Autocar Car of the Year 2017 | Britain's Best Sports Car named | 720S, 911 GT3, GT R and more

Welcome. To Castle Combe where we are going to find out what is auto cars favorite, drivers car of 2017. Now what I'm interested in is what they like to drive so we don't care what they look like we don't care about what they're like inside we don't go from the price we, just care which one is the nicest to drive down what's on your radar I'm, looking forward to driving the Caterham, Donington addition because sevens, are always fantastic on track and, on the other extreme I want to know well the big heavy powerful. Mercedes, e63, a state car is like, around Castle Combe hoping, morrow me I'm, going with the, gt3 because portions were more handling, days than any other manufacturer Morton, really can force having a go into 720's I've heard a sneaky rumor that's actually, quicker than the p1 and I, really, want to have it going in four because they always get a kick in and I won't have to be a good car fair enough alright we'll get home we, run an annual competition to name Britain's best drivers, car since 1989. And this, year like in that very first year we went to Castle Combe to do it Combe, is a scary, old circuit, for one it's very fast. Too, there's, very little runoff but, it's also a great circuit, really bumpy and with a mix of cameras and corners it's seriously. Good for, assessing a road car first, up is the second most powerful car, in the test which, seems absurd, given the company it's in and the fact that it is ultimately a, family, estate car, so. The, e63, AMG s. Now, that s is very important, because that means that this is the fastest, eClass Mercedes, have ever made. 604. Horsepower. 604, and. 627. Pounds. Of torque think. About that number for a minute that is absolutely. Ridiculous, it's, not like car. 2060. Kilograms, it's, wet today and this car feels all of those 2060. Kilograms in these conditions but it is a very fast car naught to 60 3 and a half seconds, limited. As all fast Mercedes, are 255. Take, that limiter off and this is a 200, mile an hour car it's all drive now for the e-class you. Can put it into rear-wheel drive which we will do a bit later in four-wheel, drive mode it has so much straight line performance that you arrive everywhere carrying, way more speed than you expected, it, may be extremely, big and heavy and yes it, does slip and slide around a little but, in these sodden conditions it's one of the most approachable cars, here this, thing is a 9-speed. Gearbox 9, speeds that's absolutely. Ridiculous. It's running on the new and very much respected. Michelin. Pilot Sport 4s, tires that replace the super sports they're, meant to be better in the wet they're, certainly better in the wet than the Pilot. Sport cup twos and actually. They, do feel better in the oil in a Super Sport these, brakes. I'm. Not getting a load of confidence from these brakes I've probably done four laps and the. Very. Long the star performer, of Nea of G is its engine here, are 4 liter v8 G of hop turbos ostensibly, the same unit as you'll find in both the a sturdy, b11 and the AMD gt-r, but, here it makes more power than in either of them so, let's see what happens when you put it in to be able drive mode ala, moment it seems everybody is having a little gimmick of giving up the drift mode mg's. Have always been, about, having. Fun they've often been criticized have been not quite sharp as their m as, their M cousin, as it were and, to be fair that was a fair criticism and when Mercedes made this thing four-wheel drive I got a bit upset I was thinking no I, love AMG, because they are sideways, absolutely.

