatic - Boomy engine can be tiresome 33332VWGolf GTI 16v (Mk2) 195 F ’88-’92 4/1781 139/6100 123/4600 960kg 147 7.9 - - 129 + Still feels everyday useable - Toomany have beenmodified 33333VWGolf GTI (Mk1 , 1.8) 224 F ’82-’84 4/1781 112/5800 109/3500 860kg 132 8.2 - - 114 + The car that started it all - Tricky to find an unmolested one 33332Volvo C30T5R-Design 122 F ’08-’12 5/2521 227/5000 236/1500 1347kg 165 6.7 6.6 16.9 149 +Good-looking, desirable Volvo - Lacks edge of best hatches; avoid the auto version 33342

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OUR CHOICEAlfaRomeoGiuliaQuadrifoglio.At last, an Alfa Romeowe can love not just for its badge,for the noise it makes and for being Italian, but because it’s a great car. In fact, the GiuliaQuadrifoglio is a saloon car that feels like a sports car – and thankfully that sports carisn’t a 4C.

BEST OF THE RESTIf you prefer your fast saloonsGerman, theMercedes-AMGC63S is highly desirable,although somemay prefer themore focusedBMWM3.Moving up a size, theMercedes-AMGE63S4Matic+ (left) is relentlessly rampant but has finesse too, while thePorschePanameraTurbo runs the E63 close and feels good for its 7min 38sec Ring time.

SALOONS / ESTATES / SUVs

Alfa RomeoGiulia 2.0 Turbo Super 234D £31,180 4/1995 197/5000 243/1750 1429kg 140 6.6 - - 146 +Keen engine, enjoyable handling - Firm low-speed ride 33334Alfa RomeoGiulia Quadrifoglio 237 F £61,300 6/2891 503/6500 443/2500 1620kg 315 3.9 - - 191 + If Ferrari built a saloon (really) - Lacks the final polish of German rivals 33334Alfa RomeoStelvio 234D c£35,000 4/1995 276/5250 295/1750 1660kg 169 5.7 - - 143 +Agile feel, quick steering, attractive cabin - Engine not truly inspiring 33332Alpina D3 Biturbo (F30) 192D £47,950 6/2993 345/4000 516/1500 1585kg 221 4.6 - - 173 + 173mph froma 3-litre diesel! Brilliant chassis, too - Auto only 33334Alpina B3 Biturbo (F30) 188D ’13-’16 6/2979 404/5500 442/3000 1630kg 252 4.3 - 190 +Understated appearance,monster performance - E90M3 is better on the limit 33334Aston Martin Rapide S 201 D £147,950 12/5935 552/6650 465/5500 1990kg 282 4.4 - - 203 +Oozes star quality; gearbox on 2015MY cars a big improvement - It’s cosy in the back 33332Aston Martin Rapide 141 F ’10-’13 12/5935 470/6000 443/5000 1990kg 240 5.3 - - 188 + Better than its DB9 sibling - More of a 2+2 than a proper four-seater 33332Audi S3 Saloon 192D £35,405 4/1984 306/5500 280/1800 1430kg 210 5.3 - - 155 +Onpaper amatch for the original S4 - In realitymuch less interesting 33322Audi RS3 Saloon 235 F £45,250 5/2480 394/5850 354/1700 1515kg 264 4.1 - - 155 +Mini RS4 looks; stonking pace - Not themost involving driving experience 33342Audi S4 (B9) 225D £44,600 6/2995 349/5400 369/1370 1630kg 218 4.7 - - 155 + Strong response and delivery from turbo engine - Chassis feels softer than before 33332Audi S4 (B8) 166D ’08-’16 6/2995 328/5500 324/2900 1650kg 202 5.0 - - 155 +Great supercharged powertrain, secure chassis - The RS4 33342Audi RS4Avant (B8) 216 F ’12-’15 8/4163 444/8250 317/4000 1795kg 251 4.7 4.5 10.5 174 + Looks and sounds the part, thunderously fast - Unnatural steering, dull dynamics 33342Audi RS4 (B7) 231 D ’05-’08 8/4163 414/7800 317/5500 1650kg 255 4.7 4.5 10.5 155 + 414bhp at 7800rpm! And there’s an estate version too - Busy under braking 33333Audi RS4 (B5) 192 F ’00-’02 6/2671 375/6100 325/2500 1620kg 236 4.9 4.8 12.1 170 + Effortless pace - Not the lastword in agility; bendswheel rims 33332Audi RS2 214 F ’94-’95 5/2226 315/6500 302/3000 1595kg 201 4.8 4.8 13.1 162 + Storming performance (thanks to Porsche) - Try finding one 33332Audi S5 Sportback 233D £44,000 6/2995 349/5400 369/1370 1660kg 214 4.7 - - 155 +More capable than you think; strong V6 engine - Gearbox frustrating in automode 33342Audi S6 091 D ’06-’11 10/5204 429/6800 398/3000 1910kg 228 5.5 - - 155 + Fast, and discreetwith it - VerymutedV10 33342Audi RS6Avant (C7) 203 F £81,355 8/3993 552/5700 516/1750 1935kg 290 3.9 3.6 8.2 155 +Performance, foolproof powertrain, beefy looks - Feels a bit one-dimensional 33332Audi RS6Avant Performance (C7) 224D £88,270 8/3993 597/6100 553/2500 1950kg 311 3.7 - - 155 + The extra power is no hassle for the chassis - But it is a stern test of your self-control 33332Audi RS6Avant (C6) 116 F ’08-’10 10/4991 572/6250 479/1500 1985kg 293 4.5 4.3 9.7 155 +Was theworld’smost powerful estate - Power isn’t everything 33332Audi RS6Avant (C5) 052 F ’02-’04 8/4172 444/5700 413/1950 1865kg 242 4.6 4.8 11.6 155 + The ultimate estate car? - Numb steering 33332Audi S7 Sportback 171 D £65,950 8/3993 414/5000 406/1400 1945kg 216 4.6 - - 155 + Looks and drives better than the S6 it’s based on - Costs several thousandsmore 33342Audi RS7 Sportback 208 F £86,985 8/3993 552/5700 516/1750 1930kg 291 3.9 - - 155 + Stonking performance, great looks - Numbdriving experience 33322Audi S8 Plus 217 D £100,510 8/3993 597/6100 553/2500 1990kg 305 3.8 - - 155 + Fantastic drivetrain, quality and refinement - Dynamic Steering feels artificial 33332Audi RSQ3 206D ’13-’16 5/2480 335/5300 332/1600 1655kg 206 4.8 - - 155 + Surprisingly characterful; better thanmany RSs - High centre of gravity 33334Audi SQ5 237D £51,200 6/2995 349/5400 369/1370 1870kg 190 5.4 - - 155 + Fine chassis; deceptive pace - Lacks excitement 33322Bentley Flying Spur V8 200D £132,800 8/3993 500/6000 487/1700 2342kg 217 5.2 - - 183 + Effortless performancewith real top-end kick - Determinedly unsporting 33342Bentley Flying Spur V8 S 230D £142,800 8/3993 521/6000 502/1700 2342kg 226 4.9 - 190 +Old-school approach to comfort and luxury - Old-school tech 33342Bentley Flying Spur 185D £154,900 12/5998 616/6000 590/1600 2400kg 261 4.6 - - 199 + For thosewho still want their Flying Spurwith aW12 - Car feels itsweight; engine sounds dull 33342Bentley Bentayga 217 D £162,700 12/5950 600/5000 664/1350 2365kg 258 4.1 - - 187 + Sublime quality, ridiculous pace - Inert driving experience, SUV stigma 33342BentleyMulsanne 178 F £229,360 8/6752 505/4200 752/1750 2610kg 197 5.3 - - 184 +Drives like amodern Bentley should - Shame it doesn’t look like one too 33342BentleyMulsanne Speed 235D £252,000 8/6752 530/4000 811/1750 2610kg 206 4.9 - - 190 + Extravagent; effortless performance - Passengers havemore fun than you do 33342BMW330dMSport (F30) 180D £38,590 6/2993 254/4000 413/2000 1540kg 168 5.6 - - 155 +Great engine, fine handling, good value - Steering confusesweightwith feel 33334BMW340iMSport Touring (F31) 228D £42,055 6/2998 321/5500 332/1380 1615kg 202 5.5 - - 155 + Feelsome rear-drive chassis - Easy to drive it beyond its comfort zone 33332BMW328i (F30) 165D ’11-’15 4/1997 242/5000 258/1250 1430kg 172 6.1 - - 155 +New-age four-pot 328i is great all-rounder -Wemiss the six-cylinder soundtrack 33334BMW435i GranCoupe 203D ’14-’16 6/2979 302/5800 295/1200 1585kg 194 5.5 - - 155 + Superb straight-six, fine ride/handling balance - 335i saloonweighs and costs less 33334BMWM3 (F80) 211 F £57,355 6/2979 425/5500 406/1850 1560kg 277 4.3 4.1 8.6 155 + Looks, performance, practicality - Body control on rough roads; engine lacks character 33334BMWM3Competition Package (F80) 237 F £59,595 6/2979 444/7000 406/1850 1560kg 289 4.2 - - 155 + The car the F80M3 should have been from the start - Less refined than standard car at low speeds 33334BMWM3 (E90) 123 F ’08-’11 8/3999 414/8300 295/3900 1605kg 262 4.9 4.9 10.7 165 + Every bit as good as the E92M3 coupe -No carbon roof 33333BMWM3CRT (E90) 179 F ’11-’12 8/4361 444/8300 324/3750 1580kg 285 4.4 - - 180 +Saloon chassis +weight savings +GTS engine = best E90M3 - Just 67weremade 33333BMWM5 (F10) 208 F ’11-’16 8/4395 552/6000 501/1500 1870kg 300 4.4 - - 155 + Twin-turbocharging suitsM5well - Can feel heavy at times 33333BMWM5 (E60) 129 F ’04-’10 10/4999 500/7750 384/6100 1755kg 289 4.7 - - 155 +Close to being the ultimate supersaloon - SMGgearbox feels old-tech 33334BMWM5 (E39) 110 F ’99-’03 8/4941 394/6600 369/3800 1795kg 223 5.3 4.9 11.5 155 +Magnificent V8-engined supersaloon -We’d be nitpicking 33333BMWM5 (E34) 110 F ’92-’96 6/3795 335/6900 295/4750 1725kg 197 5.8 4.9 13.6 155 + TheGodfather of supersaloons - The family can come too 33333BMWM5 (E28) 182 F ’86-’88 6/3453 282/6500 251/4500 1431kg 200 6.1 - - 156 + The original storming saloon - Understated looks 33333BMWM6GranCoupe 190D £95,665 8/4395 552/6000 501/1500 1875kg 299 4.2 - - 155 + Enormous performance, stylish looks - Price looks silly next to rivals, M5 included 33332BMWM760Li xDrive 233D £132,310 12/6592 602/5500 590/1550 2180kg 281 3.7 - - 155 +More capable than you’d think; strong engine - Toomuch of a limo to be genuinely exciting 33322BMWX5M50d 191 D £67,220 6/2993 376/4000 546/2000 2190kg 174 5.3 - - 155 + Straight-line pace - Driving experience identical to standard X5, despite theMbadge 33422BMWX6M 212D £95,430 8/4395 567/6000 553/2200 2265kg 254 4.2 - - 155 +Big improvement on its predecessor - Coupe roofline still of questionable taste 33332BMWX6M 134D ’09-’15 8/4395 547/6000 502/1500 2305kg 241 4.7 - - 171 + Fast, refined and comfortable - But it definitely lacks theM factor 33422Cadillac CTS-V 148 F ’08-’15 8/6162 556/6100 551/3800 1928kg 293 3.9 - - 191 + Stands out amongM-cars andAMGs - The noveltymightwear off 33332Cadillac CT6 226D £69,990 6/2997 411/5700 409/2500 1950kg 214 5.7 - - 149 +Caddy’s S-class rival scores on comfort - But not on driver involvement 33322HondaAccord Type R 012 F ’98-’03 4/2157 209/7200 158/6700 1306kg 163 7.2 6.1 17.4 142 +One of the finest front-drivers of all time - Convincing your friends of that 33334Infiniti Q50SHybrid 195D £41,450 6/3498 359/6800 402/5000 1762kg 207 5.4 - - 155 +Goodpowertrain, promising chassis - Lacklustre steering, strong rivals 33422Jaguar XE 2.0dAWD 227D £35,335 4/1999 178/4000 317/1750 1615kg 112 7.9 - - 140 +Great chassis getsmore traction - Shame the engine isn’t as polished 33332Jaguar XE S 237 D £48,045 6/2995 375/6500 332/3500 1655kg 230 5.0 - - 155 +AMG-beating power; engaging handling - Expensive; cabin quality and space lags behind rivals’ 33332Jaguar XE S 213 D ’15-’17 6/2995 335/6500 332/4500 1635kg 208 5.1 - - 155 +Neat handling, neat design - V6 loses appeal in the real world 33334Jaguar XF S 214D £51,100 6/2995 375/6500 332/4500 1710kg 223 5.3 - - 155 +Outstanding ride and handling balance - Engine lacks appeal 33332Jaguar XF SDiesel 219 D £50,100 6/2993 296/4000 516/2000 1750kg 172 6.2 - - 155 +Great chassis, good looks, better engine thanV6petrol - It’s still a diesel 33332Jaguar XFR 181 D ’09-’15 8/5000 503/6000 461/2500 1800kg 284 4.7 4.8 10.2 155 +Brilliant blend of pace and refinement - Doesn’t sound as special as it is 33332Jaguar XFR-S 208 F ’13-’15 8/5000 542/6500 501/2500 1800kg 306 4.6 - - 186 +XF turned up to 12 - Tyres aren’t cheap 33332Jaguar XJR 191 D £91,755 8/5000 542/6500 502/2500 1875kg 294 4.6 - - 174 +Hot-rod vibe, fine cabin - Opinion-dividing looks 33332Jaguar XJ 3.0 V6Diesel 148D ’10-’16 6/2993 271/4000 442/2000 1835kg 150 6.6 - - 155 +A great Jaguar - But not as great as the XJR… 33332Jaguar F-Pace S 222D £53,365 6/2995 375/6500 332/4500 1884kg 202 5.5 - - 155 +Amatch for Porsche’s SUVs - SuperchargedV6 needs to beworked hard 33332LexusGS F 221 D £72,495 8/4969 470/7100 391/4800 1790kg 267 4.6 - - 168 +Superb engine, exploitable chassis - Gearbox is off the pace 33332Lexus IS F 151 F '07-'12 8/4969 417/6600 372/5200 1714kg 247 5.2 4.7 10.9 173 + Shockingly good Lexus - TheM3’s available as a four-door too 33334Lotus Carlton 170 F ’91-’93 6/3615 377/5200 419/4200 1658kg 231 5.4 4.8 10.6 176 + TheMillenniumFalcon of saloon cars - Every drive awork-out 33333Maserati Ghibli 186D £53,590 6/2979 325/5000 406/1750 1810kg 182 5.6 - - 163 +Burstingwith character; good value compared toQuattroporte - It’s still a big car 33332Maserati Ghibli S 198D £64,510 6/2979 404/5500 406/4500 1810kg 227 5.0 - - 177 + Stands out from the crowd; sounds good too - Chassis lacks finesse, engine lacks reach 33342Maserati Quattroporte S 184D £82,750 6/2979 404/5500 406/1750 1860kg 221 5.1 - - 177 + Tempting alternative to V8 - Feel-free steering, ride lacks decorum 33332Maserati QuattroporteGTS 226D £115,980 8/3798 523/6800 479/2250 1900kg 280 4.7 - - 193 +Still pretty - Off the pace dynamically 33342Maserati Quattroporte 085 F ’04-’08 8/4244 394/7000 333/4500 1930kg 207 5.6 - - 171 + Redefined big-car dynamics - Don’t use automode 33334Maserati Quattroporte S 137 F ’08-’12 8/4691 425/7000 361/4750 1990kg 216 5.4 5.1 12.1 174 +AQPwith the bhp it deserves - Grille is a bit Hannibal Lecter 33334Maserati Quattroporte Sport GTS 141 F ’08-’12 8/4691 433/7000 361/4750 1990kg 221 5.1 - - 177 + Themost stylish of supersaloons - Slightlywooden brakes, unforgiving ride 33332Maserati LevanteDiesel 221 D £54,335 6/2897 271/4000 442/2000 2205kg 125 6.9 - - 143 + Impressive blend of ride and handling - Performance ismild for aMaserati 33332Mercedes-Benz CLA45AMG 186D £43,245 4/1991 355/6000 332/2250 1510kg 239 4.6 - - 155 +Strong performance, classy cabin - Pricey comparedwith A45AMGhatchback 33322Mercedes-BenzGLA45AMG 205 F £46,875 4/1991 355/6000 332/2250 1510kg 239 4.8 - - 155 +An aggressive and focused sports crossover - Lowondriver interaction 33332Mercedes-AMGC43 4Matic Estate 228D £46,985 6/2996 362/5500 383/2000 1660kg 222 4.7 - - 155 + Incredibly fast and composed - Difficult to engagewith 33332Mercedes-AMGC63 (W205) 209D £62,180 8/3982 469/5500 479/1750 1640kg 291 4.1 - - 155 + Fast and feelsome - Lacks the ultimate finesse and response of the C63 S 33332

