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Performance

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

The best buys and the ones to avoid for the Performance car market in 2006....

The Best

OUR PICK

Lotus Elise/Exige
The Elise is the ultimate driver’s car – end of story.

The original car was a bit too bare bones for some, but enhancements over the years have made it more civilised without ruining its character.

ABS is now standard (the original didn’t even have a brake servo) as is remote central locking, half-leather seats and electric windows.

Otherwise, the driving experience is just as pure and hasn’t been diluted by that little extra weight and sophistication.

It’s as raw and as wonderful as it ever was.

The 154 bhp Rover-engined 111S is still on sale for €50k, but I’d opt for the €56k 111R model which is fitted with the 1.8-litre, 197 bhp Toyota T-Sport engine.

The thrash-me character of the engine is well suited to the car and should be more reliable in the long term also.

Better yet, the hardtop Exige model is now on sale in Ireland for €60k offering a little more security with slightly sharper dynamics.

Fit it with optional air-conditioning and you have wheeled utopia on your driveway.

I wouldn’t recommend using it on a day-to-day basis, though.

Mazda RX-8
The Mazda RX-8 manages to achieve the impossible by giving us a car for all occasions.

On the drive to work, it’s quiet and refined.

When you have to drag the kids somewhere, there’s space in the back and even dropping a baby into the passenger seat isn’t a spine-twisting affair thanks to the suicide rear doors.

Cruising around town, it turns heads with its cool shape and aggressive haunches.

But when you’re all alone and looking for some fun, the balanced chassis and rev-happy engine combine to make for an intoxicatingly agile car.

Entry-level Comfort model is just €41,195, which seems a bargain until you realise it’s only got 192 bhp.

The Exclusive packs 231 bhp and throws in leather and a sunroof for a total cost of €48,850.

It’s a bit steep, but well worth it.

BMW M5
The newest M-car is dipped in F1 technology including a sequential, seven-speed, paddle-shift manual gearbox; an electronic rear differential; ‘M’-mode with sharper throttle, transmission and engine mapping and idiot-proof ‘launch control’.

Oddly, all the technology works and there’s a noticeable difference when you switch between functions.

Only the unpleasantly jerky action of the transmission at moderate speeds ruins the experience.

The 500 bhp V10 engine is a masterpiece, though, even if it sounds like it’s on its last legs when you start it.

It pulls hard all the way to the red-line and with seven gears it’s never caught out of puff.

More impressive than the performance, though, is its handling.

It involves the driver like few other cars, it feels a lot more agile than such a heavy, luxurious car has any right to and stops with equally impressive vigour.

Couple that to the fact it can cross continents in sumptuous comfort and you have one of the very best all-round cars of all time.

Only its overwrought i-Drive system and dowdy looks stand against it’s overall appeal.

Oh, and its €134,000 price tag, too.

Mitsubishi Evo IX
Buying an Evo is a scary experience.

When you hand over your €50k cheque and they give you the keys to a small, tinny, family saloon with a hideous wing you’ll seriously worry if you’ve made the right decision.

That worry soon turns to panic when you see the basic equipment and bland interior.

Stay calm, though, and turn the key because it will only take you a few miles to realise that the €50k price tag is actually a bargain.

Corners seemingly disappear, braking distances shrink to nothing, torrential rain puts you in a good mood and obstacles like trucks and roundabouts vanish.

The Evo is telepathically connected to you and is engineered to take a beating every day and never miss a beat. It’s breathtaking.

The new Evo IX has silly oval fog-lights, an aluminium bonnet and new wheels, but also gets 20 more horses boosting output to 281 bhp as well as revisions to the suspension, all-wheel drive system and electronic control systems.

The new Evo X should be here by 2007.

Nissan 350Z
The Nissan 350Z almost stole the Lotus Exige’s top spot with its heady mixture of delicious styling, fine performance and high levels of driver involvement.

Ignore the badge because the Z-Car has an identity all its own.

