The new 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor is the most anticipated version of the truck since it was released. With impeccable suspension and a hearty powerhouse, it’s going to be a mental truck.
The new Raptor will see its EcoBoost engine creating 450 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque. These power figures are much higher than the V8’s rating of 411 hp and 434 lb-ft of torque.
To show all of this power off, Ken Block took the truck out to some fresh snow and did what he does best: go absolutely nuts. He took the truck sideways, utilized the suspension to its fullest extent and even caught some air. Check out the video below to see what the new truck is capable of in the white stuff.
On one hand, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is an American monster that’s powered by a supercharged 6.2-liter LT4 engine. That’s quite the displacement. On the other hand, you have the F-TYPE, which signals the revival of the brand’s two-seater sports car design. Powering this car is a supercharged 5.0-liter V8.
While there is quite a difference in the size of these engines, they both still sound close to heavenly. To see just how well these two stack up against each other when revved, Motorsport Magazine parked the two side-by-side and started laying down on their throttles. Which one ended up sounding better? Click play below and find out!
This article was appeared in Driving on November 3, 2013. It is reproduced as a tribute to AA Gill, who died earlier this month. Read Gill’s obituary here, his final piece for The Sunday Time Magazine here, and the eulogy from his friend Jeremy Clarkson here
LIKE A NORDIC saga, the legend of the trek north returns. Every year, as the sunlight declines and the wind sharpens, I turn my face to the vastness of the semi-detached nation beyond the wall. And consider a week of banging about in the heather, wearing absurd clothes, eating gobbets of minced wild thing in saturated fat, telling lies and keening maudlin ballads. And every year I borrow Jeremy Clarkson’s column to do it in.
The test is to drive from the King’s Road in Chelsea to the shores of Loch Maree in Wester Ross — a journey that, according to Google Maps, takes just over 11 hours — then to drive across the narrow width of Scotland to Cawdor’s grouse moor where my car must work as a four-wheel drive for a couple of days of partridge shooting. Then later to drive down to Edinburgh and back to London.
The round trip has become something of a classic for car dealers, manufacturers, PRs and motoring column aficionados. It has been dubbed, possibly by me, the Full McMonte Carlo. In past years we’ve left the Overfinch Range Rover in a Highland petrol station being beaten to death by a gamekeeper. The Porsche Cayenne had to be taken off the moor in an ambulance, the mechanic cheerily saying that it was the third he’d had in the back in a week.
And then last year it was a Toyota Hilux that made it there and back without incident or excitement but was so imperviously dull and unfriendly it defied comment. Except from the man who pulled up beside me in an apparently identical truck, gave it a long hard look and said: “I’m thinking of getting one of those myself.”
This year one German manufacturer withdrew in fright because it didn’t want to get blood on its car’s bonnet. What is the point of being a four-wheel drive if you’re frightened of getting a little gore on the grille? What is the point of being German? And then Audi stepped up. It didn’t flinch at the sight of claret. It was Teutonically staunch. Although what was left outside the front door was not what I expected.
The Audi A6 allroad 3.0 TDI quattro looks like a family shooting brake, albeit a slightly more elegant one. It has that Audi discreet styling that makes it the brand of choice for chubby rock stars and hedge fund plutocrats whose other cars really are Porsches, Bugattis and Ferrari Spiders.
“On reaching Cawdor’s grouse moor the Audi slipped into the file of green Land Rovers like Jane between the gorillas in a Tarzan film”
The simplified Olympics-style ring motif is the symbol of understated power. Like walking into a room of men in suits: if you want to know who is the boss, he’ll be the one without the tie. But Audi claims this is a real “pushmi-pullyu” car. It will push you up a mountain and pull you along a motorway. It’s comfortable and sleek enough for the city and butch and gutsy enough for the trenches.
Now most makers of 4x4s understand they’re selling to men and the fantasy is the off-road bit. It’s not the school run or the weekly shop at Sainsbury’s. It’s guns, boots and wet labradors, and duct tape. So they sell the cars as countrymen who can just about manage in the city rather than city wonks who get out to Gloucestershire for a couple of festivals.
They’re marketed as Bruce Willis who cleans up nice. The allure of a four-wheel-drive off-roader is what it says about the man waiting outside Marks & Spencer. He’s ready for when the city gets taken over by zombies. He’s prepared if Bear Grylls asks him for a lift. And when the earthquake decimates Tooting Bec, he’ll make a break for Wandsworth Common.
