Evelyn Reynolds

Autocorrect constantly tries to change “AMG” to “OMG.” After driving the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, a tightly bundled knot of carbon fiber and malice, you just might let it. Sure, autocorrect, call this car whatever you want. Call it the Mercy-OMG Goat Bonk Serious. That’ll make perfect sense after you spend a few laps rearranging your grey matter with 720 horsepower and 882 pounds of downforce.OK, that downforce figure is at 155 mph, a speed we didn’t attain at The Concours Club, Miami’s new two-mile road course just north of the city. However, with a 2100-foot straightaway, the track offers room for the Black Series to break 130 mph through a fast righthand kink ahead of the braking zone. That’s around the takeoff speed for some of the Gulfstreams parked next door at the Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport. It’s fast enough to get the aero working—in the service of keeping things on the ground rather than flinging them skyward.

Mercedes-AMG

To that end, the Black Series employs many a trick from the race-car playbook. For instance, the front spoiler has two manually adjustable positions—street and race—with the latter extending the spoiler forward and creating a front diffuser. The flat underbody uses fins to channel air to the rear diffuser, accelerating airflow underneath the car and creating a venturi effect. Meanwhile, up top, there’s plenty of venting in the hood and fenders to prevent trapped air from creating lift, and that towering rear wing features an electronically controlled center section that can lay flat for low drag or angle up to 20 degrees for max downforce. (You see it do this under high-speed braking, when it acts as an air brake.) Master mode locks the wing element at its most aggressive angle until 155 mph, when it retracts to reduce drag on the way to the Black Series’s 202-mph top speed.Previous Black Series cars, all the way back to the original 2008 CLK63 AMG Black Series, tended to amp up the handling and visual aggression while leaving the engine mostly alone—the SL65 Black Series used slightly bigger turbochargers than its SL65 kin but wasn’t wildly different under the hood. The GT Black Series, though, installs a flat-plane crank in the 4.0-liter V-8, giving it an entirely different firing order than its lesser brethren. New camshafts and exhaust manifolds are fitted to accommodate the new firing order. Turbochargers with larger compressor wheels deliver 24.6 psi of boost, up from 19.6 psi in the AMG GT R. Benz considers this engine unique enough that it has its own internal code, M178 LS2, thus giving new meaning to the phrase “LS swap.”

Mercedes-AMG

Flat-plane V-8s tend to be screamers—see any Ferrari or the Mustang Shelby GT350—but this one makes its 720 horsepower at a relatively sedate 6700 rpm, 500 rpm shy of the redline and 450 more revolutions than the GT R’s horsepower peak. At idle, the exhaust sizzles like that of a Ferrari or a McLaren, but the decibel count never climbs to a level that makes you think the universe is being torn asunder. That degree of restraint might be appreciated by your HOA in Rancho Nouveau Riche, but a soundtrack this exotic deserves a little more volume. Tubi, line one.To assess the Black Series’s track prowess, we were dispatched for lap sessions with a professional driver in an AMG GT acting as the guide-slash-hare. Normally, this type of setup works well, because superior driving skill in the lead car is countered by increased horsepower or grip in the following one. But the Black Series is so much faster, so much more capable than a standard-issue GT that it wasn’t much of a fight. Staying on the throttle out of corners meant reeling in the GT so quickly that at one point the lead driver toggled the radio and said, “Okay, you’ve got an extra 200 horsepower. I get it.” Come on, let’s not exaggerate. It’s only an extra 197 horsepower. And a two-position, carbon-fiber anti-roll bar up front with a three-way iron bar in back and adjustable camber at both axles and tunable coil-over suspension.

Mercedes-AMG

And a lot more grip. The GT Black Series is shod with fully ridiculous Michelin Pilot Sport Cup R Mercedes-spec rubber. The standard compound is soft (like, race-slick soft) with a harder compound available for high-temperature track use. In either case, this is the closest thing to a Le Mans starting-grid tire that’ll pass your state inspection. In one section of slow esses, the lead GT is painting rubber on every corner exit, its driver heroically dancing it on the edge of adhesion. The Black Series? It’s so within its envelope that it seems like the GT is driving on a different track, possibly one coated with a light layer of Pam cooking spray. The only clue that the Black Series is working is that the air conditioning isn’t. It’s nearly 100 degrees in Southern Florida, and repeated indulgence in wide-open throttle causes the A/C to take a siesta until you relax the pace. Eventually, the car seems to cut power, too, typically on a short straight leading out of a slow sequence of corners. But relentless lapping in triple-digit heat isn’t exactly typical or reasonable use. When you can afford an AMG GT Black Series and a membership at The Concours Club, you can probably also afford to do something else on 100-degree days. You know, like go out on your boat.

Mercedes-AMG

Then again, this is a car we’d want to drive whether or not it had air conditioning or a fancy stereo or seats modeled after the inviting confines of an iron maiden. Whatever. Just give us the 720 horsepower and the wings and spoilers, let’s tee up Master mode and find a track. To enjoy the rewards of the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, all you need is an appreciation for righteous German track cars and $326,050. Autocorrect also likes to change “Mercedes” to “nerve.” You’ll need some of that, too.

