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ONLY THE BEST | The Very Best Of Our 2022
Another year is ready to settle on the glorious shelf of memories. We have to admit that, 2022 has been a succession of incredible cars, fantastic journeys and unique adventures. Everything has pointed in one direction, that of the imminent number 100 ready to be released at the end of January 2023. What better occasion to sum up and try to identify the absolute best, those that represent the authentic highlights of the 365 days that have just passed. A curiosity: in 2022 we tested more cars than in the last six years. It’s easy to imagine that there was no shortage of fun. New Year’s resolutions? Do even more and always better! Stay with us for this magical journey.
With love, by the entire team
THE SUPERCAR | McLaren 765LT Spider
Our love for the 720S is certainly no secret, but when you’re dealing with its hysterical sister called 765LT, the already few good intentions that can coexist with Woking’s more tamable version of the supercar definitely give way to one of the most extreme cars ever conceived for road use. Roughly seated on a 750+ horsepower carbon-fiber plank, we took the Long Tail Spider version across the red rock canyons of Daluis, probably still filled with the echo of the twin-turbo V8 of the most stratospheric McLaren we’ve ever driven. Even ten months later, she is the undisputed protagonist of our most sinful dreams.
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THE CRAZIEST | Caterham 485 R
240 horsepower and just 600 kg of weight. And as if that weren’t enough, a seat close to the ground, the face exposed to the elements and the lack of any type of driving assistance. The Caterham is the absolute reference in terms of driving purity, the ultimate tool for communicating with the asphalt for a driver who, once at the wheel, is able to experience emotions that all other motorists cannot even imagine. Taking the 485 R on a mountain road is the apotheosis of analogue driving pleasure. Everything else will seem like just a clumsy attempt, a bit like getting on and off this toy for grown-up children. Wonderful!
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Runner-up: Ford Mustang Mach 1
In the case of the Mustang Mach 1, the word crazy does not necessarily make the idea, given that the special edition pony car is nevertheless perfectly capable of allowing a civilized daily coexistence. However, what is expected from a self-respecting enthusiast is that the V8 would be used properly, for example unleashed on the hairpins of the Col de Turini, where the Mach 1 has not only demonstrated that it is engaging and ready to transform petrol into adrenaline, but also remember that it’s still possible to make fun cars with a simple recipe that puts driving at the very first place.
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THE SURPRISE | Ferrari 296 GTB
We didn’t really know what to expect from Maranello’s first 2-seater equipped with a hybrid V6 unit, but what the 296 GTB brings into play is astounding performance offered by an overall power of 830 horsepower and 900 Nm of torque which, with extreme amazement, manage to be inserted and managed with disarming confidence, even in precarious grip conditions. Ferrari confirms its leadership in engineering development and at the same time introduces a “wild card” that we imagined to be surprising, but not up to this point. Practically perfect.
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Runner-up: Corvette C8 Stingray
Corvette sheds its skin and moves the engine between the driver and the powering axle. The new C8 Stingray is the American sports car made the European way and – listen closely – it works great. In fact, the new Corvette is not only an effective sports car on fast roads full of curves, but the grand tourer you don’t expect, combining a comfortable and technological cockpit with a drivability perfectly capable of satisfying the most diverse needs and driving conditions. We love it baby!
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THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE | Alps Attack (Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio)
A 500 horsepower Alfa Romeo, a stack of deserted mountain passes, rain, snow and plenty of petrol to burn. When it comes to the Alps Attack, we like to do things the right way and it was foreseeable that the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, which has accompanied us for some of the most exciting kilometers of the year, is the most epic adventure we have experienced in this 2022. The Akrapovic exhaust was the worthy soundtrack for a driving experience that left an indelible mark on the soul of those who had the fortune to experience it firsthand. Oh, if only those roads could talk.
The complete article will be online soon (browse it on issue #99)
THE SPORTS CAR | Audi RS3
The line between hot hatches, sports cars and supercars has never been so thin, or should we say invisible. The merit goes all to the new Audi RS3, which despite having maintained the glorious 400 horsepower 5-cylinder has created an authentic boogeyman for any supercar out there. This is thanks to a power and traction management that allows the RS3 to be the most surprising and precise hatchback currently available on the market. And it’s not just for the fact that it allows you to bite the apex and swallow hairpin bends with disarming speed, but because at the same time it knows how to widen the rear and brush powerslides like a rear-wheel drive, bringing together two usually incompatible driving concepts. It will be really difficult to do anything better.
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