Audi has done something different: it’s gone about it the other way round. This car emphasises its sophistication. It’s sotto voce. Unblinging. It’s not packing. This is a cerebral, urbane vehicle that will make polite small talk in the National Theatre garage. It is Angelina Jolie who if necessary can swim through rivers, traverse cliffs and rip the bad man’s face off.
All 4x4s are transvestite motors, so you can either choose one that looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger in make-up and a dirndl, or you can go for Charlotte Rampling in an SS cap and braces.
At five in the morning I set the sat nav for north and pointed the purring diesel towards the A40. I say I . . . but like the first winner of the Peking to Paris endurance race who accepted the trophy but supposedly had his mechanic drive the whole way, I shared the driving with Tom Craig, my photographer. I say share . . . but I do the tricky bit. I’m in charge of the computer. Which, let me tell you, is far harder than any of the mechanics.
The only people who could work this dashboard-entertainment-navigation-infotainment-ergonomic-pyschobabble system would be people too young for a driving licence and too short to reach the pedals. It’s like your phone with obsessive compulsive disorder and a Hanoverian sense of decorum and manners. We’d reach the Lake District before I managed to stop the map telling me where the nearest undertaker, accountant and hairdresser were.
It does, though, have a head-up display that projects the next turn and your speed onto the windscreen, which I like because as a dyslexic simply being told left or right by a polite lady-voice is going to be only 50% helpful. Mind you, I do tend to think, “We are travelling at 48 miles per hour” when we’re in fact doing 84mph.
The steering wheel is a barnacle of buttons, switches and toggles. There are three ways of changing gear, or you can not change it at all, ever. I did take a look at the manual on a boring bit of the M6 but, frankly, what human has read a car manual? Certainly none has written one.
We made Loch Maree in less than 11 hours. Then on reaching Cawdor’s grouse moor the Audi slipped into the file of green Land Rovers like Jane between the gorillas in a Tarzan film. I had no idea how to raise the ground clearance — 11 hours of screaming, beating and torturing the dashboard had failed to elicit the instructions. They’re tough, these Audis. I needed a German.
Luckily there was one right next to me. Christof spoke to it in its native language and said there was no dishonour in telling the English bastard how to lift its skirts up. After that it performed just as well as the muddy thick-wheeled yokels. Even fording the River Findhorn with water splashing its headlights while the Scots took bets on who’d have to fetch the tractor to get it out. It swam through with a pert insouciance. A sleek Angelina Jolie.
AA Gill
On the way back via Edinburgh I did drive. The diesel engine is quiet and surprisingly powerful. It’s responsive but not in the frightening, steroidal, muscled way the Porsche was. Or in the slow palm-spitting way the Toyota was. But exactly right. I never felt it would run away with me on the motorway or suicidally lose it on a corner. It’s fast but never in a hurry. Lithe but not flighty. A sticker, not a bolter.
By the time we got to Chelsea I really didn’t want to give it back. This is the first McMonte motor I’ve wanted to keep. And I had to fill the tank only 2½ times.
There was just one thing, though, one of those things that starts off being a little bit kooky and ends up being grounds for divorce. The boot. It’s not the size — I’m not sizeist about boots. It opens itself with just a touch. Who could ask for more? But it closes itself slowly with another touch of the lady-button, and that’s really annoying. When you’ve packed the back with death and muck and wet Gore-Tex, a chap wants to slam a boot with satisfaction. It’s a man thing. The thud of applause for a really good bit of bloke-packing, and it won’t let you. And that’s just a step too girlie.
PEOPLE like Aston Martins. And what’s more, people like people who drive them. They’re seen as cool and intelligent and refined. They know not to drink red wine with fish and are familiar with the Latin name for every single fish in the sea.
Astons are driven by people who find Ferraris and Porsches a bit tall-poppy vulgar, a bit Manchester United. A bit disgusting. I get that, but there’s always been a problem. Aston Martins have never been much good.
The DB5, trumpeted by many as the best, most iconic Aston Martin of them all, feels pretty much like a Seddon Atkinson dustbin lorry to drive. There’s a scene in the Bond film GoldenEye where Pierce Brosnan races his silver bin lorry through the Alpes-Maritimes against a Ferrari 355. It was supposed to be very exciting but for me it was just annoying because I was being asked to believe that if someone entered a cow into the Grand National it would be in with a shout of winning.
