The Supercars That Will Lead The Way In 2019
Finally revealed to the world on January 8th, the new 2014 SEAT Leon Cupra is already a contender for car of the year, with its powerful 285hp engine. SEAT certainly has high expectations of the new release as they have announced their intention to make it set a record for the fastest lap on the Nurburgring race circuit. Will they achieve this goal? When it comes to sports car ambitions you can rely on Porsche to deliver the goods. If you think that Porsche are happy to simply revise their existing cars, think again! 2014 will see the release of the Macan, a super car the swift performance of a sports car with the flair and style of an SUV to create a whole new and unique off-roading experience. Audi is now moving into hybrid power vehicles and will be doing so by introducing the highly anticipated A3 e-tron. Set to rev up the motor in 2014 is The Aston Martin Vanquish Volante, a convertible version of the popular Vanquish model which like the original is powered by a 565 hp, 5.9-liter V-12 engine. This Aston Martin experience works via its powerful engine engaging with a six-speed automatic transmission that generates astonishing road powers through the rear wheels. With top speeds of 183 mph, The Vanquish Volante boasts a fully carbon-fiber shell for a firmer body and a lighter weight that will make it both more durable and easier to drive.
It flies a straight line as unerringly as a migrating goose, it decelerates with the elegance and efficiency of a landing swan, and it follows the road as accurately as a buzzard trailing its lunch. By late afternoon the Porsche 718 has proven itself every bit as competent and as challenging as the BMW. Its steering is lighter and even more responsive, its grip is easy to read and a joy to exploit, and its 95kg weight advantage adds a useful and very welcoming dash of agility. Any Porsche weaknesses the Z4 can exploit? Well, yes. The Cayman's brakes are grabbier (if ultimately a tad stronger), while the uncompromised roadholding needs a smooth surface to really shine; it's less happy than the BMW to rough it on sub-prime blacktop. The Porsche's flat-four engine also relies on high revs to deliver, and fails to muster quite the same linear punch as a six.
Plus of course it sounds more like an air-cooled Beetle on steroids than a detuned M1. Of course, there are cheaper and less powerful Z4s to be had, and more powerful and pricier Porsches. And let's not forget the Jaguar F-Type, Audi's TT and the brilliant Alpine A110, not to mention the Supra, Z4's Japanese twin. But there's plenty of time in which to test those cars. What of these two, right now? The Cayman has the nicer steering; lighter, quicker, more involving. What the Porsche lacks in this company is an extra helping of torque to whiplash the car forward with a vengeance. Having said that, four cylinders and 2.0 litres simply don't burn the same fingernail-curling fireworks as a rasping 3.0-litre six. At the end of the day the Z4 is the faster car - and more often than not it matches the Porsche for tactile excellence and transparent interaction to boot. If you're comfortable with the extrovert exterior design and the over-styled cockpit, the Z4 rewards with a legendary engine, a remarkable chassis and an impressive, involving and invigorating turn of speed. How marked is the BMW's transition from poseur to pro? Munich should have badged its new roadster Z5.
It's a cerebral car that also plays to our emotions. The Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman have made numerous appearances on our 10Best Cars list, so our feelings can't be explained by budding infatuation, yet we still get that first-date buzz every time we drive them. Their power and performance have risen over the years, and these tightly packaged sports cars have seen minimal dimensional spread. The current Boxster is 1.4 inches longer than the original and around 160 pounds heavier. Considering the 49 percent increase in base power, that's entirely acceptable. Porsche also has heightened the technology quotient, adding various active dynamic systems. And the 718's cabin would have seemed otherworldly plush to a buyer of the first-gen Boxster. But the fundamental notion of a light, responsive sports car remains unchanged. Granted, most of us prefer the naturally aspirated flat-six engines of the pre-718 cars to the new turbocharged fours. The new mills pull hard and offer a surfeit of low-down torque, but they can't match the zing or zeal with which the old ones chased their redlines. Even the standard Boxster makes a compelling case, with preternatural chassis balance and honed optimization of throttle and steering.
Here the smallest of inputs yields precise, measured responses. We've examined our feelings for the Cayman and the Boxster and find that the reality is still every bit as good as the fantasy. As the Volkswagen Golf lineup has expanded, we've granted a growing group of variants a spot on our 10Best Cars list. This year is no different, as the Golf, Golf SportWagen, Golf Alltrack, Golf GTI, Golf R, and e-Golf all share the award. But we do have a favorite among these siblings: the GTI. It delivers automotive ecstasy in spades, starting with the 228-hp turbocharged inline-four with smooth, satisfying power delivery and a strong shove of torque down low in the rev range. A well-judged suspension tune turns a highly competent chassis into a brilliant one, with unflappable composure and an endearing eagerness to change direction. The GTI also exhibits a welcome sense of polish with its wonderfully presented interior (the plaid seats are a must) and a sophisticated exterior treatment that eschews overwrought vents and scoops. If you need more trunk for your junk, the SportWagen compromises none of the hatchback's strengths while offering SUV-like luggage capacity. It also can be had with all-wheel drive, or in Alltrack garb, which brings a higher ride height and extra body cladding鈥攎arketing concessions that hardly bother us, because it drives so well. 22,740 Golf S feels rich in content and construction. Its interior is ergonomically sound and airy, while its fluid body motions, communicative primary controls, and sense of solidity make it engaging and refined. And the 288-hp Golf R speaks to our power lust鈥攊t's a legitimate performance car, both in terms of numbers and feel. But anyone can add power to a car and make it more fun to drive. Not everyone can build a family of cars as coherent as this.