Sport Cars

• 2020 Honda Civic Si Long-Term Review: The Goldilocks of Sports Sedans

  Minor concessions in comfort return huge gains in driver engagement.

  Buying a performance car often costs more than money; it costs comfort and convenience. If you're buying a 2020 Honda Civic Si, though, it doesn't have to.

  

  The Civic Si is essentially a mono-spec vehicle. As such, it rings in at just $26,155, making it one of the cheapest sports cars on the market in the best way possible. For that price, you get 31 more horses than a standard Civic, two-mode electronically controlled dampers, and a limited-slip differential. We spec'd ours with the $200 High-Performance Tire (HPT) option, but aside from that, all you could add to this car are some dress-up parts, a wireless phone charger, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. The last two would've been nice, but we easily lived without them.

  2020 Honda Civic Si: The Cost Of Caring

  

  The Civic Si doesn't cost much in terms of comfort, either. The standard setting for the adjustable shocks is firmer than that of the average compact sedan, but not much. The shocks get firmer still in Sport mode, but that's just for when you're pushing the car on a good road. The front seats have big bolsters on the sides to keep you in place, but they're big, soft pads, not rigid extensions. If the Si is any louder inside than a standard Civic, it's not enough to notice (interior noise has long been a Civic weak spot).

  The Civic Si costs almost nothing so far as convenience is concerned—provided you don't consider driving a stick shift in traffic inconvenient. In sedan guise, it gives up nothing in rear-seat space or access, and you get a big, secure trunk. And although there's no navigation option, it does come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility so you can use your phone's navigation instead.

  

  In fact, the Civic Si is comfortable and convenient enough that my wife and I didn't have a second thought about taking it on a three-hour journey to celebrate our anniversary at a house—with a pool—we rented. I thought for sure we'd stuff the car to the roof with clothes, food, drinks, and entertainment for a week, but we barely filled the trunk. Hours on the freeway to and from were no big deal, as the car was neither too stiff nor too loud for a road trip (nor were the seats too stiff).

  On this particular trip, the Honda was just a nice little compact sedan with some extra zip for passing lane hogs. On other trips, especially those up into the mountains to go hiking, it was the best sports sedan for the money on the market (the Civic Type R is a hatchback). The composure of the chassis could teach things to more than a few sports cars that cost three times as much.

  

  2020 Honda Civic Si Sedan: Momentous Performance
  The Civic Si is what we call a momentum car. With 205 hp, it's no performance monster, but at 2,900 pounds, it's light enough to chuck about without constantly needing to slam on the stoppers. There's a delightful dance to be had in braking just enough to safely make the corner without losing any more momentum than absolutely necessary. The brakes, which aren't even upgraded past a set of performance pads, stand up to anything you can throw at them, which isn't much because again, you don't really have to slow down much for most corners. On the way out, the Civic Si's limited-slip lets you get back on the power early and pull it out of the corner, making the most of every pony. The manual transmission, the best of any this side of a Porsche, never lets you miss a shift, and the pedals are perfectly spaced for heel-toe downshifting.

  

  Its shortcomings are few and far between. If you're something of a drag racer, this isn't the car for you. Although the Civic Si feels quicker than it is, it's still held back by an engine that lags below 3,000 rpm and runs out of steam a thousand rpm before redline. The little Honda sedan is best when hustled on a road where you can keep both its speed and the engine's speed up. Around town, you're best off shifting before the turbo switches on, and when you're hustling, short-shifting. You'd also be well advised to keep a rag in the car to protect your hand from the cool-looking but scalding-hot or freezing-cold aluminum-topped shifter. When you're done driving, make sure to wait until the engine actually stops running after you switch off the car. If you release the clutch in gear too quickly... well, it could get ugly.

  It's easy to overlook the Civic Si when the Civic Type R is right there on the lot and only $11,500 more, but whether you're on a budget or just not ready to make the compromises its more powerful kin demands, the Si delivers. It's rewarding to drive on the best roads and comfortable on the commute. Ultimately, the Civic Si demands very little in exchange for the fun it provides, leaving you with a practical sedan every other day of the week.

  Source: motortrend.com

• 2020 Porsche 718 Boxster T Handles It All

  Porsche's special-edition Boxster bundles corner-carving goodies but doesn't forget about the commute.

  Sports cars don't ride this well. After a few miles, disbelief turns to awe. You see, this Porsche Boxster T is aimed directly at the lunatic fringe of car buyers who crave the sportiest handling in a base Boxster. We had a short drive of a European-spec Boxster T in 2019, but we've now spent a few days surfing the potholes and shattered asphalt of our home turf in the United States version. And an apex-slaying suspension just isn't supposed to be this livable.

  

  Porsche makes all of the Boxster's chassis goodies standard in the T and then sprinkles some Ferry dust on the whole thing. The suppleness is surprising considering the T model is equipped with a sport suspension that drops the Boxster nearly an inch (20 mm) and includes 20-inch wheels with tires whose sidewalls appear to offer all the impact protection of a leather helmet. And yet, the Boxster T's ride compliance betters that of many sports sedans. No crash, no smash, no harshness.

  Vital to the ride quality are the sport package's standard adaptive dampers—PASM in Porsche language—that adeptly smooths those high-frequency jolts that tend to discombobulate performance cars. A button next to the shifter allows the driver to tighten up the dampers' responses, but there's no real reason to take them out of Normal mode since they continuously adapt to how hard you're driving and whatever bad breaks the road throws at them. But, if you want to ruin the ride, go right ahead and select Sport.

  

  If that over-the-road grace is surprising, the Boxster T's handling isn't. Like a regular Boxster or Boxster S, the T's moves and primary controls foster a close connection that shrinks the car around you. In addition to the sport suspension and 20-inch wheels, the T model makes a few other optional bits standard fare. Every Boxster T comes with brake-based torque vectoring that helps rotate the car into corners and active engine mounts that stiffen or soften to help keep engine motions from upsetting the handling.

  A small-diameter sport steering wheel with a drive-mode selector knob is also standard. As precise as the atomic clock, the steering sends all the right signals from the tires and road without any kick or ugliness.

  

  What the T doesn't add is more power. Bolted in behind the driver is the same 300-hp 2.0-liter flat-four that has powered the base Boxster since 2017. The 2.0-liter pulls hard from low rpm once the turbo lights things up, and the engine delivers more than enough acceleration to dispel your regrets over foregoing the 350-hp Boxster S. The flat-four issues a guttural grumble, especially at idle, but the sound improves when zinged to the 7500-rpm redline. The engine will never be confused with a BMW inline-six—or even Porsche's flat-sixes—but tries to compensate for its inability to carry a tune with an angry exhaust note.

  Coupled with the optional seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission ($3730), we expect the Boxster T to get to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, the same time as a mechanically identical PDK Boxster we tested back in 2017. All automatic T models will be able to repeat that performance as many times as you please, since they come standard with the Sport Chrono Package that adds the all-important launch-control function. Left foot on the brake pedal, floor the accelerator, release the brakes, and there you have it: the perfect launch, easy enough to merit an infomercial.

  Still, we'd skip the dual-clutch automatic in favor of the six-speed manual. Not only is it's less expensive, but it's more in keeping with the driving-joy ethos of the T. In our testing of the non-T Boxster manual, the DIY gearbox runs to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds. Plenty quick.

  

  Some Boxster buyers might wonder about the T's cloth and leather seats. Porsche's puritanical models of the past—the 1988 911 Club Sport, the 1992 911 RS America, and the 1993 911 Speedster—came with pinstriped cloth upholstery, and the T's cloth seats speak to its mission statement. Cloth is grippier than leather, so the thinking is that since you love corners enough to buy this car, you'll want the cloth holding your butt in place. Fabric door pulls replace door handles, another nod to Porsche's racing heritage and the GT models. Our test car wore the T Interior Package ($2770) that adds contrasting stitching throughout and a few bits of trim. At $2770, the option seems expensive for the minor dress-up.

  The Boxster T starts at $69,850, or $8900 more than the base Boxster. With one exception, it's possible to add the T's many chassis options to a base Boxster, and the price works out to be about the same as the T. What you miss out on are the T's even lower Sport suspension (a 0.8-inch drop versus 0.4 inch) and its heritage-inspired cloth interior and door pulls. And, while you can build a Boxster to mimic most of the T's goodies, it's unlikely you'd ever find one on a dealer lot. By bundling these options in a new model, dealers can easily order an enthusiast special, and enthusiasts can skip the special order from Stuttgart. The T makes a handling-optimized Boxster easy to find, and its ride makes it easy to drive every day.

  Source: caranddriver.com

• 2020 Toyota GR Supra Long-Term Test Update: Hitting the Track

  Back on the road, and a run to the track for some revealing numbers.

  As travel restrictions lifted, we hit the road in our 2020 Toyota Supra, and we've added more than 5,000 city and highway miles since the first update. As a result, our once-empty-road fuel economy (27 mpg average) is now more representative of real-world driving at 25 mpg. The EPA estimates 26 combined, so we're close. A couple long drives that nearly drained the tank proved the Supra can be quite miserly, returning 30 to 31 mpg.

  Not only are we driving more, we had an opportunity to run to our test facility to see how this 3.0 Premium measures up against two "Launch Editions" we tested last year. There's no difference in hardware, only a 21-pound weight difference, so we didn't expect a difference in performance.

  

  We were right; identical 0-60 mph times (3.9 seconds), the same quarter-mile times (12.5 seconds) and trap speeds were all within a half mph of one another. The three are separated by 7 feet braking from 60 mph, with ours in the middle at 103 feet. Lateral acceleration on the skidpad was a dead heat with all three posting an average of 1.01 g. On our "race track in a bottle" figure-eight test, they were separated by 0.4 second, ours bringing up the rear with a 24.3-second lap.

  Supra Testing Notes

  During the quarter-mile acceleration runs, the test driver commented, "It really doesn't matter if TC [traction control] is on or off, there's a just-right amount of wheelspin regardless. Launch control does the same thing, as well. Very consistent, but it can feel a little dicey until the shift to second gear. Sounds great as it upshifts at redline."

  

  Regarding the braking test, he said, "Brakes (and tires) like a little heat as the distances grew shorter. Firm pedal, very little dive, and no squirm to speak of. Highly controlled, even from 100 mph. In order: 106, 106, 103, 104 feet." For sports cars, we do at least one stop from 100 mph to ascertain a theoretical 0-100-0 mph time. Our Supra earned a highly respectable 13.9-second time.

  All things considered, the Supra is living up to its lineage, convoluted as it may be with this generation.

  Source: motortrend.com

• 2021 Audi RS7 Sportback Gets Caught in a Sibling Rivalry

  Despite its soul-stirring performance, Audi's redesigned 591-hp RS7 makes a case for the less-expensive RS6 Avant wagon.

  After a brief hiatus from the United States market, Audi's fiery RS7 Sportback returns for 2021 in fighting form. Delivering big doses of both speed and refinement, the new car's stonking performance sacrifices little comfort for its driver. But it's not the only practical hot-rod hatchback that Audi offers these days, and therein lies the RS7's greatest issue.