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Mercedes-AMGC63 Estate (W205) 216 F £63,380 8/3982 469/5500 479/1750 1710kg 279 4.2 - - 155 +Muchmore fun than it looks - Gearbox dim-witted at low speedsMercedes-AMGC63S (W205) 211 F £68,930 8/3982 503/5500 516/1750 1655kg 309 4.0 - - 155 +Tremendous twin-turboV8power - Not quite as focused as anMdivision carMercedes-Benz C63AMG (W204) 151 F ’08-’14 8/6208 451/6800 442/5000 1655kg 277 4.5 4.4 9.7 155 +Monstrous pace and extremely engaging - Same-eraM3 is just a little better…Mercedes-Benz C55AMG (W203) 088 F ’04-’08 8/5439 367/5250 376/4000 1635kg 228 5.2 - - 155 + Furiously fast, commendably discreet - OvershadowedbyM3 andRS4Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 185 F ’89-’92 4/2498 204/6750 177/5500 1300kg 159 7.5 - - 146 +M-B’sM3 alternative - Not as nimble as the BeemerMercedes-AMGE43 4Matic (W213) 236D £57,275 6/2996 395/6100 383/2500 1765kg 227 4.6 - - 155 + Someof the E63’s looks and performance - Not enough of its performanceMercedes-AMGE63 S 4Matic+ (W213) 237 F £88,295 8/3982 603/5750 627/2500 1880kg 326 3.4 3.4 7.4 155 + Fast, refined, effective and fun - At nearly two tons, it’s not 911 nimbleMercedes-Benz E63AMG (W212) 187 D ’13-’16 8/5461 549/5500 531/1750 1770kg 315 4.2 - - 155 +Power, response and accuracy in spades - A little lacking in originalityMercedes-Benz E63AMGS (W212) 208 F ’13-’16 8/5461 577/5500 590/1750 1795kg 327 4.1 - - 155 + Effortless power; intuitive and approachable - Sluggish auto ’boxMercedes-Benz E63AMG (W212) 165 F ’11-’13 8/5461 518/5250 516/1750 1765kg 298 4.4 - - 155 + Turbo engine didn’t dilute the E63 experience - Sometimes struggles for traction…Mercedes-Benz E63AMG (W212) 134D ’09-’11 8/6208 518/6800 465/5200 1765kg 298 4.5 - - 155 + Indulgent chassis, brilliant engine - Steering still vagueMercedes-Benz E63AMG (W211) 096D ’06-’09 8/6208 507/6800 465/5200 1765kg 292 4.5 - - 155 +Brilliant engine, indulgent chassis - Vague steering, speed limitsMercedes-Benz E55AMG 052 F ’03-’06 8/5439 469/6100 516/2650 1760kg 271 4.7 4.8 10.2 155 +M5-humbling grunt, cosseting ride - Speed limitsMercedes-Benz S63AMGL 191 D £124,910 8/5461 577/5500 664/2250 1995kg 294 4.4 - - 155 +Monster pace - Average steering feelMercedes-Benz CLS63AMGS 199D £89,130 8/5461 577/5500 590/1750 1795kg 327 4.1 - - 155 +Quick and characterful - Dated gearbox, no four-wheel-drive option in theUKMercedes-Benz CLS63AMG 178 F ’11-’14 8/5461 518/5250 516/1700 1795kg 293 4.4 - - 155 +Monster performance, 549bhp an option - Not as desirable as a Bentley or AstonMercedes-Benz CLS63AMG 099 F ’06-’11 8/6208 507/6100 464/2650 1830kg 281 4.5 - - 155 + Beauty, comfort, awesomeperformance -M5 has the edge on B-roadsMercedes-BenzGLE63AMGS 218D £96,950 8/5461 577/5500 560/1750 2270kg 258 4.2 - - 155 + Stonking pace, extreme refinement - Feels remoteMercedes-BenzGLE63AMGSCoupe 213 D £96,575 8/5461 577/5500 560/1750 2275kg 258 4.2 - - 155 + Subtler than anX6M -More force than finesseMercedes-BenzML63AMG 176 F ’12-’15 8/5461 518/5250 516/1750 2270kg 232 4.7 - - 155 +Great engine, surprisingly good dynamics - Samemoney buys a Boxster and anML350…Mercedes-BenzG63AMG 172D £135,025 8/5461 537/5500 560/2000 2475kg 220 5.4 - - 130 + It exists; epic soundtrack - Ancient chassis, silly priceMitsubishi Evo X FQ-300SST 118 F '08-'14 4/1998 290/6500 300/3500 1590kg 185 4.5 5.2 13.9 155 + First Evowith a twin-clutch transmission - Not as exciting as its predecessorsMitsubishi Evo X FQ-330SST 134 F ’08-’14 4/1998 324/6500 322/3500 1590kg 207 4.4 - - 155 +Great engine and gearbox combo - It still lives in the shadowof the Evo IXMitsubishi Evo X FQ-360 122D '08-'14 4/1998 354/6500 363/3500 1560kg 231 4.0 - - 155 +Ridiculously rapid Evo - A five-speed gearbox?!Mitsubishi Evo X FQ-400 181 F ’09-’10 4/1998 403/6500 387/3500 1560kg 262 3.8 - - 155 +Most powerful factory Evo ever… - …about X grand toomuchwhen newMitsubishi Evo IX FQ-340 088 F ’05-’08 4/1997 345/6800 321/4600 1400kg 250 4.2 4.3 10.9 157 +Gives Porsche drivers nightmares - Points. Lots ofMitsubishi Evo IXMR FQ-360 181 F ’05-’08 4/1997 366/6887 363/3200 1400kg 266 4.0 - - 157 +Well-executed engine upgrades - Prison foodMitsubishi Evo VIII 055 F ’03-’05 4/1997 276/6500 289/3500 1410kg 199 5.1 - - 157 + The Evo grows up - Brakes need beefing upMitsubishi Evo VIII MR FQ-300 057 F ’03-’05 4/1997 305/6800 289/3500 1400kg 221 4.9 - - 157 + Extra pace, extra attitude - ExtramoneyMitsubishi Evo VII 031 F ’02-’03 4/1997 276/6500 282/3500 1360kg 206 5.1 5.0 13.0 140 +Terrific all-rounder - You tell usMitsubishi Evo VI TommiMäkinen Edition 231 F ’00-’01 4/1997 276/6500 275/2750 1365kg 205 4.6 - - 150 +Our favourite Evo - Subtle it is notPorsche Panamera 4SDiesel 232D £91,788 8/3956 416/3500 627/1000 2050kg 206 4.3 - - 177 + Sharpchassis, impressivetech-Performancedoesn’tmeetexpectationsPorsche Panamera Turbo 237 F £115,100 8/3996 542/5750 568/1960 1995kg 276 3.6 3.4 8.3 190 +Searingpacewithbodycontrol that’sa real stepup;superbrearwing, too-Still veryheavyPorsche Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo 239D £118,828 8/3996 542/5750 568/1960 2035kg 271 3.8 - - 188 + Looksgreat;drivesbetter than itsweightwouldsuggest -Notexactlya load-luggerPorsche PanameraGTS 208 F ’11-’16 8/4806 434/6700 383/3500 1925kg 229 4.4 - - 178 +Vivacious V8, entertaining balance - Can feel light on performance next to turbocharged rivalsPorsche Panamera Turbo 137 F ’10-’16 8/4806 493/6000 516/2250 1970kg 254 4.2 3.6 8.9 188 + Fast, refined and dynamically sound - It still leaves us coldPorsche Panamera Turbo S 159D ’11-’13 8/4806 542/6000 590/2250 1995kg 276 3.8 - - 190 +Pace, excellent ergonomics - Steering feel, ridePorscheMacan S 205 F £48,287 6/2997 335/5500 339/1450 1865kg 183 5.4 - - 157 +No less compelling than theMacan Turbo - Although lacks its ultimate speed and agilityPorscheMacanGTS 217 D £55,158 6/2997 355/6000 369/1650 1895kg 190 5.2 - - 159 +Handles like an SUV shouldn’t - Still looks like an SUVPorscheMacan Turbo 207D £63,981 6/3604 394/6000 406/1350 1925kg 208 4.8 4.5 11.1 165 +Doesn’t feel like an SUV -Not amatch for a proper sports saloonPorscheMacan Turbo Performance Package 236D £69,505 6/3604 434/6000 442/1500 1925kg 229 4.4 - - - + Staggeringly quick and hugely capable - Do you really need thismuch power?PorscheCayenneGTS (Mk2, V6) 211 D £76,430 6/3604 434/6000 442/1600 2110kg 209 5.2 - - 163 + The driver’s Cayenne… - …butwhywould a driverwant an SUV?PorscheCayenneGTS (Mk2, V8) 173 D ’12-’15 8/4806 414/6500 380/3500 2085kg 202 5.7 - - 162 +Dynamically the best SUVof its era - At two tons, it’s still no sports carPorscheCayenne Turbo (Mk2) 212 D £96,193 8/4806 513/6000 533/2250 2185kg 239 4.5 - - 173 +Remarkable performance, handling, completeness - Vague steering, dated enginePorscheCayenne Turbo S (Mk2) 184D £121,550 8/4806 562/6000 590/2500 2235kg 255 4.1 - - 176 +More power and torque than a Zonda S 7.3 - In an SUVRange Rover EvoqueCoupe Si4 160D £44,545 4/1999 237/6000 251/1900 1670kg 144 7.0 - - 135 + Striking looks, sporting dynamics - Hefty price, and petrol version is auto-onlyRange Rover Velar P380 239D £70,210 6/2995 375/6500 332/3500 1884kg 202 5.7 - - 155 +Amore advanced, opulent alternative to an F-Pace - Itsweight ultimately limits its agilityRange Rover Sport V8 Supercharged 186D £87,680 8/5000 503/6000 460/2500 2335kg 219 5.0 - - 155 +Deceptively quick and capable sports SUV - It’s still got aweight problemRange Rover Sport SVR 212 D £97,780 8/5000 542/6000 501/3500 2335kg 236 4.5 - - 162 +Characterful drivetrain; genuine off-road ability - Not amatch for its rivals on the roadRange Rover SDV8 180D £83,900 8/4367 334/3500 516/1750 2360kg 144 6.5 - - 140 + Lighter andmore capable than before, evenmore luxurious - Diesel V6model feelsmore alertRolls-RoyceGhost 186D £223,368 12/6592 563/5250 575/1500 2360kg 242 4.7 - - 155 + It’s quicker than you think - It’smore enjoyable driven slowlyRolls-Royce Phantom 054 F £318,120 12/6749 453/5350 531/3500 2560kg 180 5.7 - - 149 +Rolls reinvented for the 21st century - The roads are barely big enoughSubaruWRXSTI 201 F £31,995 4/2457 296/6000 300/4000 1534kg 196 5.2 - - 158 + Fast Subaru saloon soldiers on -Without a power increaseSubaruWRXSTI 151 D ’10-’13 4/2457 296/6000 300/4000 1505kg 200 5.2 - - 158 + Fast Subaru back as a saloon -Without the blue paintandgoldwheelsSubaru Impreza STI (‘Hawkeye’) 090 F ’05-’07 4/2457 276/6000 289/4000 1495kg 188 5.3 - - 158 + Stunning to drive - Not so stunning to look atSubaru ImprezaWRXGB270 109D ’07 4/2457 266/5700 310/3000 1410kg 192 5.2 - - 143 + Fitting final fling for the Impreza badge on a fast Subaru - End of an eraSubaru Impreza RB320 105 F ’07 4/2457 316/6000 332/3750 1495kg 215 4.8 - - 155 + Fitting tribute to a rallying legend - Too hardcore for some?Subaru ImprezaWRXSTI PPP (‘Blobeye’) 073 F ’03-’05 4/1994 300/6000 299/4000 1470kg 207 5.4 5.2 12.9 148 +ASubaruwith real edge - Bit too edgy in thewetSubaru Impreza Turbo (‘Classic’) 011 F ’98-’00 4/1994 215/5600 214/4000 1235kg 177 5.8 5.4 14.6 144 +Destined for classic status - ThirstySubaru Impreza RB5 187 F ’99 4/1994 237/6000 258/3500 1235kg 195 6.1 5.0 14.1 144 +Perfect blend of poise and power - Limited numbersSubaru Impreza P1 200 F ’00-’01 4/1994 276/6500 260/4000 1283kg 219 4.7 4.9 13.3 150 +One of our favourite Imprezas - Doesn’t come cheapSubaru Impreza 22B 188 F ’98-’99 4/2212 276/6000 265/3200 1270kg 220 5.3 5.0 13.1 150 + The ultimate Impreza - Prices reflect thisTeslaModel S P100D 235 F £129,400 - 595 713 2108kg 287 2.4 2.9 7.7 155 +Killer RWYBperformance - Can take as long as 30minutes towarmup for a Ludicrous+ launchTeslaModel S P85D 208D ’15-’16 - 457 687 2239kg 314 3.2 - - 155 +Dualmotors and 4WDequals extraordinary acceleration - Lack of charging pointsVauxhall Insignia Grand Sport 2.0T 4x4 237 D £27,710 4/1998 257/5300 295/2500 1649kg 158 6.9 - - 155 +Amore spacious and stylish Insignia - Still lacking the performance geneVauxhall Insignia VXRSuperSport 189D ’13-’17 6/2792 321/5250 321/5250 1825kg 179 5.6 - - 170 +A 170mphVauxhall - Should be amore engaging steerVauxhall Vectra VXR 102D ’06-’09 6/2792 276/5500 262/1800 1580kg 177 6.1 - - 161 +Great engine, effortless pace, good value - Numb steering, lumpy rideVauxhall VXR8GTS 215 D £56,380 8/6162 576/6150 545/3850 1834kg 319 4.2 - - 155 +Monsterengine;engagingdrivingexperience-Woeful interiorVolvo V60Polestar 222D £49,665 4/1969 362/6000 347/3100 1721kg 214 4.8 - - 155 + Subtle, well-executed performance car - Plays a little too safe

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OUR CHOICELotus 3-Eleven. It may not be groundbreaking but it is hugely exciting. The 410bhpsupercharged V6 sounds fabulous and the open linkage on themanual gearbox looks fantastic.A circuit is obviously its natural habitat but it has surprisingly civilised roadmanners, so youcould happily drive to and from a trackday in it.

