dirtsniffer
11-25-2019, 10:33 AM
The examples collected here represent some of their makers' best work, both in the past and today. BMW's M2 Competition is the closest thing we have to a spiritual successor of the iconic E30-generation M3. The Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 wears a 53-year-old name yet remains the zenith of the muscle car by delivering as much grip and grace as grunt. Porsche's mid-engined Cayman turns 13 this year but has already inked its place in the history books as one of the 21st century's purest driver's cars. The Toyota Supra, new for 2020 after a 17-year nap, conjures up memories of an era when Japan could build a sports car as swift and serious as anyone else's. These cars are a part of Car and Driver's past, too. Together they have earned 18 10Best awards....
4th Place:BMW M2 Competition
Even when the M2 wasn't misbehaving, it couldn't hang with the podium finishers in the mountains. It recorded the longest stop from 70 mph (155 feet) and the lowest lateral grip (1.01 g's) at the track. "Because of its lower limits and zombie-like manners, the Bimmer requires serious commitment in order to drive it fast," says Beard, whose girlfriend of five years might find some solace in knowing that commitment fears also get in the way of his love for speed.
3rd Place:Porsche Cayman
Our enthusiasm dims only slightly when we stop to think about the Cayman more rationally. It's hard to wrap our heads around the idea of spending $72,600 for the same number of cylinders as a Fiat 500 has. Compared with the intensity of the M2's inline-six and the drama of the Shelby's V-8, the Cayman's four feels, er, flat. Yes, it runs to 7400 rpm and makes 300 horsepower, but the power delivery doesn't feel any more special than that of a $28,000 Volkswagen Golf GTI.
2nd Place:Toyota Supra
With two fistfuls of torque punching hard from 2000 up to 4500 rpm, the Supra is eager to spin its tires, particularly on corner exit. The stability control is shrewdly calibrated, though. It permits just a skosh of tire slip, keeps the car pointed in the right direction, and still allows the engine to build speed, even in its most vigilant, fully active setting. The ZF eight-speed automatic upshifts with the same satisfying efficiency of the PDK and helped the Supra crack four seconds in the zero-to-60 race. Off-throttle downshifts can be abrupt, though, as the conventional automatic lacks the finessed rev matching of the Cayman's dual-clutch auto.
The Toyota's skin has more warts than a frog—are the fake vents supposed to be cooling the door strikers?—but it often seems as though we're the only ones to see this. People notice, recognize, and gawk at this car the same way they do Lambor.ghinis. And they don't seem to care that Toyota's icon was largely reanimated by BMW. "They stopped making this when I was eight!" a stoked hitchhiker exclaimed. "I cried!"
1st Place:Ford Mustang Shelby GT350
Such are the costs, financial and otherwise, of driving a car this special. To us, the Shelby is unquestionably worth it. The 5.2-liter engine exists for only this car and the harder-core GT350R; it's not shared with a pickup like the Ford GT's twin-turbo six, nor is it in any other Mustang. As a result, the GT350 builds revs and spews ferocity like nothing else. The tires and seats belong on a racetrack, which means you'll be able to run over mountain roads without much stress. Even in a field of spectacular sports cars, none is as raw or as alive as the Shelby GT350.
88353
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison-test/a29233714/2020-toyota-supra-vs-bmw-m2-vs-ford-mustang-shelby-gt350-vs-porsche-718-cayman/
4th Place:BMW M2 Competition
Even when the M2 wasn't misbehaving, it couldn't hang with the podium finishers in the mountains. It recorded the longest stop from 70 mph (155 feet) and the lowest lateral grip (1.01 g's) at the track. "Because of its lower limits and zombie-like manners, the Bimmer requires serious commitment in order to drive it fast," says Beard, whose girlfriend of five years might find some solace in knowing that commitment fears also get in the way of his love for speed.
3rd Place:Porsche Cayman
Our enthusiasm dims only slightly when we stop to think about the Cayman more rationally. It's hard to wrap our heads around the idea of spending $72,600 for the same number of cylinders as a Fiat 500 has. Compared with the intensity of the M2's inline-six and the drama of the Shelby's V-8, the Cayman's four feels, er, flat. Yes, it runs to 7400 rpm and makes 300 horsepower, but the power delivery doesn't feel any more special than that of a $28,000 Volkswagen Golf GTI.
2nd Place:Toyota Supra
With two fistfuls of torque punching hard from 2000 up to 4500 rpm, the Supra is eager to spin its tires, particularly on corner exit. The stability control is shrewdly calibrated, though. It permits just a skosh of tire slip, keeps the car pointed in the right direction, and still allows the engine to build speed, even in its most vigilant, fully active setting. The ZF eight-speed automatic upshifts with the same satisfying efficiency of the PDK and helped the Supra crack four seconds in the zero-to-60 race. Off-throttle downshifts can be abrupt, though, as the conventional automatic lacks the finessed rev matching of the Cayman's dual-clutch auto.
The Toyota's skin has more warts than a frog—are the fake vents supposed to be cooling the door strikers?—but it often seems as though we're the only ones to see this. People notice, recognize, and gawk at this car the same way they do Lambor.ghinis. And they don't seem to care that Toyota's icon was largely reanimated by BMW. "They stopped making this when I was eight!" a stoked hitchhiker exclaimed. "I cried!"
1st Place:Ford Mustang Shelby GT350
Such are the costs, financial and otherwise, of driving a car this special. To us, the Shelby is unquestionably worth it. The 5.2-liter engine exists for only this car and the harder-core GT350R; it's not shared with a pickup like the Ford GT's twin-turbo six, nor is it in any other Mustang. As a result, the GT350 builds revs and spews ferocity like nothing else. The tires and seats belong on a racetrack, which means you'll be able to run over mountain roads without much stress. Even in a field of spectacular sports cars, none is as raw or as alive as the Shelby GT350.
88353
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison-test/a29233714/2020-toyota-supra-vs-bmw-m2-vs-ford-mustang-shelby-gt350-vs-porsche-718-cayman/