Specifications

Specifications
2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Black SeriesVehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base: $326,050
ENGINE
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 243 in3, 3982 cm3Power: 720 hp @ 6900 rpmTorque: 590 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
7-speed dual-clutch automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 103.7 inLength: 181.3 inWidth: 79.7 inHeight: 50.4 inPassenger Volume: 56 ft3Trunk Volume: 10 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 3650 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 2.9 sec100 mph: 6.1 sec1/4-Mile: 10.3 secTop Speed: 202 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 17/15/20 mpg

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If you relish the 9,000-rpm scream of a naturally aspirated flat-six but otherwise want to turn down the volume on the Porsche 911 GT3 experience, the $163,450 Touring is the GT3 for you. Otherwise mechanically identical to the brilliant, winged GT3, the Touring offers the same sound and fury in a (slightly) subtler package for the exact same price.As with the previous generation, the primary difference between the GT3 Touring and the exhibitionist version is the absence of a rear wing. To create downforce, the Touring has a rear spoiler like lesser 911s that automatically extends at 70 mph. But even without the downforce of the big wing, the Touring’s top speed is a claimed 198 mph with the PDK automatic transmission and 199 with the manual. The rest of the aero bits are shared between the two models, from the paneled underbody to the rear diffuser. Other exterior visual cues unique to the Touring include a body-colored front fascia and bright window frames in place of the GT3’s black trim.
Under the wingless tail is Porsche’s 4.0-liter flat-six, kicking out 502 horsepower at a dizzying 8400 rpm. In keeping with its more roadgoing mission, the Touring comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission. Carried over intact from the previous GT3, its throws are natural and precise, and so is the beautifully weighted clutch. For the first time in a Touring, a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is optional. Though it adds nothing to the bottom line, opting for the automatic imparts a 37-pound weight penalty. (Just one more reason to save the manuals.)With the entire 992 lineup being a little taller, longer, and wider than before, Porsche GT boss Andreas Preuninger and his team worked hard to keep the new GT3 Touring from gaining weight. According to Porsche, the Touring comes close, a mere 11 pounds heavier than its predecessor. Most of the credit goes to the use of lightweight components such as a carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer hood, thinner glass, and lighter standard brake rotors. Opting for the carbon-ceramic brakes reduces weight by an additional 39 pounds.
With the engine fired, the entire cabin buzzes and hums from the internal-combustion subwoofer out back. At only a tenth of the redline, the big boxer sounds more hyper than its 900-rpm idle would suggest, whirring and chattering away anxiously against its engine mounts. Engaging first gear instantly transforms that anxiety into a wallop of straightforward thrust. Power is unrelentingly direct and linear as the three-stage intake provides the right amount of air from idle to the redline. Porsche puts the manual Touring a half-second behind the automatic to 60 mph, which would put it at 3.2 seconds, as we’ve hit 60 mph in 2.7 seconds in a dual-clutch GT3.Bounding up Angeles Crest Highway in the mountains above Los Angeles, the Touring reminds you that, as glorious as life may be, it is ultimately unfair. That stratospheric redline is deliciously addictive, and yet achieving that goal in third gear catapults you well into triple-digit speeds. As fast as the Touring is, the enormous brakes scrub away the speed instantly and without fuss. Diving into a corner makes you wonder why you bothered braking so much in the first place, as the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires refuse to budge from the chosen line. Sport Cup 2 R tires are newly optional, providing even more insane levels of grip. (We measured 1.11 g on the skidpad in a GT3 on these tires.)
But it’s not just the tires that contribute to the Touring’s impressive handling acumen. With a control-arm front suspension largely borrowed from the mighty 911 RSR racer, front-end stability is nothing short of magical. Steering input isn’t measured in degrees but by gradations. You know you’ve hit your mark even before you get there. It can take time to build trust with the rear-axle steering, however, as it can be occasionally overzealous as it introduces midcorner inputs that revector your path. Porsche more successfully corrected an oversight in the original GT3 Touring. When it debuted in 2018, it attracted buyers who expected a greater deal of customization, only to discover that all Tourings came with coal-pit-colored interiors. This time around, Porsche learned its lesson and will offer the Touring— and not the regular GT3—in a prolific number of interior colors, including several two-tone leather options as part of the Exclusive Leather package that will relieve customers of $15,530.
Should buyers still be in a spending mood, they’ll likely treat themselves to the Touring’s timepiece de résistance, a custom-built chronograph that starts at $8100. Practically every aspect of the watch can be customized, from the color of the hands to the type of titanium used for the bezel. The dial ring alone is offered in 15 Porsche paint colors. Did we mention the back of the case evokes the design of the wheel? Even in standard form, the Touring’s interior is—for the most part—a model of ergonomic simplicity. Shared with the rest of the 911 lineup, the 10.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system responds quickly and features well-organized menus, while the climate-control system is blissfully straightforward in operation. We do wish the center vents didn’t blow directly at gearshift level, and the window/side mirror switches are awkwardly placed aft of the driver’s elbow on the door. It’s just as well, since prominent wind buffeting discourages windows-down motoring.
Lowering the windows would only slow you down, and the Touring is all business. Dead center is a large central tachometer, flanked on either side by two 7.0-inch configurable digital displays. Although it evokes the classic 911 five-gauge setup, the smaller end pods are completely obscured by the steering wheel. In lieu of an overboost function, pressing the center button on the drive-mode dial instead brings up the menus for Sport and Track mode, enabling you to tweak individual settings to your liking. You can enable or disable things like rev matching, sport exhaust, and—most notably—traction and stability control. What’s more, all of these settings are retained after a restart. We appreciated the track-focused display option, which snuffs out the smaller pods in favor of the larger ones. Only the essentials are featured: tachometer, speed, tire pressure, water temperature, and oil pressure.Put into production after the brilliantly raw 911 R proved that customers would line up for a GT3-like 911 that puts experience over lap times, the Touring built upon the R’s back-to-basics formula. Its success made a follow-up inevitable, and this time around the Touring offers more choices to buyers who want their GT3 to wear a tailored suit instead of a tracksuit. With the addition of even more customization options on the horizon, the lack of a fixed wing may soon be its least distinctive feature.

