Words by Christian Parodi
The perfect recipe! How many of us crave for that sensorial triumph that breaks us out of reality and catapults our inner self into a parallel world, in that psycho-physical vortex that creates dependence and transforms us deeply, baptizing our desire to find the road that is able to exalt the roar of the engine, to satisfy our eyes eager of the next curve and the one afterwards – almost in a spasmodic search for the tip of the iceberg, devouring miles and passing unexpected thresholds. Sharing these experiences with the “right company” is important and represents an added value to something already extremely special, but the ideal partner is logically represented by the stallion who accompanies us along these heavenly paths. It is its arduous task to convey the inputs of the road beneath, the difficulties of corners being violated only by the bravest ones and completing a mystic moment. The right car is that link that makes a road alive and allows us to master ourselves into the ultimate driving experience.
Although apparently simple, the choice is more complex than it seems. It is not enough to pick a random supercar with a thousands of horses. You will ask why I say this – simple, beauty pleases the eye, but what is needed in a similar context is experienced and proven at 360° through a physical feedback with the chassis, a ready response of the throttle and the directionality of a car that can’t and should not weigh too much. You do not need to carry the extra pounds of an expensive audio system and a satellite navigator, what really matters is a good layout, an engine that can echo everything around us and the feeling of a precise dynamism, suitable for being thrown from one curve to the other, pushing our limits further and further. The chosen one cannot rely only on power figures, if this means sacrificing the lightness and therefore the reactivity of the same chassis, and cannot take excessive dimensions neither. But surprisingly you do not even have to think about having to wear helmet and gloves and climb on a car designed for the track – it’s not the case. The ideal car for a definitive driving experience must know how to behave well through corners, allowing you to feel with your back if you are close to the tire limit, but at the same time press you to the seat when it’s time to sink the throttle, perhaps slightly widening its tail – something that does not spare that pinch of fun more due to the feeling of running on the razor’s edge.
We have been discussing for a long time which ones could represent the 6 best sports car for an ultimate driving experience, sticking to all the aspects mentioned above and having convinced the dullest ones that too much power does not always mean driving satisfaction, especially talking about winding roads, those that really test man and machine in a scenic setting that can enhance an apparently simple action like that of driving – here our final list. The good thing is that you do not necessarily need an impressive wallet, but there is something for every taste (and pockets), ranging from one of the world’s best-selling roadsters, to a limited-range supercar. Each has its own strength, each one has its own peculiarities and responds to the requirements imposed by our research, offering a unique driving involvement, thanks to so many features that make it effective. The ideal would be to drive each of them and so you will understand why we have just chosen these six, noticing that despite the layout and their different numbers, a fundamental aspect links each others: the involvement and the ability to put the driver at the center of the situation.
It was logical that in such a list, we had to start with the small Mazda MX-5, the best selling roadster ever – that thanks to a recipe based on lightness and balance has been able to make generations of motorists fall in love with it. Lovers of relaxed drives with the wind in the hair, to the enthusiasts of pure feelings that know no frills. The MX-5 puts on the table a rear wheel drive transmission and a very low center of gravity – it doesn’t require demanding powers and the fact that you can fold the roof and immerge you in the panorama around is an added value to your experience. Over the years it has changed, but has always maintained its peculiarities, especially in a period where too often car makers look to please everyone, sometimes losing the focus. Along with it, the new Fiat 124 Spider, also available in the most angry version – the Abarth – that shares much more than the chassis with the latest MX-5 and has an equally pleasing line. Still on the subject of no more than 200hp, a few years ago we saw another join-venture – this time accomplished by two Japanese brands – with the arrival of the Toyota GT86 and the Subaru BRZ. Virtually identical except for the logos, the two coupes offer a short car body and two seats, rear wheel drive and a 200 horsepower, as mentioned. Try to bring it to the limit on the right road before saying that you’d need more power – then you will have appreciated the short and close gear lever, the perfect weighing balance and an engine that loves shouting, inciting you to move the limit you ever further. At that point you will realize that three quarters of the drivers out there have not reached the mechanical limit of this car, capable of offering a lot and in completely different ways, depending on how you throw it between the corners. Turbo is not always the answer!