Later Aston Martin made a car called the Vantage (read Clarkson’s review here — his first for The Sunday Times). It had a supercharged V8 and excellent headrests. But to drive, it felt almost identical to Ford’s Raptor pick-up. I loved the Vantage, make no mistake, but it handled and braked and gripped like it was quite drunk.
To make matters worse, Astons back then were made by hand, which is another way of saying that nothing fitted or worked properly. And they were never really tested before they went on sale. There was a sense at the Newport Pagnell factory that early customers could find out what was wrong. That would save a lot of time, bother and expense.
This sort of thing was still going on when the company came up with the DB7. I forget now exactly what was still wrong with it when it went on sale but I’m pretty sure a tendency to fall to pieces was at the top of a long list.
The DB9 was far more sorted when it came along. You sensed it had been properly developed and well thought out. But you also sensed that behind the achingly pretty face beat a fairly ordinary heart. It was as groundbreaking as a loaf of bread. And that’s been the story ever since, really. Beautiful and fairly well-made cars that under the skin were just that: cars.
Ferrari and Porsche, with big money backing from wealthy parents, could afford to develop new technology and new ways of doing things. Aston Martin was stuck. It would change the styling and the names of the cars but underneath they were all broadly the same and they were using tech that was starting to look old-fashioned.
So I wasn’t really expecting all that much from the new DB11. I figured that it would be beautiful, which it is — achingly so — but that it would be no match dynamically for what the rest of the world could offer. I was wrong.
The old V12, which sounded magnificent — but which we always knew at the back of our minds had been made by nailing two Ford Mondeo engines together — is now gone. And in its stead the DB11 is powered by an all-new 5.2-litre V12 that is fitted with two turbochargers.
When I heard that Aston Martin had developed this engine itself, I thought: “With what? Some loose change they found down the back of the sofa?” I figured it would be a bit old-school with lag and a lot of “That’ll do, near enough” Brummie tech. It isn’t. It comes with cylinder deactivation and one turbo and intercooler per bank and all the latest tech. Also, the engine’s made in Germany.
“It’s not just a pretty face. This is an extremely good car. Phenomenally good. But there is a price to pay . . .”
Better still, there’s been a tie-up with Mercedes-Benz so the DB11 has a Mercedes sat nav (current Aston Martin owners will rejoice at that news). And Mercedes electronics. And the Mercedes Comand infotainment system.
As I said when I reviewed the car on the television recently, this is a very successful Anglo-German marriage. And soon it will produce a son; an Aston with Mercedes-AMG’s turbocharged V8. I’m dribbling at the thought of that.
But not as much as I’m dribbling at the memory of driving the DB11 round the Mugello racetrack in Tuscany. I’ve driven Astons on a track before and it’s always felt as if I’m trying to ballet dance in a pair of extremely good-looking Church’s brogues. You always got the sense that the car was saying: “Really?”
The DB11 is a completely different animal. The chassis was designed by a former Lotus chap who has tuned it for comfort, yes, but not — as I quickly discovered — at the expense of everything else. Ooh, that car gripped.
As you’re going along, air is funnelled into ducts behind the rear-side windows and it’s then shot out of a narrow vent on the boot lid. When I was told about this invisible air rear wing I thought, “Yeah, right” , and I still do to a certain extent. But something is keeping the rear end planted so maybe it does work. Maybe Aston really has thought of something new. That’d be a first.
The traction control system isn’t new. But it’s tuned beautifully so it’s gentle in its restraint and progressive when it feels you’re through the bend and the rear tyres are fully able to exploit the 600bhp and that mountain of torque. It’s even better than the system in the McLaren 675LT, and that’s saying something.
You imagine when you leave the track that something this grippy will not work on the road. But it really, really does. Put it in GT mode and it becomes quiet and smooth and very comfortable.
If you’re ever in Paris, at a party at 3am, and suddenly remember you are playing in a tennis tournament in Monte Carlo the next afternoon, this is the car for the job. You’d arrive feeling like you’d just got out of the bath.
The upshot of all this is that you feel, for the first time in an Aston Martin, that there’s some real engineering between you and the road. That it’s not just a pretty face. This is an extremely good car. Phenomenally good.
But there is a price to pay, I’m afraid. It has a horrible interior. The door linings in my test car looked like those polished marble kitchen tops that have got too many chintzy bits in them, and the steering wheel was square. Who thought that was a good idea? Or did the supplier misread the name of the customer and think it was for “Austin Martin”?
