I am waiting for EVO to post 30-21.
EVO magazine's 100 Greatest Drivers' Cars Countdown
- Thread starter mikeyb
- Start date
I am waiting for EVO to post 30-21.
i thought they were doing 10 a day?Countdown 30-21
30 RENAULT CLIO WILLIAMS
Great to drive for at least two important reasons: one, it has a 2-litre engine thats lusty, revvy and sounds good; two, the chassis is the fully-rounded product and gives the driver just about every option save full-blooded oversteer when pressing on. Not only does the Clio Willy make gold wheels and decals look good (no mean achievement), it delivers a steer crammed with memorable moments from a lusty thump in the back to considerable on-the-limit finesse.
Layout: Front-engine, front-drive Engine: In-line 4-cyl, 1988cc Power: 150bhp Top speed: 121mph 0-60: 7.6sec Years: 1993-96
29 HONDA NSX TYPE R
Lighter, harder, faster and hornier than the standard item, the NSX-R could have been the perfect riposte to the 911 GT3 and Ferrari 360 CS. Alas it never made it to the UK. Traction off the line is stunning, the rifle-bolt action of the six-speed box amazingly fast and accurate. Gun it letting the green and red shift-lights set into the rev-counter alert you to the proximity of the 8000rpm red line and youre pressed towards the bulkhead by one sustained surge after another.
Its hard to recall steering that resolves information about the road surface more organically than that of the NSX-R. It plays out like a relief map, just the right amount of weight and damping smoothing off the rough edges. The confidence it gives you is astonishing. Much like the car itself.
Layout: Mid-engine, rear-drive Engine: V6, 3179cc Power: 276bhp Top speed: 168mph 0-60: 4.4sec Years: 2002-03
28 PORSCHE 911 2.7 RS
The original and in many ways still the best. Just 210 horsepower but just 980 kilos. The light engine and light five-speed gearbox means the rearward weight bias is similar as a percentage, but a much lower overall figure. That allows lower spring rates which means the balance can be exploited via unassisted steering which is sooo sensitive. Still the most involving of the rear-engine Porsches for all these reasons.
Layout: Rear-engine, rear-drive Engine: Flat-6, 2687cc Power: 210bhp Top speed: 150mph 0-60: 5.6sec Years: 1972-73
27 BMW M3 CSL
The ultimate E46-generation M3. Thumb the CSLs M Track button and, as with all the best sorted rear-drive chassis, its balance moves to the point where it rests on a broad line drawn between helm and throttle inputs. Then the CSL starts to flow at speed in a way you simply wouldnt believe. And so immediate and so abundant is the CSLs response to the throttle between 2000 and 7000rpm, so scalp-prickling its yowl and so scarce the time it takes the fully wound-up SMG to shift through the engines workload, it makes your regular M3 feel comparatively tame.
Layout: Front-engine, rear-drive Engine: In-line 6-cyl, 3246cc Power: 355bhp Top speed: 155mph 0-60: 5.3sec Years: 2003-04
26 BMW E30 M3
This is, quite simply, one of the best cars BMW has ever made. And thats largely because it was genuinely a product of the Motorsport division, with a run of road cars produced to satisfy homologation requirements. Its terrific, raspy twin-cam engine revved enough to be exciting. It was also lighter than any of the models that followed and better for it as always.
Youll have little appreciation of how good a saloons steering can be or how adjustable its cornering balance unless youve driven a well-cared- for E30 M3. Its a talented track car made good for the road, pure and simple: incisive, involving and deeply rewarding. Few cars feel as supple and naturally fluent, while balance on the limit is extraordinary. Respect.
Layout: Front-engine, rear-drive Engine: In-line 4-cyl, 2302cc Power: 220bhp Top speed: 144mph 0-60: 6.7sec Years: 1986-90
25 RENAULT CLIO V6
The impossibly squat Clio rewards long-term relationships with real charisma and great entertainment. Handling that can bite (especially the mk1) only adds to the character. Maybe it isnt quick enough, it aquaplanes something rotten, the gearchange is mediocre and it has only two seats. But just look and listen. Its a miniature exotic. And once you learn to relax with the car, dont try to over-drive it and let the engines fine flexibility do the work, the rewards come in torrents.