Everywhere I've been at world-record once in an AMG. Record. For the world's longest drift. So I've swallowed, a brave pill and I've now put it into rear-wheel drive, this. Cupid, idea it's. Absolutely. Soaking today, this, thing has got 604. Horsepower, and. I'm. Pleased, to report this. Car becomes a different animal when, you've got it in rear-wheel drive you can really build for. The back pushing. It sideways and, this is for scorn here okay it's quite tricky one turning, slow it down a bit power, coming. On over through the corner yeah. That's transforming, the car for me now I'm. One of those guys I know, everyone said I why do you need to just the car everywhere but being able to just the car it, really, really actually exploits the cars natural balance and then forward drive mode it just didn't move around on the edge like, how I like car to move around and this is handling though this is about our, car handles how, it entertains a driver and once you've got this thing in rear-wheel drive it, is back to being an entertaining. Car, all of a sudden you've got an adjustability, you didn't have you've, got a playfulness, you didn't have him four-wheel drive you got a scare in it she didn't have going, for the fastest corner on a track there and it's you are starting to step out I was in fifth gear. Yes. That's. It that, is how I like, my AMG's. Yeah, my. Message, to you if you buy one of these cars, just. Leave in real drive mode also, rear-wheel, drive and with a gurantee turbocharged, engine is BMWs. 87. Grand m4. CS, this, is the model that sits between, the. Mainstream m4. Competition. And the completely mad completely, unhinged m4. GTS I think. What you're about to watch it's several minutes of a very frightened. Man driving. Very slowly around, a slippery, an, extremely scary, circuit. So, this is the model that, borrows, some of the parts, from the GTS, to, make it faster, to make it lighter more agile, making a bit sharper, than the standard m4 and the and before competition. And. So that means this cars about 35, kilos lighter than, the competition not. A huge amount and it's, still, 15. 80 kilos, at the curb it's still close to 1600 kilograms, this car so, let's. Not go pretending, it's a lightweight track, machine it's. Also got more power than the competition. 454. Brake horsepower, it'll. Do nought, to 60 in sub, 4, seconds. 3.9. To 62 in fact which. For. A rear driven car like this is really, really fast last. Year at this contest we've had the even more folks GTS. Along I was one of the few who absolutely loved it and there are similarities, between these two cars they're, both set up stiffly, with very little understeer, direct, and responsive, steering and in loads of oversteer if you want it in the wet though with, the cs you get oversteer weather frankly, you will do or not it's, less.

Than 10 degrees outside and, there's, no, grip, at all it's, compounded, because this cars on Michelin. Cup 2 tires which. Are just struggling. So. Much I'm. Driving the car in comfort. Mode I've got the softest, suspension. Setting just to try and help the chassis find, some grip. I've, also got this, stability control, system on entirely. And, even, so the cast just slipping and sliding the front end or push. Massive. Understeer, there and. Then it'll slide there, and then I'll try and get the power down and it'll slide again, really. You're just holding, on I've. Driven this, emphasis, enough in the dry to know, that, it's a big, improvement. On an, m4 competition, BMW. Say the. Only difference chassis, wise part of the country tires is the, software so. Apparently. All the chassis, settings, all the spring rates and damper rates are all the same I'm. Not. Persuaded by that after so because I think the chassis feels so different. To. Any other m4. That I've driven what, you've got in this car in the dry particularly. On the road is body, control. Especially. Over the rear axle the, cars just more settled, it's more composed, than a, standard. M4 or the m4 competition, which they've, been getting better and better year-on-year but they're still, wild, things. To drive I really, wanted the m4 CS to be good but, the reality is somewhat different unless you've got the skill the, commitment, and the bravery to grab it by its horns and these wet conditions actually. Pretty, poor particularly. These conditions, there's something about the throttle calibration, that's, really. Really tricky to judge you seem to give, it half throttle and you just get all the boosts the engine lights off the turbos spool up even more and then you just break traction in the car slides, let's. See what happens if we get into. N dynamic. Modes so halfway house. Yeah. Would. You believe it it will slide. It's. Quite, a nice mode, this you've, still got some safety net there, but. It just lets the car go a little bit so you can get it moving around. Those. Track, grass tire wall there's. No runoff whatsoever. So. Systems, fully off is. This going to end in. A terrible crash. It. Will drift beautifully, actually this car you have to measure that throttle input that first throttle input but come on it's an M car course it. Can't. Argue with that can you and. It's a shame because. Light. Thing this is the best em forever. It's. Just so hard, to appreciate, that when there's so little grip. To. The honda civic type-r as they say beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, 380.