Whatever, the cockpit is not a place that you will enjoy or savour. And that’s a shame because everything else about this car is absolutely delightful. It’s the best Aston yet. And by a very long way.
Head to head
Aston Martin DB11
Bentley Continental GT Speed
Price
£154,900
£168,900
Power
600bhp
633bhp
0-62mph
3.9sec
4.1sec
Top Speed
200mph
206mph
Write to us at driving@sunday-times.co.uk, or Driving, The Sunday Times, 1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GF
IN ONE of the Grand Tour television programmes I have a bit of a rant, saying that the world’s car makers seem to have shifted into neutral and to be simply biding their time making dreary boxes until they are consumed by Uber.
I single out the Renault Kadjar SUV, which I hate very much, and I say that it will never be a poster on a young boy’s bedroom wall and that no one will ever dream of the day they can buy one. I argue loudly that it is just some car, on which Renault can make a couple of quid from the finance deals.
I fear, however, I may have been a trifle hasty, because I’ve come to realise car makers are swimming against a tide that will eventually consume them, no matter what rabbits they pull from the hat.
There have always been people who say, “I’m not interested in cars”, but today it’s not just the occasional old lady with a twin set, pearls and a Mrs Queen haircut. It’s pretty much everyone, especially if they are under 25.
I sit down at a party and immediately I’m told by everyone at the table that they do not wish to talk about cars. It’s annoying. Because I can’t imagine many of them are very interested in accountancy, but they never say to an accountant when he sits down: “We don’t want to talk about Ebit and CGT.”
I actually know a proctologist, and I’ve never heard anyone say to him: “We don’t want to talk about anuses.” Which has led me to believe that today people are more interested in rectums than they are in the new Ferrari GTC4Lusso.
I can see why. For 20 years they have been brainwashed by the liberal elite — the people who are now getting their arses kicked in every single election — that cars are bad for the environment and if we keep on using them to go to work and the shops, Planet Earth III will have to be about wasps and cockroaches because everything else will be extinct.
The constant drip-feed of eco-mental nonsense affects politicians especially. They respond by worrying about the constituent parts of the upper atmosphere and think they can sort everything out if they reduce speed limits. And then reduce them again and then stick up average-speed cameras to ensure the limits are obeyed.
Then they dig up the roads for years so they can be made narrower, and they put in speed humps and cycle lanes, and another speed camera just for good measure. The effect has been profound.
When I was growing up, I dreamt of the open road, because we had such a thing back then. Cars were something you could barely afford, but, boy, they were worth it because they represented freedom and glamour and excitement. They were something you needed, for sure. But they were something you wanted as well.
Today kids look out of the back window of the Volvo on the school run, and they see the jams and the cycle lanes and the speed cameras and think: “Well, this isn’t very exciting, is it?” So when they reach the age of 17 and they are allowed a licence, they think: “What’s the point?”
As my son said: “Why do I need to drive? I can use a coach to get to London for a couple of quid, even when I’ve had a drink, and it has wi-fi.”
“Ten years ago you could have driven this car down the street, and young boys would have grabbed at their tinkles. Now, pretty much everyone stands there and shakes their heads”
It’s a good point, and that’s before we get to Uber, which has realised that we don’t need a car. But that we do need one at 4.15am on Tuesday.
People have started to realise that for 90% of the time their car just sits on the street doing nothing except costing money. So why not get rid of it and use a man in a Toyota Prius for the 10% of the time when they need to go somewhere?
Now, I know I reviewed a Honda only last week, but I then drove the car pictured here and realised it quite neatly sums up my point. A number of years ago Honda made a car called the Civic Type R that revved as if it were running on nitrous, handled as though its tyres were made from glue and roared and snarled as if it were very angry about something. To this day that car is revered in some quarters as a deity.
But then, one day, Honda pulled the plug and decided to make cars exclusively for pensioners and Americans, which are the same thing.
Now, though, the Type R is back, and as you can see in the picture, it’s no shrinking violet. Nor does it follow the age-old hot-hatchback recipe of taking one ordinary cooking car and adding a bigger engine and bucket seats. It’s way more complicated than that.
It’s so complicated, in fact, that really it isn’t a Civic at all. The rear suspension is different, and at the front it has a system like that of no other car at all. It’s slightly similar to the RevoKnuckle arrangement on a Ford Focus RS, but better, apparently. Cleverer. More able to deal with sudden gobs of torque from the engine.