Layout: Mid-engine, rear-drive Engine: V6, 2946cc Power: 255bhp Top speed: 153mph 0-60: 5.8sec Years: 1999-2005
24 FERRARI 288 GTO
Right up there with the Lamborghini Miura in the all-time drool parade, the 288 GTO is a serious piece of kit, too, with a composite body and longitudinally slung proto-F40 engine. Saddled up with a brace of IHI turbos, the 2.8-litre quattrovalvole V8 develops a tidy 400bhp (or 140bhp/litre) enough, before the Porsche 959 came along, to make the 189mph GTO the fastest production car in the world in the mid-80s. On a really difficult stretch of road, its lithe chassis and feelful steering make it a match for any subsequent Ferrari supercar, F40, F50 and Enzo included.
Layout: Mid-engine, rear-drive Engine: V8, 2855cc, twin-turbo Power: 400bhp Top speed: 189mph 0-60: 4.9sec Years: 1984-85
23 Peugeot 205 GTI
If you appreciate the niceties of lift-off oversteer, this is the hot hatch that keeps on giving. Just one word of warning the wheelbase is very short, so better not let the situation develop unless youre ready for it! When you are, the steering and engine are so quick to respond that you can indulge with confidence. Lightning gearchange and meaty steering feel add to the already high involvement factor. Extraordinarily agile, too. Not for the faint-hearted in the wet but little else from this era can claim to be a more challenging/rewarding steer, though the more composed Clio Williams runs it close. The little Pug is an all-time great and fabulous fun.
Layout: Front-engine, front-drive Engine: In-line 4-cyl, 1905cc Power: 130bhp Top speed: 124mph 0-60: 7.9sec Years: 1988-91
22 HONDA INTEGRA
What an engine: 187bhp at 8000rpm, 8400rpm red line, scalp-prickling noise. And what a chassis. The Integra R is one of those rare cars that doesnt have to sacrifice control for comfort. Its firmness keeps its sticky Bridgestone Potenzas planted to the tarmac but doesnt allow sharp inputs to upset the bodys composure. And when you do breach the limit (intentionally or otherwise) the chassis stays with you rather than hanging you out to dry. Throw in steering with a surprising amount of weight and feel, and a deliciously short and precise gearshift, and it all adds up to something very special indeed. In a word: sensational.
Layout: Front-engine, front-drive Engine: In-line 4-cyl, 1797cc Power: 187bhp Top speed: 145mph 0-60: 6.2sec Years: 1996-2000
21 NISSAN GT-R
Its the automotive Terminator, ruthless in its pursuit of speed, a brutal taker-aparter of supercar reputations (just ask the Veyron, which couldnt catch it on testing Welsh roads, evo 134). But this is car and driver in harmony: each aware of exactly what the other is up to and able to respond accordingly. Driving it is a partnership and thats what makes the GT-R a truly great drivers car.
Layout: Front-engine, 4wd Engine: V6, 3799cc, twin-turbo Power: 478bhp Top speed: 193mph 0-60: 3.9sec Years: 2008-
30 RENAULT CLIO WILLIAMS
Great to drive for at least two important reasons: one, it has a 2-litre engine thats lusty, revvy and sounds good; two, the chassis is the fully-rounded product and gives the driver just about every option save full-blooded oversteer when pressing on. Not only does the Clio Willy make gold wheels and decals look good (no mean achievement), it delivers a steer crammed with memorable moments from a lusty thump in the back to considerable on-the-limit finesse.