  

  HIGHS: Effortless speed, impressive ride comfort, menacing curb appeal.
  The new RS7 is once again motivated by the Volkswagen Group's venerable—and versatile—twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 that also can be found under the hoods of various Bentley, Lamborghini, and Porsche models. Output in this version is a strong 591 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. If those figures sound familiar, that's because they're the same as those of the Audi RS6 Avant station wagon, which is mechanically identical to the RS7 yet offers more cargo space—30 cubic feet versus the RS7's 25. We also think the longer-roof RS6 looks better, but we're suckers for wagons. Compared to the previous RS7, this 4.0-liter wears turbos featuring larger compressor wheels. Thanks largely to an additional 2.9 pounds of boost over the previous standard model, the RS7's horsepower and torque ratings swell by 30 and 77, respectively. As with the RS6, the RS7 features a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive, or Quattro if you're into trade names.

  

   

  Audi RS7 Has Dynamite Looks and Big Power
  On paper, the latest RS7 is not as impressive as its predecessor's hottest variant, the 605-hp RS7 Performance. Yet, despite the new car weighing an additional 460 pounds, it can catapult its 4947-pound girth to 60 mph in a mere 3.0 seconds, which is a tenth of a second quicker than before. Stay on the throttle and it posts a similar 11.3-second quarter-mile time but with a 3-mph slower trap speed (122 mph), which is indicative of its extra bulk. The 2021 RS7's porkiness is also on display in both the 30-to-50- and 50-to-70-mph top-gear acceleration tests, where it trails the RS7 Performance by 0.4 and 0.5 second, respectively. Well, pokiness or a less aggressive transmission map. For comparison, the RS6 Avant gets to 60 in 3.1 seconds and covers the quarter-mile in 11.5 seconds at 120 mph.

  

  LOWS: Subdued exhaust note, seriously heavy, an RS6 Avant is both cheaper and more practical.
  Making the most of the RS7's acceleration on the street is easy, thanks to a neat trick we discovered with the car's advanced electronics. When fitted with Audi's Intersection-assist feature (part of the $2250 Driver Assistance package), the RS7 communicates with intersections that are V2I (vehicle-to-infrastructure) compatible. Activate this at a stoplight and a countdown timer illuminates in the standard 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, indicating when the light will turn green. Depress one of the RS Mode buttons on the RS7's steering wheel to summon launch control and the car's customizable drive modes, stand on the brake and accelerator, and then release the brake for a max-thrust hole shot.

  

  The RS7 is more than a stoplight racer, though. With broad shoulders that are 1.7 inches wider than the lesser S7's, plus its blacked-out maw and exterior trim, this Audi looks stunningly mean. But it also grabs attention, which is problematic when triple-digit speeds can be summoned almost by thought. That it also brings an impressive level of refinement doesn't help matters. We imagine much of its weight gain comes from significantly more sound-deadening material, as our test car's calm and serene cabin reduced the full-throttle noise from the $1000 Sport exhaust to a distant, 79-decibel bark. Ride comfort on the optional 22-inch wheels with 30-series Pirelli P Zero PZ4 summer tires is excellent, the standard air springs shrugging off even the worst of Michigan's poorly maintained roads.

  Despite carrying 56.1 percent of its mass on its front wheels, the RS7 feels surprisingly balanced. When pushed hard into corners, the standard rear-wheel steering helps its driver maintain a smooth, tight line by rotating its rear end. Its ability to change directions is bolstered by a torque-vectoring rear differential, which helps with yaw by splitting the rear axle's torque unevenly. In Dynamic mode, the RS7 hunkers down by 0.4 inch and circles the skidpad with a solid 0.95 g of lateral adhesion. When it's time to slow down, massive 16.5-inch iron front rotors clamped by 10-piston calipers effortlessly shed the car's forward momentum. Stops from 70 mph take a scant 151 feet. While our car didn't feature them, carbon-ceramic brakes are available for $8500 and have the added benefit of upping the governed top speed from 155 mph to a claimed 190.

  

  The performance and presence of the Audi RS7 is intoxicating enough for us to almost forget that the RS6 Avant exists. But one glance at the RS7's $115,045 base price puts the two cars in perspective. For $5000 less, Audi's RS wagon posts nearly identical performance results, has seating for five versus the RS7's four, and is more capacious in back. For those smitten with the RS7's sleeker profile, it is an awesome machine. But we know where our money would go.

  Source: caranddriver.com

• 2021 Ferrari Roma: The Beauty of 612 Horsepower

  Ferrari builds a modern GT without relying on the design tropes of the past.

  The Ferrari Roma's start button isn't a button. It's an iPad-like touch-sensitive switch at the bottom of the steering wheel. And it's but one of many functions crammed onto the helm. Even after spending 30 hours with the car, we were still uncovering new ones. Ferrari isn't relying on its heritage here. This is only the second V-8-powered front-engine GT coupe in the brand's history—the first being the 2018 GTC4Lusso T, which was the refreshed FF with four fewer cylinders. No, with the Roma, Ferrari focused on making a 21st-century grand-touring car with an almost all-digital interface and without a goofy retractable roof.

  Sure, the hardtop convertible Portofino is still around, and there's a lot of Portofino in the Roma, but the Roma is some 200 pounds lighter and 20 horses more powerful, with a 612-hp version of Ferrari's twin-turbo 3.9-liter V-8. The upcoming Portofino M will match that output, but it won't rectify the weight discrepancy. And while all three of these Ferraris have an engine that roars like artillery, the Roma is prettiest.

  

  It has the face of a shark. The fenders flare like a Sophia Loren sigh, and the bodywork is free of holes, vents, and gouges. The razor-edge taillights look nothing like the usual round Ferrari fare. The Roma and Portofino share a 105.1-inch wheelbase and their basic suspension design, but the Roma is 0.7 inch lower, 1.4 inches wider, and at 183.3 inches long, 2.7 inches longer overall.

  The 561-lb-ft torque peak comes up at 3000 rpm and stays there until 5750 rpm, with plenty beyond that to the 7500-rpm redline. Pop the hood and the Ferrari V-8 looks as good as the body. There's no plastic sound-insulation cover here.

  Read more: 2023 Ferrari Dino

  Pull the right carbon-fiber paddle shifter and the rear-mounted, Magna-made eight-speed dual-clutch transaxle loads first gear. The Roma is the first of Ferrari's GTs to include a Race setting for the stability and traction-control system. Turn the manettino selector on the steering wheel to Race and the car growls and gets down to the business of ground flying.

  Shifted with the paddles, the eight-speed reacts instantly. Downshift into a corner and the car squats flatly, takes a set at the apex, and bolts confidently. The system allows a bit of tail slide, but on public roads, it's hard to get to the cornering velocity where the 285/35ZR-20 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires will break free. What's available even in Comfort mode is perfectly calibrated steering and the thrill of feeling the 245/35ZR-20 Michelins up front bite into the surface.

  

  We expect this Ferrari to eclipse 60 mph in 3.1 seconds when launch mode is activated, but the exhaust drama and pull of the engine make it seem even quicker than that. And the Roma is beguiling at triple-digit speeds. It also has a hilarious rear seat and a reasonably sized 10-cubic-foot trunk.

  Roma prices start at $222,420. The version driven here carried an option load that put it at $316,240. Skip the $11,812 carbon-fiber rear diffuser, the $5906 front spoiler you're bound to scratch, the $4725 carbon-fiber dashboard inserts, and a few other bits, and a Roma could be a great quarter-million-dollar Ferrari. In the prancing-horse world, that's a bargain.

  Source: caranddriver.com

• 2021 Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo: Turbo Juiced to 690 Horspower

  Highlighted by the Sport Turismo wagon model, Porsche's updated Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid gains power, refinement, and 30 percent more electric range.

  Recent headlines regarding Porsche's four-door cars have naturally gravitated to the company's new Taycan electric sedan. And given the performance of the 750-hp Taycan Turbo S—the most powerful Porsche currently available—that hype is understandable. But Porsche has partially electrified its Panamera sedan and Sport Turismo wagon (and Cayenne SUV) for several years now with some spectacular results. For the 2021 model year, a range of updates comes to the second-generation Panamera lineup, with the most anticipated of those changes being an uptick in power, performance, and refinement for the range-topping Turbo S E-Hybrid models.

  Although the Panamera Sport Turismo has been around since 2018, the wagon remains a rare bird, even in car-crazy Los Angeles. Our 2021 Turbo S E-Hybrid test car has been collecting lustful stares all morning, even from a few Tesla drivers. Exterior changes are subtle. Aside from new wheel designs, the previously optional SportDesign front fascia is now standard; a reconfigured SportDesign package, with or without carbon fiber, is in the works. To bring the car's rear end in line with the look of the brand's fresher sports cars and SUVs, a continuous light strip now spreads across its tail. The only upgrade inside is a new steering wheel with simplified audio and information controls. Our German-spec example was not fitted with a panoramic glass roof, but it will remain standard on United States models.

  

  Mechanically, things haven't changed much either. The plug-in Turbo S E-Hybrid retains its all-wheel-drive system, twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8, and an electric motor integrated into its eight-speed dual-clutch PDK automatic transmission. Engine calibration enhancements have increased the V-8's output from 550 horsepower to 563. Peak torque stays at 567 pound-feet, and the electric motor contributes an additional 134 horsepower and 195 pound-feet. As a result, combined horsepower climbs from 680 to 690. And with 642 pound-feet of total torque plus a low 5.97:1 first gear, hard launches strain back muscles and rearrange bodily fluids more than ever. Tummies twizzle.

  Porsche says the updates shorten the wagon's 60-mph dash from 3.2 seconds to 3.0 flat, but we've already clocked a 2.7-second run from a 2018 Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo, which also covered the quarter-mile in 11.0 seconds at 126 mph. We won't know for sure until we get the updated car to the test track, but the 2021 model should shave a tenth of a second from those times. Porsche also claims a 196-mph top speed, which is an increase of 4 mph. We'll buy it.

  The most significant powertrain upgrade is an increase in battery capacity from 14.1 kWh to 17.9 kWh, which ups the Turbo S E-Hybrid's all-electric driving range by 30 percent. On a full charge in the E-Power driving mode, there are now enough electrons for about 20 miles of travel. But get aggressive with the throttle, and the V-8 fires up quickly to deliver a boost of power.

  

  Hybrid mode maximizes the system's efficiency by blending both power sources with remarkable refinement, running the engine only when necessary to either charge the battery or answer your request for harder acceleration. "We spent a lot of time under the hood optimizing engine and suspension systems to enhance the bandwidth between performance and comfort," said Thomas Friemuth, vice president of the Panamera model line. EPA fuel-economy estimates aren't finalized yet, but the current car's 48-MPGe and 20-mpg combined ratings aren't expected to change.