Which is necessary, because the engine in the old Civic Type R produced almost 200bhp. In the latest one you get a colossal 306bhp. That’s 306 brake horsepower from a 2-litre engine. And you get 150 more torques. Crikey.
But the most striking thing about this car is the way it looks. Honda says that all the wings and the splitters have an aerodynamic point. It says that without them the Type R would not have been able to hold the front-wheel-drive Nürburgring lap record. (Until Volkswagen took it away recently with a stripped-out Golf GTI.)
Ten years ago you could have driven this car down the street, and young boys would have jumped up and down and grabbed at their tinkles. Youths would have swooned. Dads would have become wistful. Not any more. Now, pretty much everyone stands with their hands on their hips and slowly shakes their heads. It’s the look you give a naughty dog.
So you need thick skin to drive a Type R. But is it worth it? Hmmm. Not sure. The engine, though undoubtedly powerful, lacks much in the way of aural excitement and is patchy in the way it delivers the grunt. Honda is a newcomer to turbocharging and it sort of shows.
And the chassis is so good, it makes the car feel a little bit dull. A hot hatch should put a smile on your face. It should be like a puppy. This feels a bit serious.
Of course, if you are a serious helmsman, you will admire its ability to grip and go. And you’ll love the lap times it can produce at a track. But if you are a serious helmsman, why would you buy a car with front-wheel drive?
And whoever you are, you will certainly tire very quickly of getting out of the seat when you reach journey’s end. The bucket is so pronounced and the side bolsters so high, it’s nigh-on impossible. I also found the interior a bit clever-clever.
Overall, then, it’s not Honda’s best effort. But that’s OK, because the company has already announced that next year it will replace the car with a new Type R.
I’m glad that Honda is still trying. But I fear it is chasing a market that doesn’t really exist any more.
Head to head
Honda Civic Type R
VW Golf R 6Spd Man
Price
£30,000
£34,455
Power
306bhp
296bhp
0-62mph
5.7sec
5.1sec
Top speed
168mph
155mph
Write to us at driving@sunday-times.co.uk, or Driving, The Sunday Times, 1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9G
One of my favorite aspects about racing video games is that fact that I can customize my own vehicle. Whether it’s a supercar or SUV, it’s always fun to design and drive your own virtual car. But, what’s more fun than that is designing and driving your own real supercar. And, thanks to online configurators, that is possible.
McLaren’s configurator for the 570S is a perfect example of being able to customize your own supercar. From the paint to the trim, just about everything can be customized within this configurator. Looking to customize your 570S even further? That’s where MSO will come in and get the job done.
So how does one configure a 570S? Here’s the step-by-step process.
There are loads of colors to choose from. Personally, I went with Fire Black.
Wheels and Brakes
Within the Wheels and Brakes section, you can change the shoes of the 570S. You can select the wheels, wheel finish, brakes and calipers (as well as the caliper finish) and tires.
Exterior
The Exterior section is where you can change just about every bit of trim on the outside of the 570S. For me, it’s carbon fiber everything.
Interior
You’re going to spend a lot of time inside your 570S, so you might as well get it to your liking. Luckily, McLaren provides a vast array of options for your to choose from when it comes to the cabin of the 570S.
Safety and Security
If you’re going to buy a new 570S, you might as well protect. It’s within the Safety and Security section that you can select which options will help you protect your car, like a Volumetric Alarm and Parking Sensors.
Practical
Just about everything in this section I checked off, except for an ashtray. In the Practical section is where you’ll find all the extra that will make driving your 570S even more convenient than before.
MSO – McLaren Special Options
As mentioned before, McLaren MSO branch will take your 570S to the next level through customization. However, you will need to consult MSO in order to get the custom designs you desire. However, the time spent working with MSO to design a perfect 570S is well worth the time.
You’re Done!
You did it! Now you can download a PDF that describes your 570S that you just built. You can also choose to Register Your Interest or find your closest McLaren Retailer to inquire further.
Jay Kay’s LaFerrari in Mysterious Pure Electric Mode
You wanted proof and we have found it. The LaFerrari is capable of cruising around without awakening the V12 engine. McLaren and Porsche are clear to state their hybrid hypercars have EV mode, but Maranello has been mum on the subject. Officially the 163 hp electric motor is not programmed to operate independently, but many enthusiasts believe dealers have updated the software for certain owners. Musician Jay Kay has obtained the cheat code for electric mode as it was spotted by TheTTFJ being loaded at Joe Macari Performance Cars.