Layout: Front-engine, front-drive Engine: In-line 4-cyl, 1988cc Power: 150bhp Top speed: 121mph 0-60: 7.6sec Years: 1993-96
29 HONDA NSX TYPE R
Lighter, harder, faster and hornier than the standard item, the NSX-R could have been the perfect riposte to the 911 GT3 and Ferrari 360 CS. Alas it never made it to the UK. Traction off the line is stunning, the rifle-bolt action of the six-speed box amazingly fast and accurate. Gun it letting the green and red shift-lights set into the rev-counter alert you to the proximity of the 8000rpm red line and youre pressed towards the bulkhead by one sustained surge after another.
Its hard to recall steering that resolves information about the road surface more organically than that of the NSX-R. It plays out like a relief map, just the right amount of weight and damping smoothing off the rough edges. The confidence it gives you is astonishing. Much like the car itself.
Layout: Mid-engine, rear-drive Engine: V6, 3179cc Power: 276bhp Top speed: 168mph 0-60: 4.4sec Years: 2002-03
28 PORSCHE 911 2.7 RS
The original and in many ways still the best. Just 210 horsepower but just 980 kilos. The light engine and light five-speed gearbox means the rearward weight bias is similar as a percentage, but a much lower overall figure. That allows lower spring rates which means the balance can be exploited via unassisted steering which is sooo sensitive. Still the most involving of the rear-engine Porsches for all these reasons.
Layout: Rear-engine, rear-drive Engine: Flat-6, 2687cc Power: 210bhp Top speed: 150mph 0-60: 5.6sec Years: 1972-73
27 BMW M3 CSL
The ultimate E46-generation M3. Thumb the CSLs M Track button and, as with all the best sorted rear-drive chassis, its balance moves to the point where it rests on a broad line drawn between helm and throttle inputs. Then the CSL starts to flow at speed in a way you simply wouldnt believe. And so immediate and so abundant is the CSLs response to the throttle between 2000 and 7000rpm, so scalp-prickling its yowl and so scarce the time it takes the fully wound-up SMG to shift through the engines workload, it makes your regular M3 feel comparatively tame.
Layout: Front-engine, rear-drive Engine: In-line 6-cyl, 3246cc Power: 355bhp Top speed: 155mph 0-60: 5.3sec Years: 2003-04
26 BMW E30 M3
This is, quite simply, one of the best cars BMW has ever made. And thats largely because it was genuinely a product of the Motorsport division, with a run of road cars produced to satisfy homologation requirements. Its terrific, raspy twin-cam engine revved enough to be exciting. It was also lighter than any of the models that followed and better for it as always.
Youll have little appreciation of how good a saloons steering can be or how adjustable its cornering balance unless youve driven a well-cared- for E30 M3. Its a talented track car made good for the road, pure and simple: incisive, involving and deeply rewarding. Few cars feel as supple and naturally fluent, while balance on the limit is extraordinary. Respect.
Layout: Front-engine, rear-drive Engine: In-line 4-cyl, 2302cc Power: 220bhp Top speed: 144mph 0-60: 6.7sec Years: 1986-90
25 RENAULT CLIO V6
The impossibly squat Clio rewards long-term relationships with real charisma and great entertainment. Handling that can bite (especially the mk1) only adds to the character. Maybe it isnt quick enough, it aquaplanes something rotten, the gearchange is mediocre and it has only two seats. But just look and listen. Its a miniature exotic. And once you learn to relax with the car, dont try to over-drive it and let the engines fine flexibility do the work, the rewards come in torrents.
Layout: Mid-engine, rear-drive Engine: V6, 2946cc Power: 255bhp Top speed: 153mph 0-60: 5.8sec Years: 1999-2005
24 FERRARI 288 GTO
Right up there with the Lamborghini Miura in the all-time drool parade, the 288 GTO is a serious piece of kit, too, with a composite body and longitudinally slung proto-F40 engine. Saddled up with a brace of IHI turbos, the 2.8-litre quattrovalvole V8 develops a tidy 400bhp (or 140bhp/litre) enough, before the Porsche 959 came along, to make the 189mph GTO the fastest production car in the world in the mid-80s. On a really difficult stretch of road, its lithe chassis and feelful steering make it a match for any subsequent Ferrari supercar, F40, F50 and Enzo included.