Improvements for 2006 are mostly cosmetic, with new lights, cup holders in the doors and better plastics here and there.

At €56,295 the price has crept up a bit but it’s still not as steep as the 7€0k Nissan was asking for it in 2004.

What makes the Nissan such a great car is its steering, which is sharp, fast, well weighted and perfectly calibrated to give you just enough information about what the front wheels are up to.

If that wasn’t enough, there are superb Brembo brakes to haul the hefty sportscar down from big speeds, while the gear change and clutch action are both delightful too.

Its 3.5-litre V6 is boosted to 300 bhp for 2006 and it sounds so good you’ll roll down the windows just to hear it howl.

Be warned, though: It’s not a very practical car and it’s vulnerable to dings and scrapes because of the sleek shape and poor visibility.

Small complaints for an excellent car, though.

The Rest

Ford GT – Giant Ford rips off original Le Mans car but who cares? It’s gorgeous, fast and sorted. Cheap too, for what it is.

Alfa GT – Sublime good looks are matched to a decent chassis but limited by front-drive platform and fingers-crossed quality.

Audi TT V6 DSG - The only TT worth having, thanks to decent engine and amazing SMG gearbox. Poor value, though.

Audi S4 – So stealth it could sneak up on an eagle. Massive power and refinement combined with AWD stability. A little un-involving though.

Audi RS4 – Less subtle than the S4 but with an astonishing 411 bhp it’s entitled to shout a little louder. Silly money for a small Audi, though.

Citroen C2 VTR - Affordable, chic and fun, the slow-ish steering and sequential gearbox spoil the party.

Dodge SRT-10 – Big, brutish fun that’s not as scary as its portrayed - provided you don’t provoke it. You’ll need an airfield to enjoy it.

MINI Cooper S – With or without the John Cooper Works kit the MINI is a class driving act. All new model by 2007, though.

Mercedes Benz A200 Turbo – It’ll be reasonably fast and reasonably fun but a little expensive for most boy-racers. Sporty kit is optional.

Mercedes Benz C55 AMG – Neat handling C-Class meets crazy V8. It’s incredibly fast but AMG has tied down the handling so all is well.

Mercedes E55 AMG - Big price buys big power but does it look and feel its money? Only when you stomp on the loud pedal.

Mercedes Benz CLS 55 AMG – Outrageous price but outrageous fun. Not as raw as the M6 and better for it.

Mercedes SL 55 AMG - Magnificent SL AMG combines elegance with sledgehammer performance but for a price!

SLR McLaren – Million Euro supercar GT megacar is for the stonking rich only. Sure, it’s good, but given its price that’s hardly surprising.

Hyundai Coupe - The aging Coupe offers a lot for little outlay, but the MINI betters it for prestige and fun.

Porsche 911 – A wonderful machine that flatters and rewards but beyond the financial means of most mortals.

Porsche Carrera GT – The last modern supercar with a manual shift. It feels stripped out compared to Enzo and SLR and is better for it.

Renault Megane Renault Sport 225 – It’s fast and looks the biz, but the Megane RS 225 is a little flat to compete with the best.

Volvo S40 T5 – Fast, comfortable and capable, the T5 is a stealthy mover but a bit too expensive considering its Focus underpinnings.

Volvo S60R - Swift, sharp and safe, the S60R lacks the ultimate involvement of German rivals.

Ford Focus ST – Ford says new Focus ST is seven seconds a lap faster around the Nurburgring than the old RS. Enough said.

Ford Fiesta ST – Hard looking and wonderful to drive but lacking in power. 150 bhp is warm-hatch stuff these days, Ford.

Porsche Boxster - Wonderfully balanced car with delightful controls and looking great after its midlife facelift.

Porsche Cayman – Sublime in every respect but not worth the premium over the Nissan 350Z and Exige.

Ford Mondeo ST 220: Delicious chassis, taut controls and tough looks. If only it was cheaper and not about to be replaced.