BEST OF THE RESTTheAbarth 124Spider (left) is capable of putting a big smile on your face at sane speeds,while at the opposite end of the spectrumwe’d defy anyone not to be charmedby anAstonMartinVantageSRoadster, in V8 or V12 form. Unsurprisingly, youwon’t find a duffer in theLotusEliseandExigeRoadster ranges, and the same goes for theCaterhamSeven.

SPORTS CARS / CONVERTIBLES

Abarth 124 Spider 238 F £26,920 4/1368 168/5500 184/2500 1060kg 161 6.8 - - 143 +A little carwith a big soul - Vague and lifeless front end 33332Alfa Romeo4CSpider 223 F £59,505 4/1742 237/6000 258/2200 940kg* 256 4.5 - - 160 +Stunningly beautiful; better steering than the coupe version - Still has the coupe’s other foibles 33342Alfa Romeo 8C Spider 161 F ’09-’11 8/4691 450/7000 354/4750 1675kg 273 4.4 - - 181 + Beautymeets beast. They hit it off - Boot is useless for touring 33334Alpina D4BiturboConvertible 212 D £56,000 6/2993 345/4000 516/1500 1815kg 193 5.0 - - 171 + Asmuch torque as a 997 Turbo - A diesel convertiblewouldn’t be our choice of Alpina 33332Alpina B4 BiturboConvertible 227 D ’16 6/2979 404/5500 442/3000 1840kg 223 4.5 - - 187 +A great GT -Not as exciting to drive as the numbersmay suggest 33332Ariel Atom3 245 113 D £30,573 4/1998 245/8600 177/7200 520kg* 479 3.1 - - 145 + Even better than its predecessors - Can still be a bit draughty 33334Ariel Atom3.5 Supercharged 180D £38,000 4/1998 310/8400 169/7200 550kg* 573 2.7 - - 155 +Asmad as ever - Rain 33333Ariel Atom3.5R 205 F £64,800 4/1998 350/8400 243/6100 550kg* 647 2.6 - - 155 +Remarkable balance, poise and pace - Pricey 33333Ariel Atom3Supercharged 138 F ’09-’12 4/1998 300/8200 162/7200 550kg* 554 3.3 - - 155 + It’s brilliant - It’smental 33333Ariel AtomMugen 165 F ’12-’13 4/1998 270/8300 188/6000 550kg* 499 2.9 - - 150 +Perfect engine for the Atom’s chassis - Only tenweremade 33333Ariel AtomV8500 165 F ’10-’12 8/3000 475/10,500 284/7750 550kg* 877 2.3 3.0 5.8 170 +An experience unlike anything else on Planet Car - It cost £150kwhen new 33333Ariel Nomad 220 F £33,000 4/2354 235/7200 221/4300 670kg* 365 3.4 - - 134 +Off-road capabilitiesmake for a super plaything - NoBluetooth 33333Aston Martin V8 Vantage S Roadster 161 F £103,995 8/4735 430/7300 361/5000 1690kg 258 4.8 - - 189 + Sounds amazing, looks even better - Still not the best drop-top in its class 33334AstonMartin V12 Vantage SRoadster 212 F £147,000 12/5935 565/6750 457/5750 1745kg 329 4.1 - - 201 +Abrilliant two-seat roadster… - …let downby a frustrating automatedmanual gearbox 33334Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster 130 F ’09-’16 8/4735 420/7000 346/5750 1710kg 250 4.8 - - 180 + Sportiest, coolest drop-top Aston in years - Feels a bit dated compared with its contemporaries 33332AstonMartin V12 Vantage Roadster 175 F ’12-’14 12/5935 510/6500 420/5750 1760kg 294 4.5 - - 190 +As good as the coupe,with amplified V12 rumble - Just a smidgen shakier 33334Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster 105 F ’07-’09 8/4280 380/7000 302/5000 1710kg 226 5.0 - - 174 + Still looks and sounds fabulous; drives great too - You’ll want the later 4.7-litre engine 33342AstonMartin DB9Volante 150D ’04-’15 12/5935 510/6500 457/5500 1890kg 274 4.5 - - 183 +Consummate cruiser and capablewhen pushed - Roof-upwind noise 33334Audi TTSRoadster 207D £42,565 4/1984 306/5800 280/1800 1450kg 214 5.2 - - 155 +A serious proposition, ranking close behind a Boxster S - Coupe still looks better 33332Audi TTSRoadster 122 D ’08-'14 4/1984 268/6000 258/2500 1455kg 187 5.6 - - 155 + Effortlessly quick - Long-termappeal open to question 33332Audi TT RSRoadster 133 D '09-’14 5/2480 335/5400 332/1600 1510kg 225 4.7 - - 155 + Terrific engine… - …is the best thing about it 33342Audi R8V8Spyder 186D ’11-’15 8/4163 424/7900 317/6000 1660kg 259 4.8 - - 187 +More delicate and subtle than the V10 - TheV10 sounds even better 33332BACMono 189 F £165,125 4/2261 305/7700 206/6000 580kg* 534 2.8 - - 170 + Themost single-minded track car available - Thatmeans no passengers… 33334BMWZ4 sDrive 35iMSport (Mk2) 186D ’13-’17 6/2979 302/5800 295/1300 1505kg 204 5.2 - - 155 + Looks, hard-top versatility, drivetrain - Clumsy chassis is upset by ragged surfaces 33342BMWZ43.0si (Mk1) 094D ’06-’09 6/2996 265/6600 232/2750 1310kg 205 5.7 - - 155 + Terrific straight-six - Handling not as playful aswe’d like 33332BMWZ4MRoadster 091 F ’06-’09 6/3246 338/7900 269/4900 1410kg 244 5.0 - - 155 + Exhilarating and characterful; that engine - Stiff suspension 33334BMWMRoadster 002 F ’98-’02 6/3246 325/7400 258/4900 1375kg 240 5.1 - - 155 +M3motor; hunky looks -MCoupe drives better 33342BMWZ8 026 F ’00-’03 8/4941 400/6600 369/3800 1585kg 256 4.7 4.8 11.1 155 +M5-powered super-sportster -M5’smore fun to drive 33322CaterhamSeven 160 239 F £19,495 4/660 80/7000 79/3400 490kg* 166 6.9 - - 100 +The fabulous Seven formula at itsmost basic - Gets priceywith options 33334CaterhamSeven 270 219 F £23,995 4/1596 135/6800 122/4100 540kg* 254 5.0 - - 122 + Feisty engine, sweetly balanced,manic and exciting - The temptation ofmore power 33333CaterhamSeven 310 227 D £25,495 4/1596 152/7000 124/5600 540kg* 286 4.8 - - 126 + Intense and exciting - Sticky tyres limit the amount of throttle adjustability 33334CaterhamSeven 360 209 F £27,495 4/1999 180/7300 143/6100 560kg* 327 4.8 - - 130 + Extra power iswelcome - You’ll need the six-speed gearbox tomake themost of it 33333CaterhamSeven 420 223 F £30,495 4/1999 210/7600 150/6300 560kg* 381 3.8 4.0 10.3 136 + It’s the onewebuilt for ourselves - Trickier on the limit than lesser-powered Sevens 33333CaterhamSeven 420RDonington Edition 240D £47,500 4/1999 210/7600 150/6300 560kg* 381 3.8 - - 136 +One of the best Sevenswe’ve driven -Only ten are beingmade 33333CaterhamSevenCSR 094 F £46,495 4/2261 256/7500 200/6200 565kg* 460 3.1 3.8 - 155 +Brilliant for high days, holidays and trackdays -WetWednesdays 33334CaterhamSeven 620S 220D £45,495 4/1999 310/7700 219/7350 610kg* 516 3.4 - - 155 + Ludicrous, near-620Rpace, with added habitability -Well, ‘habitable’ for a Seven… 33333CaterhamSeven 620R 239 F £50,490 4/1999 310/7700 219/7350 572kg* 551 2.8 - - 155 +Banzai on track, yet still relevant on the road - £50k for a Seven? 33333CaterhamSevenRoadsport 125 105 F ’07-’14 4/1596 125/6100 120/5350 539kg* 235 5.9 - - 112 +Great debut for Ford-enginedmodel - Bigger drivers need SVmodel 33334CaterhamSeven Supersport 165 F ’11-’14 4/1596 140/6900 120/5790 520kg* 273 4.9 - - 120 +One of the best Caterhams is also one of the cheapest of its era - It’s quiteminimalist 33333CaterhamSeven Supersport R 180D ’13-’14 4/1999 180/7300 143/6100 535kg* 342 4.8 - - 130 +One of the best road-and-track Sevens - Impractical, noisy, uncomfortable 33334CaterhamSeven Superlight R300 150 F ’09-’12 4/1999 175/7000 139/6000 515kg* 345 4.5 - - 140 +Possibly all the Caterhamyou need - They’re not cheap 33333CaterhamSeven Superlight R500 123 F ’08-’14 4/1999 263/8500 177/7200 506kg* 528 2.9 - - 150 +Better power-to-weight ratio than aVeyron - Until you add the driver 33333CaterhamLevante 131 F ’09-’10 8/2398 550/10,000 300/8500 520kg* 1074 3.0 4.8 8.2 150 +Twice the power-to-weight ratio of a Veyron! - Not easy to drive slowly 33334CaterhamSevenR300 068 F ’02-’06 4/1796 160/7000 130/5000 500kg* 325 4.7 - - 130 +Our 2002 Trackday Car of the Year - Not forwimps 33333CaterhamSevenR500 200 F ’99-’06 4/1796 230/8600 155/7200 460kg* 510 3.4 3.6 8.8 146 + TheK-series Seven at its very best - No cup holders 33333Elemental Rp1 238D £98,700 4/1999 320/ n/a 332/2000 630kg 516 2.7 - - 165 + Sensational, explosive, captivating and exploitable - Pricewill test your level of commitment 33333Ferrari California T 229D £155,254 8/3855 553/7500 557/4750 1729kg 324 3.6 - - 196 + Turbocharged engine is a triumph - Still places daily useability above outright thrills 33342Fiat 124 Spider 228 F £21,050 4/1368 138/5000 177/2250 1050kg 134 7.5 - - 134 + It’s an affordable Italian(ish) sports car - Lacks Italian brio 33322Honda S2000 118 D ’99-’09 4/1997 237/8300 153/7500 1260kg 191 6.2 - - 150 +An alternative and rev-happy roadster - The Boxster’s better 33332Jaguar F-typeConvertible 3.0 V6 340PS 186 F £57,750 6/2995 335/6500 332/3500 1587kg 214 5.7 - - 161 + Beautiful, enjoyable, responsive - Noticeably the junior F-type 33332Jaguar F-typeConvertible 3.0 V6 380PS 183 F £68,500 6/2995 375/6500 339/3500 1604kg 238 5.5 - - 171 + Amore rounded F-type than theV8s -We like V8s 33334Jaguar F-type RConvertible - £92,345 8/5000 542/6500 501/3500 1665kg 331 4.1 - - 186 +Pace, characterful engine - Costs nearly £25kmore than the hot V6 33334Jaguar F-type SVRConvertible 230D £115,485 8/5000 567/6500 516/3500 1720kg 335 3.7 - - 195 +Huge performance - Unpleasant soundtrack; unsettled on bumpy roads 33342Jaguar F-type SConvertible 183 F ’13-’17 6/2995 375/6500 339/3500 1604kg 238 5.5 - - 171 + Better-damped andmore rounded than theV8S - ABoxster S is cheaper 33334Jaguar F-type V8SConvertible 183 F ’13-’14 8/5000 488/6500 461/2500 1665kg 298 4.3 - - 186 +Wilder than the V6S - Could be too exuberant for some 33334Jaguar F-type Project 7 212 F ’15 8/5000 567/6500 501/2500 1585kg 363 3.9 - - 186 +Noise, performance, adjustability - Expensive, and not theGT3 rival wewould have liked 33334Jaguar XKRConvertible 130 F ’09-’14 8/5000 503/6000 461/2500 1725kg 296 4.8 - - 155 + Fantastic 5-litre V8 - Loses sporting ground to itsmain foes 33332Jaguar XKR-SConvertible 167 F ’11-’14 8/5000 542/6500 502/2500 1725kg 319 4.4 - - 186 + Loud andmad;most exciting Jag in years - It was also themost expensive in years 33334KTMX-BowGT 183D £95,880 4/1984 281/6400 310/3200 875kg 326 4.1 - - 144 + Extraordinary ability, now in amore road-friendly package - Price 33334KTMX-BowR 165 F £87,480 4/1984 296/6300 295/3300 816kg 369 3.9 - - 144 + Sharper handling,more power - Pity it’s not even lighter, and cheaper 33332KTMX-Bow 138 F ’08-’12 4/1984 237/5500 229/2000 818kg 294 3.8 - - 137 +Mad looks; real quality feel - Heavier and pricier than you’d hope 33332Lotus Elise Sport - £32,300 4/1598 134/6800 118/4400 856kg 159 6.5 - - 127 + 1.6-litre Elise is light and fantastic - Smaller engine could put someoff 33333Lotus Elise Sprint - £37,300 4/1598 134/6800 118/4400 830kg 164 6.2 - - 127 + Even lighter version of the 1.6 Elise - It’ll cost you nearly £200per kilo saved 33333Lotus Elise Sport 220 - £39,300 4/1798 217/6800 184/4600 904kg 244 4.6 - - 145 + Epicgripandpace-Abitshortoncreaturecomforts 33333Lotus Elise Sprint 220 236D £44,300 4/1798 217/6800 184/4600 878kg 251 4.5 - - 145 +Makes themost of its lightness -Heavyweightprice 33333Lotus Elise Cup 250 238D £47,400 4/1798 243/7200 184/3500 917kg 269 4.3 - - 154 +Quickest Elise yet -Prioritisesgripoveradjustability 33333Lotus Elise Club Racer 183 F ’11-’15 4/1598 134/6800 118/4400 852kg 160 6.5 - - 127 + Even lighter, evenmore focused than a standard 1.6 Elise - Are you prepared to go this basic? 33333Lotus Elise SClub Racer 189D ’13-’15 4/1798 217/6800 184/4600 905kg 244 4.6 - - 145 +Purist approach intensifies ability -Lightest,option-freespecrequirescommitment 33333Lotus Elise R 068 F ’04-’11 4/1796 189/7800 133/6800 860kg 223 5.4 5.6 13.9 138 +Amost thrillsome Elise - Blaring engine note 33333Lotus Elise SC 131 F ’08-’11 4/1794 218/8000 156/5000 870kg 254 4.6 4.5 11.4 145 +All the usual Elisemagic - Supercharged engine lacks sparkle 33334Lotus Elise S 104 F ’06-’10 4/1794 134/6200 127/4200 860kg 158 6.1 6.3 18.7 127 + Brilliant entry-level Elise - Precious little 33333Lotus Elise 111S 049 F ’02-’04 4/1796 156/7000 129/4650 860kg 197 5.1 - - 131 + A genuinely useable Elise - Air-con? In an Elise? 33333Lotus Elise Sport 135 040D ’03 4/1796 135/6200 129/4850 726kg 189 5.4 - - 129 +One of our fave S2 Elises - Brakes needmore bite and pedal feel 33333Lotus Elise Sport 190 044 F ’03 4/1796 190/7800 128/5000 710kg 272 4.5 4.7 12.1 135 + Fabulous trackday tool - Pricey 33334Lotus Elise (S1) 235 F ’96-’01 4/1796 118/5500 122/3000 731kg 164 5.9 6.1 18.5 126 +Amodern classic - A tad impractical? 33333Lotus Exige Sport 350Roadster 221 F £55,900 6/3456 345/7000 295/4500 1125kg 312 3.9 - - 145 +An Exigewithaddedsunny-dayappeal -ABoxsterwouldbemorepractical 33333Lotus Exige Sport 380Roadster 231 F £67,900 6/3456 375/6700 302/5000 1110kg 343 3.7 - - 178 + Like the 350Roadster, but faster and even purer -ABoxsterwouldstill bemorepractical 33333Lotus Exige S Roadster 186 F ’13-15 6/3456 345/7000 295/4500 1166kg 301 4.0 - - 145 + Like the hard-top Exige S, butmore road-friendly -981BoxsterS isabetterall-rounder 33333