Layout: Mid-engine, rear-drive Engine: V8, 2855cc, twin-turbo Power: 400bhp Top speed: 189mph 0-60: 4.9sec Years: 1984-85
23 Peugeot 205 GTI
If you appreciate the niceties of lift-off oversteer, this is the hot hatch that keeps on giving. Just one word of warning the wheelbase is very short, so better not let the situation develop unless youre ready for it! When you are, the steering and engine are so quick to respond that you can indulge with confidence. Lightning gearchange and meaty steering feel add to the already high involvement factor. Extraordinarily agile, too. Not for the faint-hearted in the wet but little else from this era can claim to be a more challenging/rewarding steer, though the more composed Clio Williams runs it close. The little Pug is an all-time great and fabulous fun.
Layout: Front-engine, front-drive Engine: In-line 4-cyl, 1905cc Power: 130bhp Top speed: 124mph 0-60: 7.9sec Years: 1988-91
22 HONDA INTEGRA
What an engine: 187bhp at 8000rpm, 8400rpm red line, scalp-prickling noise. And what a chassis. The Integra R is one of those rare cars that doesnt have to sacrifice control for comfort. Its firmness keeps its sticky Bridgestone Potenzas planted to the tarmac but doesnt allow sharp inputs to upset the bodys composure. And when you do breach the limit (intentionally or otherwise) the chassis stays with you rather than hanging you out to dry. Throw in steering with a surprising amount of weight and feel, and a deliciously short and precise gearshift, and it all adds up to something very special indeed. In a word: sensational.
Layout: Front-engine, front-drive Engine: In-line 4-cyl, 1797cc Power: 187bhp Top speed: 145mph 0-60: 6.2sec Years: 1996-2000
21 NISSAN GT-R
Its the automotive Terminator, ruthless in its pursuit of speed, a brutal taker-aparter of supercar reputations (just ask the Veyron, which couldnt catch it on testing Welsh roads, evo 134). But this is car and driver in harmony: each aware of exactly what the other is up to and able to respond accordingly. Driving it is a partnership and thats what makes the GT-R a truly great drivers car.
Layout: Front-engine, 4wd Engine: V6, 3799cc, twin-turbo Power: 478bhp Top speed: 193mph 0-60: 3.9sec Years: 2008-
I've driven afew...very entertaining on the track.
Countdown 20-11
20 FERRARI 550 MARANELLO
Before the sublime 599 GTB Fiorano there was the 550 Maranello (later the more powerful 575) and theyre miraculous, too: so accessible, so friendly and so practical you cant help but want one badly especially the 550. Its a bona fide full-fat V12 Ferrari with a superbly positive gearchange and an almost absurdly driftable chassis. All pleasure, no pain.
Layout: Front-engine, rear-drive Engine: V12, 5474cc Power: 485bhp Top speed: 199mph 0-60: 4.3sec Years: 1997-2002
19 LOTUS ELISE
The Elise possesses an immediacy and connectedness you simply dont experience with other sports cars. Drive one and very few other cars will seem remotely as direct. The steering, in particular, is sublimely pure and precise. And you dont need to drive it fast for it to feel special. That comes from the immediacy of the controls and the sensational ride, almost racer- firm yet supple. S1 is a modern classic.
Layout: Mid-engine, rear-drive Engine: In-line 4-cyl, 1796cc Power: 118bhp Top speed: 126mph 0-60: 6.1sec Years: 1996-00
18 FERRARI 360 CHALLENGE STRADALE
It might be, in essence, a 360 with a loud exhaust, stripped- out cabin and stickier tyres, but the mods unleash the beast within. Driving the CS flat-out is an adrenalin rush like little else. The extra noise, bite, response, grip and braking power those ceramic stoppers are immense make an already addictive driving experience completely intoxicating. Blinding chassis, too. At speed, the steering becomes fluid and razor sharp.