Specifications

Specifications
2022 Porsche 911 GT3 TouringVehicle Type: rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base: $163,450
ENGINE
DOHC 24-valve flat-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 244 in3, 3996 cm3Power: 502 hp @ 8400 rpmTorque: 346 lb-ft @ 6100 rpm
TRANSMISSIONS
6-speed manual, 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 96.7 inLength: 180.0 inWidth: 72.9 inHeight: 50.4 inPassenger Volume: 49 ft3Cargo Volume: 5 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 3200–3250 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 2.7–3.2 sec100 mph: 6.5–7.0 sec1/4-Mile: 10.9–11.4 secTop Speed: 198–199 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 17/14–15/20–21 mpg

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The original Mini of the 1960s traded in tininess and fun, but a need for practicality and space have steadily increased what constitutes a Mini. The four-door 2021 Mini Cooper Countryman, the largest member of the Mini family, pushes the boundary of what Mini means. A bigger Mini may be a more popular and profitable Mini, but enlarging the concept doesn’t necessarily make for a better car.Although the 2022 Countryman is now on sale, we sampled the identical 2021 version. Mini facelifted the Countryman for 2021; the alterations include a restyled front end and a few other cosmetic changes like new wheels and more exterior color options. Inside, there’s a newly available digital instrument cluster and Amazon Alexa connectivity. Mini also improved the cooling for both of the Countryman’s BMW-sourced turbocharged three- and four-cylinder engines, but the changes don’t alter their outputs.[image id=’ae45bd76-d75e-45d1-9542-168652e1cc89′ mediaId=’ad7ffb0b-8320-469f-ab7e-2711adda59dc’ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’original’][/image][pullquote align=’center’]HIGHS: Maximum practicality for a Mini, delightful BMW-sourced turbo-four engine, frugal highway fuel economy.[/pullquote][editoriallinks id=’76aa667e-d0f3-4181-95d9-f86fa6042c95′ align=’left’][/editoriallinks]Mini sent us a Countryman Cooper S, and that “S” means it skips the standard 134-hp turbo three-cylinder for the larger 189-hp 2.0-liter turbo-four. The extra brawn adds $2800 to the 2022 Cooper’s $29,950 base price, but we’d say it’s worth it since the three-cylinder is a bit overworked in the Countryman. All-wheel drive is optional—ALL4 in Mini-speak—which adds $2000 and an eight-speed automatic transmission; front-drive models feature a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Our ALL4-equipped test car weighed a not-so-Mini 3693 pounds, but scampered to 60 mph in a solid 6.7 seconds. Should you want more speed, Mini will sell you a wagon-like Mini Cooper Clubman S ALL4, and BMW, Mini’s parent company, will happily sell you the Countryman’s platform-mate, the BMW X2 xDrive28i. [image id=’dfdc1565-72c2-4979-8ae8-c28e19a26533′ mediaId=’4097fae9-c687-4d33-b44b-a5761a1e74b5′ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’6×4′][/image]The 2.0-liter turbo provides ample low-speed acceleration, especially with the transmission in Sport mode, and the snort from the exhaust on high-rpm shifts is charming. We also enjoyed the snappy and smooth behavior of its torque-converter transmission. It wasn’t until we tried passing dawdlers on the highway that we yearned for the 301-hp Countryman JCW. That special edition is the quickest Mini we’ve ever tested, dashing to 60 mph in an eye-popping 4.4 seconds, and it beats our test car’s 5.4-second 50-to-70-mph passing time by a full two seconds. [pullquote align=’center’]LOWS: Less athletic than other Minis, harsh ride on 19-inch wheels, top trim level is seriously pricey.[/pullquote][image id=’5c486455-d033-4ee5-93e7-7da0204ee6a7′ mediaId=’62c8eebc-7ee3-4329-b0e8-ee11252599a1′ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’original’][/image]Arguably the best part about driving a Mini is the fun factor. Quick steering and a firm suspension provide a nimbleness and tidier feel than a Mercedes-Benz GLA250 or a Volvo XC40. With all that weight to carry, the Countryman seems reluctant taking down quick corners. Our example rode on optional 19-inch Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 summer tires, a no-cost replacement for the standard all-seasons. Despite the grippier rubber, our car registered a so-so 0.86 g of grip on the skidpad. While the short sidewalls of this wheel-and-tire combo help boost steering feel, they also prompt the Countryman to crash over broken pavement and contributed to the stiff-legged ride—long a Mini weak point. Stops from 70 mph took a lengthy 176 feet.We were stopped by the $43,600 as-tested price of our top-of-the-line Iconic trim model. An $8500 package, Iconic adds adaptive dampers, the 5.0-inch digital gauge cluster, a head-up display, a Harman/Kardon audio system, a panoramic sunroof, a power tailgate, and numerous infotainment upgrades. [image id=’c95f39d4-20ef-4327-b168-5fa3edaca099′ mediaId=’eb49b754-84ec-4cc5-a7f4-96ababb91e05′ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’original’][/image]Fully loaded or not, the Countryman offers enough cargo space to hold six carry-on suitcases with five passengers on board. Both its roof and driver’s seat are 4.6 inches higher than the Clubman, and that higher seating position is what many buyers want. With the 2.0-liter engine, the 2021 Countryman S ALL4 earns EPA estimates of 23 mpg city, 31 highway, and 26 combined. In our 75-mph fuel-economy test, it exceeded those numbers and posted an impressive 39 mpg. Combined with a calm cruising demeanor, the Countryman swallows highway miles, even if it registers a somewhat loud 72 decibels inside at 70 mph.The Countryman’s high seating position and space inside give the brand a practical crossover-like vehicle. But Mini is known for premium small cars. For drivers who revel in the tidier, more enjoyable handling that Minis have long been known for, the Countryman proves that a larger Mini isn’t necessarily a better Mini.[vehicle type=’specpanel’ vehicle-body-style=” vehicle-make=” vehicle-model=” vehicle-model-category=” vehicle-submodel=” vehicle-year=”][/vehicle]

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Is it possible to grow bored of Lamborghini’s street-legal lineup? We would doubt it, but the very existence of the Essenza SCV12 suggests there are at least some ultrarich thrill seekers who can’t find sufficiently spiky adrenaline highs from those models that wear license plates. The Essenza is not a road car and is produced by Lamborghini’s motorsport division. But nor is it a race car, because buyers will not be able to compete in it. Like Ferrari’s FXX offerings, it is a track-only special that offers the chance to experience performance beyond that of the factory Huracán GT3, as well as take part in a series of special Essenza-only track days at circuits around the world. We gate-crashed the first of these, held at the Vallelunga Circuit near Rome in baking summer heat, to experience what life at the sharp end of the 1 percent feels like.