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Lotus 3-Eleven 220 F £82,500 6/3456 410/7000 302/3000 925kg 450 3.4 - - 174 +A fantastically exciting Lotus - If not exactly a groundbreaking one 33333Lotus 2-Eleven 126 F ’07-’11 4/1796 189/7800 133/6800 720kg 267 4.5 - - 140 +Not far off the supercharged 2-Eleven’s pace - Youwant the supercharged one, don’t you? 33334Lotus 2-Eleven Supercharged 123 F ’07-’11 4/1796 252/8000 179/7000 745kg 344 4.0 - - 150 + Impressive on road and track - Not hardcore enough for some 33333Lotus 2-ElevenGT4 138 F ’09-’11 4/1796 266/8200 179/7200 750kg 360 3.7 - - 155 + evo Track Car of the Year 2009 - Expensive; regular 2-Elevensmake better road cars 33333Lotus 340R 126 F ’00 4/1796 190/7800 146/5000 701kg 275 4.5 4.5 12.5 126 +Hardcore road-racer… - …that looks like a dune buggy fromMars 33333Maserati GranCabrio Sport 161 D £104,565 8/4691 444/7000 376/4750 1980kg 228 5.0 - - 177 + Looks, performance, cruising ability - Brakes could be sharper 33342Maserati GranCabrioMC 185D £112,400 8/4691 454/7000 383/4750 1973kg 234 4.9 - - 179 +Most powerful GranCabrio yet - TheGranCabrio is starting to show its age 33342MazdaMX-5 1.5 (Mk4) 230 F £18,795 4/1496 129/7000 111/4800 975kg 134 8.3 - - 127 + LightestMX-5 since theMk1 - Lacks intensity 33342MazdaMX-5 2.0 Sport Nav (Mk4) 228 F £24,195 4/1998 158/6000 147/4600 1000kg 161 7.3 - - 133 + Brilliant basic recipe - The desire for stiffer suspension andmore power 33342MazdaMX-5 RF 2.0 (Mk4) 234 F £23,395 4/1998 158/6000 147/4600 1045kg 154 7.4 - - 134 +Drives just like its soft-top brother - Significantwind noisewith the roof down 33342MazdaMX-5 2.0i Sport Tech (Mk3.5) 212 F ’09-’15 4/1999 158/7000 139/5000 1098kg 146 7.6 - - 138 +Handles brilliantly again; folding hard-top also available - Less-than-macho image 33334MazdaMX-5 1.8i (Mk3) 091 F ’05-’09 4/1798 124/6500 123/4500 1080kg 108 9.3 - - 122 +Gearchange, interior - Lost someof the charmof oldMX-5s; dubious handling 33342MazdaMX-5 1.8i (Mk2) 017 F ’98-’05 4/1839 146/7000 124/5000 1065kg 140 8.5 - - 123 +Affordable ragtops don’t getmuch better - Cheap cabin 33333MazdaMX-5 1.6 (Mk1) 131 F ’89-’97 4/1597 115/6500 100/5500 971kg 120 8.8 - - 114 + The original and still (prettymuch) the best - Less than rigid 33333Mercedes-AMGSLC43 222D £47,600 6/2996 362/5500 383/2000 1520kg 242 4.7 - - 155 + Twin-turboV6well-suited to baby roadster - But also highlights the chassis’ age 33332Mercedes-Benz SLK55AMG 186 F ’12-’15 8/5461 416/6800 398/4500 1615kg 262 4.6 - - 155 +Quicker andmore economical than ever - Needs to be sharper, too 33322Mercedes-Benz SLK55AMG 087 F ’05-’10 8/5439 355/5750 376/4000 1575kg 229 4.9 - - 155 + Superb engine, responsive chassis - Nomanual option, ESP spoils fun 33332Mercedes-Benz SLK55AMGBlack Series 110 F ’07-’08 8/5439 394/5750 383/3750 1495kg 268 4.5 4.9 11.2 174 +AMGgets serious - Dull-witted auto ’box, uneven dynamics 33342Mercedes-AMGSL63 228D £116,430 8/5461 577/5500 664/2250 1770kg 331 4.1 - - 155 + Effortless performance - Needsmore involvement to gowith the pace 33332Mercedes-AMGGTRoadster 239 F £110,160 8/3982 469/6000 465/1700 1670kg 285 4.0 - - 188 +AnAMGGTwith added fresh air - Ride and handling go slightly to pieces onUK roads 33342Mercedes-AMGGTCRoadster 235D £139,445 8/3982 549/5750 502/1900 1678kg 332 3.7 - - 196 +As above butwithmore shove - Road noise can getwearing on long journeys 33332Mercedes-Benz SL500 169D ’12-’16 8/4663 429/5250 516/1800 1710kg 255 4.6 - - 155 +Wafty performance, beautifully engineered - Lacks ultimate sports car feel 33332Mercedes-Benz SL63AMG 171 D ’12-’16 8/5461 530/5500 590/2000 1770kg 304 4.3 - - 155 +Monster performance, lighter than before - Still heavy, steering lacksconsistency 33334Mercedes-Benz SL65AMG 183D ’13-’16 12/5980 621/4800 737/2300 1875kg 336 4.0 - - 155 +Chassis just about dealswith the power - Speed limits 33332Mercedes-Benz SL63AMG 117 D ’08-’13 8/6208 518/6800 464/5200 1970kg 278 4.6 - - 155 +More focused than old SL55AMG - Lost someof its all-round appeal 33332Mercedes-Benz SL65AMG 071 D ’04-’10 12/5980 604/4800 737/2000 2035kg 302 4.2 - - 155 +Gob-smacking performance - Costly to run 33334Mercedes-Benz SLSAMGRoadster 167 F ’12-’14 8/6208 563/6800 479/4750 1660kg 345 3.7 - - 197 + Loses none of the coupe’s talents - But (understandably) losesthegullwingdoors 33333Morgan 3Wheeler 198 F £31,140 2/1976 82/5250 103/3250 525kg* 159 6.0 - - 115 +Quirky, characterful, brilliant - Can becomea two-wheeler if you push too hard 33332Morgan Plus 8 171 F £85,461 8/4799 362/6300 370/3600 1100kg* 334 4.5 - - 155 +Hilariousmix of old looks and newmechanicals-Refinementisdefinitelyold-school 33332Morgan Plus 8 Speedster 202 F ’14 8/4799 362/6300 370/3600 1000kg* 368 4.2 - - 148 + Fantastic old-school roadster experience-Getsunsettledbybigbumps;only60weremade 33332MorganAero 8 105 F £94,665 8/4799 362/6300 361/3400 1180kg* 312 4.5 - - 170 +Glorious sound, viewover bonnet, dynamics - Awkward-looking rear 33332MorganAero SuperSports 145 F ’10-’11 8/4799 362/6300 370/3600 1180kg* 312 4.2 - - 170 + It’s an Aero 8with a V8 and targa top - Limited edition, costing proper supercarmoney 33332Nissan 370ZRoadster 143 F '10-'14 6/3696 326/7000 269/5200 1554kg 213 5.5 - - 155 + The Zed’s old-school character remains intact - Its purposeful looks don’t 33332Porsche 718 Boxster 224D £44,758 4/1988 296/6500 280/1950 1335kg 225 5.1 - - 170 +Chassis as good as ever - Four-cylinder’s tunelessdinwouldbehardto livewith 33342Porsche 718 Boxster S 222 F £53,714 4/2497 345/6500 310/1900 1355kg 259 4.6 4.4 9.8 177 + Still sensationally capable - Turbofour-cylinderengine lacksappealof theold flat-six 33334Porsche Boxster (981) 238 F ’12-’16 6/2706 261/6700 206/4500 1310kg 202 5.8 - - 164 +Goes and looks better than the 987 Boxster - Shameabouttheelectricsteering 33333Porsche Boxster S (981) 186 F ’12-’16 6/3436 311/6700 265/4500 1320kg 239 5.1 - - 173 + Boxster steps out of 911’s shadow - But gets 911’s less appealing electric steering 33333Porsche Boxster GTS (981) 203D ’14-’16 6/3436 325/6700 273/4500 1345kg 246 5.0 - - 174 + Superb dynamics, fantastic engine, great looks - Sportsuspension isvery firm 33333Porsche Boxster Spyder (981) 223 F ’15-’16 6/3800 370/6700 310/4750 1315kg 286 4.5 - - 180 +An even faster, evenmore rewarding Boxster - Feedbacktrails theCaymanGT4’s 33333Porsche Boxster S (987) 161 F ’05-’12 6/3436 306/6400 265/5500 1355kg 229 5.3 - - 170 + Second-gen Boxster’s as brilliant as ever - It’s a typically Porsche redesign 33333Porsche Boxster Spyder (987) 188 F ’10-’12 6/3436 316/7200 273/4750 1275kg 252 4.9 - - 166 + Lighter,more driver-centric Boxster - Collapsed-brolly roof not themost practical 33333Porsche Boxster S (986) 070 F ’99-’04 6/3179 256/6200 229/4600 1320kg 200 5.7 - - 164 +Added power over the non-S Boxster is seductive - Very little 33333Radical SR3 SL 174 F ’11-’14 4/2000 300/6000 265/4000 775kg* 393 3.4 - - 161 +Our 2011 Track Car of the Year, and it’s road-legal - You’ll need towrap upwarm 33333Radical SR8LM 138 F ’09-’12 8/2800 460/10,500 260/8000 680kg* 687 3.2 - - 168 +Held theNordschleife road-car lap record for eight years! - Convincing people it’s road legal 33333Renault Sport Spider 231 F ’96-’99 4/1998 148/6000 136/4500 930kg 157 6.5 - - 131 + Rarity; unassisted steering - Heavier than you’d hope; disappointing engine 33322Rolls-RoyceDawn 222D £264,000 12/6592 563/5250 575/1500 2560kg 223 4.9 - - 155 + Effortless driving experience - Driver involvementnotapriority 33334ToyotaMR2 (Mk3) 187 F ’00-’06 4/1794 138/6400 125/4400 975kg 141 8.0 7.2 21.2 131 + Tight lines, taut dynamics -Minimal luggage space 33334TVRTamora 070 F ’01-’07 6/3605 350/7200 290/5500 1060kg 335 4.2 - - 175 +Well-sorted soft-top TVR - Awkward styling 33332TVRChimaera 5.0 007 F ’93-’03 8/4997 320/5500 320/3750 1060kg 307 4.4 - - 167 +Gorgeous noise, tarmac-rippling grunt - Details 33332TVRGriffith 4.3 068 F ’92-’93 8/4280 280/5500 305/4000 1040kg 274 4.4 4.8 11.2 155 + The car thatmade TVR. Cult status -Mere details 33334TVRGriffith 500 009 F ’93-’01 8/4997 320/5500 320/4000 1060kg 307 4.1 - - 167 +Gruff diamond - A few rough edges 33334Vauxhall VX220 023 F ’00-‘04 4/2198 145/5800 150/4000 875kg 168 5.9 - - 136 +Absurdly goodVauxhall - The badge? 33334Vauxhall VX220 Turbo 066 F ’03-’05 4/1998 197/5500 184/1950 930kg 215 4.9 - - 151 +Nothing comes close for themoney -Marginal everyday usability 33333Vuhl 05 220 F £59,995 4/2000 285/5600 310/3000 725kg 405 3.7 - - 152 + Impressivepaceandquality - Youcangetamorethrills fromaCaterhamathalf theprice 33332Zenos E10 S 214 F £30,595 4/1999 250/7000 295/2500 725kg* 350 4.0 4.2 - 145 +Neutralandexploitable - Prescriptivebalance 33332

OUR CHOICEPorsche 911 CarreraGTS. Adjustable, playful, communicative and with top-class bodycontrol and damping, the 991.2-generation Carrera GTS is everything a 911 should be. It evenhas the best steering to date in a 991 Carrera. Just make sure you order the two-wheel-drive,manual coupe version.

BEST OF THE RESTLower down the 991.2 range, thePorsche911CarreraandCarreraS haven’t been ruined bythe addition of turbos, while among their rivalswe’d take aBMWM4CompetitionPackageover anAudiRS5 or aMercedes-AMGC63SCoupe. Elsewhere, the LotusExigeandEvora continue to offer sublime handling in all guises.