Before making a leap in terms of cavalry, let us focus on that brand that more than any other based its existence on the famous words “less is more”: Lotus. The English Company has always been a pain in the back for most prestigious competitors, despite the power gap, often quite substantial; the secret? Lightness and a frame as rigid as a wooden board. Hethel’s little Elise is 20 years old, but has kept intact that desire to be taken out for a day of driving, almost like a puppy anxious to spend some time doing what it loves most. Designed for those who want to experience something special whenever they are at the wheel, it has everything it need and therefore a rudderless steering wheel without power steering, a small engine behind the driver that can deliver 134, 192 or 217 horses and a stability similar to that of a racing car. The Elise seems small and friendly, but in reality it’s ready to play dice with your guts, not caring about numbers and statistics and focusing on making you feel what lateral force really means when you approach a bend at a speed that you would never have thought possible.
Now it’s time to face a step: more liters, more horses, more kilos, more seats and even more comfort. The BMW M3 has always been synonymous with performance that can be adapted to any kind of circumstance, whether it is a motorway, a twisty road, or a long and limitless Autobahn. The new M4 (to consider the coupe version) is precise and powerful, but the transformation from 8 to 6-cylinder and from naturally aspirated to turbocharged has left a few strokes. The crunching soul of the E92, the perfect evolution of the E46, one of the most exciting sports cars of all time, had found its state of grace by embracing a 4-liter V8-cylinder with 420hp. Starting from the grip on the thick wheel of the steering to the instantaneous delivery and the engine torque, generous in any gear, the M3 has become a reference point to keep in mind even today. Ideal car for learning to control oversteer, comfortable all-rounder for everyday life thanks to the four seats and a trunk suitable for your vacation projects. Test one, anywhere, and you will be conquered. If you can leave aside a soundtrack made by 8 beautiful cylinders and opting for a sharper driving feeling with a noble emblem too, Porsche knows how to satisfy you. GTS, or Gran Turismo Sport, is the ride to pick if you’re looking at Stuttgart in this very moment (or not). While remaining faithful to the Queen, the 911 Carrera, the GTS version is available for the Carrera (cabrio and coupe), Carrera 4 (cabrio and coupe) and Targa. What changes? There are more horses (450 with the model we’ve presented on this issue), lowered and more sports-inclined suspension, details that embellish the cockpit and a reactivity that makes the new twin-turbo even more violent in acceleration, not distorting at all that feeling that a real Porsche wants to make you live while driving. If the 911 whispers perfection is only because the GTS represents it at its finest. I said everything.
Finally, a proper supercar could not miss this list, and so I give you a car produced in limited edition (499 units), the V8 swansong from Maranello: the Ferrari 458 Speciale A. Based on the exceptional 458 Speciale, the Special Aperta is the version with metal roof which is retractable and despite the fact that it has a daunting tag price does not want to dust in any garage. The 4.5cc V8 delivers 605hp and 540Nm of torque, out of a engine that can also master the weather – try to trash it up some Alpine passes. Precise, communicative, sharp, violent, the 458 Speciale A can be defined as an old school supercar for being able to excite starting from the bang coming out of the exhaust and the kicks in the back, but at the same time it can be contemporary in terms of response, speed and for how it translates the requests we send with the steering wheel and the pedals. The dual clutch gear is very fast and if it was not for the terrified passenger next to you, you would feel like driving a single-seater. In addition, the possibility to open the roof electronically increases the V8’s decibel, dragging you into a whirlwind of emotions that you will not forget until the end of your days. Days that should always be lived, with a steering wheel in hands and the right road ready to welcome you. These are our 6 favorites, the choice is yours and do not be kind with the throttle.