  Sport and Sport Plus modes keep the engine running and retune the transmission for more immediate response. They also dial up the volume of the active exhaust system, giving the V-8 a thumpy idle and a pleasant growl. The Turbo S E-Hybrid's adjustable air springs use the same hardware as before, but ride quality has been improved, and the range between the suspension's three settings have been broadened. Normal is a bit softer than before and Sport Plus a bit stiffer, but each setup retains the relatively supple ride quality and excellent body control that we've previously been impressed with.

  

  The Turbo S E-Hybrid's regenerative braking system helps replenish the battery pack rather quickly. A half hour of moderately quick driving in the hills above Malibu increased our indicated electric range from 7 to 21 miles. Porsche has also made some adjustments to the Panamera's Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control Sport system, which governs the car's active anti-roll bars, torque-vectoring system, rear-axle steering, and more. There's more steering feel than in other big sedans and wagons, and a new electromechanical brake booster seems to have eliminated the brake pedal's previously squishy transition from regenerative to friction braking. Massive carbon-ceramic rotors with Acid Green-painted calipers are still standard.

  Porsche continues to mount the battery pack under the Turbo S E-Hybrid's cargo floor to help balance the weight of the chassis, which helps lend the car incredible grip and agility. You can notice some road noise from the updated 21-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S summer tires (275/35R-21s in front and 325/30R-21s in the rear), but their impressive grip is a fair tradeoff. Despite weighing around 5300 pounds, we recorded 0.99 g of stick on the skidpad from the previous version of this electrified wagon. While it does feel big and heavy on the road, it's also seriously quick, stupendously stable, and it simply explodes from corner to corner.

  

  Pricing for Turbo S E-Hybrid versions of the Panamera and Panamera Sport Turismo will be released closer to the cars' availability in spring, but we'd expect slight increases over their current base prices of $189,050 and $193,050, respectively. With its improved performance and additional refinement, we could make a case for the top Sport Turismo model as Porsche's best all-around car. Sure, both the electric Taycan Turbo S and the updated 911 Turbo S are quicker, and we'd rather have one of the company's GT sports cars for pure driving joy. But none of them combines speed, comfort, efficiency, and versatility as stupefyingly well as the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo. It may be the perfect ride for the deep-pocketed enthusiast with a family and a single parking space.

  Source: carandriver.com

• 2022 Audi RS3 Is Music to Our Ears

  Audi's redesigned five-cylinder RS3 sports sedan is as vocal as it is potent.

   Earlier this year, Audi announced that it would cease development of all new internal-combustion engines as it transitions to all-electric powertrains by 2033. Yet, in defiant anticipation of that silent goalpost, the brand's engineers endeavored to equip the redesigned 2022 Audi RS3 with the loudest, most powerful version of the company's turbocharged inline-five engine.

  With 401 horsepower available—one pony more than before—the RS3's boosted five-pot pulls hard to its 7000-rpm redline with fervent glee. To say that it has character is an understatement—delightfully vocal and charismatic, this is an engine that can seem uncannily human across its rev range. Which makes sense, as its odd-cylinder warble is a sound that any human could impersonate. A new active exhaust delivers even more of that aural drama through the tailpipes. Normally we eschew engine-sound augmentation through stereo speakers, but it only adds to the excitement in the RS3. Windows up or down, this Audi will have you searching out tunnels on your daily commute.

  

   

  Torque is up as well, now peaking at 369 pound-feet versus the outgoing model's 354. That twist is routed through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission featuring several shift programs, including launch control. Audi estimates the sprint to 60 mph will take 3.8 seconds. But that's surely a conservative figure, as the last RS3 we tested, a 2017 model, posted a 3.5-second run to 60 mph. Driving the new car, we found its transmission to be eager to drop down a gear with just a touch of the accelerator, but it's not as prescient under heavy braking into corners, sometimes requiring a tug on the steering wheel-mounted shift paddles to kick it down a ratio.

  

   

  For even greater control, it's easy to change the gearbox's demeanor through the various drive modes, which also alter the engine's responsiveness, the weight and feel of the steering, and the firmness of the adaptive dampers. We bypassed the Efficiency and Comfort settings, finding Auto to be nicely adept at adjusting the parameters based on our driving habits. Dynamic mode heightens all the car's senses and holds gears at redline in manual mode. Most intriguing was the customizable RS Performance mode, which for the first time in the RS3 allows the amount of torque sent to the rear wheels to be adjusted. Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive system is almost too effective in most cases, wrangling the engine's might in a deliberate, almost clinical fashion. But the RS3's all-wheel-drive system is designed to be a frisky complement to its engine's sonorous antics. The system employs two independent clutch packs that can route 100 percent of the torque sent to the rear axle to either rear wheel, helping the car rotate around corners.

  There's even a dedicated RS Torque Rear mode in the car's Drive Select menu, which is a drift mode in all but name. In practice, however, this setting only lets you wag the RS3's tail so much. Despite the implied benefits of the rear-torque bias, this remains a predominantly front-wheel-drive-based setup. Similar to how the previous RS3 could be outfitted, the new car rolls on tires that are wider in front than in back, 265/30R-19s to the rear 245/35R-19s. And since only 50 percent of the engine's torque can be routed rearward, the RS3 can't break its back end loose with the same impulsivity of, say, a BMW M2. It takes deliberate effort and a heavy right foot to overcome the chassis's natural inclination towards understeer, and once you cross that limit of adhesion it requires persistence to keep it dancing on that edge.

  

   

  Making the most of RS Torque Rear on the track also requires diligence, plus a bit of trust on the driver's part. Our drive included laps on Greece's Athens Circuit, a tight 1.3-mile track featuring a short straight and 10 corners. Taking the conservative all-wheel-drive line into turns yielded no help from the RS3's torque-vectoring rear axle. It's best to be more aggressive on corner entry and ignore your instincts to back off the throttle. Just before the front end begins to plow wide, mat the throttle to shuffle the torque to the rear axle and let the all-wheel-drive system's programming sort it out. That's not to say the RS3 isn't potent when pushed hard. Audi test driver Frank Stippler recently posted a 7:40.8 lap around the Nürburgring, beating the time set by, among other all-wheel-drive rockets, the original Bugatti Veyron.

  On the open road, the RS3 feels much more in its environment. With its adaptive dampers in their comfort setting, this diminutive sedan evokes the composure and stability of its larger Audi brethren. Up front, the strut suspension features model-specific pivot bearings that add nearly a degree of negative camber compared to the regular A3. A multilink setup sits in back, along with a hollow anti-roll bar and a half-degree of additional negative camber. Overall, the RS3 rides 1.0 inch lower than the A3 and 0.4 inch lower than the S3. Top speed is governed to 155 mph, although opting for the RS Dynamic package ups that to 180 mph.

  

  Look beyond its performance and the RS3 receives the same updates found in the new A3 and S3. The interior features a far more premium look, thanks in large part to the 10.1-inch touchscreen that's now integrated into the dash. The 12.3-inch configurable digital instrument cluster is flanked by vents that resemble motorcycle grips. An RS design package adds either red or green accents to those vents, plus color-keyed seatbelts and contrast stitching on the seats, though we're less enamored by the dinky-looking shift toggle on the center console. Also somewhat out of place are the acres of gloss black plastic adorning the car's front end, which look a bit unfinished and appear at odds with the rest of the tastefully aggressive sheetmetal.

  Gaping face notwithstanding, the RS3 is a superb evolution of Audi's original brand-defining formula. If this sounds like a fitting way to celebrate the sonic joy of its odd yet charming powertrain, you'll have to wait early next year to buy one in the United States. Pricing has yet to be announced, but we expect it to start just under $60,000. Endearingly eccentric and capable as the RS3 may be, it's hard to predict how long Audi will continue to support this niche segment with a near-bespoke engine. Although we're down for whatever the future brings, we hope the brand leans on its EV engineers to create soundtracks that are as glorious as the RS3's.

  (https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a38059622/2022-audi-rs3-sedan-drive/

• 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 First Ride Review: Big Talent

  Up close and personal with one of the year’s most anticipated driver’s cars.

  There's the merest hint of a twitch, caught instantly with the tiniest flick of the wrists. Andy Preuninger keeps his foot down. The corner opens onto a short straight running between trees with hints of the red and gold and brown of autumn among the green. The tach needle swings past 8,000 rpm, a steely manic snarl behind us as Preuninger reaches for the shifter on the center console and plucks the next gear. "A Porsche 911 GT3 is like a human being," he says, watching like a hawk for damp patches on the tarmac. "It likes warmth. It likes operating in the same temperatures we do, 15 to 25 degrees centigrade. When the dampers and the tires are cold it communicates that it's not happy."

  

  Andreas Preuninger's anthropomorphism is not misplaced: As head of the department that engineers and develops Porsche's high-performance GT models, the 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 is, like every GT3 since the 996.2 model, very much his baby. And from where I'm sitting, in the passenger seat of a lightly camouflaged prototype that Preuninger says is basically 99 percent the production car, it feels a preternaturally talented one.

  There's been a lot of anxious speculation about this new 911 GT3. Would the bigger, wider 992 platform degrade the stunning poise and precision, the breathtakingly athletic agility that were the hallmarks of the 991.2 GT3? Would the engine have the same crackle and snarl and instantaneous throttle response? Could it be as pure and as exhilarating a sports car? Preuninger gets it: "The challenge is when you have a car that is as good as the 991.2 GT3, how do you make it better?"

  First, keep what works. The 992-series GT3 retains the charismatic naturally aspirated 4.0-liter engine from the previous car. Preuninger won't go into precise details, but there have been tweaks to both the intake and exhaust, and the engine management system has been remapped. Power is up, but not by as much as you might expect: It's basically an iteration of the 2019 911 Speedster engine, which pumped out 502 hp and 346 lb-ft of torque. And yes, it revs to 9,000 rpm.

  

  As before, the 2022 911 GT3 will be available with the choice of either a conventional six-speed manual or the PDK seven-speed twin-clutch automatic transmission fitted to our prototype. Both transmissions are carried over from the 991-series GT3, though the PDK gets slightly bigger bearings and a better oiling system, plus a different control module to enable it to work with the 992's new electronic architecture. The manual transmission's ratios are unchanged, but the final drive ratio has been lowered to account for the 992's 21-inch rear wheels.

  Keep what works, then think about what can be improved. The 992 platform means the new GT3 has a wider track front and rear. The rear axle is basically upgraded 992-spec hardware, with the rear-wheel steering system as standard. Up front, however, is an all-new multi-link suspension, the first ever on a 911 road car. Derived from the 911 RSR racecar front axle, it's unique to the new GT3, though it's logical to expect the hardware will also appear under the forthcoming 992-series 911 GT2. It's the biggest single engineering change over the old GT3, says Preuninger, and it drove a lot of the chassis development work.

  What's noticeable, as we hammer along some of the surprisingly rough and ready roads near Porsche's Weissach engineering center, is not just how crisp, how responsive, how alert this new GT3 feels, even from the passenger seat, but also how well it rides on its Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires. The 911 GT3 is not soft—you feel exactly what's happening underneath—but it's not harsh and jittery, even at modest velocities. Preuninger nods when I comment. "Some people confuse stiffness with sportiness," he says. "A wheel needs freedom to travel. Some performance cars are so stiff they feel dead at low speed." This GT3 feels very much alive.