Lamborghini

No more than 40 Essenzas will be built—each carrying a base price of about $2.6 million—and Lamborghini says the first 10 have already been delivered to customers. The car I got to drive at Vallelunga was a hard-working prototype, wearing an orange-and-black disguise wrap bearing the entirely superfluous warning “Attenzione: Macchina Veloce,” or “Warning: Fast Car.” But mechanically it was near identical to the far-nicer-looking privately owned cars that were also on track.Meeting the Essenza for the first time in a pit garage with its front and rear clamshells removed reveals its competition pedigree. It shares some of its underbody structure with the Aventador, but more so with the Super Trofeo and GT3 racers, with multi-adjustable dampers, vast cooling ducts, and even integral air jacks to lift all corners at once. The carbon-fiber monocoque has been strengthened to meet the standards of the FIA’s hypercar race class without using a separate roll cage. Confusingly, there are no plans to take the SCV12 racing, although Lamborghini admits some of the technical lessons may be integrated into a next-generation Le Mans Daytona prototype race car when the LMDh (Le Mans Daytona hybrid) class debuts globally for IMSA and WEC in 2023.

Lamborghini

The Essenza is powered by a version of Lamborghini’s long-serving 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V-12, running without catalysts and now making 819 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. But the engine’s installation has been reversed so it drives a transversely mounted Xtrac sequential racing gearbox mounted behind it and powering the rear axle only. (The Aventador sends torque to all four wheels.) The Essenza’s V-12 isn’t capable of taking structural loads, but the gearbox has to be, as the rear suspension is mounted directly to it. That has required the use of a substantial cradle of metalwork around the motor to link the transmission to the passenger compartment. All of that scaffolding is one reason why the Essenza’s 3042-pound dry weight doesn’t come as a surprise. The cabin is finished to a higher standard than a true competition car, and the lack of roll cage tubing makes it far easier to get in and out of. But once in the tight embrace of the bucket seat, the view forward is pretty much the same as it would be in a true racer, with a yoke-style steering wheel covered in controls and with a display screen in its center. In addition to gearchange paddles and obvious switches for lights and wipers, there are such novelties as a pitlane speed limiter, scroll wheels to adjust the amount of ABS and traction control intervention, and a knob to tweak the rear differential’s preload. This varies the locking effect across the rear wheels when not under power, effectively allowing the handling balance heading into corners to be adjusted front to rear. Brake bias between the two axles is also variable, although I’m advised not to touch this by Emanuele Pirro, the five-time Le Mans winner who helped develop the car and is on hand to give advice to Essenza owners.

Lamborghini

In short there’s a huge amount to remember, most of which is forgotten as soon as I take to the track with instructions to keep up with works race driver Miloš Pavlović in a pace-setting Super Trofeo Evo 2 race car. This proves to be much easier than it sounds.The Essenza has been designed to offer accessible thrills to those with little or no actual competition experience. The basics are all easy, the car even getting an automated clutch in place of the manual pedal-operated one that actual GT racers mostly still use to launch. Just getting it around a track isn’t hard.Straight-line performance is huge, but the grip from the vast Pirelli racing-slick tires is huger. At Pirro’s recommendation I start out with the engine mode in its most restricted setting, limiting output to around 650 horsepower, and even in this devitalized state it is still pretty much matching the Super Trofeo on acceleration. Switching to full power proves the SVC12 has the legs on its racing sister, certainly on Vallelunga’s straights.

Lamborghini

The car doesn’t have big low-down torque, but it is happiest being worked hard and sounds truly savage—even through the padding of a race helmet—well before the shift lights on the steering wheel begin their progressive illumination. The transmission shifts brutally, but the brakes possess less bite than I’m expecting during my first stint. Like most owners’ cars, the prototype Essenza uses motorsport-grade Brembo iron rotors in place of carbon-ceramics, and it initially feels as if they are struggling with the mass of the car.It turns out they’re not. I return to the pits to learn from Pirro, who has been monitoring the car’s telemetry, that I haven’t been pushing the brake pedal hard enough. I’ve managed a peak line pressure of just over 1000 pounds per square inch, but it takes more than 1400 to get the pads biting as hard as they can. Embarrassing, right? Things improve on my second stint, although pushing with more force gets the pedal close to the floor and requires serious effort in the baking-hot cockpit. (The prototype lacks air conditioning, an optional extra all sensible buyers will go for.)

