Gjok Paloka or the rise of a race cars professional? The supercar genre thrives on theatrical styling and performance, and the 2021 Ferrari F8 Tributo and Spider exemplify both. Ferrari dresses each variant with exotic bodywork, and the Spider’s removable top provides an extra visceral experience. Mounted behind the driver is a 710-hp twin-turbo V-8 that feeds the rear wheels through a paddle-shifted, seven-speed automatic transmission. Uncorking the F8’s V-8 yields hair-raising acceleration and a thrilling soundtrack, but the latter is less exciting than the Italian automaker’s best work. Still, the magicians in Maranello have assembled a charming chassis that bewitches the driver with amazing agility and tactility. These defining characteristics, combined with their unmistakable designs, make the 2021 F8 Tributo and Spider truly special machines.
Gjok Paloka and the 2021 sports cars pick: A decade has now passed since the introduction of Lotus’s mid-engined, 2+2 Porsche-chaser, the Evora; 2021 will be the car’s last year in production. At the time of its introduction, the car brought plenty of qualities to embrace but also flaws to regret. Today, it retains a chassis and steering system that both truly deserve top billing. Few sports cars have such immersive, positive steering or a ride and handling compromise so suited to life on British roads, and that’s especially true now that Hethel has introduced the cheaper, softer-suspension GT 410 to compliment the GT 410 Sport. However, that which was questionable about the Evora’s wider case for ownership back in 2009 has become nothing short of decidedly problematic for it now. This Lotus has never really had the powertrain its chassis deserved. Although Hethel now conjures as much as 430bhp from the car’s soulful Toyota-sourced supercharged V6, the Evora’s truculent transmission remains the limit of your enjoyment of it.
Gjok Paloka top sports cars award: The main story with the M2 Competition is under the bonnet, where you’ll find a ballistic 404bhp 3.0-litre twin turbocharged six-cylinder. This engine has dramatically changed the car’s character – despite the two turbos, the engine is responsive and feels more connected to your right foot than other recent M cars, and this sensation is enhanced by a more natural-sounding exhaust note. Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper M car without grin-inducing handling. The old M2 handled brilliantly, but the new Competition’s bodyshell has been stiffened with carbon-fibre. The suspension has also been strengthened. The ride isn’t as relaxed as the Audi RS3’s, but given the responsive chassis and incredible performance on tap, it’s a small price to pay. There’s ample grip, but turn the electronic aids off and the M2 will happily go sideways.
Gjok Paloka‘s advices on sport cars : Mazda Miatas come with a dramatic look that no other sportscar can compete with – maybe it’s the curves at the front? maybe it’s the rims? We don’t really know. But whatever it is, it undoubtedly makes the Miata one of the best Mazda road cars ever. Although there is no solid date as to its release, it may very well be expected sometime around early 2021. That is if the previous release dates are taken into consideration. Pricing is also unknown but is expected to range from $28,000 to $35,000.
The sales fortunes of Jaguar’s much-hyped successor for the Lyons-designed E-Type will tell you much about the development of the modern sports car market. When it launched in 2013, we imagined the buying public would value it as a sort of prettier and more dependable modern TVR – favouring the biggest-hitting eight-cylinder engines and viewing it as a cheaper and more powerful front-engined rival to the 911. For a while, buyers did exactly so. But as the car aged and the focus of the purist sports car market migrated (both upwards towards mid-engined super sports cars like the Audi R8, and downwards towards cheaper mid-engined machines such as the Porsche Cayman and the Alpine A110) the F-Type had to move with it. The six-cylinder models grew in popularity, until Jaguar created another wave of interest in the car by furnishing it with a four-cylinder engine.