VW Golf GTi – The GTi is back! But really, it isn’t. New car is fast and fun but in a grown up way.

Subaru Impreza WRX – Multiple facelifts are hurting values. Overpriced, overrated and really not that fast once you get it off the line anyway.

Subaru Impreza WRX STi – Yet another facelift and new engine tries to keeps Scooby in the game, but Evo does it better.

Subaru Legacy 3.0R Spec B – Handsome, fast, bullet-proof and stealthy. For those pretending to grow old gracefully.

BMW M3 – Sublime balance and wonderful engine but replacement isn’t very far away so hold off for a sell-off model or nearly-new trade-in.

BMW M6 – Essentially the M5 but with less space and a higher price. Glorious car, but a little too hardcore for its target audience perhaps.

Opel Speedster – Based on the Elise and 99 percent as much fun to drive. Turbo model is barking fast.

Citroen C4 VTS – Good value compared to hot-hatch rivals but a little underpowered and not as sharp as it could be. Lovely looks though.

Opel Vectra GTS V6 - Fast Vectra is mean-looking and aggressive, but power overcomes front-drive chassis when you push on.

Jaguar XJR - Mind-boggling pace and nimbleness for one so big - feels like a jet-propelled English clubhouse.

Avoid
Smart Brabus Coupe/Roadster – Not much longer for this world, sadly, but not surprising give how slow and expensive they are.

Chevrolet Corvette – Smaller than before but still big by European standards. The Corvette is not delicate but it is fast. A bargain 400 bhp.

Opel Astra OPC – The Astra OPC is faster than the Focus ST thanks to 240 bhp turbo-charged engine, but its an unruly handful.

Saab 9-3 Aero: Beautiful and classy but for this kind of money and power, you need rear or four-wheel drive.

Saab 9-5 Aero: Same story as the 9-3 Aero. A little less power and smaller wheels make for a better 9-5.

Toyota Corolla T-Sport: Looks almost like your mums Corolla and has to be thrashed like a redheaded stepchild to go.

Mercedes Benz CL 55 AMG – The AMG treatment looks silly on the big CL Coupe. The CL looks better and drives just fine in €50k cheaper CL 500 guise.

Mercedes Benz SL 600– The SL 500 AMG offers more power and better handling for the same money. 6.0-litre V12 is simply unnecessary.

Mercedes S65 AMG - Why does a gigantic saloon ever need to be this fast? S500 is nicer or simply wait for the new model to arrive.

Mercedes SLK 55 AMG – Too expensive to be thrown around and too grippy to be proper fun. It’s a fast car for people not used to fast cars.

Mercedes CLK 55 AMG - Certainly brightens up the CLK’s looks, but AMG treatment doesn’t suit laid-back CLK.

VW Beetle 1.8T - Too soft to be a performance car and too girly anyways.

Alfa Romeo 147 GTA - 250 bhp, 3.2-litre V6 is simply too much for an already mediocre front-drive chassis.

Honda S2000 - Slow and over-light steering spoil otherwise fine driver’s package. Looks old now, too.

Jaguar XKR – All new car coming soon, so don’t buy an old-model XK now!

Mazda6 MPS – On paper, an Evo rival. On the road, it’s disappointingly un-involving.

Peugeot 206 GTi – The 207 is on its way so why not wait for that?

Volvo T6 - Fastest thing about the T6 is its depreciation. It’ll move, but it won’t like it. You’ve been warned.

Volvo S80 V8 – Volvo’s AWD, auto-only, V8 S80 was designed for America, so don’t expect too much in the way of handling. A tough used sell, too.

Jaguar S-Type-R - As fast as it is, big wheels and stiff suspension get punished in Ireland. Kit looks odd, too.

Fiat Stilo Abarth - Fiat attempt at a Grand Tourer/hot-hatch hybrid misses its mark. It’s dire.

Chrysler Crossfire - Merc SLK chassis wasn’t fun in the SLK, and it’s no better in the Crossfire. Expensive, too, especially in SRT-6 spec.