  

  A look around the undisguised interior of the new GT3 reveals it to be, apart from the obvious GT-spec hardware such sports seats and a half roll-cage, basically 992, with one notable—and welcome—difference. The small, soulless toggle switch used to select drive or reverse in PDK-equipped 992s has been replaced by a shifter that looks almost identical to the manual one. "You have to check that it has three pedals, to make sure," grins Preuninger, who prefers using a shifter on the center console to paddles on the steering wheel, even in PDK-equipped GT3s and GT2s.

  Front and center in the new instrument panel is an analogue tach that reads to 10,000 rpm, flanked by screens either side that can show all the information you get in a regular 911. There's a special GT configuration that pares back that info to the minimum a race driver wants: Tire pressures and water temp on the left hand side and oil temperature, oil pressure and fuel level on right hand side. And curving around lower rim of tach are shift lights that appear in Sport manual mode comprising thin yellow graduations that build in height then flash blue at the upshift point.

  The scanty exterior disguise doesn't hide much, but it doesn't reveal all the new GT3's secrets, either. A quick look around reveals the front fenders, doors, roof and rear quarter panels are shared with regular 911s. A new front bumper features a large central air intake and slim air-curtain vents on either side that direct air through the front wheel well. The front hood is carbon fiber, and features vents at the leading edge to bleed hot air from the radiators. In previous 911 GT3s hot air was vented through slots at the top of the bumper, but the 992's more complex frontal structure meant there was no room for that solution on the new car.

  

  The GT3's rear view is dominated by a giant wing suspended beneath two stanchions that rise up from either side of the engine cover. The wing set the internet buzzing the moment the first prototypes were spotted, and a lot of the buzz from the hot take commentariat was less than favorable. The wing is not a fashion statement. It's pure racing technology. Because the underside of the wing is the most critical surface in terms of generating downforce, the top mount system makes it more aerodynamically efficient and effective. And while I can't give you any detail, what I can say you haven't seen the wing stanchions in their production form yet. Undisguised, they are works of art.

  Under the wing is a new engine cover with a ducktail. When the rear wing is in the most aggressive of its three settings, its underside profile and the profile of the ducktail are a mirror image. The ducktail helps manage the laminar flow over the roof, to the point that the ram air scoops that featured on the 991 versions of the GT3 are not needed. Air goes into the engine intake via the vents at the base of the rear window. Preuninger says the old-style scoops would have interfered with the efficiency of the rear wing.

  Before we head back to Weissach the man who's been instrumental in creating some of the greatest 911s ever built eloquently sums up what he believes to be the essence of a Porsche 911 GT3. "It has to be a joy to drive," he says. "It must be communicative, transparent, honest, at any speed. It has to scream 'drive me'."

  Even from the passenger seat I hear that scream. I can't wait to drive the 2022 Porsche 911 GT3.

  Source: motortrend.com

• 2022 Porsche Taycan GTS Looks Fierce, Has Performance to Match

  The GTS lives in the Goldilocks zone where driver-focused handling meets prodigious power.

   
   

  It would be an understatement to say that the Porsche Taycan has been a raging success. In just two years, this svelte four-door electric sport sedan has already begun to outsell the vaunted Porsche 911, the iconic heart and soul of the brand. It has also proven wildly successful even when compared to Tesla, the established EV juggernaut. Through the first three quarters of 2021, Taycan sales far outstripped those of the Model S and Model X combined. Porsche is keeping up the pressure by introducing the new-for-'22 Taycan GTS, a stunning driver-focused variant that neatly slots into a price and performance gap in the Taycan lineup.

   Until now, the step up from the dual-motor all-wheel-drive Taycan 4S to the Turbo has been a humongous one. The price gap is nearly $42,000 after you equip the 4S with the 83.7-kWh Performance Battery Plus option that's standard on the Turbo, but your big-battery 4S will still give up 108 horsepower and 147 pound-feet of torque to the Turbo's 670 horsepower and 626 pound-feet of maximum output. This leaves a lot of white space for the Taycan GTS, which slots in about midway between the two in price while delivering a stout 590 horsepower and a Turbo-matching 626 pound-feet. Range figures are not yet available, but Porsche hinted that the GTS could better the 227-mile range of the 2021 4S. But the best part may be what happens—or doesn't—when jawing with folks at your local Cars & Coffee. No one is going to be needling you about the word Turbo on the ass end of your electric Porsche.

  VIEW PHOTOS

  

   

  Besides, there will be far more interesting things than badges to discuss when your GTS is parked, simply because it looks far more purposeful and menacing than any of its siblings. This begins up front with a blacked-out SportDesign chin spoiler and enlarged air-curtain ducts below the black-background headlight buckets. Along the sides, there are blacked-out side-glass surround moldings and deeper SportDesign side skirts with gloss-black inserts replacing body color. The rear diffuser is likewise accented with gloss black instead of body color, and the word Porsche in the translucent taillight band is accented in black. The GTS rolls on satin-black wheels with sizable red calipers peeking through—20-inch Turbo S Aero Design wheels in standard trim or our sample car's racier 21-inch forged RS Spyder design wheels with massive 265/35R-21 front and 305/30R-21 rear tires. And yes, there's a Taycan GTS badge on the tail, also in black.

   

  

  The blacked-out theme continues inside, where you'll find a GTS interior dominated by black Race-Tex, Porsche's faux-suede material. It's the primary treatment on the standard 18-way adaptive sport seats, the headliner, roof pillars, and sun visors. It covers the horizontal design axis below the dash top and the central spine that divides the cockpit. It's also the grippy wrapping material on the multifunction GT sport steering wheel, which is equipped with a prominent driving mode dial because the Sport Chrono package comes standard on the GTS. The cabin also features red stitching throughout, and dark-finish brushed-aluminum trim—unless you opt for matte-black carbon fiber, as in our car. As an option, there's a panoramic sunroof with a new Variable Light Control system, an embedded array of nine massive car-spanning LCD segments that can be manipulated using a touchscreen interface.

  We've driven many flavors of the Taycan, and they've always impressed. But the GTS takes it to another level, with an intentionally more driver-focused setup that delivers the kind of fierce capability that's implied by its no-nonsense looks. The same adaptive air suspension and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) systems are present, but they've been thoroughly recalibrated with the aim of creating a more neutral cornering attitude and better turn-in response. The tweaks extend to the standard Torque Vectoring Plus and Power Steering Plus systems, as well as the optional rear-steer system and PDCC adaptive anti-roll bars. The engineering team has absolutely succeeded, as the front end feels far more responsive when pushed hard in tight bends. The buildup of steering effort in all types of corners is especially authentic because the electric power-steering system utilizes a unique feedback loop that considers the road forces pushing in from the tie-rod ends and tweaks the level of assist according to the GTS playbook.

  

  A good deal of our driving occurred on the Big Willow track at Willow Springs, and here the Taycan GTS proved to be a potent track car with predictable and approachable limits. This venerable track needs repaving, but the cracked surface only served to show how tenacious, unruffled, and downright smooth the GTS can be when pushed hard on a less-than-perfect surface. We nudged the limits of the stability-control system on a tight right-hander that crests a hill, but a one-second press of the Traction Management button toggled the system to Sport mode and expanded the intervention limits enough to get through the same section with our foot hard on the accelerator the next time around.

  Afterwards, we were fully able to review and break down the game film via the Porsche Track Precision app for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Controlled via the main touchscreen, these apps integrate data streaming from the car's onboard systems with a smartphone camera or Bluetooth-connected GoPro to produce detailed driving traces that are fully synchronized with video. The Taycan GTS represents the first integration of this app in a Porsche four-door, and it can absolutely produce performance worthy of this level of track-day nerdery.

  

  Once again, Porsche has proven that the GTS trim level is the one that driving enthusiasts should slaver over. The 2022 Porsche Taycan GTS does not have as much ultimate horsepower or straight-line punch as the Turbo and Turbo S, but it's no slouch, and you can absolutely wring it out when the road turns twisty. It starts at $132,750, but as with any Porsche, you can inflate that quite a bit with options. Our sample car was priced at $180,070. Deliveries are set to begin in early 2022, but the order books are open now. If you have the means, we suggest you get cracking, because Taycans of all stripes are in increasingly high demand. The Taycan GTS will only add more fuel to the fire.

   

  (https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a38381614/2022-porsche-taycan-gts-drive/)
• 2023 BMW M4 CSL Is Not for the Faint of Heart

  This ultimate M car is BMW's answer to the Porsche 911 GT3 and the upcoming Mercedes-AMG C63 S E-Performance.

  At an indicated 274 km/h (170 mph) on the Autobahn A94 Munich-Passau in the 2023 BMW M4 CSL, we muster the last crumbs of courage and stretch out the right foot all the way. Guess what happens? The thing downshifts into seventh. At a ludicrous 5800 rpm, a token 1400 rpm below the redline—ignoring the danger to the driver's ancient heart. At 300 km/h sharp (186 mph), it upshifts into eighth again, still accelerating, but now with the digital speed readout increasing by 1 km/h at a time. (It’s 5:30 a.m., and there's no traffic in sight, so the relative risk is at its lowest.) Theoretically, this ultimate M car is capped at 191 mph. But what looked at first like a barely noticeable kink up ahead in the freeway suddenly felt like A Very Serious Corner. "Never lift"? T-shirts rarely tell the true story, but the rearview mirror always does. And it showed the driver grinning from ear to ear.

  

  The M4 CSL is BMW's answer to the Porsche 911 GT3 and the upcoming Mercedes-AMG C63 S E-Performance. Like the hardest-core 911s, this BMW is strictly rear-wheel drive, and it shows, especially in the wet with Michelin Cup 2 R tires, which should only be legal in sunshine states, not in Bavaria. Compared to this beast, every other M4 is a kitten. For a start, the CSL is a claimed 190 pounds lighter than the base model. You can feel the weight savings, and you can also hear it. Stripped of its back seat, the rear compartment has mutated into a giant boom box. Some 24 pounds of removed sound-deadening material exacerbate the acoustic assault, with the carbon-fiber roof capping the resonance chamber, and the titanium exhaust designed to raise goosebumps. A whopping 53 pounds were saved by replacing the standard seats with carbon-fiber screw-clamps billed as sports buckets. Upping the pain coefficient of the seats is the lowered and stiffened suspension.

  

  The first 20 miles are an I-hate-this-car experience. The 275/35ZR-19 and 285/30ZR-20 tires wriggle along like a quartet of eels. The dampers in Sport Plus are devoted wholly to shock, not absorption. The steering is initially too light to be trusted. And every blip of the throttle strikes your nervous system like lightning. You never relax in the M4 CSL, but the initial angst eventually does recede as curiosity replaces it, followed by the first bouts of let's call it confidence. In Sport, with tire temperatures at last where they should be, we finally dare to dive into the car's deep talent pool and snorkel for all the revelations it harbors. Like more cornering grip than a gallon of Loctite and more poise than such a zero-tolerance setup should be allowed to muster.

