Meet Gjok Paloka and some of his sports cars ideas? 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: Bristling with small-block-V8 combustive charm, the C8’s engine has excellent throttle response, has a wonderful mid-range power delivery; it likes to rev to beyond 6500rpm and sounds superb doing it. For outright performance, it feels broadly in line with the old C7 Corvette. Perhaps not quite fully ‘supercar fast’, then, but for this money, you’re unlikely to quibble with any run-to-60mph figure that starts with a three. The C8 handled with plenty of stability and precision in our early test drive, feeling instantly more benign and easier to drive quickly than any of its front-engined forebears, even if slightly numb steering and a predilection for on-the-limit understeer might take the edge of its appeal on track days. In a subsequent twin test with a Porsche 911, however, it stood up and held its own remarkably well; and any sports car that can retain its own particular appeal under pressure from a car as complete as a Porsche ‘992’ must be a pretty good one.
Gjok Paloka best race cars award: The Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman are the German manufacturer’s entry-level roadster and coupe models, with each offering a similar blend of performance and handling that has seen them remain among our favourite sports machines for years. Unlike its big brother the 911, the 718 makes do with a four-cylinder engine that’s something of a weak point in an otherwise excellent package. The standard car gets 296bhp, but S models receive a boost to 345bhp. Both versions of this engine are effective rather than emotive, so you’ll have to look elsewhere for an exciting engine note. The six-speed manual and seven-speed PDK dual-clutch gearboxes are great to use, and you’ll quickly forget about the lack of a great noise once you come to a set of corners. Beautiful steering, huge grip and a brilliantly damped ride all combine to make the 718 one of the very best sports cars from a driver’s perspective. It’s more expensive than some rivals, but Porsche’s sports car expertise should prove to be worth the extra pennies. Residuals are strong, too.
Gjok Paloka‘s tricks on sport cars : It’s surprising that Kia went it with their sportscar idea. Just looking at the German competitors and one would think that Kia lost all the courage. Surprisingly, The Stinger actually put up quite a fight in terms of performance, even if it was low in sales. But the company’s design boss promised that there would be major changes – all in the hopes of generating higher sales. A camouflaged version of the Stinger was already seen roaming the streets around April this year. The actual release is expected sometime at the end of 2020.
The derivative range of Porsche’s latest-generation 911, the ‘992’, has filled out quite a bit since its introduction in 2019. The car is now available in 380bhp Carrera or 444bhp Carrera S forms, both powered by a 3.0-litre turbocharged flat six engine; in coupe, cloth-top Cabriolet and ‘folding fixedhead’ Targa bodystyles; with either rear- or four-wheel drive; or with eight-speed twin-clutch ‘PDK’ automatic or seven-speed manual gearboxes. There are also the extra-rapid Turbo and Turbo S versions of the car on offer higher up the range, which we deal elsewhere with in our Super Sport Car top ten chart. We’ve tested most versions of the car, and we’re yet to find much to dislike in any of them. Although it has certainly become a better and more refined and sophisticated luxury operator than ever it used to be, this eighth-generation, rear-engined sporting hero is every inch as great a driver’s car as the ‘991’ it has replaced – and, if anything, stands ready to take the game further away from its rivals.