COUPES / GTs

Alfa Romeo4C 209 F £51,505 4/1742 237/6000 258/2200 895kg* 269 4.5 - - 160 +Carbonfibre tub,mini-supercar looks - Hot hatch engine, clunky gearbox 33342Alfa Romeo8CCompetizione 120 F ’07-’09 8/4691 450/7000 354/4750 1585kg 288 4.2 - - 181 + Looks, exclusivity, noise, balance - Costmore now than they did new 33334Alpina D4Biturbo 206 F £50,950 6/2993 345/4000 516/1500 1585kg 221 4.6 - - 173 + Fifth-gear oversteer - Sounds like a diesel; fuel economynot as good as youmight hope 33334Alpina B4Biturbo 206 F ’14-’16 6/2979 404/5500 442/3000 1615kg 254 4.2 - - 188 +More fluid than theM4; better traction, too - Not as precise as theM-car over the limit 33334AstonMartin V8Vantage S 168 F £94,995 8/4735 430/7300 361/5000 1610kg 271 4.8 - - 190 +Keener engine, V12 Vantage looks - Slightly sluggish auto only 33334AstonMartin VantageGT8 229 F £165,000 8/4735 440/7300 361/5000 1530kg 292 4.4 - - 190 + Enough drama to fill a Netflixmini-series - Just 150 beingmade 33333AstonMartin V8Vantage (4.3) 109 F ’05-’07 8/4280 380/7000 302/5000 1630kg 237 5.0 5.2 12.0 175 +Gorgeous; awesome soundtrack -Can’tquitematcha911dynamically 33332AstonMartin V8Vantage (4.7) 169D ’08-’16 8/4735 420/7000 346/5750 1630kg 262 4.8 - - 180 +Still feels special -Butalsoa littledated 33332AstonMartin V8VantageN430 218 F ’15 -’16 8/4735 430/7300 361/5000 1610kg 271 4.8 - - 189 +Malleable, involving -Never feels rampantlyquick 33333AstonMartin V12 Vantage S 238 F £138,000 12/5935 563/6650 457/5500 1665kg 344 3.9 - - 205 +Amongst the best Astons evermade -Old-school automated ’box (so get themanual) 33333AstonMartin V12 Vantage 146 F ’09-’13 12/5935 510/6500 420/5750 1680kg 308 4.2 4.4 9.7 190 +The carwe hoped theV8Vantagewould be - Erm, a tad thirsty? 33333AstonMartin VantageGT12 214 F ’15-’16 12/5935 592/7000 461/5500 1565kg 384 3.5 - - 185 + TheGT3-style Vantagewewaited so long for - Only 100weremade 33333AstonMartin DB11 235 F £157,900 12/5204 600/6500 516/1500 1875kg 325 3.9 4.0 8.1 200 +An excellent GT - Suffers in outright handling terms as a result 33334AstonMartin DB9GT 214D £140,000 12/5935 540/6750 457/5500 1785kg 307 4.5 - - 183 +More power; still has bags of character - Needs an eight-speed auto ’box 33334AstonMartin DB9 178 F ’04-’16 12/5935 510/6500 457/5500 1785kg 290 4.6 - - 183 +A great start toGaydon-era Astons - Automatic gearbox could be quicker 33334AstonMartin DBS 142 F ’07-’12 12/5935 510/6500 420/5750 1695kg 306 4.3 - - 191 + Stupendous engine, gearbox, brakes - Pricey; can bite the unwary 33334Audi TT 2.0 TFSI (Mk3) 204 F £31,685 4/1984 227/4500 273/1650 1230kg 188 6.0 - - 155 +Desirable, grippy and effortlessly quick - Still not the lastword in interaction 33334Audi TT 2.0 TFSI quattro (Mk3) 203D £34,895 4/1984 227/4500 273/1600 1335kg 173 5.3 - - 155 + Looks, interior, decent performance and handling - Lacks ultimate involvement 33332Audi TTS (Mk3) 209 F £40,840 4/1984 306/5800 280/1800 1365kg 228 4.9 - - 155 +Dynamically interesting (for a TT) - Still not as interactive as a Cayman 33332Audi TT RS (Mk3) 230 F £52,100 5/2480 394/5850 354/1700 1440kg 278 3.7 3.4 - 155 + Soundtrack; tremendous point-to-point pace - A bit one-dimensional in the long run 33334Audi TTS (Mk2) 193 F ’08-’14 4/1984 268/6000 258/2500 1395kg 195 5.4 - - 155 +Ausefully quicker TT, with a great drivetrain - Still steers like a computer game 33332Audi TT RS (Mk2) 158 F ’09-’14 5/2480 335/5400 332/1600 1450kg 235 4.7 4.4 11.1 155 + Sublime five-cylinder turbo engine - Rest of package can’t quitematch it 33332

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Audi TT RSPlus (Mk2) 185D ’12-’14 5/2480 355/5500 343/1650 1450kg 249 4.3 - - 174 + Stonkingly fast cross-country - Shockingly expensive for a TT 33332Audi TT Sport (Mk1) 081 D ’05-’06 4/1781 237/5700 236/2300 1390kg 173 5.7 - - 155 +Deliciously purposeful interior, crisp chassis - Numb steering 33332Audi S5 233 F £47,875 6/2995 349/5400 369/1370 1615kg 220 4.7 - - 155 +Chassis rewards commitment… - …but doesn’t offer a challenge. Plain engine, too 33342Audi RS5 240 F £62,900 6/2894 444/5700 442/1900 1655kg 273 3.9 - - 155 + Lighter and quicker;makes green paint look good - Twin-turboV6 lacks the character of the old V8 33332Audi RS5 206 F ’10-’16 8/4163 444/8250 317/4000 1715kg 263 4.5 - - 155 +Brilliant engine and improved chassis - Lack of suspension travel; inconsistent steering 33332Audi R8V8 201 F ’07-’15 8/4163 424/7900 317/4500 1560kg 276 4.6 4.1 9.9 188 +A true 911 alternative - Exclusivity comes at a price 33333Bentley Continental GTV8 178 F £140,300 8/3993 500/6000 487/1700 2220kg 229 4.8 - - 188 +Aproper drivers’ Bentleywith decent economy -W12 suddenly seemspointless 33334Bentley Continental GTV8S 204 F £149,800 8/3993 521/6000 502/1700 2220kg 238 4.5 - - 192 +An even better drivers’ Bentley - Vastweightmakes its presence felt in harder driving 33334Bentley Continental GT 152D £150,500 12/5998 567/6000 516/1700 2245kg 257 4.5 - - 198 +Near 200mph in utter comfort -Weight;W12’s thirst 33332Bentley Continental GT Speed 230D £168,900 12/5998 633/5900 620/2000 2245kg 286 4.1 - - 206 +Desirabilitymeets exclusivity and performance -We’d still have the V8 33334Bentley Continental Supersports 234D £212,500 12/5998 700/6000 750/2050 2205kg 323 3.5 - - 209 +Massive performance, surprisingly agile - Styling and soundtrack far fromdescreet 33334Bentley Continental GT3-R 203D £237,500 8/3993 572/6000 518/1700 2120kg 274 3.8 - - 170 + The best-handling Continental ever - Expensive; it still weighs 2120kg 33334BMW 1-seriesMCoupe 188 F ’11-’12 6/2979 335/5900 369/1500 1495kg 228 4.9 - - 155 +Character, turbo pace and great looks - Cameandwent too quick 33333BMWM240i Coupe 229D £35,865 6/2998 335/6800 369/1520 1470kg 232 4.8 - - 155 +Adjustable and plenty of fun - Lacks finesse and precision 33334BMWM235i Coupe 225 F ’14-’16 6/2979 321/5800 332/1300 1455kg 224 5.0 5.2 12.7 155 +Powertrain, chassis, looks, size - Limited-slip diff is an option, not standard 33334BMWM2 230 F £45,750 6/2979 365/6500 369/1450 1495kg 248 4.5 4.5 - 155 +More progressive chassis balance than theM4 - Feels unsettled on rough tarmac 33334BMW440iMSport Coupe 233 F £43,430 6/2998 321/5500 332/1380 1540kg 212 5.2 - - 155 +Almost-too-powerful engine - Doesn’t feel special enough to drive 33334BMWM4 218 F £58,365 6/2979 425/5500 406/1850 1560kg 277 4.3 - - 155 + Ferociously fast - A handful on less-than-perfect or less-than-bone-dry roads 33334BMWM4Competition Package 240 F £62,080 6/2979 444/7000 406/1850 1560kg 289 4.2 - - 155 + The car theM4always should have been - Not so good on the 20inwheels everyonewill spec 33334BMWM4CS 237D £89,130 6/2979 454/6250 442/4000 1580kg 292 3.9 - - 174 + The firstM4 you could enjoy on any road, in any conditions - It ain’t cheap 33334BMWM4GTS 237 F ’16 6/2979 493/6250 442/4000 1510kg 332 3.8 3.7 8.0 190 +Vast improvement on lesserM4s - So it should be, given its price 33333BMWM3 (E92) 196 F ’07-13 8/3999 414/8300 295/3900 1580kg 266 4.8 4.3 10.3 155 + Fends off all of its rivals… - …except the cheaper 1-seriesMCoupe 33333BMWM3GTS (E92) 232 F ’10-’11 8/4361 444/8300 324/3750 1530kg 295 4.4 - - 190 +Highly exclusive; one of themost focusedM-cars ever - Good luck trying to find one 33333BMWM3 (E46) 066 F ’00-’07 6/3246 338/7900 269/5000 1495kg 230 5.2 5.1 12.3 155 +One of the best BMWsever. Runner-up in eCoty 2001 - Slightly artificial steering feel 33333BMWM3CS (E46) 219 F ’05-’07 6/3246 338/7900 269/5000 1495kg 230 5.2 - - 155 +CSL dynamicswithout CSL price - Looks like the standard car 33333BMWM3CSL (E46) 200 F ’03-’04 6/3246 355/7900 273/4900 1385kg 260 4.9 5.3 12.0 155 + Still superb - Changes from the automated single-clutch ’box are… a…bit… sluggish 33333BMWM3Evolution (E36) 148 F ’96-’98 6/3201 317/7400 258/3250 1515kg 215 5.5 5.4 12.8 158 +Performance, image - Never quite as good as the E30 33332BMWM3 (E30) 165 F ’89-’90 4/2302 212/6750 170/4600 1165kg 185 6.7 6.7 17.8 147 + The bestM-car ever - Prices have got out of hand 33333BMWZ4MCoupe 097 F ’06-’09 6/3246 338/7900 269/4900 1420kg 242 5.0 - - 155 +A real drivers’ car - You’ve got to be prepared to get stuck in 33334BMWMCoupe 005 F ’98-’03 6/3246 321/7400 261/4900 1375kg 237 5.3 - - 155 +Quick and characterful - Lacks finesse 33332BMWM6 (F13) 218 F £95,580 8/4395 552/6000 501/1500 1850kg 303 4.2 - - 155 +Mighty ability, pace, technology - You’ll want the Competition Package upgrade, too 33334BMWM6 (E63) 106 F ’05-’10 10/4999 500/7750 384/6100 1635kg 311 4.2 4.8 10.0 155 +AwesomeGT, awesome sports car - SMGgearbox nowoff the pace 33334BMW i8 210 F £106,310 3/1499 357/5800 420/3700 1485kg 244 4.4 - - 155 +Brilliantly executed concept; sci-fi looks - Safe dynamic set-up 33334Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 220 F ’14-’16 8/7008 505/6100 481/4800 1732kg 296 4.2 - - 175 + Scalpel-sharp engine, great chassis (really) - Feels very stiff onUK roads 33334Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (C7) 197 F £63,295 8/6162 460/6000 465/4600 1496kg 312 4.2 4.4 9.4 180 +Performance, chassis balance, supple ride - Body control could be better 33334Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C7) 227 F £90,445 8/6162 650/6000 650/3600 1598kg 413 3.7 - - 196 +Mind-boggling raw speed; surprisingly sophisticated - Edgywhen really pushed 33334FordMustang 2.3 EcoBoost 222D £33,645 4/2261 313/5500 319/3000 1655kg 192 5.8 - - 155 +Ninety per cent as good as the V8 -Missing ten per cent iswhatmakes theMustang 33342FordMustang 5.0 V8GT 225 F £38,095 8/4951 410/6500 391/4250 1711kg 243 4.8 4.8 11.6 155 + Looks, noise, performance, value, right-hand drive - Comes undone on rougher roads 33342Honda Integra Type R (DC2) 200 F ’96-’00 4/1797 187/8000 131/7300 1101kg 173 6.7 6.2 17.9 145 +Arguably the greatest front-drive car ever - Too raw for some 33333Infiniti Q60SSport 3.0T 228D £43,535 6/2997 400/6400 350/1600 1799kg 226 5.0 - - 155 + Impressive tech - Electronic systems reduce feeling of involvement 33342Jaguar F-typeCoupe 2.0 i4 300PS 239D £49,900 4/1997 296/5500 295/1500 1525kg 197 5.7 - - 155 + Turbo four-cylinder engine sounds good - But it lacks top-end verve 33342Jaguar F-typeCoupe 3.0 V6 340PS 204D £52,265 6/2995 335/6500 332/3500 1567kg 217 5.7 - - 161 +Drop-dead looks, brilliant chassis, desirability - Engine lacks top-end fight 33332Jaguar F-typeCoupe 3.0 V6 380PS 211 D £63,015 6/2995 375/6500 339/3500 1584kg 241 5.5 - - 171 + Exquisite style,more rewarding (and affordable) than roadster - Scrappy on the limit 33334Jaguar F-type RCoupeAWD 227D £90,860 8/5000 542/6500 501/3500 1730kg 318 4.1 3.5 8.1 186 +Better than the rear-drive R in thewet - Less involving in the dry 33334Jaguar F-type SVRCoupe 224D £110,880 8/5000 567/6500 516/3500 1705kg 338 3.7 - - 200 +Amarginally better drive than theAWDR -Not by enough to justify the extra outlay 33334Jaguar F-type RCoupe (RWD) 218 F ’14-’17 8/5000 542/6500 501/3500 1650kg 334 4.2 - - 186 + Looks, presence, performance, soundtrack - Bumpy and boistrous 33333Jaguar XKR 168 F ’09-’14 8/5000 503/6000 461/2500 1753kg 292 4.8 - - 155 + Fast and incredibly rewarding Jag - The kidswill have to stay at home 33334Jaguar XKR-S 168 F ’11-’14 8/5000 542/6000 502/2500 1753kg 314 4.4 - - 186 + Faster andwilder than regular XKR - The F-type RCoupe 33334Lexus RC 200t F Sport 225 F £38,695 4/1998 242/5800 258/1650 1675kg 147 7.5 - - 143 + Fluid ride - Lacks body control and outright grip 33342Lexus RC F 226 F £61,310 8/4969 470/6400 391/4800 1765kg 271 4.5 - - 168 +Great steering, noise, sense of occasion - Too heavy to be truly exciting 33332Lexus LC 500 231 D £76,565 8/4969 470/7100 398/4800 1935kg 247 4.7 - - 168 +Glorious engine, rewarding chassis for a GT car - Numb steering,messy ergonomics 33332Lotus Exige Sport 350 221 F £55,900 6/3456 345/7000 295/4500 1125kg 312 3.9 - - 170 + Further honed Exige, with vastly improved gearshift -Still noteasytoget intoandoutof 33333Lotus Exige Sport 380 231 F £67,900 6/3456 375/6700 302/5000 1110kg 343 3.7 - - 178 + Intense, absorbing and brilliantly capable -Perhapsnotaneverydaycar 33333Lotus Exige Cup 380 240D £83,000 6/3456 375/6700 302/5000 1105kg 345 3.6 - - 175 +An absolute riot; feelsworth the high price tag -Limitedbuildnumbers 33333Lotus Exige S (V6) 209 F ’12-’15 6/3456 345/7000 295/4500 1176kg 298 3.8 - - 170 +Breathtaking road-racer; our joint2012Carof theYear -Gearshiftnotthesweetest 33333Lotus Exige S (S2) 105 F ’06-’11 4/1796 218/7800 158/5500 930kg 238 4.3 - - 148 + Lightweightwith a hefty punch - Uninspiring soundtrack 33333Lotus Exige (S1) 200 F ’00-’01 4/1796 192/7800 146/5000 780kg 247 4.6 - - 136 + Looks and goes like an Elise racer - A tad lacking in refinement 33333Lotus Evora 400 216 F £72,000 6/3456 400/7000 302/3500 1395kg 291 4.2 - - 186 + Evora excitement levels take a leap - Gearbox still not perfect; punchy pricing 33333Lotus Evora Sport 410 230 F £82,000 6/3456 410/7000 310/3500 1325kg 314 4.2 - - 190 + Even lighter and sharper Evora - Engine and gearbox behind the best at this price 33334Lotus Evora 138 F ’09-’15 6/3456 276/6400 258/4700 1382kg 203 5.1 5.6 13.6 162 + Sublime ride and handling. Our 2009Car of the Year - The Evora S 33333Lotus Evora S 168 F ’10-’15 6/3456 345/7000 295/4500 1430kg 245 4.8 - - 172 +A faster and better Evora - But onewhich sparswith the Porsche 911 33333Maserati GranTurismoSport 188 F £93,145 8/4691 454/7000 383/4750 1880kg 245 4.8 - - 186 +A real sense of occasion to drive; wonderful engine - Rather long in the tooth 33332Maserati GranTurismoMC 239D £109,740 8/4691 454/7000 383/4750 1873kg 246 4.7 - - 187 +As above butwith knobs on - Those knobs don’tmake it feel any younger 33332Maserati GranTurismo 114 F ’07-’17 8/4244 399/7100 339/4750 1880kg 216 5.2 5.5 12.7 177 + Striking, accomplishedGT - Doesn’t spike the pulse like anAston or 911 33332Maserati GranTurismoMCStradale 193 F ’11-’17 8/4691 454/7000 383/4750 1800kg 256 4.5 - - 188 +Brilliant blend of road racer andGT -Gearbox takes a little getting used to 33332MazdaRX-8 122 F ’03-’11 2R/1308 228/8200 156/5500 1429kg 162 6.4 6.5 16.4 146 +Nevermind the quirkiness, it’s a great drive -Wafer-thin torque output; thirsty (for petrol and oil) 33334Mercedes-AMGC43 4Matic Coupe 233 F £47,605 6/2996 362/5500 383/2000 1660kg 222 4.7 - - 155 + Fast and instilledwith a real sense of quality - Not enough emphasis on fun 33332Mercedes-AMGC63SCoupe (W205) 229 F £70,385 8/3982 503/5500 516/1750 1725kg 296 3.9 4.3 100 155 +Mouth-wateringmechanical package - Light steering; hefty kerbweight 33332