  The CSL engine is the ultimate variation of the M division’s 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight-six. Its output is boosted from the base model's 473 horsepower and 406 pound-feet to 543 horsepower and 479 pound-feet. That's the good news. The bad news is the money thing. At a starting price of $140,895, one could buy two base M4s for the cost of a CSL with a few options. And BMW has closed the order books even before the first of the 1000 limited-edition models was delivered to a customer. Scarcity alone should make the striped-and-winged lightweight special an instant blue-chip investment—but is it? Although the CSL is exceptionally involving and outright faster than its siblings by some margin, our estimated zero-to-60 time of 3.3 seconds is eclipsed by the comparatively inconspicuous M4 Competition xDrive, which may be down 40 horsepower but has the same torque and hits 60 in 2.8 seconds, all for about $60K less.

  

  After just over 200 miles, we had to pit for fuel. The mileage? An OPEC-friendly 12 mpg. But what the hell? It finally stopped raining, and the winding route back to Munich promised a familiar Garden of Eden dotted with twisties and free of radar traps. Time to forget the tame preset M1 program and dial in the devil's own M2 composition instead. The preferred algorithm looked like this: engine in Sport Plus, gearbox in the S3 quick-shift setting, chassis in Comfort (compliance is control), DSC in MDM (M Dynamic Mode), steering and brakes in Sport.

  Despite certain NVH conspicuities, the CSL drivetrain epitomizes absolute seamlessness. Hard acceleration brutality beams you through time and space, accompanied by a howling, growling, barely filtered soundtrack. The initially explosive, then increasingly progressive forward thrust has its antidote in the simply stupefying carbon-ceramic brakes. There's no doubt about it: This car makes your eyes pop out in one take only to flatten the earlobes in the next. It quite simply redefines the Ultimate Driving Machine.

  Source: caranddriver.com

• 2023 Ferrari Dino

  Expected Release date for 2023 Ferrari Dino

  Enthusiasts have long been waiting around for Ferrari to confirm the long-rumored Dino. According to rumors, release date for 2023 Ferrari Dino will be in 2023.

  The mid-engine, back end tire generate sports car will rest beneath the Portofino (or perhaps its replacement) when it comes to Ferrari’s lineup and you will be the latest access–levels offering via Ferrari.

  2023 Ferrari Dino Exterior and Interior

  Ferrari initially planned to build a sedan but instead proceeded with the Dino following a huge response from fans, according to the magazine. For those who do not recognize, Dino was in fact Ferrari’s entrance–level sub-manufacturer from 1968-1976. 

  2023 Ferrari Dino Engine

  Ferrariused 8 and 6–tube engine as opposed to V12s that were booked by reviewing the premium products.

  The new model Dino (codename: F17X) will probably obtain a 2.9-liter, two-turbo V6 labels the profit in the 6-cylinder engine about present-day Ferraris. The V6 is predicted to produce all-around 610 hp along with 442 lb-ft for torque, that is a lot more than just what the V8 engine inside the 458 produces. According to the report, the 2023 Ferrari Dino will share its platform with the 488 replacement, which is expected to debut in 2019.

  This 488 replacing (codename: F173) has now begun testing round the roads involving Maranello. The car includes an enhanced V8 which happens to be expected to generate 723 hp along with 796 lb-feet involved with torque. The actual successor for the 488 may lock horns together with the Mclaren 720s, that will eclipses the actual technology car generally in most performance benchmarks. Presented the value of the mid-engine supercar section about Ferrari, it must make sure the vehicle is faster and better than anything at all it offers ever created.

  2023 Ferrari Dino Price

  Expected price for 2023 Ferrari Dino should be $240,000, the 488 alternatives will surely cost near $300,000.

• 2024 Toyota MR2: What The Production Model Might Look Like

  The MR2 might make a debut in 2024, let's have a look at all the possible technical enhancements and beautification which one could expect.

  Toyota globally marketed the MR2 as a fun 2-seater sports car for a term that stretched over a span of 3 decades. They re-designs with each model aimed to overcome the flaws and append additional elements for styling and performance. Even today automotive enthusiasts hail this a majestic model for its best in class and rare mid-engine layout. How would you feel if you got to know that this ageless mini sports car could make an iconic come back soon? Also, have you pondered about how the fresh Mister Two (MR2) would look like?

  With the rumor mill churning out reports that the MR2 might make a debut in 2024, let's have a look at all the possible technical enhancements and beautification which one could expect.

  The Possibilities

  
  
  The pressing focal point for the designing wizards is to deliver an agile sports car with an emphasis on giving it a modern, sleek, and futuristic makeover. Clean and curved edges will not only enhance its flamboyant features but also be in tune with the operation of the law of aerodynamics. The first look of the revamped version of MR2 rendered digitally based on the archetypal model features a lightweight, dynamic, and easy to steer machine. Further, judging by the rumblings going on for quite a while now, we reckon that it will make a comeback with either an entirely electric or hybrid power train.

  Besides that, one can expect a lot of improvements and sophistication in terms of elimination of the mishaps, as noted in the third generation W30 model. There are some wicked renders out there for all our favorite cars, and the MR2’s iconic status makes it one of those cars that have several renders available online.

  

  Even though the idea of reuniting the brands' '90s marquees, namely: the Celica, Supra, and MR2 have just made it to the discussion phase, there are talks in the town that Mr. Akio Toyoda would love to see the three sisters of the yesteryear make a comeback. Toyota has already launched GR Supra and the GT86 in the recent past which can be the replacement for the reconditioned versions of the erstwhile Supra and Celica, respectively.

  The past releases hint towards future prospects that Toyota plans to do the same with MR2. Further, just as it collaborated with Subaru and BMW for the production of the 86 and Supra, there may be a probability that another such affiliation may already be in the pipelines.

  Since the company is at the forefront to explore the electric car divisions, it may do so by introducing a full-fledged electric-powered prototype. An electric engine sounds fascinating for it would lead to an increase in peak performance measured in terms of horsepower. Drivers can expect an increase in the swiftness and acceleration of the car because of a lower center of gravity because of placing electric batteries under the floor.

  All the models launched by Toyota to date, including the more recent ones like 86 and 2.0 Supra coupes, have been able to generate a maximum horsepower of 205 and 255 respectively. We expect the MR2 to glide this number up high to around 300+ HP. Moreover, in case Mr. Toyoda resolves to go for the same he may also have to possibly consider a long-term affiliation with Panasonic since at present it is the leading producer of EV batteries.

  The most recent reports of the automobile industry suggest that the day is not far when Toyota will be power-packed to launch a fresh chapter of the MR2.

  Source: hotcars.com

• Bugatti W16 Mistral

  Ever since the Veyron was introduced in 2005, the W16 engine has been the heart of every Bugatti. The passenger car that brings the W16 era to an end was always destined to be special: exclusive, elegant and powerful.

  It has to be the best of its kind. This is the W16 Mistral: the ultimate roadster.

  Mate Rimac, CEO of Bugatti Rimac, states: “For the final appearance of Bugatti's legendary W16 engine, we knew we had to build a roadster. More than 40% of all Bugatti vehicles ever built were open-top, establishing a long line of performance icons that - to this day - are revered around the world. There has been no roadster in the Chiron era until today, so the introduction of the Bugatti W16 Mistral continues this legacy, driven by overwhelming demand from our customers to experience the powerful performance of our iconic engine. The W16 Mistral opens the next chapter in the story of the Bugatti roadster, inspired by a century-long legend."

  

  For a car as evocative and important as this one, a lot of attention was paid to the name it should bear. Far more than a simple development of the Chiron, the roadster needed a name associated with freedom, elegance and speed. The inspiration came from the mistral, a strong wind that blows from the Rhône valley, through the cities of the Cote d'Azur in southern France and into the Mediterranean. And with an engine so central to the character of this roadster, it stands side by side with this powerful wind: the W16 Mistral.

  Built around the definitive incarnation of the 1600bhp W16 engine, the W16 Mistral offers performance unlike any open-top car offered to date.

  Achim Anscheidt, Bugatti Design Director, points out: "We know that the W16 Mistral will always hold significance in the Bugatti story, marking the last time that perhaps a better automotive powertrain was used in a road-going production car." We, as a design team, felt enormous pressure to deliver a style that would immediately convey this momentous moment, drawing inspiration from some of the most beautiful roadsters in Bugatti's history."

  

  Their muse would be the 1934 Bugatti Type 57 Roadster Grand Raid, a sporty roadster that represents the pinnacle of elegant design. Finished in two-tone black and yellow, it provides the perfect inspiration for this watershed moment in the Bugatti story. The Bugatti W16 Mistral debuts in colors inspired by the Bugatti Type 57 Roadster Grand Raid; warm black with hints of brown and subtle yellow accents. Not only is it a tribute to the iconic body, but also to Ettore Bugatti, who chose the black and yellow combination for many of his personal cars, including his Type 41 Royale. For brand enthusiasts, it's a timeless visual pairing.

  The W16 Mistral captures the essence of the Grand Raid's V-shaped windshield and develops it into a modern work of art. The curved windscreen that seemingly wraps around the A-pillars blends seamlessly with the side windows and creates a 'visor' effect that hints at the levels of motorsport performance offered by the W16 Mistral. The windshield itself is a marvel of engineering, curved enough to create a rounded visor design, without distorting the driver's vision. The upper line of the windshield and side windows flows deliberately around the side air intakes. This character line then flows back under the side glass.

  Anscheidt continues: "To reflect the new character of the W16 Mistral, we also completely reinvented its front end, in line with the vertical layout of our unique or rare models such as the Divo and La Voiture Noire. It is immediately imbued with a sense of exclusivity; the vertically stacked headlights have been completely customized, and the familiar horseshoe-shaped grille has been reimagined to be much more three-dimensional; both deeper and wider.

  

  Designing a car like the W16 Mistral requires careful practice of Bugatti's 'Form Follows Performance' design mantra, with every component written not only to set new standards for beauty, but also to play a role in achieving entirely new levels of performance.

  Frank Heyl, deputy director of design at Bugatti, said: “The headlights themselves are intricately shaped, including a four-light signature that subtly hints at the W16 Mistral's four-wheel drive and four turbochargers. But their three-dimensional surface also functions as an aerodynamic aid that directs air through the light and out through the wheel arches to improve aerodynamic drag."

  But the functional design highlights don't end there. The new induction air vents behind the headrests have been developed from the ground up with rigorous rollover tests in mind, so each one is made from a carbon fiber structure that can support the full weight of the car in the event of a rollover. This new intake layout also enriches the driver's W16 experience, accentuating the orchestra between the low, powerful, rumbling 

  of this sound. It is an unsurpassed auditory sensation in the automotive world.

  To develop unparalleled levels of elegance and excitement, the Bugatti W16 Mistral features the latest engineering innovations. Bugatti's advanced composite materials are paired with state-of-the-art 3D printed titanium and aluminum components to ensure striking design, superior performance and rugged reliability.

  Detailed analysis of the W16 Mistral's dynamic stiffness allowed engineers to develop lightweight solutions that would ensure optimal handling and performance in the most extreme conditions.