Lamborghini

With Vallelunga’s track surface at over 120 degrees, there is little problem getting heat into the tires. The Pirellis deliver remarkable adhesion but also—in tighter turns—the relatively abrupt breakaway behavior common to slicks. This is sudden enough to make me glad for the watchful eye of the traction control. On the 2.5-mile circuit’s faster sections, the Essenza’s vast wing elements and diffusers create such huge downforce as to make the car feel practically unstickable: In their most aggressive settings, the aero surfaces can generate up to 2650 pounds of downward pressure. The Essenza is a thrilling car, but it is not a scary one. Given that it is up to five seconds a lap quicker than a GT3 car around the circuits Lamborghini has tested it on, that’s an impressive achievement. And also a sensible one, given that much of its target audience will be considerably richer in cash than top-flight motorsport experience. In addition to the cost of the car, buyers will be on the hook for around $36,000 for each event, with the cost of tires, mechanics, maintenance, and—if ambition overtakes talent—repairs beyond that. For those with vastly more money than time, such convenience will be good value.Yet the day at Vallelunga was also a reminder that even the fastest cars soon feel lonely on a track without anyone else to play with. The Essenza’s electrifying performance is less viscerally exciting than wheel-to-wheel combat in something slower and less powerful. What Lamborghini really needs to do is arrange a race series.

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The Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta, and Chevrolet Sonic are gone. Tiny crossovers have largely replaced subcompact cars at the entry-level end of automakers’ lineups. Used-car prices are skyrocketing, leaving buyers with fewer and fewer options for a decent set of budget wheels. Last time we checked, only a handful of new models on sale today carried starting prices below $20,000. But the Kia Rio remains, and the world is better for it.Now in its fourth generation, Kia’s tiny sedan and hatchback are simple, well-executed compact cars without any sort of pretense. Although the Rio received a freshening for 2021, this is hardly a car you buy for its stylish presence on the road. The optional eight-spoke wheels measure just 15 inches in diameter, and the bright shade of blue on our test Rio S hatchback is cheekily called Sporty Blue.[image id=’c1932a79-a5cb-41d8-a64f-9b09e4205c29′ mediaId=’ec8c0a5f-48d0-41c5-a055-93bbb268f395′ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’6×4′][/image][pullquote align=’center’]HIGHS: Attractive price, pleasant to drive, good fuel economy.[/pullquote][editoriallinks id=’55d81f98-1ad2-4028-bdd6-ff60f74f314d’ align=’left’][/editoriallinks] But how much flair can you really expect for an all-in, fully loaded as-tested price of just $20,200? That includes the optional $1800 Technology package, which brings more features than you’d expect on such a basic vehicle—an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android auto functions, LED headlights, automatic climate control, proximity-key entry, and pushbutton start.The Rio also drives with a sense of sophistication that belies its price. Its ride is compliant and well damped, its steering is nicely weighted, and the engine is impressively quiet and smooth at idle and when puttering around town. Things do get noisier at highway speeds as the 120-hp, 1.6-liter inline-four works hard to accelerate the 2893-pound Rio whenever you need to merge or pass.[image id=’d51ba22e-aa96-46a1-bdef-8267c76e3a27′ mediaId=’80090a9f-6e92-4fb4-9d1c-3b4113fc4809′ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’original’][/image]The 2021 Rio has a different powertrain than the last Rio we tested, a 2018 model. For the 2020 model year, Kia swapped in a newer version of the 1.6-liter engine with less power and torque—down 10 horsepower and 7 pound-feet—but better fuel-efficiency estimates, with the EPA combined number rising from 32 mpg to 36 mpg. We averaged 32 mpg overall. The Rio also exchanged the previous car’s six-speed automatic transmission for a continuously variable automatic.[pullquote align=’center’]LOWS: Small cabin, dowdy looks, sluggish acceleration.[/pullquote][image id=’fd81fe7c-3155-4f9f-aa5a-6d8d8a72c8b1′ mediaId=’653b51b6-daaf-4742-8f3a-823b4880acf8′ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’original’][/image]We didn’t measure much of a difference at the test track. The 2021 Rio was 0.1 second slower to 60 mph than the 2018 model, at 8.6 seconds, and a few tenths slower through the quarter-mile. Those aren’t impressive numbers, but they’re about on par with many small crossovers, hardly earth scorchers in their own right.Measuring just 160.0 inches long, the Rio’s hatchback body is more practical than the sedan’s but still can’t be considered spacious. It’s far less space-efficient inside than the dearly departed Honda Fit, with a cramped rear seat and a small cargo area. We fit only four carry-on suitcases in the Rio with the seats up and 15 cases with the seats folded, compared with seven cases and 20 cases for the taller, boxier Kia Soul.[image id=’687aea5a-e179-48d3-af13-c3657be7cad1′ mediaId=’e5300eae-525b-4af0-94e3-7d7580d099ab’ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’original’][/image]In fact, it’s not difficult to make the argument for choosing the roomier, more stylish Soul—which has a starting price of $20,365—over this particular Rio as equipped. But if you can forgo the niceties of the Rio’s Technology package, you end up with a car costing right around $18,000. For that kind of money, this hatchback offers a surprising amount of refinement, impressive efficiency, and a decent number of standard features. If you’re tight on cash but want a new car, the Rio is a solid option—and one of a dwindling number of true budget-friendly choices left on the market.[vehicle type=’specpanel’ vehicle-body-style=” vehicle-make=” vehicle-model=” vehicle-model-category=” vehicle-submodel=” vehicle-year=”][/vehicle]

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Not many automakers have the audacity to take on Ferrari. But when your name is Maserati and you’re looking to crown your lineup with a new 621-hp mid-engine supercar, you’re not going to let a former partner—no matter how storied—stand in the way. The MC20 is the first mid-engine Maserati developed and produced in-house since the Bora and Merak in the early ’70s. The coupe driven here comes first; an electric version and a convertible follow in a year or so.In 1997, Maserati and Ferrari came together under Fiat, a move that curbed Maserati’s supercar ambitions. They split in 2005, and while Maserati still uses Ferrari engines in various models as part of a long-running supply deal, corporate strategy in Modena now calls for complete engineering independence from Maranello. The two-seater MC20 effectively resets the Italian carmaker, which says it will use key parts of its mechanical package—including the new V-6 engine—in upcoming models as part of a broader rejuvenation of the brand. In addition to being the top Maserati model, the MC20 will also bring the company back to racing. Dallara, an Italian race-car manufacturer, collaborated with Maserati on developing the MC20.