Horsepower A hatchback, and we've also got near 600 horsepower. We get 700 horsepower supercars, here so that's, the beauty of our and you're, sort of handing a challenge it doesn't matter how fast a car is what, matters that's what it does to you in here how it makes you feel and that is why over the years not. Always the fastest car wins now. The Civic is our favorite hot hatch of the moment it is the hatch du jour isn't, it because this generation Civic gets, multi-link. Rear end rather than a torsion beam the. Previous gen one was just a little bit one-dimensional at. Times it was really fast around the Nordschleife abhar slyly. Irritating, around, the. North Circular this, one has got a broader. Remit. If you like it's meant to be more comfortable at one end of things but also more. Agile, and, faster. At the other extreme of things according. To the engineers every scoop, every, wing has a specific, job to play and how this thing goes can. I feel them actually doing their thing mm-hmm, I'm not sure but, what, the Camco is that clever front they're finding grip, where frankly today it, had no right to a lot, of power to persuade the front wheels this isn't it sort, the moderator that Civic. Is pretty clever suspension wise. Doesn't. Break into understeer very easily it's. Quick in a straight line revs to about seven it's quite engaging noise, that's. Really agile I. Like this car, maybe. A bit less than some of my colleagues who think it's the best hot. Hatchback in years and it's got such an evil, capable, chassis not. Everybody is a fan of the Civic type-r but I am an advocate for. Me as a perfect, blend of adjustability, and stability and, in, these wet conditions, it has masses, of grip and bundles, of performance, enough, to give the Mokpo how for BMW m4, CS a hard time around the lap. Some. Of the old delicacy, that they. Just departed, Renault. Megane Renault Sport had that, when you turned in and you saw a trail the brakes in where you lived in mid corner you got much, more adjustability, than this car has but. In terms of outright. Capability. Bump absorption. Resistance. To both understeer, and oversteer, this. Car is his superior, no question, and I think he's good enough to hold its head really high in this company honesty, is really nicely there's a little bit of torque stick it has to be expected, with this level of talk empower the gearbox, is really sneaky let's take some real highlight of this car I think the gearbox and when, you've only got 300, odd horsepower, to push you around, rather. Than 700. You know it's quite nice to have something else to do down the straights it's very fast in hot hatchback terms. But, when it comes I. Think. A pleasingly, old-school. Level. Of engagement. Rather. Like that I'll be honest I rather like that. How, many times have. These cars won, NWA. Contests, like this one these 911, gt3, s the RS is GT twos they. Just dominate, these competitions don't they here, we are then this is the second generation 991. Gt3. That. Won last year and here. We are with an even, more track-focused version, of the 911. It. All bodes very well indeed for this car doesn't it is an, interesting point this car is on the same tires, Michelin. Pilot Sport cup 2 s is that m4 CS, okay. There might be a small difference in size small difference in compound. Fundamentally. It's the same tire that, m4 was, all over. The place it was hard. Work actually it was really, really tricky. Really. Scary this. Thing. This. Makes so much, easier, to drive quickly, there's. So much more feel, you're. Not guessing you're. Not alarmed. When it suddenly snaps sideways, from out nowhere you, know when it's going to do it you can feel where the grip is you can feel how much front end it's got the gt3, is magnificent. Even in the wet and even, at sensible speeds on, the road for example it steers beautifully, it's compact, it has great visibility and fairly, obviously the, bags of traction it takes all of the focus of the BMW, but puts it in a lighter more, responsive, more compact, package that rides steers and handles better than well, almost, any other car elevator I've.