  The interior of the Bugatti W16 Mistral has been carefully refined to provide an experience that is both elegant and luxurious, yet functional enough to ensure that all information is easily visible at speeds of up to 420 km/h. Dedication to the quality of materials remains a hallmark of Bugatti design. But in this swan song for W16, there's also a brand new design.

  For example, the leather used on the newly designed door panels, meticulously tested and manufactured to Bugatti quality standards with a vision of regular use over a hundred years into the future. And in a nod to the W16 Mistral's illustrious predecessors, the gearbox - made from a solid block of aluminum - with a touch of wood and an amber insert with the famous 'dancing elephant' sculpture locked inside. Iterations of this sculpture featured the hood of the legendary Type 41 Royale.

  When Bugatti's last roadster, the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse, set a world speed record of 408.84 km/h in 2013, its 8.0-liter W16 had 1,200 hp. The W16 Mistral has 1600 hp, using the same engine that powered the Chiron Super Sport 300+ to record speed in 2019. There can only be one goal: to become the fastest roadster in the world once again.

  Mate Rimac continues: "The unification of the roadster format and our W16 powertrain is absolute perfection." With the roof removed and a pair of large air intakes directly behind your head feeding around 70,000 liters of air through the engine every minute at full capacity, driving the Bugatti W16 Mistral connects you to the intricate workings of this revolutionary drive like no other Bugatti has ever done. "What we're also continuing with the W16 Mistral is the legacy of Bugatti roadsters, each unmatched in design, performance and rarity, stretching back to the origins of Bugatti." The Type 40, Type 41 Royale, Type 55 Roadster, Type 57 Roadster Grand Raid that inspired this car, or even the incredible elegance of the Type 57SC Corsica Roadster - Bugatti has always been associated with the purity of open-top driving. So, although the W16's legacy on the road ends with the W16 Mistral, we continue the legacy of the roadster, first established by Ettore Bugatti over a century ago."

  Only 99 examples of the Bugatti W16 Mistral will be produced, priced at €5 million net, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2024. The entire production run of the W16 Mistral has already been sold out.

• Everyone wants a Ferrari Purosangue

  According to reports from Italy, Ferrari has been swamped with orders for its €390,000 Purosangue crossover and could be forced to close its order book.

  Unlike competing luxury brands whose SUVs often make up the lion's share of their sales, Ferrari has decided to limit production of its first crossover to no more than 20 percent of annual production in order to maintain exclusivity.

  Even assuming that Ferrari's total production of all models rises to 15,000 with the addition of the new model line, that still only amounts to 3,000 cars per year. And that may not be nearly enough to keep up with demand, Jutarnji.hr states.

  "We risk not being able to meet demand and may very soon have to close orders," said Ferrari's chief commercial and marketing officer, Enrico Galliera.

  The Purosangue uses a naturally aspirated V12 under the hood, a feature that none of its performance-focused competitors offer, which may explain the rush of pre-orders. Galliera claims interest "exploded" when the company announced the Purosangue would use a V12.

  Ferrari is likely to add smaller-capacity hybrid models later, borrowing either the hybrid V8 powertrain from the SF90 or the electrified V6 engine from the 296 GTB, whose 3.0-liter capacity would help avoid the heavy taxes imposed on big engines in China where the model is likely to be very popular.

  Still, the V12 in the Purosangue is likely to be a big factor in convincing existing die-hard Ferrari owners that the Purosangue is worthy of wearing the Ferrari badge. Ferrari says it will prioritize delivery to current owners over buyers new to the marque.

  "Every Ferrari owner wants to own a Purosangua and we have to reward them, because they are the ones who made Ferrari what it is today," Galliera told Automotive News Europe.

• Ferrari Roma review

  Beautifully styled coupe mixes old school charm with cutting edge tech

  Is the Ferrari Roma any good?
  The term ‘entry-level’ has never been a particularly easy fit when it comes to Ferrari. The cars at this end of the line-up are far from affordable, after all, and once specified with a few options can easily find themselves knocking on the door of a more senior, mid-engined model.

  What cars like the California T, Portofino and now the Roma do is represent a less intimidating and more usable introduction to Ferrari ownership – not as hard-edged as an F8 Tributo or astronomically expensive as an 812 Superfast, but in possession of enough Maranello magic to ensure their drivers go on to become Ferrari owners for life. Or so the theory goes.

  

  Trouble is, in order to make cars that are easy to use and live with, in years gone by they also felt a bit watered down – still astonishingly fast, just not quite as mind-blowingly so as something with the engine in the middle. Brilliant to drive, but with one or two modes missing from the firm's Manettino drive mode switch.

  The Roma is a conscious effort to redress that balance, and it does so by harking back to a bygone era of luxury motoring inspired by 1950s and 60s Rome.

  What's it like inside?
  Is it all throwback styling with a retro interior? No – in fact it’s the opposite. As with the SF90 the Roma features an entirely digital cockpit made up from a large screen behind the wheel and another portrait infotainment unit in the centre.

  

  Hardly cutting edge (Audi gave us the Virtual Cockpit years ago) but a leap forward for this Italian maker, and typically it’s done so in the most Ferrari way imaginable.

  2021 Ferrari Roma cabinEnlarge0videoEnlarge40photo
  So you still get a massive central rev counter right in your eyeline, and while the wheel features lots more functions and controls than it used to, they’re only lit briefly when in use, before dimming away invisibly as to not distract you from the job of driving. Also, button free wheels look much cooler.

  You could be excused for thinking a greater focus on top end performance would make the Roma twitchy and uncomfortable elsewhere, but the reality is far from it.

  

  There’s also a very usable boot, and some slightly less usable rear seats, although the latter can be folded down to expand the luggage capacity even further.

  What's it like to drive?
  On this front the Roma also pushes the agenda onwards – as such you get five drive modes on the rotary Manettino switch (including Race) and underbody aero to help stick the car to the tarmac without ruining its sleek exterior lines with a permanent spoiler.

  Ferrari hasn’t given these things to cars at this end of the spectrum before and that should go some way to explain its intent with the Roma. It’s a supremely brilliant car to drive fast, with accessible and friendly handling that makes the driver feel front and centre, while also providing a largely invisible safety net.

  This is mostly down to a variety of driver aids including the latest version of Side Slip Control. This will allow the rear end of the car to step out during exuberant cornering, but not so much that you end up facing the wrong way.

  The ride is surprisingly supple and can be slackened off even in the racier modes by pressing the Manettino button to enable Bumpy Road mode.

  

  In fact we think that it’s in one of the more relaxed settings, with the engine barely ticking over at motorway speed, where the Roma is most impressive. You could happily waft down to an Alpine pass, arrive without feeling broken, and then pick it to bits in Race mode. An impressive combination.

  Ferrari Roma practicality and boot space
  
  This being a more daily-driver capable Ferrari means there needs to be more than a small nod towards practicality. Things like single-piece carbon bucket seats with race harnesses and a stripped-out cockpit with nowhere to store a bag of sweets are unlikely to win a buyer’s heart here.

  How much space is there?
  In the back there is a pair of seats suitable for very small children, or more realistically, additional luggage for a weekend away. They’re no smaller than you get in a Porsche 911 though, and they fold down to unlock a large rear storage compartment.

  

  Boot space and storage
  The boot itself is pretty good, ranging between 272-345 litres with the seats up or down – which is good enough for two big suitcases or three squashy bags (or ideally some exquisitely tailored luggage), with a usable size and shape to the aperture when the lid itself is open.

  Elsewhere, you get a few spots to store things up front, including a single cup holder, plus some slim door pockets and a second cubby in the centre console. There’s an underarm storage bin too with a USB socket and 12v charger.

  The styling of the Roma’s interior divides the driver and passenger into two different pods – the latter even gets their own screen showing options like the speed and revs, audio, and car settings. Plus the trademark chequerplate in the footwell to brace themselves on.

  While there are a few key references to previous Ferrari cabins, this new layout is quite a divergence from what has come before, but in a welcome way.

  Infotainment and tech
  The new infotainment suite (first seen in the SF90) includes a 16-inch curved driver’s display with three views – a minimalist one for sporty driving, a full map view for long trips, or a mixture of both with a characteristic big centre tacho. To the left of this is an 8.4-inch portrait touchscreen not entirely unlike the one in a McLaren.

  Ferrari has always been good at giving the driver just the right amount of information and functions so you can concentrate entirely on the job of driving, but as time and technology has moved on, the button count has naturally increased.

  

  As a car designer you can either strip this all away to leave a more focussed dashboard, or go wild with switches and dials to make it simple to use. The Roma attempts to do both.

  That means loads of touch sensitive controls that are lit up when being used but invisible when not, to give you plenty of control over the car’s various functions without looking like an explosion in a button factory.

  In fact the only physical cockpit controls are for the windows, gearbox, and launch control. Then on the wheel you get proper buttons for the lights, cruise control, wipers, and indicators. The gearbox is arranged to look a bit like an open-gated manual shift, which is a nice touch.

  Even the engine start is a touch sensitive pad, as are those which you use to control the functions on the driver’s screen.

  2021 Ferrari Roma gear engine start buttonEnlarge0videoEnlarge40photo
  As such this leaves the wheel itself looking clean without sacrificing functionality. The only downside to this was a small amount of lag and lack of sensitivity in the touch controls, meaning they’re not as intuitive as we’d like.

  The shift paddles are still massive and epic, though, so zero complaints there.

  

  In an area where the Roma obviously needs to perform well, the comfort levels of this corner-carving Ferrari sportscar are surprisingly high, all things considered.

  Taller drivers on the Parkers team found the headroom a bit restricted, so that’s worth taking into account, plus the pedals have been offset slightly in the swap to right-hand drive. Neither of these add up to a particularly uncomfortable driving position, but can induce a bit of back or leg pain on a long drive. Those of a shorter stature found no problems at all.

  The seats are quite hard but with adjustable bolsters you can get them into the right shape, and their firmness offers a good amount of support that means you don’t end up slouching.

  In one of the more laid-back modes it’s easy to imagine taking the Roma on a long and taxing drive. The engine noise never really goes away but it’s muted enough on the motorway, and there’s less tyre and wind rush than expected, too. This isn't ever going to be a Bentley Continental GT, but you won't necessarily wince at the prospect of covering a longer journey in it.

  

  Best of all the ride is comfy enough for all but the lumpiest of UK roads, and when you turn the Manettino dial up to the sportier modes, you’ve got the option of instantly slackening the suspension off by pressing it and activating Bumpy Road mode.

  Ferrari Roma running costs and mpg

  Let’s keep this brief because nobody is buying a Ferrari under the pretext that it’s going to be cheap to run. This is a car that needs looking after properly rather than cutting corners on consumables.

  MPG and CO2
  Happily though, thanks to a combination of a slippery profile and less weight, the Roma is more fuel efficient than the Portofino, with 21mpg and 255g/km of CO2 output on offer.

  As you’d imagine it also uses less fuel than an F8 Tributo, so while overall it’s still quite thirsty, within the context of the Ferrari range it’s actually pretty good.