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Mercedes-Benz C63AMGCoupe (W204) 162 F ’11-’14 8/6208 451/6800 442/5000 1655kg 277 4.5 4.4 10.3 155 +Aproper two-doorM3 rival - C63 saloon looks better 33334Mercedes-Benz C63AMGBlack Series (W204) 171 F ’12-’13 8/6208 510/6800 457/5200 1635kg 317 4.2 - - 186 + TheC63 turned up to 11 - Too heavy; not as fiery as Black Series cars of old 33334

Mercedes-Benz CLK63AMGBlack Series 106 F ’07-’09 8/6208 500/6800 464/5250 1760kg 289 4.2 - - 186 +AMGgoes Porsche-hunting - Dull-witted gearshift spoils the party 33334Mercedes-Benz E4004Matic Coupe 234D £50,775 6/2996 328/5200 354/1600 1770kg 188 5.3 - - 155 +Good looks, classy cabin, relaxed performance - Notmuch here in theway of real thrills 33342Mercedes-AMGS63Coupe 205D £130,680 8/5461 577/5500 664/2250 1995kg 294 4.2 - - 155 + Thunderously fast S-class built for drivers - Lacks badge appeal of a Continental GT 33334Mercedes-AMGS65Coupe 209D £188,550 12/5980 621/4800 737/2300 2110kg 299 4.1 - - 186 +Almighty power, fabulous luxury - Nearly £60kmore than the S63! 33332Mercedes-AMGGT 227D £98,760 8/3982 469/6000 465/1700 1540kg 309 4.0 - - 189 +A true sports coupe that also does luxury - Takes time to reveal its talents 33332Mercedes-AMGGTS 216 F £112,060 8/3982 515/6250 494/1800 1570kg 333 3.8 - - 193 + Fantastic chassis, huge grip - Artificial steering feel; downshifts could be quicker 33334Nissan 370Z 204 F £29,180 6/3696 323/7000 268/5200 1496kg 219 5.3 - - 155 +Quicker, leaner, keener than 350Z -Not quite a Cayman-killer 33332Nissan 370ZNismo 209 F £39,375 6/3696 339/7400 274/5200 1496kg 230 5.2 - - 155 + Sharper looks, improved ride, extra thrills - Engine lacks sparkle 33334Nissan 350Z 107 F ’03-’09 6/3498 309/6800 264/4800 1532kg 205 5.6 5.5 13.0 155 +Huge fun, and great value too -Muscle-car vibe not for everyone 33332NissanGT-R (2017MY) 230 F £81,875 6/3799 562/6800 470/3600 1752kg 326 2.7 - - 196 +More refinement,much improved interior, still fast - Feels a touch less alert 33334NissanGT-R Track Edition (2017MY) 229D £93,875 6/3799 562/6800 470/3600 1745kg 327 2.7 - - 196 +GT-R regains its sharpness - Getting pricey these days 33333NissanGT-RNismo (2017MY) 232 F £150,875 6/3799 592/6800 481/3600 1725kg 349 2.7 - - 196 + Incredibly focused - Still too firm to be at its best onUK roads 33334NissanGT-R (2012MY-2016MY) 238 F ’12-’16 6/3799 542/6400 466/3200 1740kg 316 2.7 3.2 7.5 196 + Even quicker and better than before - Stopping your Porsche-owning friends calling it a Datsun 33333NissanGT-R Track Edition (2016MY) 223 F ’15-’16 6/3799 542/6400 466/3200 1740kg 316 2.7 3.4 7.7 196 +Recreatesmuch of theNismo’s ability, without the rock-hard ride - Interior feels dated 33333NissanGT-RNismo (2014MY) 205 F ’14-’16 6/3799 592/6800 481/3200 1720kg 350 2.6 - - 196 +Manages tomake regular GT-R feel imprecise - Compromised by super-firm suspension 33334NissanGT-R (2010MY) 152 F ’10-’12 6/3799 523/6400 451/3200 1740kg 305 3.0 - - 194 +More powerful version of the original - But they’re notworlds apart to drive 33333NissanGT-R (2008MY) 125 F ’08-’10 6/3799 473/6400 434/3200 1740kg 276 3.8 - - 193 +Our 2008Car of the Year - Youwon’t see 20mpg often 33333Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) 196 F ’99-’02 6/2568 276/7000 289/4400 1560kg 180 4.8 4.7 12.5 165 +Big, brutal, and great fun - Needsmore than the standard 276bhp 33333Nissan Skyline GT-R (R33) 196 F ’97-’99 6/2568 276/6800 271/4400 1540kg 182 4.9 5.4 14.3 155 + Early proof that Japanese high-tech couldwork (superbly) - Limited supply 33333Peugeot RCZ 1.6 THP 200 155 F ’09-’15 4/1598 197/5500 202/1700 1421kg 141 7.6 7.3 18.1 147 +Distinctive looks, highly capable handling - Could be a bitmore exciting 33332Peugeot RCZR 209 F ’14-’15 4/1598 266/6000 243/1900 1280kg 211 5.9 - - 155 +Rewarding and highly effectivewhen fully lit - Dated cabin, steering lacks feel 33334Porsche 718 Cayman 229D £42,897 4/1988 296/6500 280/1950 1335kg 225 5.1 - - 170 +Chassis remains a dream - Sounds like a ToyotaGT86 33332Porsche 718 CaymanS 230 F £51,853 4/2497 345/6500 310/1900 1355kg 259 4.6 4.4 - 177 + Faster and better to drive than ever - Bring earplugs 33334PorscheCaymanS (981) 202 F ’13-’16 6/3436 321/7400 273/4500 1320kg 247 5.0 4.5 10.5 175 + TheCayman comes of age - Erm… 33333PorscheCaymanGTS (981) 219 F ’14-’16 6/3436 335/7400 280/4750 1345kg 253 4.9 - - 177 + Tweaks improve an already sublime package - Slightly ‘aftermarket’ looks 33333PorscheCaymanGT4 (981) 221 F ’15-’16 6/3800 380/7400 310/4750 1340kg 288 4.4 - - 183 + evoCar of the Year 2015 (even though the 991 GT3RSwas there!) - Second-hand prices 33333PorscheCaymanS (987) 231 F ’06-’13 6/3436 316/7200 273/4750 1350kg 237 5.2 - - 172 + Still want that 911? - Yeah, us too 33334PorscheCaymanR (987) 158 F ’11-’13 6/3436 325/7400 273/4750 1295kg 255 5.0 - - 175 + Total handling excellence - Styling additions not to all tastes 33333Porsche 911 Carrera (991.2) 218 F £77,891 6/2981 365/6500 332/1700 1430kg 259 4.6 - - 183 + Forced induction hasn’t ruined theCarrera - Puristswon’t be happy 33333Porsche 911 Carrera S (991.2) 217 F £87,335 6/2981 414/6500 369/1700 1440kg 292 4.3 - - 191 + Blindingly fast - You’ll want the sports exhaust 33334Porsche 911 Carrera GTS (991.2) 238 F £95,795 6/2981 444/6500 406/2150 1450kg 311 4.1 - - 193 + In rear-drive coupe format, it’s everything a 911 should be - Not all GTSs are rear-drive coupes 33333Porsche 911 Carrera S (991.1) 201 F ’12-’15 6/3800 394/7400 324/5600 1415kg 283 4.5 4.3 9.5 188 +ACarrerawith supercar pace - Electric steering robs it of some tactility 33334Porsche 911 Carrera 4S (991.1) 179 F ’13-’15 6/3800 394/7400 324/5600 1465kg 273 4.5 - - 185 +More satisfying than rear-drive 991.1 Carreras - Choose your spec carefully 33333Porsche 911 Carrera 4GTS (991.1) 208D ’15 6/3800 424/7500 324/5750 1470kg 293 4.4 - - 189 + The highlight of the 991.1 Carrera lineup - Pricey for a Carrera 33333Porsche 911 Carrera S (997.2) 121 F ’08-’11 6/3800 380/6500 310/4400 1425kg 271 4.7 - - 188 +Poise, precision, blinding pace - Feels a bit clinical 33334Porsche 911 Carrera S (997.1) 070 F ’04-’08 6/3824 350/6600 295/4600 1420kg 246 4.6 - - 182 + evoCar of the Year 2004 - Tech overload? 33333Porsche 911 Carrera (996, 3.4) 008 F ’98-’01 6/3387 300/6800 258/4600 1320kg 231 5.2 - - 174 + evoCar of the Year 1998; beautifully polished - Some like a bit of rough 33333Radical RXCTurbo 500R 227D ’16 6/3496 600/6700 465/4200 1070kg* 561 2.8 - - 185 + Immense accessible performance - Fit, finish and detailing lack finesse 33334Radical RXCTurbo 500 209D ’15 6/3496 530/6100 481/5000 1100kg* 490 2.6 - - 185 +Huge performance, intuitive adjustability, track ability - Compromised for road use 33334Radical RXCTurbo 205 F ’14 6/3496 454/6000 500/3600 940kg* 491 2.6 - - 185 + Eats GT3s for breakfast -Might not feel special enough for its price 33334Radical RXC 189 F ’13 6/3700 350/6750 320/4250 900kg* 395 2.8 - - 175 +A real trackdayweapon - Can’tmatch the insanity of a Caterham620R 33334Rolls-RoyceWraith 205D £240,768 12/6592 624/5600 590/1500 2360kg 260 4.6 - - 155 +Refinement, chassis, drivetrain - Shared componentry lets cabin down 33334Subaru BRZ 204 F £22,495 4/1998 197/7000 151/6400 1230kg 163 7.6 - - 140 + Finechassis, greatsteering-Weakengine, not the slide-happy car they promised 33332ToyotaGT86 234 F £26,410 4/1998 197/7000 151/6400 1240kg 161 7.6 6.9 16.5 140 +More fun than its Subaru BRZ cousin - Same lack of torque, poor interior quality 33332ToyotaMR2 (Mk1) 237 F ’84-’89 4/1587 122/6600 105/5000 977kg 127 8.2 - - 124 +Mid-engined fun comes nomore affordable - Finding a good onewill take time 33334TVRT350C 057 F ’03-’07 6/3605 350/7200 290/5500 1187kg 300 4.5 4.7 10.0 175 + Looks, engine - Unsupportive seats; chassis lacks ultimate polish 33332TVRSagaris 097 F ’05-’07 6/3996 406/7500 349/5000 1078kg 383 3.7 - - 185 + Looks outrageous - 406bhp feels a touch optimistic 33334TVRTuscan S (Mk2) 076 F ’05-’07 6/3996 400/7000 315/5250 1100kg 369 4.0 - - 185 +Possibly TVR’s best ever car - Aerodynamic ‘enhancements’ 33334TVRCerbera Speed Six 004 F ’98-’04 6/3996 350/6800 330/5000 1130kg 315 4.4 5.0 11.4 160+ +Accomplished and desirable - Check chassis for corrosion 33334VWSciroccoGT 2.0 TSI / GTS 155 F £26,050 4/1984 217/4500 258/1500 1369kg 158 6.5 - - 153 +Golf GTI price and performance - Interior lacks flair 33332VWScirocco R 200D £30,690 4/1984 276/6000 258/2500 1426kg 187 5.7 - - 155 +Great engine, grown-up dynamics - Perhaps a little too grown-up for some 33332

OUR CHOICEFerrari 488GTB. Its turbocharged V8 engine is spectacular, with unbelievably good throttleresponse, and it’s got the chassis to exploit it, too. The 488 is also a fully rounded, three-dimensional car: civilised, refined, smooth, intuitive and beautifully built. Clearly the work of ateam of engineers at the top of their game.