Left It in the softest, damper setting because I want to try and find some grip in this in. These treacherous, conditions. And. Even in that mode the body control, is so good this track, it's got lots of Rises, lots of crests, and compressions, the, steering. Is beautiful, it's a pass okay so it doesn't have that same kind. Of patterning. Sensation. At low speed that you got with a hydraulic rack but the. Best e-pass system i've ever come across we've, got great break ceramics, on this car and, the brakes just, aren't wilting, you've got so much pedal feel as well. And, then. If. You want to you, can make the things slide really. Really easily and it, just feels so well balanced when you're in a drift actually. A 911, the hardcore 911, sliding, like that is one. Of drivings most. Amazing. Sensations, it's quite everything being in the wrong place this car just works, it does things no car with all that weight so far from the front wheel shoot it. Would be flat-out laps all day long and you can slide it around like a GTI TCH a special thing let's. Talk about the drivetrain, so. After four liters and this, is the first time Porsche, has been able to combined a four liter engine, with a 9,000. Rpm, redline. Woohoo. 9,000. Rpm, when. You get through. 7,000. Let's give it a go so. Up to seven. Thousand, eight, thousand, nine it just lights, up, this. PDK gearbox fix. As quick as they can it's, the airship, exactly, when you want. What's. A drivetrain, what. A drivetrain, this is this. Normally. Aspirated flat, six 475. Horsepower. Masses. Of performance. Got. Very linear, power delivery because, it's not turbocharged. And it works so nicely in these conditions. That. Soundtrack. This. Engine, is just. Spectacular. The. Best drivetrain, out of the. Whole group I, think, your ears isn't there. What's. Got a better soundtrack, and more exciting, engine. More. Thrilling. Power delivery, and sharper, gearbox than this thing nothing. Here Wow. I. Know. It's, predictable, but this. Thing is gonna take some beating, our. Next car was a mgs take on the 911, gt3 it's, the AMG GT car, now. When Mercedes made this thing they made it for one reason and one reason only and that was to punch, Porsche. And their gt3, square on the nose what's. It like well it's got, 577. Horsepower which, is slightly less then, we have uni class same, engine four litre twin-turbo. V8 well I say the same engine the same pace of engine this thing's got different, ECU some. Different internals, a different stay tuned is, it and nearly. But, not quite in terms of as good as the Porsche gt3 where, today it's gonna be quite hard to tell because he's. Soaking, wet today it's, probably not the ideal car, or well, for these conditions on cut slick missioning cut two tires the GTRs tricky in the web but, still so sharp and, responsive, there's. A bump coming out of the second chicane that upsets it on every, lap flicking. It into a small slide each time. But if you can get the tire temperatures, up the GTR feels like I've been a gt3 racing car, I've spent quite, a bit of time in this car and. I really, really enjoy them I'm gonna be honest it's so wet today we're not going to set any representative. Lap times on, how capable this, car is so. I'm just gonna have a mess around see. How fun is or otherwise, and eat the fish man I love that noise I'm. Gonna turn the traction control completely, off because. Well. Kid because brakes, feel mega or, turning, oversteer guys. Nervous and nowhere. You, can have a bit of a play with it slippery. Those big tire just hunting for the water can. I use for power I can. Will. It slow down I don't know, brake. Pedals feel really nice the brakes in there are so much nicer than. They were in, that class. I was just in let's see what's not gonna turn a bit of understeer there that's just good a wetness of, slide. Care. For the red and white don't. Shut the power down straightaway because it wasn't that back the, GTR is a truly, compelling car wider, and louder Elyria than a 911 gt3. Foot with a distinctive, personality, all of its own and rewarding, in its own way it's, also seriously.

Fast It makes loads of noise and you think business, think all mouth and no trousers and then you check them laptop key box works mostly, well got the time your colour time doing missus down changes. Bit. Of understeer for there but that really is me carried so much beat into the corner. Here. You go baby. This. Is an absolute monster of a car what's. It like over these bumps it, rides a bunch really well really. I. Realised, car it's playful it's fast I love the way it looks nothing like as intimidating, as, I was expecting, it to be any, recognition. If, the GTR feels like a gt3 racer there's, a car here that feels more like a touring, car the, Alfa Romeo Giulia. Quadrifoglio. Was, the power developed in really short space of time so short some people said it couldn't be done but there, was a bloke in charge who project. Before that I think was the Ferrari. 458. Speciale. II which is not a bad thing to be going up but is it frankly and I know it's a different car this is a saloon car that is a supercar, but you. Can sort of tell it's got that. Mark on it steering's really quick two terms locked a lot but with it there's, this sort of real. Silky, smoothness and the ride, is. Absolutely. Beautifully composed on, the road and around the circuit like this uncannily. Smooth they, stomp easy road courses now you. Could also have I think trophy O's which. Are even more race, track. Oriented. Doesn't. Have a conventional, limited slip diff I think this caucus or q2, differential. Plus, race with electronics, and clutch is this is, quite a clever system it, means that it's more refined, on the road and on turning doesn't lock up and. Exacerbate understand. What it does is it allows the rear wheels to, turn whatever, speeds, they really want to and, then it only electronically. Hooks. Up. Under, acceleration when, you particularly wanted, to but, this is pretty. Well set up frankly, even. If you put the car into race mode you, can hit the damn button and slack, in the suspension off that, makes a huge difference on a bumpy road but on track in these very slippery, conditions it, also means that Julia finds traction, and grip that, other cars simply don't there. Are cars in which a wet. Bumpy, circuit like Castle Combe would, be pretty, terrifying, if they had rear-wheel, drive p0. Courses, and. 510. Horsepower from a turbocharged, engine so when, the tour kicks in the, talk fairly kicks in - as, long as you keep things through. Stone it's actually quite manageable it's gone or Indy at the moment let's stick it into race that firms everything, up I'll, pick a caller, and. We'll see where how it behaves, this. Thing is basically a four-door, Ferrari make no mistake the front end is sharp and it's as crisp as you could want a front axle to be it, will slide so progressively, once you're used to that quick front steering rack and turning, in on the brakes only seems to exacerbate that feeling of alertness. Quite, often we invite a saloon car along to a test like this you, get to a point you go yeah it's good for me to, finish. Nearly last because, what it is is a 1.7. 1.8, ton saloon car and a sports car unsurprisingly, beats it. Just. Don't get that with this I am, convinced. It is a better car than an m3, or, an m4, I think, it's the best super. Saloon you can buy at the moment I prefer. It to all. Of them quit Jegs quick, mercs it's. Going, world-class. Absolutely. World-class chassis. You've got a 250. To. Do. Some. Of it on motorway, and some of it on, lovely. Back roads it's. Not much better than one of these on sale at the moment and I genuinely mean that at any price any, power, any size.