Layout: Mid-engine, rear-drive Engine: V8, 3586cc Power: 420bhp Top speed: 186mph 0-60: 4.1sec Years: 2003-04
17 FERRARI 599 GTB FIORANO
Immediately reassuring for a car with over 600bhp driving through the rear wheels are the sense of balance and seemingly limitless reserves of poise. This, along with weighty, communicative steering that commands genuinely fast, accurate turn-in and terrific front-end bite, makes the 599 feel more agile than seems possible for a car that weighs 1690kg. And the big Ferrari gets better the faster you go. The pace preserved through fast but tricky bends is stunning, braking power no less impressive. Best of all, switch the Manettino to its all off setting and the 599 HGTE can be held in a long, languid power-slide.
Layout: Front-engine, rear-drive Engine: V12, 5999cc Power: 611bhp Top speed: 205mph 0-60: 3.5sec Years: 2006-
16 AUDI R8
Perhaps the R8s greatest asset is its dynamic cohesion: the exquisite helm feel, huge grip, brilliantly judged damping and the almost vicious top-end energy of its gem-like V8 or even greater broadband slam of the V10. The bottom line is the R8 can corner at a quite ridiculous lick, all the time feeding back information about the road surface to the rim of the wheel. Its transient responses are little short of phenomenal. It scythes through challenging ess-bends with frankly amazing speed and precision. Oh yes, and it does big skids, too.
Layout: Mid-engine, 4wd Engine: V8, 4163cc Power: 414bhp Top speed: 187mph 0-60: 4.1sec Years: 2007-
15 FERRARI 430 SCUDERIA
Phenomenal: 503bhp and 347lb ft spat at the tarmac in rapid-fire chunks of nape-tingling fury just 60 milliseconds apart. The exhaust note at flat chat is loud and penetrating enough to blow chunks off nearby buildings and curdle milk. This isnt an engine, its a noise weapon: extraordinary, unforgettable, dangerous. The steering is exceptionally direct and precise. Theres a little deadness at low speed, but once it sheds that it becomes decently meaty and scalpel sharp. Although the Scuderias handling is at least partly prescribed by chassis electronics, the dynamic proposition it presents is pure and honest, stripped of frills and peripheral distractions.
Layout: Mid-engine, rear-drive Engine: V8, 4308cc Power: 503bhp Top speed: 198mph 0-60: 3.5sec Years: 2007-
14 FORD GT
A Mustang-based supercharged 5.4-litre V8 doesnt sound too promising, but 550bhp and 500lb ft of torque works very nicely, thank you, chewing up long straights, belting out a bellowing, all-American soundtrack. Thumping acceleration, massive retardation and torso-contorting cornering-g flows for mile after mile in the GT. It just eats up the road. Yet the chassis feels so composed and with you. There arent many supercars that feel so devastatingly rapid and yet so unerringly friendly.
Layout: Mid-engine, rear-drive Engine: V8, 5409cc, s/c Power: 550bhp Top speed: 205mph 0-60: 3.7sec Years: 2004-06
13 SUBARU IMPREZA RB5 PPP
Pick of the early Scoobies and a dab hand at putting the frighteners on more exotic machinery, the almost magically talented RB5 is a deeply well sorted car. Partly its the way it flatters the drivers skill, partly the way it engenders so much confidence and partly its faintly outrageous pace. Not the fastest Impreza ever in a straight line but certainly the one that feels most in tune with a twisty road.
Layout: Front-engine, 4wd Engine: Flat-4, 1994cc, turbo Power: 237bhp Top speed: 143mph 0-60: 5.0sec Years: 1999
12 FERRARI F40
Arguably the most thrilling, the most challenging and the most rewarding of all Ferrari road cars, shorn of pretty much everything that doesnt add to its speed or dynamic acuity. Its explosive energy makes it both challenging and exhilarating in equal measure, and because a relatively small turbo engine is so much lighter than a big V12 the cars weight distribution and therefore handling balance is so much better for that. Its also light overall for the kind of car it is, and has unassisted steering which is fantastically informative. A true great.