  

  While the mechanicals under the skin of the Roma have been used elsewhere in the range for several years, the new tech inside the cockpit is less proven.

  2021 Ferrari Roma key fobEnlarge0videoEnlarge40photo
  That said, with fewer moving parts than older, button-filled Ferraris there is technically less to go wrong, individually, so you shouldn’t have much cause for concern in this department. The Roma also comes with a four year warranty.

  Servicing and maintenance
  There’s also a seven-year Genuine Maintenance programme offered by Ferrari, which includes regular servicing (intervals of 12,000 miles or one year) which promises ‘meticulous checks’ of the entire car.

  In essence, there's not much to worry about.

  Ferrari Roma engines and performance

  Sure, Ferrari has more powerful models in its line-up but once you’ve gone past the 500hp mark there are few occasions on the road where performance feels lacking. Typically there was no point during our time with the Roma that it lacked the answer to a question asked by our right foot. The Roma's reserves feel bottomless, as befits its sports touring nature.

  A 3.8-litre V8 and two turbos means 620hp and 760Nm of torque, and 0-62mph ticked off in 3.4 seconds. While a top-end rush has been deliberately engineered in, it's easy enough to keep the rev needle in the mid-range and find more than adequate power. There's no need to drop loads of gears or wait for the boost for the turbos to arrive, it’s just ruthlessly fast, all the time.

  It’s not one dimensional though - the different driving modes accessed by the Manettino switch on the steering wheel all offer very distinctive power deliveries, ranging from soft and progressive in Wet and Comfort through to the sharper and more responsive Sport and Race – here the accelerator barely needs to be brushed in order to deliver a surge of forward momentum, but in its more moderate modes, the long travel throttle pedal needs a good push to get going.

  Race mode might sound intimidating but it’s the one tuned for the most amount of fun on the road, rather than setting new personal best lap times at Fiorano. This fastest setting gives the Roma breath-taking pace and delivers the full 760Nm, although you’ll need to be in 7th or 8th gear to get it, because the torque on offer increases as you climb the gears.

  Compared to the old Portofino (there’s a new M variant with a new gearbox) the Roma has an extra ratio in its eight-speed dual-clutch ‘box, and the lower gears have been made shorter. That means punchier acceleration and lazy cruising – the car is barely ticking over at motorway speeds.

  As with the Jekyll and Hyde power delivery, the gearbox also displays impressive duality - able to blur its ratios seamlessly or deliver pin sharp shifts that punctuate heavy braking moments with a loud flare of revs.

  Left to its own devices and driven at anything less than flat out, it did seem keen to get into the highest possible gear, but turn up the heat a little and shifts are completed with Ferrari’s trademark telepathy. There’s still enough reward on offer in using the brilliantly clacky and large column-mounted shift paddles, though, to convince you into manual mode every now and again.

  The engine can be quite restrained in volume especially when cruising in top gear where its song is barely present. Although this is never the case on start-up where it is consistently flamboyant. With more enthusiastic driving comes a satisfying soundtrack - if not quite as soaring as older V8 Ferrari models - that is full of bass and gravel at low rpm and a higher pitched howl closer to the redline.

  All-in-all this makes the Roma a versatile car - equally happy wafting about as it is picking your favourite B-road to bits. But more on that in the next section.

  As a bit of a two-things-in-one-car the Roma runs the risk of feeling compromised, particularly in the often-opposing areas of comfort and handling. To an extent it does, but only within the framework of Ferrari's more focussed models - it's not as sharp to drive as an F8 or as cossetting as a GTC, but bear in mind that those are high benchmarks.

  What it is though is a very usable balance of both - at no point could you describe the suspension as luxuriously soft, but it's fine for daily use, only getting a bit out of shape on really bumpy roads – while the way it handles can easily blow sports cars from other manufacturers into the weeds.

  None of this should be a surprise of course, as Ferrari has left nothing to chance by throwing a load of tech at its new coupe. As such you get five modes on the Manettino plus underbody aero (and a pop-up spoiler) to enhance downforce without ruining those sleek exterior lines. Both of these are a first in the Italian manufacturer’s (comparatively) less focussed GT models, and that should give you a sense of its intentions.

  As with the engine response, the Manettino gives you a variety of different handling responses from soft to sharp. Somewhat oddly our favourite combination was Comfort mode with the gearbox in manual. This gives you a very relaxed (but still bonkers fast) set up that suits the car's suave and unflustered appearance.

  Still, Sport and Race do increase the response from the throttle and steering to very satisfying levels, while firming up the suspension to improve body control. You can dial this back by pressing the Manettino to utilise Bumpy Road mode, which offers a nice balance on UK roads, while still hugging the ground.

  When it comes to driving quickly the Roma again offers a breadth of attitudes – if you enter a corner tentatively and feed the power in it'll hook up nicely and fire you out the other side in a neat, grippy manner. However, go in with more confidence and give the gas a big push and the rear end of the car will swing out to a point controlled by lots of clever electronics.

  Chiefly this is down to the Roma’s Side Slip Control, which ties together the traction control, electronic differential and something called ‘Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer’ to interpret your inputs and let the rear of the car move around accordingly. It’s essentially a traction control system that lets the rear of the car have a little slide without wiping out, and is capable of making you look absolutely heroic while providing something of a safety net. Even so, this is best explored in a controlled environment.

  The steering is quick and linear but not as fast as the F8, making it seem more relaxed and less twitchy on faster roads. The brakes need a good push to get going but when you do there’s plenty of power and feel, although they were a bit grabby and hard to modulate in our test car.

  Even so, it took a bit longer to get under the Roma's skin than in current or former mid-engined Ferraris, which usually feel just-right from the off. But those are a very different proposition, and once you get used to the Roma's feel it becomes a very rewarding thing to drive indeed.

  Ferrari Roma verdict

  Should you buy one?
  By the time you’re talking about this sort of pricetag there’s not a lot of point having an argument about whether the Roma is good enough as a motorway cruiser and mountain road slayer or whether you’d be better off buying two Porsche 911s instead. Customers won’t be buying only this car, so this won’t be bought with the same all-rounder considerations as, say, a VW Golf.

  That said, it is mightily impressive how convincing the Roma is as a one-Ferrari-to-rule-them-all – sure the rear seats won’t suffice if you regularly need to transport more than two people, but for anyone else this is a suitably useful daily driver that just so happens to be razor sharp when the moment takes you.

  In fact, we think it approaches that balance better than the Portofino or California T that came before it and is the ideal starting point for Ferrari ownership. No, the roof doesn’t come down, so it won’t suit those looking to be seen while driving, but as a trade-off the elegant exterior lines and styling more than make up for it.

  It gives you just enough of the Ferrari-fizz to leave you wanting more from a model higher up the range, but not so little that in isolation it feels half-cocked.

  More impressive is the car’s ability to celebrate an older era of luxury while moving the game on in terms of interior tech and usability. All that without being an exercise in chintzy, throwback styling - it feels distinctly old school but under the skin the Roma is anything but.

  Best of all though is the simple stuff – this is a front engined, V8 powered, 2+2 coupe, with no hybridisation or self-driving modes in sight. Enjoy it while you can. If you can.

  (parkers.co.uk)

• Manhart BMW X5 M with 823HP

  German Manhart now offers the owners of the BMW X5 M Competition a new tuning program.

  Manhart’s package to modify the BMW X5 M Competition primarily implies that the 4.4-liter V8 TwinPower Turbo engine is boosted from 625hp and 750 Nm to 823hp and 1080 Nm of torque.

  

  The Manhart package also includes carbon fiber elements, a stainless steel sports exhaust system, a set of new 22-inch wheels, stronger brakes, modified suspension (the car is 30 mm lower), as well as gold details, Manhart emblems and a refined interior. alcantara, carbon fiber elements).

  Manhart does not state data on acceleration to 100 km / h, so here is a reminder that the serial X5 M Competiton needs 3.8 seconds for that.

  The same package will be offered for the BMW X6 M Comeptition.

• Maserati Ghibli will retire in 2023

  The Italian luxury sedan is in the late part of its career.

  Maserati announced that Ghibli will leave the stage in 2023 and bow to the audience. There are no plans for a new generation, nor for a direct successor. Moreover, Maserati expects that the future Grecale SUV model will be enough to cover all ambitions in the D segment.

  The brand from Modena obviously has full confidence in the future Grecale. They point out that this SUV will be able to carry a large terrain on its shoulders. Moreover, journalists from the Apennine Peninsula write that Grecale could be Maserati's bestseller.

  The Italian brand presented the latest addition to the Ghibli range in August last year. It is a potent Trofeo variant that uses 8 units originating from the famous Ferrari. It is a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 powertrain. This engine delivers 580 hp and 740 Nm, which gives the Maserati sedan a top speed of as much as 326 km / h.

  Thus, the sedan from Modena will have a ten-year-long career, as it debuted in 2013 at the Shanghai Motor Show. This is also the third, and some say the last, Maserati model called Ghibli. First, it was the legendary fastback from the sixties, and the label returned in the early nineties in the form of a two-door coupe.

  According to unofficial data, Maserati Ghibli collected slightly less than 20,600 registrations in Europe from the beginning of his career in 2013 until 2019.

• New Ferrari 812 Competizione 2021 review

  We hit the track with the Ferrari 812 Competizione, the extreme version of the 812 Superfast

   
   

  Verdict

  The 812 Competizione is a force of nature. The engine is an event simply in itself, but it’s combined here with exploitable handling that makes this ultimate Ferrari immensely enjoyable to drive and surprisingly forgiving too, given the performance on offer. As Ferrari’s special series cars go, the Competizione is a wonderful way to celebrate its superb V12.

  Even Ferrari isn’t immune to the onset of electrification, announcing it will build its first full EV in 2025. But until all of the iconic brand’s cars have to go electric, we’ll receive some special models as homages to the internal combustion engine that distil Ferrari’s knowledge when it comes to building pure-petrol-powered sports cars.

  

  The 812 Competizione is exactly that, a limited-run, tuned and honed version of the already-ballistic 812 Superfast. It’s also available as an Aperta convertible and costs an eyewatering £446,970 before options. But even if you can afford one, you’re too late. They’re all already sold.

  And you will want one, because the spec is mouthwatering. Ferrari’s 6.5-litre V12 has been uprated to 819bhp and features new titanium con rods, new pistons, a redesigned crankshaft and a new intake manifold.

  The dual-clutch gearbox has been recalibrated for five per cent faster shifts and the independent rear-wheel steering has necessitated a new version of Ferrari’s masterful Side Slip Control set-up. The car is 38kg lighter than the standard 812 and its reworked body produces more downforce.

  The Competizione is a physically imposing thing, too. Standing next to it is intimidating due to its sheer size, and the knowledge of that extraordinary power under that long bonnet. Once inside, it’ll be familiar to anyone who has driven the 812 Superfast, with its multifunction screens and large rev counter, although the gear selector is new. Alcantara seems to cover almost every surface, and where it doesn’t, carbon fibre enhances that hardcore vibe.