Of Car I think. This is absolutely, one of the most enjoyable, cars on sale I love, it to bits it's so, beautifully. Balanced, this. Car is is. Great, in all conditions I think in conditions like this particularly, it. Could win I mean I'm having as much fun here, as I suspect I will have in, the. Fastest, cars that were going from, cutting-edge Italian exotica, to, a bathtub, on wheels built, in a shed in England. Whether. Mrs. the winner is mend its the Caterham 7 this. Is what they've built to do okay, it's, not quite that simple. For. This guy, this. Fantastic. Around here. It's, a 4:20, Donington, edition. One. Of only 10 that they're going to make Kate. Reed's got a new dealership. At. Donington, Park and. These limited, edition models, commemorate, that new dealership. These. Of the 10 class is named after a corner, at Burlington, this one's car number one and, it's named after red gate, this. Is a 420, which means to school a 2 litre luminous. Rated, first cylinder engine, with 220. Brake, horsepower. If. There's more like 400. The. Car so loads it's, less than 600. Kilograms. So. It's got so, much, performance. And, check. This out. Sequential. Gear shift how cool is that, this. Up shifts. And. Changes of the gear. ACK. Watch. It on the way down. Does. Not get any better than that. A. Caterer. Might not be built with these cars and conditions but it is great in them nonetheless it. Doesn't weigh very much so it's really agile and it has a linear power delivery and so, much steering feel that it is the car deist car of the bunch, you can dole out just, as much power as its tiny sports car needs which makes it great fun to drive in, the wet or dry. To. Make it. Good. Turning, great but of course you can feel. Everything. That the front tires are doing, the, steering, is just spectacular. Start. Their catering depth, as well and, it's even got good breaking, bread this. Guy has no abs they should be backing up all over the place but. Because it's got such great pedal feel you. Don't lock out. Rude. With, the track so slippery you. Can just pull hit the bear where there make the car slide all, over the place. Surely. It's the most entertaining, affair. When. The truck is this wet.