BEST OF THE RESTThe LamborghiniHuracánPerformante (left)makes an appealing alternative to the 488,ormaybe you’d prefer themind-bogglingly fastMcLaren720S. TheAudiR8V10 remains acorking entry-level supercar, while the latestPorsche911GT3 is another PorscheMotorsportcar that’s sublime to drive – if you can get your hands on one, that is.

SUPERCARS

AstonMartin Vanquish (Mk2) 203 F £192,995 12/5935 568/6650 465/5500 1739kg 332 3.8 - - 201 +Much better than theDBS it succeeds, especially in 2015MY form - It’s no Ferrari F12 33334AstonMartin Vanquish S (Mk2) 235 F £199,950 12/5935 595/7000 465/5500 1739kg 348 3.5 3.9 8.3 201 +Noise, poise, drama and charm -Not as rounded as theDB11 33334AstonMartin Vanquish S (Mk1) 110 F ’05-’07 12/5935 520/7000 425/5800 1875kg 282 4.8 4.9 10.1 200 +Vanquish joins the supercar greats - A tad intimidating at the limit 33333AstonMartinOne-77 179 F ’10-’12 12/7312 750/6000 553/7600 1740kg 438 3.7 - - 220+ +The engine, the looks, the drama -Gearbox hatesmanoeuvring; only 77weremade 33333Audi R8V10 234 F £123,330 10/5204 533/7800 398/6500 1595kg 340 3.5 - - 198 +All the R8 you really need - Somemay hanker after amanual gearbox 33334Audi R8 Spyder V10 239 F £132,020 10/5204 533/7800 398/6500 1720kg 315 3.6 3.2 7.2 197 +Open top even better for enjoying that V10 - Beingmistaken for a poser; cramped seating 33332Audi R8V10 Plus 229 F £138,330 10/5204 602/8250 413/6500 1555kg 393 3.2 - - 205 +Timeless drivetrain, huge performance - Needs to be driven hard to really engage 33333Audi R8V10 181 D ’10-’15 10/5204 518/8000 391/6500 1620kg 325 4.1 3.9 8.4 194 +Real supercar feel - The V8 is cheaper, and still superb 33334Audi R8V10 Plus 190 F ’13-’15 10/5204 542/8000 398/6500 1570kg 351 3.8 - - 198 +AnR8 fit to take on the 458 and 12C - Firm ridemay be toomuch for some 33333Audi R8GT 169 F ’10-’12 10/5204 552/8000 398/6500 1520kg 369 3.6 - - 199 + Everythingwe love about the R8 -Not as hardcore aswewanted 33333Audi R8 LMX 208 F ’15 10/5204 562/8000 398/6500 1595kg 358 3.4 - - 198 +More of everything thatmakes the R8 great - S-tronic transmission not perfect 33333BMWM1 110 F ’78-’81 6/3500 277/6500 239/5000 1303kg 216 5.9 - - 161 + Early supercar icon - A bit under-endowed these days 33332Bugatti Chiron 235 F c£2.5m 16/7993 1479/6700 1180/2000 1995kg 753 2.5 - - 261 + Backs up the numberswith feel and emotion - Limited top speed(!) 33333Bugatti Veyron 16.4 134 F ’05-’11 16/7993 987/6000 922/2200 1888kg 531 2.5 2.8 5.8 253 +Superbly engineered four-wheel-drive quad-turbo rocket - Er, lacks luggage space? 33333Bugatti VeyronGrand Sport 133 F ’09-’15 16/7993 987/6000 922/2200 1990kg 504 2.7 - - 253 +Warp speed and ferocious noise sans-roof - Ridiculous brolly/roof thing 33333Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport 151 F ’10-’11 16/7993 1183/6400 1106/3000 1838kg 654 2.5 - - 258 +Was once theworld’s fastest supercar - Limited to 258mph for usmeremortals 33333Bugatti VeyronGrand Sport Vitesse 185 F ’11-’15 16/7993 1183/6400 1106/3000 1990kg 604 2.6 - - 255 +Was theworld’s fastest convertible - Limited to 258mph for usmeremortals 33333Bugatti EB110 078 F ’91-’95 12/3500 552/8000 451/3750 1618kg 347 3.6 - - 213 + Superbly engineered four-wheel-drive quad-turbo rocket - It just fizzled out 33334Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 133 F ’09-’13 8/6162 638/6500 604/3800 1528kg 424 3.4 3.8 7.6 205 +Huge pace and character - Take plenty of brave pills if there’s rain 33342Ferrari 488GTB 228 F £183,984 8/3902 661/6500 561/3000 1475kg 455 3.0 - - 205+ +Staggeringly capable - Lacks a little of the 458’s heart and excitement 33333Ferrari 488 Spider 216 D £204,411 8/3902 661/6500 561/3000 1525kg 440 3.0 - - 203+ +All the usual 488 thrills, butwith thewind in your hair - See left 33333