  

  The engine erupts into life, dominating your thoughts. It’s responsive right from the off and pulls with urgency even at low revs, but hold your foot down and the acceleration becomes savage.

  Even so, the big V12 has more to give, the note by now a high-pitched scream, and the speed building incredibly rapidly until it feels as though it simply has to burst. But it doesn’t, and only when the gearshift lights start blinking away on the top of the steering wheel, as the 9,500rpm rev limiter cuts in, do you grab the right-hand paddle and select the next gear.

  

  Keep going like this and the Ferrari will hit 62mph in just 2.9 seconds; really letting the Competizione have its head is not something to be undertaken lightly.

  Once you’ve grown at least a little used to the level of performance that’s on offer here, other aspects of the Competizione begin to come to the fore.

  The steering is light, and very fast, but it doesn’t seem to make the car at all nervous, and the huge amount of grip available is soon obvious. The nose darts for the inside of a corner, but the rear of the car doesn’t feel like it wants to break free – at least, that is, until you put the power down a bit early, and then those previously sticky Michelin tyres are soon sliding. 

  

  Doing this isn’t as frightening as it sounds, at least at more sensible speeds, because the Competizione communicates so clearly to the driver what is happening, and much of this surprising friendliness must be due to that independent rear-wheel steering, plus the superb electronics.

  The brakes also clearly have the power to contain the car, no matter how powerful it is. However, after the abuse they received on track there was some suggestion that they were beginning to struggle.

  Model:	Ferrari 812 Competizione
  Price:	£446,970
  Engine:	6.5-litre V12
  Power/torque:	819bhp/692Nm
  Transmission:	Seven-speed dual-clutch auto, rear-wheel drive
  0-62mph:	2.9 seconds
  Top speed:	211mph+
  Economy:	TBC
  CO2:	TBC
  On sale:	Sold out

  (https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/ferrari/812-superfast/356509/new-ferrari-812-competizione-2021-review)

• New Mazda MX-5 Sport Venture 2021 review
   

  The new Mazda MX-5 Sport Venture is the latest in a long line of special editions of the world’s favourite roadster 

  Verdict

  Like the standard roadster, the limited-edition MX-5 Sport Venture is a fantastic car to drive, thanks to its direct handling and buzzy naturally aspirated 1.5-litre engine. But the extra equipment Mazda has added to this limited-run car has pushed its price a little too close to its more powerful (and similarly equipped) siblings, which makes it hard to recommend unless you’re an avid MX-5 collector. You can find similar plushness and kit in the existing Sport Tech model.

  Since the fourth generation of the MX-5 was launched in 2015, Mazda has released a steady stream of special-edition versions, following the pattern established by the three previous models. There was the Z-Sport in 2017, then a model that marked the roadster’s 30th anniversary in 2019, followed by a variant to celebrate Mazda’s 100th anniversary last year.

  Now the company has launched the MX-5 Sport Venture, and it carries a little bit of heritage with it, because the limited-edition nameplate returns from the previous-generation car. The formula remains pretty much the same, too. Sold only in limited numbers, this one comes painted in a new Deep Crystal Mica Blue shade and with a grey fabric hood, which combine to give it a unique appearance among the MX-5 line-up. Stone-coloured Nappa leather upholstery gives it a premium edge over the Sport trim-level car it’s based on.

  However, the £27,615 price-tag doesn’t look like much of a bargain when you consider that prices for the equally fun and much more practical Ford Fiesta ST start from £21,955. The MX-5’s price has crept up considerably since launch, but it remains a rare offering in today’s market.

  The new MX-5 Sport Venture is only available with the entry-level 130bhp 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. If you would prefer an MX-5 with the stronger 181bhp 2.0-litre engine, prices for that version start at £28,670, £1,055 more than this special-edition model.

  

  What’s the point of the MX-5 Sport Venture, then? Exclusivity for one, because just 160 examples will be sold in the UK. It also helps that it comes with a whole host of features that you can’t specify (even as options) on the cheapest 1.5-litre car, including the roof colour, the leather interior, and silver mirror caps.

  It also comes with standard adaptive LED headlamps (borrowed from the high-spec Sport Tech model), which swivel as you turn the wheel to light up dark spots on the road ahead in tight bends. They’re a welcome addition at night on the sort of narrow B-roads the MX-5 suits so well.

  As in the Sport model, buyers also get a Bose audio system, which will please audiophiles and tech geeks alike. It’s a bit more bassy than the standard stereo in the SE-L car, and has speakers built into both headrests, which help to defy the wind noise when driving with the roof down.

   

  When you’re listening to music, the speakers play mid-range frequencies and, if you get a phone call, they pipe your contact’s voice directly into your ears. It’s certainly a handy feature but, again, it’s a benefit more than a necessity.

  

  Mazda hasn’t made any mechanical changes to the MX-5 Sport Venture, which means it drives exactly the same as the standard roadster. So, the power steering is a little over-assisted for such a light car, but the rack gives you enough feedback to know where the front wheels are pointing.

   

   

  The Mazda’s chassis more than makes up for this minor foible, though. It handles bumpy, pockmarked back roads with gleeful abandon, while the dampers are firm enough to keep the body flat through corners. And, given that you sit so low down and exposed in the driver’s seat, with the engine’s raspy exhaust note rattling off your surroundings, the sensation of speed is far greater than it would be in a hard-top sports car with three times the power.

   

  The manual gearshifter is also one of the best in the business and, because you’ve only got 130bhp to play with, you’ll be constantly rowing through the ratios to try and keep the engine in its sweet spot.

  Despite all of its many charms, though, the MX-5 Sport Venture still ends up feeling just a bit too expensive for what it is, which is mostly due to the level of tech Mazda has added, and the premium the firm thinks such exclusivity is worth. This special edition costs the same sort of money that used to secure a solidly equipped 2.0-litre version of Mazda’s iconic sports car.

  The biggest selling points for the special edition are its styling and its rarity, which makes it hard to recommend unless you’re an MX-5 aficionado. If it were our money, we’d either opt for the £26,335 MX-5 Sport and pocket the difference, or splash the extra cash and go for the bigger, more powerful engine in the MX-5 Sport Tech.

  Model:	Mazda MX-5 1.5 132PS Sport Venture
  Price:	£27,615
  Engine:	1.5-litre 4cyl petrol
  Power/torque:	130bhp/152Nm
  Transmission:	Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
  0-62mph:	8.3 seconds
  Top speed:	127mph
  Economy:	44.8mpg
  CO2:	142g/km
  On sale:	Now

   
• New Porsche 911 Carrera S manual 2020 review

  We find out if the new Porsche 911 Carrera S with a seven-speed manual is the driving enthusiast's choice

  Verdict

  Objectively, the 911 Carrera S makes little or no sense whatsoever with a manual gearbox, even though the new seven-speed transmission is listed as a no cost option. The car is slower, burns slightly more fuel and is fractionally more polluting than its dual-clutch automatic equivalent. Yet subjectively, it is more engaging, more fun, and more 911 with three pedals, despite the shift itself still not being perfect. In the end it’s the buyer that makes the choice, but for us the manual is now the more appealing sports car.

  

  A few years back Porsche announced that it was going to drop the manual transmission not just from the regular 911 line-up but, shock-horror, from the far more focused GT3 versions as well. And at a stroke the world of the die-hard 911 enthusiast was thrown into a flat spin. They couldn’t believe their beloved 911 was no longer going to be available with three pedals in the foot-well and a gearstick between the seats.

  Porsche, however, gave several extremely plausible reasons why it had reached this supposedly heretical decision. Without going into too much detail it pointed out that the 911 was faster, more efficient, more economical and, for an increasing number of approving customers, more engaging with a “PDK” dual-clutch gearbox. And for a while, that was that. The fast, manual 911 was no more.

  But the enthusiasts continued to holler and eventually Porsche – to its credit – listened to them, even though they were in the minority. First came the 911R with a manual gearbox, then the GT3, and now we have the latest 992 Carrera S 911 available with a seven-speed manual as a no-cost option, tested here in rear-drive form.

  In this case you lose 0.7 seconds going from 0-62mph versus the rear-drive Carrera S with a PDK gearbox, and 0.8 seconds during the sprint from 0-100mph (the manual takes 4.2 seconds to hit 0-62mph and 8.6 seconds to cover 0-100mph).

  This is partly because you lose one ratio compared with the PDK, which means the ratios themselves are wider. But it’s also a consequence of simply not being able to shift as fast in the manual, up or down, and that’s where the science tends to throw a bit of a spanner in the works – because, subjectively, although the PDK is terribly impressive at what it does, it ain’t no substitute for stirring the lever and using the clutch manually.

  Those with a good memory will recall that the previous generation 911 was also available with a manual gearbox for a short time, but the shift quality in that car wasn’t great, which somewhat defeated the object. This time, however, Porsche claims to have significantly improved the action of the shift with shorter, lighter, more precise throws, with seventh still on a dog-leg to the top right hand side of the gate.

  And that’s very much how it feels when driving the new manual 911, albeit with one strange caveat which we’ll come to in a moment. What’s good about this 911 manual, no, what’s great about it is that it manages somehow to feel more like a traditional 911 on the move. For whatever reason, the car simply feels more compact and more agile when you’ve to dip the clutch and use your left hand to change gear.

  

  The manual is fractionally lighter than the PDK, but only by 35kg, so it’s highly doubtful this in itself would make much difference to what you feel when behind the wheel.

  Instead it’s all about the subjective impression the manual 911 has upon you, the driver. In the most basic terms you simply feel more connected with this car when it has three pedals. And, yes, the shift quality itself is indeed a fair bit crisper and better than in the old manual, although as in the fruitiest versions of the new 718 Cayman and Boxster, the revs will blip themselves on downshifts if you select either Sport or Sport Plus mode via the rotational button on the steering wheel. Which is nice, yes, but also feels a bit automated within this context.

  The manual even sounds better and feels every inch as fast as the PDK Carrera S if you select, say, third gear and accelerate from low revs all the way up to the red line. So in reality, and despite the differences in the claimed acceleration numbers, it doesn’t feel like you are losing out on any pure performance versus the otherwise mechanically identical PDK model.

  And the caveat? For its own reasons Porsche has again made it impossible to select seventh gear from anything other than fifth or sixth gear when shifting up, same as in the old 991. There’s a mechanical block in the gate which means you can’t physically get seventh from a gear lower than fifth. Which obviously means you can’t go from fourth to seventh. This may sound entirely irrelevant but it’s actually quite annoying in practice because a four-seven is just what you want when entering a motorway, for instance.

  

  And what’s doubly odd is that you can, should you for some reason choose to, go from seventh to second or even first on the way back down.

  Other than this, the manual 911 Carrera S is a very lovely car, one that feels more like a true-blue sports car than its equivalent with a dual-clutch auto. As such it broadens the 911’s appeal even further, catering for around 10 per cent of 911 enthusiasts who might otherwise have looked elsewhere. Including your author, who was once a PDK-only advocate.

  Source: autoexpress.co.uk