Layout: Mid-engine, rear-drive Engine: V8, 2936cc, turbo Power: 478bhp Top speed: 201mph 0-60: 3.7sec Years: 1987-92
1 PORSCHE 997 GT3 RS
All hunkered-down traction, nuggety bump management and lightning responses, the S1 997 GT3 RS (the very best of all the recent 911s) attacks roads that would cripple the conviction of lesser cars, digging hard into bends, nose bobbing subtly as stiff suspension and stubby profile tyres overwhelm the tail-biased masses to pile on speed through sheer tenacity and talent. But then Porsche knows the middle ground between road car and racer perhaps better than any other car maker. Its hard to think of another road car that nails the sweet spot between raw-edged trackday tool and everyday usability with the precision of the 997 GT3. Just the right number of comfort layers have been peeled away to reveal the harder, sharper 911 beneath. And it would have made the top ten, were it not for an earlier generation of GT3 that we like even more
Layout: Rear-engine, rear-drive Engine: Flat-6, 3600cc Power: 409bhp Top speed: 193mph 0-60: 4.2sec Years: 2007-09
20 FERRARI 550 MARANELLO
Before the sublime 599 GTB Fiorano there was the 550 Maranello (later the more powerful 575) and theyre miraculous, too: so accessible, so friendly and so practical you cant help but want one badly especially the 550. Its a bona fide full-fat V12 Ferrari with a superbly positive gearchange and an almost absurdly driftable chassis. All pleasure, no pain.
Layout: Front-engine, rear-drive Engine: V12, 5474cc Power: 485bhp Top speed: 199mph 0-60: 4.3sec Years: 1997-2002
19 LOTUS ELISE
The Elise possesses an immediacy and connectedness you simply dont experience with other sports cars. Drive one and very few other cars will seem remotely as direct. The steering, in particular, is sublimely pure and precise. And you dont need to drive it fast for it to feel special. That comes from the immediacy of the controls and the sensational ride, almost racer- firm yet supple. S1 is a modern classic.
Layout: Mid-engine, rear-drive Engine: In-line 4-cyl, 1796cc Power: 118bhp Top speed: 126mph 0-60: 6.1sec Years: 1996-00
18 FERRARI 360 CHALLENGE STRADALE
It might be, in essence, a 360 with a loud exhaust, stripped- out cabin and stickier tyres, but the mods unleash the beast within. Driving the CS flat-out is an adrenalin rush like little else. The extra noise, bite, response, grip and braking power those ceramic stoppers are immense make an already addictive driving experience completely intoxicating. Blinding chassis, too. At speed, the steering becomes fluid and razor sharp.
Layout: Mid-engine, rear-drive Engine: V8, 3586cc Power: 420bhp Top speed: 186mph 0-60: 4.1sec Years: 2003-04
17 FERRARI 599 GTB FIORANO
Immediately reassuring for a car with over 600bhp driving through the rear wheels are the sense of balance and seemingly limitless reserves of poise. This, along with weighty, communicative steering that commands genuinely fast, accurate turn-in and terrific front-end bite, makes the 599 feel more agile than seems possible for a car that weighs 1690kg. And the big Ferrari gets better the faster you go. The pace preserved through fast but tricky bends is stunning, braking power no less impressive. Best of all, switch the Manettino to its all off setting and the 599 HGTE can be held in a long, languid power-slide.
Layout: Front-engine, rear-drive Engine: V12, 5999cc Power: 611bhp Top speed: 205mph 0-60: 3.5sec Years: 2006-
16 AUDI R8
Perhaps the R8s greatest asset is its dynamic cohesion: the exquisite helm feel, huge grip, brilliantly judged damping and the almost vicious top-end energy of its gem-like V8 or even greater broadband slam of the V10. The bottom line is the R8 can corner at a quite ridiculous lick, all the time feeding back information about the road surface to the rim of the wheel. Its transient responses are little short of phenomenal. It scythes through challenging ess-bends with frankly amazing speed and precision. Oh yes, and it does big skids, too.