The basis for the new car is a carbon-fiber tub, with aluminum substructures supporting the suspension and engine. The body is predominantly carbon fiber. Designed to accept both gasoline and electric powertrains, the MC20 is just over two inches longer than a Ferrari F8 Tributo. The gas MC20 should weigh about 3600 pounds in road spec.The engine, known as Nettuno (Italian for Neptune), is fitted with dry-sump lubrication and patented prechamber ignition technology cribbed from Formula 1. The twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 boasts 621 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque. The eight-speed dual-clutch transaxle supplied by Tremec features a limited-slip differential as standard; an electronically controlled diff is optional.

Following the latest fashion, the MC20’s steering wheel appears to have more switchgear than its dashboard.
Maserati

A broad powerband allows the MC20 to chug along below 4000 rpm in GT mode, where a heady torque curve provides easy thrust. But in Sport mode it’ll happily chase the 8000-rpm redline in shorter gears. The prechamber ignition system seems to foster outstanding throttle response and great versatility across the rev range. The power delivery is linear, and as with the best engines, the harder you work it, the more determined it becomes. Sound rushes into the cabin without synthetic enhancement. The speed of the upshifts is excellent, whether on part throttle or under full load, but the dual-clutch gearbox doesn’t always live up to the V-6’s greatness, with an occasional clunky downshift.We’re expecting the MC20 to sprint to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds thanks in large part to launch control. Maserati says the top speed is 202 mph, and the engine’s heroics, combined with huge levels of traction, ensure the acceleration doesn’t let up until the speedometer needle is well into triple digits.

The mighty V-6 makes 207.6 horsepower per liter.
Maserati

And the MC20 turns in to corners beautifully. The carbon-fiber structure provides a rigid base, and there is a finely honed feel to the chassis, which mates adaptive dampers to a control-arm setup in front and a multilink suspension in back. The ride is good—almost daily-driver good—provided the dampers are in their soft mode. The weighting of the electrically assisted steering is light. But it’s also quick (2.2 turns lock to lock) and precise, allowing you to place the MC20 confidently at corner entry. It is a car most drivers could drive hard without real trepidation. Turn the stability control off and you can harmlessly send the rear sideways. The point of breakaway is well communicated, allowing you to unsettle the tail and then hold big slides on the throttle. Strong brakes are part of the deal. Optional 15.4-inch front and 14.2-inch rear carbon-ceramic rotors are grabbed by six- and four-piston Brembo calipers, respectively. The brakes like to have some heat in them before they bite with proper intent, but when they do, they generate breathtaking stopping power.Priced at an estimated $213,000, the MC20 takes aim at some heavy-hitting mid-engine rivals. Maserati hopes for annual sales to reach 1500, split between the roadgoing car we drove and the upcoming racing version. North American deliveries are expected later this year. The MC20 makes us wonder about all the supercars Maserati didn’t build when it was in the shadow of the prancing horse. Now that it’s unfettered by team orders, Maserati is poised to show what it can do.

Specifications

Specifications
2022 Maserati MC20Vehicle Type: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base (C/D est): $213,000
ENGINE
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injectionDisplacement: 183 in3, 2992 cm3Power: 621 hp @ 7500 rpmTorque: 538 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 106.3 inLength: 183.8 inWidth: 77.4 inHeight: 48.1 inCurb Weight (C/D est): 3600 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 2.8 sec100 mph: 5.9 sec1/4-Mile: 10.5 secTop Speed: 202 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 17/15/20 mpg