You. Can't hide your mistakes in a caterer it's basically, like going back to school no ABS no traction. Control no wings. Removal just, perfect then well, maybe, I'd have the windscreen. The, engine. 210. Brake horsepower, at, 7600. RPM. It, support, for river, it's. A small, team or t aggressive, engine, you, have to use all those. Fantastic. Coming. Down a. Slippery. Right-hander. Get turned then. Get. On the power and. Make. It slide. Doesn't. Get much better than this guys. It's. Less than 50 grand this car, this. Were the cheaper cows in this test and. You know. Holder, the quickest cars here and. The track is maybe the most entertaining came, here. So. From no touring, to Grand Touring next, up is Aston Martin's DB, 11 the 8 so. If I've played a little game with you let's say we started playing the word association. Game and I said to you track. Car I'd. Be very surprised if any one of you came back and shouted DB. 11 no, not gonna happen but, let me tell you something the, chapter is now responsible for how these things handle it also the guy that was responsible, for how, every. Modern Lotus handles and when he left Lotus and came to Aston Martin he brought with him all of his top guys I've. Got a sneaky suspicion this is going to be a pretty. Good, car to drive it's wet today it's cold it's damp those, conditions actually play into this car it's quite soft it's. Quite heavy it's lighter than the e-class or an earlier but it's slightly heavier than the AMG GT are this, thing has got 510. Horsepower and. 500, pounds of torque first. Impressions. It. Feels a very nice, car to drive on track it's, not intimidating, it, rides beautifully the brakes feel nice it's, quick slow engine horsepower it's quick in the same way the other two were quick and, actually I'd say that. In these conditions it. Is they're nicer more. Progressive car the, Aston Martin is one of the three cars here to use the Mercedes, 4 litre twin-turbo. V8, it's, a brilliant performance, car engine with sharp throttle response and tons of power and, remarkably, Aston, has made it feel like it really belongs in the development the, soundtrack, is rich and cultured just. As you'd expect of an Aston, this. Steering is nice it's really nicely weighted it's beautifully damped everything when it's Godby but that's actually the suspension is beautifully that the sneering a beautifully damped the brake pedal feel is nice the, turning is good considering the conditions it, doesn't feel as aggressive, as either of the AMG s it, actually feels nice that the damping is definitely nicer in this thing, I've put that down to the, chap from Lotus, I put her down to his input in the car. Right. You know I'll sit front it down. To. See what we can get out of dynamics of it the funny thing about this track this is an intimidating track, none of the cars I've been in today have been particularly intimidating I have to say it's, the track if you get it slightly wrong there's no room for error you've, got a bit of grass and it's a very very hard, metal, barrier it's all you've got -. Going over ok ok so, what's. It like on the exit they're powerless so it slides. Nice. Breakaway the, way it regained his grip quite progressive as well not. Bad not bad at all that the DB 11 really, came into its own in these conditions with, a v8 engine in its nose rather than the v12 it's lighter, which reduces, understeer and makes it far more willing to turn but, then it still has loads of torque - and with a long wheelbase the, engine in the front and rear wheel drive that makes it a delightful, car in which to go sideways. Big. Angle there that's cool, yeah. They have done a great job with this car it's. Not a track car of course it's not but in today's conditions, it. Works perfectly I can't drive this. Perfectly. It glides, it's absolutely, wonderful it glides but it doesn't feel unruly. So they've. Done the magic thing of making a car feel, like he's floating when you need to be but, it's perfectly, responsive, when, you want it to be you can play you can have a drift. Good. Good car I like it brakes, a nice gearbox. Works well it's, a beast it's, a beast. From. One powerful Brit to another the, most powerful, car on the test in fact you join me about. 20. Minutes after its own down, wetter, than an otters pocket sort. Of hosing perfect. Conditions for a. Lightweight. Carbon fiber, highly. Turbocharged. 700-plus. Horsepower mid-engine. Supercar wouldn't, you say. Well. Let's see let's.

Deal With the things that we can do with any speed brake. Pedal feel is good steering. Steel. Hydraulic, is lovely. It feels light it feels agile it. Turns really, crisply. And smoothly, I've. Got everything on, I mean, the sort of mid mode now this is where the McLaren gets a little bit more complicated, because. You have to put a this panel into active mode in the first instance, so for an arrow mode I have to push a button I've. Now got at the moment I'm in manual which I want I've got my powertrain, and my, chassis, in there middle setting so it goes Comfort. Sport Trac, or in sport at the moment sports probably, in the wet about as firm. As you want to make the dampers because you want a bit of body lean to make the tires work so you put some weight on the outside tires, the traction control light just sort of links away going here. I'm, just here I'm just doing my thing just. To stop you spearing off into a wall, despite. Being so fast in a straight line and having so much cornering, ability the. 720, s is actually one of the most drivable, cars here it's easy to read and it has great steering it's. Fairly extraordinary this car has got. 720. Horsepower 710, brake, what. A limit Lehren f1 have 627 so. It's got, pushing. On 480 horsepower more than return F 1 it's, now turbocharged. My, everly turbocharged, 2 4 liter engine so, it's quite boosting, but, in no way does, that power come on to, intimidatingly. This is near hyper car speed I suspect around a race circuit, if, I know around a race circuit this car is quicker than a p1, which. Makes it one of the fastest production cars, in, the world and yet. And yet. They. Are just not up to the understeer a bit. There's, a bit of oversteer. So. What it's, all very. Very manageable the 720's, is not as adjustable, as of duty-free once, the grip has gone mainly, due to their lack of an LSD, varieties. Class-leading is, even, s-class levels of good the way it's unaffected, by the big curbs on the racetrack is absolutely.

