1.McLaren 720S
The McLaren 720S has succeeded where both of its predecessors (650S and MP4-12C) fell short in our supercar class chart: purely and simply, by topping it.
There are few more direct or effective ways for cars in this stratum of the performance car market to demonstrate their superiority than by accelerating faster, lapping quicker and stopping harder than any rival: the 720S does all three. In many of the performance benchmarks road testers are used to measuring, in fact, this 710bhp blockbuster is a closer match for a contemporary hypercar than one of its mid-engined opponents.
But it’s also uncommonly communicative and easy to drive; is a supreme ergonomic achievement; and flatters a rambunctious track style more rewardingly than any of its Woking predecessors.
2.Ferrari F8 Tributo
Ferrari will tell you its new F8 Tributo is a replacement for the excellent 488GTB, but in reality it’s more of a heavy facelift. That said, it’s a facelift that makes use of plenty of reworked engineering know-how from the stunning track-focussed 488 pista and the 488 Challenge race car, so we can probably cut Ferrari some slack in this respect.
Anyway, its twin-turbocharged V8 now develops 710bhp and 568lb ft, and surprise surprise, it’s as devastatingly fast as ever. It might still lack some of the aural drama of the 458’s old naturally aspirated V8, but the introduction of a new Hot Tube Resonator helps pipe a dash more noise into the cabin. Variable Boost Management ramps up torque gradually, too, so it not only feels more like a non-turbo engine, but cuts turbo-lag to almost non-existent levels, too.
It’s chassis is the main attraction, however. Not only does it make the engine’s stratospheric performance accessible, it also endows the Tributo with otherworldly levels of agility, balance and handling panache. Make no mistake, this is a sensational supercar. It’ll take a full road test to see whether it’ll topple the 720S, mind. Watch this space.
3.Lamborghini Huracan EVO
Only the makers of the world’s rarest and most expensive, handbuilt automotive exotics can now really compete with Lamborghini when it comes to creating cars of pure combustive drama, traffic-stopping looks and feral, unfettered soul.
The Huracan may be the firm’s entry-level model but it’s no second-order offering when it comes to its sensational styling or its fantastically wild, naturally aspirated V10 engine: a motor that over-delivers in equal measure on speed, responsiveness and audible character.
The face-lifted Evo version gets rear-wheel steering and torque-vectoring, and the results raise the Huracan's game closer to that of the McLaren and Ferrari. That you also get the 631bhp powetrain from the old, hardcore Performante seals this junior Lamborghini's reputation as a seriously rewarding, engaging supercar.
No comments:
Post a Comment