ASTONMARTINALL THE

GREATEST

ASTONS

TRIED&

TESTED

The New BookAvailable September 2017

Pre-order your copy on Amazon now

#EvoAstonMartin

www.evo.co.uk 167

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Ferrari 458 Italia 221 F ’09-’15 8/4497 562/9000 398/6000 1485kg 384 3.4 3.2 6.8 202+ +An astounding achievement - Paddleshift only 33333Ferrari 458 Speciale 203 F ’14-’15 8/4497 597/9000 398/6000 1395kg 435 3.0 - - 202+ + evoCar of the Year 2014 - If you don’t own a regular 458, nothing 33333Ferrari F430 163 F ’04-’10 8/4308 483/8500 343/5250 1449kg 339 4.0 - - 196+ + Just brilliant - Didn’t you read the plus point? 33333Ferrari 430 Scuderia 121 F ’07-’10 8/4308 503/8500 347/5250 1350kg 378 3.6 3.5 7.7 198 + Successful F1 technology transplant - Likes to shout about it 33333Ferrari 360Modena 163 F ’99-’04 8/3586 394/8500 275/4750 1390kg 288 4.5 - - 183+ +Worthy successor to 355 - Not quite as involving as it should be 33334Ferrari 360Challenge Stradale 068 F ’03-’04 8/3586 420/8500 275/4750 1280kg 333 4.1 - - 186 + Totally exhilarating road-racer. It’s loud - It’s very, very loud 33333Ferrari F355 Berlinetta 231 F ’94-’99 8/3496 374/8250 268/6000 1350kg* 281 4.7 - - 183 + Looks terrific, sounds even better -Are you kidding? 33333Ferrari 812 Superfast 238 F £253,004 12/6496 789/8500 529/7000 1630kg 492 2.9 - - 211 +Over-delivers on your expectations in just about every department - Not a classic beauty 33333Ferrari F12 Berlinetta 190 F ’12-’17 12/6262 730/8250 509/6000 1630kg 455 3.1 - - 211+ + 730bhp isn’t toomuch power for the road - Super-quick steering is an acquired taste 33333Ferrari F12tdf 230 F £340,051 12/6262 769/8500 520/6250 1520kg 514 2.9 - - 211+ +Alarmingly fast - Doesn’t flow like a 458 Speciale 33334Ferrari 599GTB Fiorano 101 F ’06-’12 12/5999 611/7600 448/5600 1690kg 368 3.7 3.5 7.4 205 + evoCar of the Year 2006 - Banks are getting harder to rob 33333Ferrari 599GTO 161 F ’11-’12 12/5999 661/8250 457/6500 1605kg 418 3.4 - - 208+ +One of the truly great Ferraris - Erm, the air con isn’t very good 33333Ferrari 575MFioranoHandling Pack 200 F ’02-’06 12/5748 508/7250 434/5250 1688kg 298 3.7 4.2 9.6 205+ + Fiorano packmakes 575 truly great - It should have been standard 33333Ferrari 550Maranello 169 F ’96-’02 12/5474 478/7000 420/5000 1690kg 287 4.4 - - 199 + Everything - Nothing 33333Ferrari GTC4 Lusso 225D £230,430 12/6262 680/8000 514/5750 1920kg 360 3.4 - - 208 +Rear-wheel steering increases agility - Not as engaging as other Ferraris 33334Ferrari FF 194 F ’11-’15 12/6262 651/8000 504/6000 1880kg 347 3.7 - - 208 + Four seats and 4WD, but a proper Ferrari - Looks divide opinion 33333Ferrari 612 Scaglietti 090 F ’04-’11 12/5748 533/7250 434/5250 1875kg 289 4.0 4.3 9.8 199 +Awesomely capable grand tourer - See above 33333Ferrari LaFerrari 203 F ’13-’15 12/6262 950/9000 664/6750 1574kg 613 3.0 - - 217+ +Perhaps the greatest Ferrari ever - Brakes lack a touch of precision on track 33333Ferrari Enzo 203 F ’02-’04 12/5999 651/7800 485/5500 1365kg 485 3.7 3.5 6.7 217+ + Intoxicating, exploitable - Cabin detailing falls short of a Zonda or F1 ’s 33333Ferrari F50 186 F ’95-’97 12/4699 513/8500 347/6500 1230kg* 424 3.9 - - 202 +Abetter drivers’ Ferrari than the 288, F40 or Enzo - Not better looking, though 33333Ferrari F40 222 F ’87-’92 8/2936 471/7000 426/4000 1100kg* 437 4.1 - - 201 + Brutally fast - It’s in the dictionary under ‘turbo lag’ 33333FordGT 236 F $450,000 6/3497 647/6250 550/5900 1385kg* 475 2.8 - - 216 + Everything it does on track - Toomany of the things it does on the road 33332FordGT 200 F ’04-’06 8/5409 550/6500 500/3750 1583kg 353 3.9 - - 205 +Our 2005Car of the Year - Don’t scalp yourself getting in 33333Hennessey VenomGT 180 F ’11-’17 8/7000 1244/6500 1155/4000 1244kg 1016 2.5 - - 270 +0-200mph in 14.5sec, and it handles too - Looks like an Exige 33333HondaNSX 233 F £144,765 6/3493 573 476/2000 1776kg 328 2.9 3.0 6.9 191 + Blisteringly quick and brilliantly engineered - Limited range on a full tank 33333HondaNSX (NA2) 188 F ’97-’05 6/3179 276/7300 224/5300 1410kg 196 5.7 - - 168 + ‘The useable supercar’ - 276bhp sounds a bitweedy today 33334HondaNSX-R (NA2) 100 F ’02-’03 6/3179 276/7300 224/5300 1270kg 221 4.4 - - 168 + evoCar of the Year 2002 -Hard to find in theUK 33333Jaguar XJ220 157 F ’92-’94 6/3498 542/7200 475/4500 1470kg 375 3.7 - - 213 + Britain’s greatest supercar… - …until McLaren built the F1 33332KoenigseggOne:1 202 F c£2.0m 8/5065 1341/7500 1011/6000 1360kg 1002 2.9 - - 273 +One of themost powerful carswe’ve tested - It’s sold out, not thatwe couldn’t afford one anyway 33333Koenigsegg Agera R 180 F ’11-’14 8/5032 1124/7100 885/2700 1435kg 796 2.8 - - 273 +As fast and exciting as your body can handle - It’s Veyronmoney 33333KoenigseggCCXREdition 118 F ’08-’10 8/4800 1004/7000 796/5600 1280kg* 797 2.9 - - 250+ +One of theworld’s fastest cars - Spiky power delivery 33333Lamborghini Huracán RWD 229 F £155,400 10/5204 572/8000 397/6500 1389kg* 385 3.4 - - 199 +More seductive than the 4WDHuracán - Feels like there’smore to come 33334Lamborghini Huracán 209D £186,760 10/5204 602/8250 413/6500 1422kg* 430 3.2 - - 201+ +Defies the numbers; incredible point-to-point pace - Takeswork to find its sweet-spot 33334Lamborghini Huracán Performante 237 F £215,000 10/5204 631/8000 442/6500 1382kg* 464 2.9 - - 201+ + The realisation of theHuracán’s seemingly ever elusive potential - Kitchen-worktop carbonfibre 33333Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 180D ’08-’13 10/5204 552/8000 398/6500 1410kg* 398 3.7 - - 202 +Still amissile fromA to B - Feels a little dated next to some rivals 33332Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Balboni 138 F ’09-’10 10/5204 542/8000 398/6500 1380kg* 399 3.9 - - 199 +Mad, rear-wheel-drive Lambo - Limited numbers 33334Lamborghini LP570-4 Superleggera 152 F ’10-’13 10/5204 562/8000 398/6500 1340kg* 426 3.4 3.5 - 202 + Lessweight andmore power than original Superleggera - LP560-4 runs it very close 33334Lamborghini Gallardo 094 F ’03-’08 10/4961 513/8000 376/4250 1430kg* 364 4.0 4.3 9.4 196 +On a full-bore start it spins all fourwheels. Cool - Slightly clunky e-gear 33334Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera 104 F ’07-’08 10/4961 522/8000 376/4250 1420kg* 373 3.8 - 196 + Lighter,more agile - Grabby carbon brakes, clunky e-gear 33334Lamborghini Aventador 194 F £260,040 12/6498 690/8250 509/5500 1575kg* 445 2.9 - - 217 +Most important new Lambo since theCountach - Can feel a little clumsy 33334Lamborghini Aventador S 240 F £271,146 12/6498 730/8400 509/5500 1575kg* 471 2.9 - - 217 +Amore agile,more connectedAventador - Synthetic steering 33334Lamborghini Aventador SV 216 F £321,723 12/6498 740/8400 509/5500 1525kg* 493 2.8 - - 217+ +More exciting than the standard Aventador - ISR gearbox inconsistent 33333LamborghiniMurciélago LP640 093 F ’06-’11 12/6496 631/8000 487/6000 1665kg* 385 3.8 - - 211 + Compelling old-school supercar - You’d better be on your toes 33333LamborghiniMurciélago LP670-4 SV 200 F ’09-’11 12/6496 661/8000 487/6500 1565kg* 429 3.3 3.2 7.3 212 +A supercar in its truest, wildest sense - Be prepared for stares 33333LamborghiniMurciélago 089D ’01-’06 12/6192 572/7500 479/5400 1650kg* 351 4.0 - - 206 +Gorgeous, capable and incredibly friendly - V12 feels stressed 33333Lamborghini Diablo VT 6.0 019 F ’00-’02 12/5992 543/7100 457/5500 1625kg* 343 3.9 - - 208 +Best-built, best-looking Diablo of all - People’s perceptions 33334Lexus LFA/LFANürburgring 200 F ’10-’12 10/4805 552/8700 354/6800 1480kg 379 3.7 - - 202 +Absurd and compelling supercar - Badge and price don’t quitematch 33333MaseratiMC12 079 F ’04-’05 12/5998 621/7500 481/5500 1445kg 437 3.8 - - 205 +Rarer than an Enzo - The Ferrari’s better 33332McLaren 540C 234 F £126,000 8/3799 533/7500 398/3500 1311kg* 413 3.5 - - 199 +An excellent junior supercar - The 570S is still better to drive 33333McLaren 570S 229 F £145,305 8/3799 562/7500 443/5000 1440kg 397 3.2 - - 204 +A truly fun and engaging sports car -McLaren doesn’t call it a supercar! 33333McLaren 570S Track Pack 235D £159,750 8/3799 562/7500 443/5000 1415kg 404 3.2 - - 204 + Feels like a 675LT that’s been dialled down a couple of notches - Engine response lacks edge 33333McLaren 570S Spider 239 F £164,750 8/3799 562/7500 443/5000 1498kg 381 3.2 - - 204 + Evenmore fun and engagement than hard-top 570S - Industrial engine note 33333McLaren 570GT 228 F £154,000 8/3799 562/7500 443/5000 1495kg 382 3.4 - - 204 +Blurs the line between grand tourer and supercar brilliantly - 570S ismore involving 33333McLaren 720S 236 F £208,600 8/3994 710/7250 568/5500 1283kg* 562 2.9 - - 212 +Astonishingly, effortlessly fast - Oddly unexciting 33334McLaren 650S 196 F ’14-’17 8/3799 641/7250 500/6000 1428kg 456 3.0 - - 207 +Better brakes, balance and looks than 12C;more power too -Which all comes at a price 33334McLaren 675LT 228 F ’15-’17 8/3799 666/7100 516/5500 1328kg 510 2.9 - - 205 +Runner-up at eCoty 2015; asks questions of the P1 - Aventador price tag 33333McLaren 675LT Spider 222D ’16-’17 8/3799 666/7100 516/5500 1368kg 495 2.9 - - 203 +Spectacularly fast; involving, too -Mightmess up your hair 33333McLaren 12C 228 F ’11-’14 8/3799 616/7500 442/3000 1434kg 435 3.3 - - 207 + Staggering performance, refinement - Engine noise can be grating 33332McLaren P1 228 F ’13-’15 8/3799 903/7500 664/4000 1490kg 616 2.8 - - 217 + Freakish breadth of ability - At itsmind-bending best on track 33333McLaren F1 228 F ’94-’98 12/6064 627/7500 479/4000 1138kg 560 3.2 - - 240 +Still themost single-minded supercar ever - There’ll never be another 33333Mercedes-AMGGTR 236 F £143,260 8/3982 577/6250 516/1900 1555kg 377 3.6 3.3 7.1 198 + Fun and blisteringly fast; a true rival for the 911 GT3 - A touch showy, perhaps 33333Mercedes-Benz SLSAMG 159 F ’10-’15 8/6208 563/6800 479/4750 1620kg 335 3.9 4.1 8.4 197 +Great engine and chassis (gullwing doors too!) - Slightly tardy gearbox 33333Mercedes-Benz SLSAMGBlack Series 204 F ’13-’15 8/6208 622/7400 468/5500 1550kg 408 3.6 - - 196 +Stunning engine, superb body control - Be careful on less-than-smooth roads… 33333Mercedes-Benz SLRMcLaren 228 F ’03-’07 8/5439 617/6500 575/3250 1693kg 370 3.8 - - 208 +Zonda-pace, 575-style drivability - Dreadful brake feel 33332NobleM600 186 F c£200,000 8/4439 650/6800 604/3800 1198kg* 551 3.5 3.8 7.7 225 + Spiritual successor to the Ferrari F40 - It’s a bit pricey 33333Pagani Huayra 185 F c£1m 12/5980 720/5800 737/2250 1350kg* 542 3.3 - - 224 +Our joint 2012 Car of the Year - Engine isn’t as nape-prickling as the Zonda’s 33333Pagani Zonda 760RS 170 F £1.5m 12/7291 750/6300 575/4500 1210kg* 630 3.3 - - 217+ +One of themost extremeZondas ever - One of the last Zondas ever (probably) 33333Pagani Zonda S 7.3 096 F ’02-’05 12/7291 555/5900 553/4050 1280kg* 441 3.7 - - 220 + evoCar of the Year 2001 (in earlier 7.0 form) - Values have gone up a fair bit since then 33333Pagani Zonda F 186 F ’05-’06 12/7291 602/6150 575/4000 1230kg* 497 3.6 - - 214+ + Everything an Italian supercar ought to be - Looks a bit blingy next to aCarrera GT 33333Pagani ZondaCinqueRoadster 147 D ’09-’10 12/7291 669/6200 575/4000 1210kg* 562 3.4 - - 217+ + The best Zonda ever - Doesn’t comeup in the classifieds often 33333Porsche 911 GT3 (991.2) 236 F £111,802 6/3996 493/8250 339/6000 1413kg 355 3.9 - - 198 +Almost impossible to criticise - Not the easiest car to place an order for 33333Porsche 911 GT3 (991.1) 206 F ’16-’16 6/3799 468/8250 324/6250 1430kg 333 3.5 - - 196 + evoCar of the Year 2013 - PDKonly 33333Porsche 911 GT3 RS (991.1) 223 F ’15-’16 6/3996 493/8250 339/6250 1420kg 353 3.3 3.0 7.1 193 + Sensationally good to drive - TheCaymanGT4 is even better 33333Porsche 911 R (991.1) 229 F ’16 6/3996 493/8250 339/6250 1370kg 366 3.8 - - 200 + evoCar of the Year 2016 - Limited availability 33333Porsche 911 GT3 (997.2) 182 F ’09-’11 6/3797 429/7600 317/6250 1395kg 312 4.1 4.2 9.2 194 + Even better than the car it replaced - Give us aminute… 33333Porsche 911 GT3 RS (3.8, 997.2) 200 F ’10-’11 6/3797 444/7900 317/6750 1370kg 329 4.0 - - 193 +Wenamed it our favourite car from the first 200 issues of evo - For people like us, nothing 33333Porsche 911 GT3 RS4.0 (997.2) 187 F ’11-’12 6/3996 493/8250 339/5750 1360kg 368 3.8 - - 193 + evoCar of the Year 2011 - Unforgiving on-road ride; crazy used prices 33333Porsche 911 GT2 RS (997.2) 204 F ’10-’13 6/3600 611/6500 516/2250 1370kg 453 3.5 - - 205 +More powerful than aCarrera GT. Handles, too - Erm… 33333Porsche 911 GT3 (997.1) 182 F ’07-’09 6/3600 409/7600 298/5500 1395kg 298 4.3 4.3 9.4 192 +Runner-up at evoCar of the Year 2006 - Ferrari 599GTBs 33333Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997.1) 105 F ’07-’09 6/3600 409/7600 298/5500 1375kg 302 4.2 - - 193 + evoCar of the Year 2007 - A chunkmoremoney than the already brilliant GT3 33333Porsche 911 GT3 (996.2) 221 F ’03-’05 6/3600 375/7400 284/5000 1380kg 272 4.5 4.3 9.2 190 + evoCar of the Year 2003 - Chassis a bit too track-focused for some roads 33333Porsche 911 GT3 RS (996.2) 068 F ’04-’05 6/3600 375/7400 284/5000 1360kg 280 4.4 - - 190 +An evenmore focused version of the superbGT3 - Limited supply 33333Porsche 911 GT2 (996.2) 072 F ’04-’06 6/3600 475/5700 472/3500 1420kg 338 4.0 - - 198 +Revisionsmade it evenmore of a star than the 456bhp 996.1 GT2 - Care still required 33333Porsche 911 GT3 (996.1) 182 F ’99-’01 6/3600 360/7200 273/5000 1350kg 271 4.8 4.5 10.3 187 + evoCar of the Year 1999 - Porsche didn’t build enough 33333Porsche 911 Turbo (991.2) 234 F £128,692 6/3800 533/6400 524/1950 1595kg 340 3.0 - - 198 +Makes the Turbo S seemunnecessary - But you still would… 33333Porsche 911 Turbo S (991.2) 223 F £147,540 6/3800 572/6750 553/2250 1600kg 363 2.9 2.6 6.0 205 + Enormous performance - Not as thrilling as some rivals 33333Porsche 911 Turbo S (991.1) 217 F ’13-’15 6/3800 552/6500 553/2200 1605kg 349 3.1 - - 197 + Superb everyday supercar - At times disguises the thrills it can offer 33333Porsche 911 Turbo (997.2) 218 F ’09-’13 6/3800 493/6000 479/1950 1570kg 319 3.7 3.2 7.3 194 + The Turbo at the very top of its game - Favours outright grip over adjustability 33333Porsche 911 Turbo (997.1) 094 F ’06-’09 6/3600 472/6000 457/1950 1585kg 303 3.7 4.0 8.7 193 +Monster cornering ability - A bitwoolly on its standard settings 33333Porsche 911 Turbo (996) 017 F ’00-’06 6/3600 414/6000 413/2700 1540kg 273 4.2 4.1 10.0 190 + evoCar of the year 2000; the 911 for all seasons -We can’t find any reasons 33333Porsche 911 Turbo (993) 066 F ’95-’98 6/3600 402/5750 398/4500 1500kg 272 4.3 - - 180 +Stupendous all-weather supercar - It doesn’t rain enough 33333Porsche 918 Spyder 233 F ’13-’15 8/4593 875/8500 944/6600 1674kg 531 2.6 - - 211 + Blistering performance; cohesive hybrid tech - Addedweight and complexity 33333PorscheCarrera GT 200 F ’04-’06 10/5733 604/8000 435/5750 1380kg 445 3.9 - - 205 + Felt ahead of its time -Needsmodern tyres to tame its spikiness 33333

=new thismonth. Red denotes the car is the fastest in its class on that track

168 www.evo.co.uk

Track times

SEAT Leon Cupra 280 Ultimate Sub8 (fastest hot hatch) 1:23.1 215 -BMW M4 Competition Package (F82, 2017MY) (fastest coupe) 1:23.4 240 -Renaultsport Mégane 275 Trophy-R 1:23.6 215 YesAlfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio (fastest saloon) 1:23.6 237 -VW Golf GTI Clubsport S 1:24.1 227 -SEAT Leon Cupra 290 (on optional Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres) 1:24.2 227 -Ford Focus RS (Mk3, on optional Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres) 1:24.6 227 -Honda Civic Type R (FK2, on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres) 1:24.6 227 -BMW M3 Competition Package (F80, 2016MY) 1:24.7 237 -Audi RS5 (F5) 1:25.0 240 -Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupe (W205) 1:25.6 240 -VW Golf R (Mk7) 1:26.1 - YesFord Fiesta ST Mountune 1:29.5 213 -Mazda MX-5 2.0i Sport (Mk4) (fastest sports car) 1:29.8 - Yes

LENGTH 1.8 miles (reconfigured May 2015; earlier times not comparable)

BEDFORD AUTODROME WEST CIRCUIT

Ariel Atom 3.5R (fastest sports car) 0:58.9 205 -Radical RXC Turbo (fastest coupe) 1:00.4 205 YesBAC Mono 1:01.4 189 -Porsche 911 GT2 RS (997.2) (fastest supercar) 1:01.8 204 YesPorsche 911 GT3 (991.1) 1:01.9 205 YesCaterham Seven 620R 1:02.1 189 -Nissan GT-R Nismo 1:02.1 205 YesMercedes SLS AMG Black Series 1:02.5 204 YesPagani Huayra 1:02.5 177 -McLaren 12C 1:02.7 187 -Radical RXC 1:02.9 189 -Ariel Atom 3.5 310 1:03.4 189 -Audi R8 V10 Plus (Mk1) 1:03.4 - YesPorsche Cayman GT4 1:03.6 221 YesLotus Exige S (V6) 1:04.4 177 -Porsche 911 Carrera (991.1) 1:05.1 177 -Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 1:05.1 220 YesPorsche 911 GT3 (997) 1:05.2 - YesPorsche Boxster S (981) 1:05.5 177 -Porsche Cayman GTS (981) 1:05.5 - YesPorsche Cayman S (981) 1:05.5 189 -Caterham Seven 420R 1:05.7 220 YesVuhl 05 1:06.5 220 YesZenos E10 S 1:06.6 214 -Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series 1:06.9 177 -Renaultsport Mégane 275 Trophy-R (fastest hot hatch) 1:07.3 205 YesSEAT Leon Cupra 280 Sub8 1:07.6 220 -BMW M135i 1:07.7 177 -Porsche Cayman (981) 1:07.7 - YesBMW M235i 1:08.7 - YesMini John Cooper Works GP (R56) 1:08.7 181 -Renaultsport Mégane R26.R 1:08.9 181 -VW Golf GTI Performance Pack (Mk7) 1:10.3 192 -Toyota GT86 1:12.8 177 -

LENGTH 1.6 miles

BLYTON PARK OUTER CIRCUIT

Lap time issue no. YouTubeCar

BAC Mono 2.5 (fastest sports car) 1:07.7 229 YesRadical RXC Turbo 500 (fastest coupe) 1:10.5 - YesMcLaren P1 (on Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tyres) (fastest supercar) 1:11.2 200 YesPorsche 918 Spyder 1:12.4 200 YesMcLaren P1 1:12.6 200 YesFerrari 488 GTB 1:12.8 228 YesMcLaren 675LT 1:12.8 228 YesPorsche 911 GT3 (991.2) 1:13.4 236 YesPorsche 911 GT3 RS (991.1) 1:13.6 - YesPorsche 911 Turbo S (991.1) 1:13.6 - YesFerrari 458 Speciale 1:14.2 198 YesMcLaren 570S 1:14.5 - YesPorsche 911 Turbo (991.1) 1:15.2 210 YesAston Martin Vantage GT12 1:16.0 214 YesNissan GT-R (2014MY) 1:16.9 210 YesMercedes-AMG GT S 1:17.0 210 YesPorsche 911 Carrera (991.1) 1:17.8 199 YesPorsche Cayman (981) 1:18.9 209 -Aston Martin N430 1:19.1 210 -Lotus Exige S (V6) 1:19.1 209 -SEAT Leon Cupra 280 Sub8 (fastest hot hatch) 1:19.1 212 YesBMW M4 1:19.2 199 YesBMW i8 1:19.4 210 -Honda Civic Type R (FK2) 1:19.5 212 -Renaultsport Mégane Trophy 275 1:19.6 212 -BMW M5 Competition Pack (F10M) (fastest saloon) 1:19.7 - YesAudi TTS (Mk3) 1:19.9 209 -Audi R8 V8 (Mk1) 1:20.1 201 -BMW M135i 1:20.4 212 -Nissan 370Z Nismo 1:20.5 209 -

LENGTH 1.55 miles

ANGLESEY COASTAL CIRCUIT

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The new, 647bhp Ford GT pictured on the Atlantic Coast Road during the opening stages of a 500-mileroad-trip through Norway. See page 82 for the full story. Photograph by Aston Parrott.

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