Amazing And the speed is otherworldly. And of, course it does have the variable just control variable. Drift control right. There we go I've. Turned it up a bit that will. Allow a certain degree of. Opposite. Lock before, the stability, control comes in so so, now my traction control light is always on it, would appear. And. There it goes it. Shows you just how much. Traction. Control was working, a minute ago in these, conditions because, it is now just, just, breathe on the throttle and. The back breaks away. But. In a very progressive fashion. It's. Not exactly progressive, by Aston, v8 DB 11 standards. It, shouldn't be is not expected to be so. That's third gear they'd, have understeer, little. Bit of oversteer and then it just as long as you're steady on the throttle, it. Thinks you know what you're doing, it. Just opens up the tacks a bit and even down the straight there just. As the boost comes off, it. Lets it step out a little bit, I think. What's remarkable about this car is that these. Are really not the conditions for it yet. Here. I am. Having. More fun than you would necessarily expect. There, is no question, this is a world-class. Supercar. At any speed. Apparently. In any conditions, McLaren. 720s, is also one of the most track-focused cars, here once. The circuit had dried the 720s put its clever active arrow sublime. Chassis, and neck snapping 710. Brake horsepower, to good use, setting, a time of 1 minute 11.6. Seconds, its, lap time would not be beaten we, set lap times at Combe but don't read too much into them we do them just because we can rather than because they have any effect on, our verdicts the conditions, were a bit changeable with the AMG GT are still post did an incredibly respectable, time given, how wet it was really tested it the, Civic was the slowest car tested, but don't forget our verdict, is not about the overall lap time what's more interesting than that is that the civics corner, speeds were as high as any other car here, these. Are the nine best performance, cars of the year but we're here to put them in an order and that, means one of them has to come last in 9th, position, it's the BMW, m4, CS the, CS is a huge improvement on the standard m4 but, it just did not work in these conditions in, eighth it's the mercedes AMG c63s. The. E63, is a game changer for faster state cars but, in this sort of test there's just no escaping his weight in, seventh place it's the second of the two Mercedes the, AMG GT R, I'm. Sure the GTR would have performed better in dry conditions, but as it was it just wasn't suited to a wet Castle Combe sixth, position n goes, to the Honda Civic Type R it may not be a podium finish considered.

In A competition the, Civic Type R can go home with his head held high the, Caterham and Yaffa share fourth think. About that for a sec a four-door, saloon as good to drive one track as a car that has designed to do nothing but, that well-done, Afra mare and so, to the top three in third, place well and truly making the most of the conditions is the Aston, DV, 11 with its benign handling, balance and endearing v8 engine making, it a lovely card to drive the. McLaren's 720's, and Porsche 911, gt3 meanwhile. Would, have come out on top whatever the conditions the. 720s, in second place is a belter, faster. Than even mclaren zone p1, hypercar it's an example of what you could do if you keep a car as light as possible and, give it well, loads of power but. It's fun at normal speeds to some, of our judges thought it could even have pinched the overall, victory so. There you have it 2017. S best drivers car according to us is the Porsche 911, gt3 happy. Absolutely. Happy yeah I think it's a mighty. Mighty car, again from the porsche motorsport division, what, a surprise oh I had, to think long and hard about, any, vices anything, I didn't like about this car when it was really wet yesterday, the cup two tires were out, of their depth but. Even then the car was drivable, it is manageable, it was fun it's. Mega yep some engine as well weight would reckon yeah it's a mega bit kick some an assault on the senses it's, fast it. Was just, so much fun to drive and it's what caught it just excellent it's so engaging the. Only thing that I wasn't. So blown, away by was the engine over the last thousand rpm so between eight and nine it just sounds like it got that last thousand rpm just for the sake of having it it's just a little bit harsh but other than that yeah that's a small criticism but overnight, it's absolutely, fantastic deserving, winner oh it's so beyond the, obvious winner. What has impressed. You the. McLaren the 720s was absolutely. Fantastic, there's, a delicacy, to to how it drives and how it goes about its business it's, so fast it's by, far the quickest thing here and. I loved the junior as well which really is absolutely fantastic does feel like a four-door, Ferrari and that's a cliche but that is the truth the. Other cars that stood out for me were the aston, martin i thought, particularly, the wet yesterday old circuit it was really good and in the dry on track it's still pretty entertaining it. Just makes me think how brilliant. Is the. Vantage going to be smaller shorter, lighter more. Focus chassis the, other car that, i had a lot of fun in as you can tell from my little segment in it was Caterham particularly. On a greasy, circuit, there's. Just nothing like a seven, to fling around a wetback thank, you for watching please like, and subscribe our marketing people call out a call to action you know and join, us every week, here or on AutoCAD, Cody, okay, for more motoring shenanigans.

2018-01-05 19:14

Other news