McLaren’s P1 has an electric range of 19 miles and the Porsche 918 is rated at 18 miles. The primary motor/generator is connected to one of the main shafts of the seven-speed dual clutch gearbox, and the smaller secondary unit is on the front of the engine in line with the accessory drive. We’re not sure how far the lithium-ion batteries could take you, so if anyone would like to loan me their LaFerrari, I will bring it back with a full tank of Florida’s finest ethanol diluted 87 octane.
If you find yourself near London, Joe Macari has an inventory that will take your breath away.
WHEN I joined Autocar magazine as a 21-year-old road tester, I was handed a list of dos and don’ts by the veteran motoring writer Peter Robinson. Chief among them was the dictum: “Every car is rubbish until proven otherwise.”
This sage advice came back to me last week as I climbed behind the wheel of the Ferrari 488 GTB. Over the years, Italian companies have made some lousy cars, but the prancing horse on a steering wheel is still one of the most evocative symbols in motoring. McLaren makes some fantastic machines, but its upside-down swoosh logo just doesn’t come close.
The 488 GTB has the unenviable task of replacing the seminal 458 and has the added complication of turbocharging, a sop to emissions regulations and a first for Ferrari. It marks the start of a new era, but not necessarily one full of goodwill and hope. There was much to reflect on as I journeyed north from my home in the southeast to Donington Park and the final round of the 2016 Caterham Supersport championship. I have used a different supercar to travel to each race in the series, gaining an unparalleled real-world experience of the Audi R8, BMW i8, McLaren 650S and other highly covetable machines.
Back to the 488, though. When I first glimpsed it at the 2015 Geneva motor show, I wasn’t convinced. Under the harsh show lights, it looked contrived – as though the aerodynamics engineers had locked up the stylists and run riot. In the wild, though, the 488 looks magnificent. Yes, it’s a collage of all the scoops, intakes and spoilers needed to provide stability at the 205mph top speed, but there’s real beauty too. The styling around the lights, for example, is exquisite. There’s a sense of theatre, of a car built, as the Italians say, con amore.
Inside, we find some Italianate eccentricities. A lot of the controls are on the steering wheel, which is supposed to evoke an F1 car, but on the M1 it’s just a bit baffling.
There was also an irritating electronic gremlin in the car that muted the radio every time I indicated left. Ferrari’s build quality has improved hugely since the 1990s, but it’s still not up to Porsche standards. The 488 is not as practical as a 911 either, but the luggage bay in the nose is usefully large and supplemented by a shelf behind the seats.
In the course of my career I’ve driven every V8 Ferrari since the 360 Modena and a few of the earlier cars too. The 360 wasn’t Maranello’s finest, but the 430 was better; then the 458 made a giant leap forwards. The 488 isn’t such a mighty jump from that, but it is a decent step.
“The outrageous scream of the 458’s engine is missed but Ferrari has still managed to produce the best-sounding turbo engine in production”
The McLaren 650S I drove to the Anglesey round of the Caterham Supersport championship only really felt special at high speed. The 488, by contrast, conjures a sense of occasion at any speed and on any road. The steering is so sharp and responsive that it demands intense concentration, but that’s no bad thing – a supercar is supposed to be for driving.
The double-clutch transmission is faster and smoother than ever, and improvements to the electronic damping serve to combine a comfortable ride with superb body control. On the undulating country roads around the Donington Park circuit, being able to soften the damping makes a huge difference. The only thing that really holds the 488 back is its width. In the interests of stability, supercars are getting ever wider, but no one has bothered to widen the roads.
The journey from Premier Inn to circuit (not a traditional Ferrari experience) offered an opportunity to explore the engine’s repertoire. The outrageous scream of the 458’s naturally aspirated engine is missed, but Ferrari has still managed to produce the best-sounding turbo engine you’ll hear, even if it’s deeper than before and more muffled. And there’s no denying that the additional mid-range shove from the turbo improves the performance.
The 488 is comically rapid. For the record, the mid-mounted 3.9-litre V8 produces 661bhp and 561 lb ft of torque. To put that into context, Ferrari’s most iconic turbo V8, the F40, produced 478bhp. Ferrari says the 488 will do 0-60mph in just 3.0sec, and I believe them. It’s a lunatic in Dior sunglasses.
Over the course of the year, I’ve populated the paddock with some interesting exotica and it’s been fascinating to watch the reaction of my rivals, many of whom own supercars. The McLaren 650S drew admiring glances as, to a surprising extent, did the Audi R8.