Layout: Mid-engine, 4wd Engine: V8, 4163cc Power: 414bhp Top speed: 187mph 0-60: 4.1sec Years: 2007-
15 FERRARI 430 SCUDERIA
Phenomenal: 503bhp and 347lb ft spat at the tarmac in rapid-fire chunks of nape-tingling fury just 60 milliseconds apart. The exhaust note at flat chat is loud and penetrating enough to blow chunks off nearby buildings and curdle milk. This isnt an engine, its a noise weapon: extraordinary, unforgettable, dangerous. The steering is exceptionally direct and precise. Theres a little deadness at low speed, but once it sheds that it becomes decently meaty and scalpel sharp. Although the Scuderias handling is at least partly prescribed by chassis electronics, the dynamic proposition it presents is pure and honest, stripped of frills and peripheral distractions.
Layout: Mid-engine, rear-drive Engine: V8, 4308cc Power: 503bhp Top speed: 198mph 0-60: 3.5sec Years: 2007-
14 FORD GT
A Mustang-based supercharged 5.4-litre V8 doesnt sound too promising, but 550bhp and 500lb ft of torque works very nicely, thank you, chewing up long straights, belting out a bellowing, all-American soundtrack. Thumping acceleration, massive retardation and torso-contorting cornering-g flows for mile after mile in the GT. It just eats up the road. Yet the chassis feels so composed and with you. There arent many supercars that feel so devastatingly rapid and yet so unerringly friendly.
Layout: Mid-engine, rear-drive Engine: V8, 5409cc, s/c Power: 550bhp Top speed: 205mph 0-60: 3.7sec Years: 2004-06
13 SUBARU IMPREZA RB5 PPP
Pick of the early Scoobies and a dab hand at putting the frighteners on more exotic machinery, the almost magically talented RB5 is a deeply well sorted car. Partly its the way it flatters the drivers skill, partly the way it engenders so much confidence and partly its faintly outrageous pace. Not the fastest Impreza ever in a straight line but certainly the one that feels most in tune with a twisty road.
Layout: Front-engine, 4wd Engine: Flat-4, 1994cc, turbo Power: 237bhp Top speed: 143mph 0-60: 5.0sec Years: 1999
12 FERRARI F40
Arguably the most thrilling, the most challenging and the most rewarding of all Ferrari road cars, shorn of pretty much everything that doesnt add to its speed or dynamic acuity. Its explosive energy makes it both challenging and exhilarating in equal measure, and because a relatively small turbo engine is so much lighter than a big V12 the cars weight distribution and therefore handling balance is so much better for that. Its also light overall for the kind of car it is, and has unassisted steering which is fantastically informative. A true great.
Layout: Mid-engine, rear-drive Engine: V8, 2936cc, turbo Power: 478bhp Top speed: 201mph 0-60: 3.7sec Years: 1987-92
1 PORSCHE 997 GT3 RS
All hunkered-down traction, nuggety bump management and lightning responses, the S1 997 GT3 RS (the very best of all the recent 911s) attacks roads that would cripple the conviction of lesser cars, digging hard into bends, nose bobbing subtly as stiff suspension and stubby profile tyres overwhelm the tail-biased masses to pile on speed through sheer tenacity and talent. But then Porsche knows the middle ground between road car and racer perhaps better than any other car maker. Its hard to think of another road car that nails the sweet spot between raw-edged trackday tool and everyday usability with the precision of the 997 GT3. Just the right number of comfort layers have been peeled away to reveal the harder, sharper 911 beneath. And it would have made the top ten, were it not for an earlier generation of GT3 that we like even more
Layout: Rear-engine, rear-drive Engine: Flat-6, 3600cc Power: 409bhp Top speed: 193mph 0-60: 4.2sec Years: 2007-09
sanblaster
Member
- :
- 2009 CWP Mazda Axela Sport & 2006 Nissan 350z
a lot of european cars.
That's because the euros understand what makes a car handle.
sanblaster
Member
- :
- 2009 CWP Mazda Axela Sport & 2006 Nissan 350z
mikey's busy with a customer.