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[image id=’0a4690e8-1dd9-4944-a011-aa562e60b95b’ mediaId=’df25a44d-e299-4cce-be38-d83119662d13′ align=’center’ size=’large’ share=’false’ caption=’To create a car that can hang with the Cayman GTS 4.0, BMW put the M2 on a diet rich in carbon fiber and bolted in the 444-hp twin-turbocharged inline-six from the old M4 Competition.’ expand=” crop=’original’][/image]From the July/August 2021 issue of Car and Driver.If you’ve ever used a wrench in place of a hammer, you’ll understand what the BMW M2 is about. Engineers took an aging upright compact coupe that normally rides on run-flat all-season tires and transformed it into a great-driving car. Not content with the new tool, BMW has continued to adapt this wrench into the M2 CS. The 3533-pound result nails corners. From its acceleration to the sounds coming from the CS’s 444-hp engine, it has all the sports-car traits that make us warm and tingly. It is the product of clever improvisation and adaptation. But as strong as the M2 CS is, we wondered, can it do just as good a job as a hammer?Porsche’s 718 Cayman GTS 4.0—our hammer—starts out with the right stuff. It’s a two-seat, mid-engine, 3231-pound smile machine. A sports car at its core, the GTS 4.0 version gets a 394-hp 4.0-liter flat-six that sings to a 7800-rpm redline. Think of it as a poor man’s GT4, if the poor man had $88,150 or, should he want our sparsely optioned, dual-clutch-automatic-equipped test car, $94,200. The Porsche’s base price surpasses the Bimmer’s by $3555, but as for the test cars, our M2 CS, loaded with carbon-ceramic brakes and a dual-clutch transmission, has the higher outlay, at $96,545. No doubt you’re wondering why this tête-à-tête isn’t between the less expensive manual versions. We wanted it to be, but BMW had just shipped its three-pedal M2 CS out east, leaving us with only the automatic to deal with L.A. traffic.[pullquote align=’center’]The test numbers say these cars deliver similar experiences, but the differences are real on roads like this. The BMW is scrappy and playful; the Porsche is precise and poised.[/pullquote][image id=’0529def1-76af-45c7-8cba-a5857e292fdf’ mediaId=’062e6d54-f693-462a-b92a-435fd47ef153′ align=’center’ size=’large’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’original’][/image]2nd Place:BMW M2 CSHighs: Power surges, real steering, delightful imperfection.Lows: Harsher ride than the Porsche, tire roar, squirms under duress.1st Place:Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0Highs: A big flat-six where Newton would want it, capability to handle what you throw at it, a fully dialed-in experience.Lows: Engine lacks the turbo punch of the BMW, just two seats.[image id=’54506e53-4f4f-4201-a798-4633737998a8′ mediaId=’22e3adb7-3d8f-4c76-a40f-f4f15b2f6f71′ align=’center’ size=’large’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’original’][/image]Shifting for yourself is more engaging than letting the car swap gears, even if it is slower. But these aren’t your father’s auto-tragic transmissions. Porsche’s and BMW’s dual-clutch gearboxes shift faster than you can and have software astute enough to call up the same gears you would. For a closer connection, grab the steering-wheel paddles. Both models come with launch control, which makes lining up next to a challenger a little less stressful. Porsche’s system revs the naturally aspirated six to 6600 rpm before perfectly slipping the fluid-bathed clutch to make the most of the traction from the Pirelli P Zero PZ4s. Do it as much as your inner 17-year-old desires. The GTS dutifully returns 3.4-second runs to 60; the manual version adds 0.4 to that.BMW’s max-acceleration programming isn’t as effective. Try to launch at the default 3000 rpm and the twin-turbo 3.0-liter’s low-end surge will light up the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires as soon as the clutch plates make contact. BMW allows the driver to adjust the launch rpm by tapping the cruise-control toggle. The best practice on regular asphalt is to set it to the 1900-rpm minimum so the tires hook up before the boost arrives. We measured a 3.6-second run to 60—the six-speed does it in 3.9.[image id=’f6f0a9bf-706e-40c3-ab72-9f8811464a30′ mediaId=’a32ea5b8-4599-4430-8c11-086ba674c194′ align=’center’ size=’large’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’original’][/image]To see how well each of these cars can pound curves into submission, we headed north out of L.A. and onto Frazier Park’s empty canyon roads. Jump from the Cayman to the M2 and the BMW seems like a small SUV. But once you adjust to the upright windshield and high seating position, the M2’s handling dazzles. Though the steering-wheel diameter is about an inch and a half too large, actual feel comes through the thick rim. The Cup 2s send barely attenuated jolts, jabs, and noise into the cabin, but the upside is steering feedback and precision and 1.05 g’s of skidpad grip. Caught between the sticky track-spec rubber and the brawny 444-hp engine, the BMW’s rear end squirms in distress under hard acceleration out of corners. That motion doesn’t amount to much, but it moves through the seat and into your body. You get the impression that this little hellion is working hard for you. From the M2’s logbook: “Playful, alive, and devilishly imperfect.”[image id=’abd575b2-c3cb-4be5-affe-84235ac8f388′ mediaId=’c2331ba2-889c-4dba-b509-8b7dd72e1606′ align=’center’ size=’large’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’original’][/image]Inside the Cayman, a small thin-rimmed steering wheel and a butt-on-the-road seating position await. The Porsche’s mise-en-scène—with the raked windshield, low roof, and front-and-center tachometer—reads sports car, and its dynamics live up to the look. The GTS has a better relationship with the laws of physics than the 302-pound-heavier CS. It changes direction with ease and boasts steering that responds to every fing of your fingers. Plus, the GTS nearly matches the M2 in skidpad grip despite wearing milder rubber. Without turbochargers force-feeding its six cylinders, the Cayman doesn’t overwhelm its rear end on corner exit quite as much as the M2 does, especially when the road rises over 5000 feet. While the Porsche lacks the BMW’s turbo surge, the finely tuned throttle makes it seem possible to mete out each individual horse. That ability to precisely dial in the engine allows the driver to approach and ride the limit without fear of overburdening the chassis or the handling. Keep adding speed; no component appears unduly burdened.[image id=’cc3def45-45eb-4733-9572-a5df83f01118′ mediaId=’0a88bcea-8a5d-4d23-a39e-f98d7f7feb6e’ align=’center’ size=’large’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’original’][/image]Both cars feature adaptive dampers and steel springs that provide firm but livable ride quality, with a small comfort advantage going to the Cayman. Either will stop hard enough to dislodge any french fries hiding under the seats, yet the Porsche prevails with its 149-foot stop and the firmness and grab of its brakes. The intake chortles and screams of the flat-six are also something the M2 can’t match. There’s a raucousness to the BMW, but the Porsche brings you closer to the machinery, which is literally just a couple of inches behind you.The Porsche is the better car in nearly every regard, a win earned by being exactly the right tool for the job. Still, the BMW wears its flaws in a way that draws you in. More endearing, sillier, and just a bit less under control than the Cayman, the M2 CS is the one you’ll remember, the one that will inspire gesture-filled stories beginning with “There I was . . .” But while it may be possible, and even fun, to pound a nail with something like a pipe wrench, a hammer is really what you need. [vehicle type=’specpanel’ vehicle-body-style=” vehicle-make=” vehicle-model=” vehicle-model-category=” vehicle-submodel=” vehicle-year=”][/vehicle] More