None attracted the attention of the 488 though. There’s still something about a new Ferrari that gets even cynical grown-ups extra excited. In truth, Ferrari doesn’t need to build cars as good as the 488 to make a profit, but the fact that it does is a tribute to the commitment and passion of their team. This is a superb car.
Beyond the simple joy of driving a car as fast as possible, I race because it gives me an adrenaline hit I can’t replicate elsewhere. On race day morning, I can genuinely feel a nervous energy that builds to a crescendo on the green flag lap that precedes the start. Mad though it sounds, that’s a huge part of the appeal of going racing for me. It’s stress relief par excellence.
If it rains as it did at Donington, these sensations are heightened. In the wet, the level of danger increases dramatically. Grip levels on the circuit are drastically reduced, the painted kerbs might as well be made of ice and if there’s a grass run off area, you won’t slow until you hit something. Then there’s the spray. Only the leader can see where they’re going and everyone else drives on muscle memory.
It’s a different kind of experience and one I’ve always enjoyed, but as you’ll see on this video, it’s not easy…
Look out for my review of the year, ranking each of the supercars I’ve driven.
If you need more vitamin M, BMW’s performance division is looking to become a global force in performance cars. In an interview with Motoring.com.au, Vice President of sales Peter Quintus has alluded to expanding the lineup into the i Series cars. Purists will decry a dilution of the venerated M badge, but who wouldn’t like more power? Not known for jumping into unproven technologies, BMW takes ample time ensuring the quality of their engineering before it is unleashed to the public. Case in point, we have been teased with the M2 for years and the waiting list keeps growing. He then went on to say that all of the building blocks are in place for electricity to become a part of the M Brand, but weight will need to be kept to a minimum.
As the Ultimate Driving Machine, the best power to weight ratio is still achieved with traditional performance builds. Using the lessons learned on the 7 Series, the use of carbon fiber will be limited to smaller components along with aluminum and steel. Big changes to the popular models could alienate a dedicated customer base, or this could be an elaborate disinformation campaign to keep the competition in the dark. The i8 is a quick coupe that is capable of 28 mpg on a bad day, so an M version might tarnish its clean reputation. On the other hand, the boxy i3 could use a few hundred additional horses to be the ultimate sleeper. Battery boosted Bavarians could be in the works, so stay with us for all your BMW news.
Looking to add over 1,000 horsepower to your garage? Then look no further. Available at O’Gara Coach Beverly Hills is an exquisite 2008 Bugatti Veyron that has rarely been seen. In fact, if you search the internet for a red and black Bugatti Veyron and you’ll hardly a handful of images of this exact car.
Inside of its body is a black and gray two-tone interior that is as stylish as its exterior. It currently has less than 7,000 miles clocked on its odometer, making it a low-mileage example of the French hypercar. What’s more, it comes loaded with options that make the car more appetizing than before.
The Bugatti Veyron itself will go down in the history books as one of the cars that changed the automotive industry. Its quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W16 engine is capable of producing around 1,000 hp and 922-lb-ft of torque. These numbers, especially in the early 2000’s, were and are absolute insanity. But, what makes the Veyron special is that even though it is capable of reaching well over 200 mph, it still provides an elegant and comfortable drive.
For those looking to own a piece of automotive history and possibly test their own limits, click the button below to learn its price and more information.
Remember the days back when “The Fast and the Furious” was all about tuning cars and winning pink slips? Well, we’ve come a long way, because the latest film in the automotive movie series is absolute insanity.
Being called “The Fate of the Furious”, the new films sees one of the biggest stars (Dom) turning on his friends. Is he being controlled by someone? What’s going on? The exact details are unknown, but we do know that Charlize Theron makes quite an awesome villain. In the first official trailer for the film, we get to see Dom turning on his friends, epic car chases and gratuitous action.
Also, check out the image above. See that orange Supra? That might just be an homage to the late Paul Walker and the Supra he drove in the movies.
How will the movie turn out? What the heck is up with Dom? We’ll find out on April 14, 2017 when the film is released.
Five years after its unveiling back in 2011, the Lamborghini Aventador is getting a refresh. According to Autocar.co.uk, who received an invite for the unveiling of the car, posted an article yesterday that talks about the upcoming Aventador S.
They wrote that the invite they received describes the car as having a “new design, superior power and a mix of advanced technologies.” The car’s launch will happen at the Ricardo Tormo Formula 1 track in January of next year. The invite noted that this track would allow Lamborghini to display the car’s “active technology”.
Unfortunately, power numbers for the car were not given, but Autocar suggests that it will likely have a tune that’s along the lines of the Centenario. This means we could ballpark the power at around 760 hp, but this is just pure speculation.
Stay with Autofluence for more information on the Lamborghini Aventador S as it’s released.
On any given weekend, you will find many flavors of Mustang competing at track days. You can’t deny that the Shelby GT350 is a potent machine, but Ford fans might be reluctant to modify such a new car in order to be certified to race. Keeping a watchful eye on motorsports, Ford Performance has released a new model that arrives ready for record times and race tracks.
The Shelby FP350S is aimed at SCCA and Trans Am series racers who might be scared away from the flat-plane crankshaft of the GT350. Under the hood is a version of the 5.2 liter Aluminator crate engine which uses a traditional firing order and four valves per cylinder. Other goodies include an oil cooler and Motec data recorder.
Each body panel is continuously welded instead of the spot welds found on production Mustangs. This makes the body much stronger and able to cope with the stress of racing. An FIA legal six-point roll cage is also included as standard equipment. The only transmission offered is a Tremec six-speed manual which has an internal oil pump and cooling system. The press release did not mention any suspension upgrades other than a 3.73 differential.
For more information, contact Ford of Murfreesboro in the link below.
If you had any doubt the M4 was positioning itself as a direct 911 competitor, the spec sheet and MSRP of this particular example should lay it to rest. Thus it comes down to a matter of preference — brand, styling, ergonomics or otherwise. I didn’t get to track this M4, but in steering response, braking and overall ride quality on freeways and backroads, the similarities between this car and Porsche’s stalwart sports coupe are uncanny. Hell, BMW’s latest twin-turbo straight-six even sounds like Porsche’s classic flat-six.
Me? I’m not loving the interlaced 20-inch wheels that come with the competition package; the rest of it, including the power bump, makes for a damn fine sports coupe that can squeeze four in a pinch. You pays your money and you makes your choice — I suspect you’ll be thrilled whether you choose an M car, the 911 or even something from Affalterbach.
–Andrew Stoy, digital editor
OTHER VOICES: I took this M4 home for two days so I could bring it out to M1 Concourse in Pontiac and get it on the new track. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate, but I figured I’d give it a shot anyway. This car was all over the place.
Now granted, a 50-degree day in sheeting rain is probably not the best time to test the 20-inch-wheeled, summer-tire-shod Comp coupe. It’s surely more at home on a sunny, 70-degree day at Thermal Raceway in Southern California. But here we are.
On new, smooth asphalt, the brakes and steering felt nearly as good as in dry weather. I turned the dial down to about 60 percent in the turns and braking zones and that was all good. But getting back on the gas had the tail end waggling side to side, clawing for grip and never really finding any purchase.
The boost didn’t help. It felt like the torque curve was a heartbeat monitor: Rev rev rev, boom, max power, rev rev rev, boom, max power. I did start in automatic and sport mode. After I switched to paddle shifting, it felt a little better. I could gauge when the boost was going to kick in, and either keep it there or not.
My 2014 GT Mustang, which is demonstrably slower despite having close to the same power-to-weight ratio, would have been much better than this. And that’s probably the only time I’ll ever say that.
On the road, the M4 does have a little of that lurchiness that dual-clutch transmissions (DCTs) are known for. Sometimes it’ll downshift as you’re braking to a stop and it lunges forward, forcing you to push down a little harder on the pedal. But I’ll take that little complaint for all the fun times, which far outweigh the bad.
Getting on the expressway in any mode, the M4 just pulls and pulls until you get to a speed you’re not comfortable with. But the carbon-ceramic brakes make everything feel safe and seem to work well, even when cold.
Inside, it’s easy find a comfortable driving position; the iDrive system works fine and the controls are laid out well and are easy to use while driving. I love the M buttons on the steering wheel, which are a shortcut to whatever settings you choose. I’d probably have one at full sport-plus and one at full comfort if I owned this thing.
I think it looks great in the driveway or on the street. I like the special wheels and rubber-band tires, and the carbon-fiber roof looks cool, too. And it takes off weight in the perfect spot.
Now we’re just waiting for the new-new M4 GTS, with its water-injection system. I’d like to drive that one posthaste.