If there were a children’s book about the 2022 Porsche 911 GT3, it would be called Downforce and the Magic Tires: A Control-Arm Adventure. That’s because Porsche, upon examining the best-handling version of the 911, decided that what it needed was better handling. So the new GT3, based on the 992 generation of the 911, gets the first unequal-length control-arm front suspension on a 911 street car, along with a 1.9-inch wider front track, 150 percent more downforce, and a set of barely domesticated race tires—Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2Rs. To demonstrate the GT3’s new tricks, Porsche brought one to Road Atlanta and turned us loose. Well, sort of. To forestall journalistic overexuberance, we’d follow a pace car: a 911 Turbo S driven by longtime Porsche pro driver Patrick Long, a guy who can drive 150 mph while watching the rearview mirror and still have 70 percent of his brainpower to spare. Probably more.We got three sessions, with the first devoted to track (re)familiarity and general warmup. I headed out with Long’s pregame pep talk in mind: We’d stay off the corner curbing, and he’d gradually ramp up the pace as long as I kept up. [image id=’7532ad91-811c-4752-9265-50ac5b9152cf’ mediaId=’ac23542a-7038-4720-8785-9b9827fba189′ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=’As much grip as the GT3 has in a hairpin like this, it has even more in fast corners, thanks to the downforce.’ expand=” crop=’original’][/image]The first thing you notice is that, even at a mild pace, the transmission is absolutely on point with its gear selection. The steering wheel paddles are there, sure, but you don’t need them. The GT3 is the only 992 model to stick with the previous-generation PDK transmission (a six-speed manual is available, too), a seven-speed with unique ratios. Ditching the eight-speed unit found in other 911s is one way that Porsche kept the GT3’s weight within 11 pounds of its predecessor, despite the car being physically larger. The one we recently tested weighed but 3222 pounds. The rear glass is so thin, you can see it distort when you attach the suction cup for a GoPro.[youtube align=’center’ autoplay=’0′]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEhWSv91t1Q[/youtube]The second thing you notice, once you enter a straight, is that signature noise: The 9000-rpm 4.0-liter flat-six, with a throttle body for each cylinder, issues a howl that I want to compare to a gigantic circular saw, but that’s not quite right. Saws tend to slow down the further they get into a rip, the tone dropping a couple of octaves along with rpm. The GT3 does the opposite. Revs climb ever quicker as rpm builds, the timbre rising with the tachometer needle. If this is a buzzsaw, it’s one that spit the plank, out of control. That wild appetite for revs would probably be the dominant personality trait in any other car. Not this one.Because once everything’s all warmed up and we start hitting the corners with some intention, it’s clear that this thing will slay nearly any other street-legal machine on a twisty road (or, in this case, track). We recorded a silly 1.11 g on the skidpad, and that figure doesn’t even accurately convey the total amount of potential grip. Since this is the rare street car with actual downforce, you have to remind yourself that you can corner harder at 110 mph—at, let’s just say, the unnerving right-hander before the front straight—than you can in a hairpin where you’re relying on pure mechanical grip. That swan-neck rear wing has four manually adjustable positions (as do the two front diffusers), from low drag to max downforce. At the most aggressive settings, the GT3 makes 317 pounds of downforce at 125 mph and 770 pounds at top speed. We’re using the max downforce setting. [image id=’00727f50-5975-463f-b0a0-c14708d1a1d6′ mediaId=’8451b78c-e6bd-4770-98d8-58b36af14e72′ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=’The rear wing’s downforce position.’ expand=” crop=’original’][/image]It’s always hard to tell, when you’re following a race driver in a different type of car, whether they’re actually trying to lose you or just humoring you. But as we get into the second and third sessions, it does seem like Long is pushing it a little—at least in the corners. On one lap, over the bump at the top of the hill, under the bridge, I see the Turbo S’s rear end skip sideways as Long powers up and over. There are a couple other times when I can see his rear end sliding around, and eventually Long abandons the no-climbing-the-curbs dictum and starts drawing some fairly straight lines. At Turn 3 he sends it up over the wide paved area on the inside of the turn, and I follow suit, feeling the GT3’s right side go momentarily airborne before the hand-of-God aero shoves it back to the pavement a little quicker than gravity would have accomplished on its own. Turn-in is immense. With that wide front track, standard rear-wheel steering, and the pseudo-race Michelins, it feels like you can tighten your line whenever you want. Those tires, by the way, use the Sport Cup 2 carcass and the tread compound of a race slick, with a millimeter less tread depth for good measure. They like to run hot, 150 to 160 degrees, and once they’re warm they start picking up rubber from the track surface and flinging it everywhere. Out on the back straight, at about 135 mph or so, you start hearing the whump-whump-whump of the tires shedding clots of rubber. After a session, there are black streaks of molten rubber along the flanks of the car. [composite mediaId=’ef3e7259-dfb6-4786-b2ba-dbd54c593e5e’][/composite]The back straight is also where Long likes to remind us that his car has 640 horsepower. Quick as the GT3 is, there’s not much that hangs with a Turbo S in a straight line. Long tends to hammer it up to about 145 mph or so and then cruise toward the hairpin left at the end of the straight. Eventually we ramp it up to 155 mph but we’re still braking way early, which is fine with me. A couple years ago I drove a 991 GT3 RS here, and this car feels quicker. [image id=’905ad5de-d67a-4389-b692-e9383968f2d3′ mediaId=’a775c346-ea33-4e6a-8d38-01cc23965ee0′ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=’Control-arm front suspension on a 911. Who’d have thought?’ expand=” crop=’original’][/image]By the third session, I’ve moved to Track mode, and the main difference seems to be that the transmission becomes crazy aggressive—there is now truly no need to use the paddles. Also, I was pleased to discover that the GT3 will still bristle if provoked. On one lap, I’m not quite straight into the braking zone on the back straight, and even that smidge of steering lock combined with hard braking causes the tail to give a disdainful wag as it unloads. Which is my fault, sure, but it’s also nice to know that Porsche hasn’t completely banished every remnant of orneriness from the GT3.This is a car that otherwise makes you feel like a hero. Whether you are or not.

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