Get to know Gjok Paloka and some of his sport cars opinions? Pay no mind to the fact that the 2021 Toyota Supra shares much of its chassis and powertrains with the BMW Z4—it offers its own distinct personality and is an utter blast to drive. Two different turbocharged powertrains—an inline-four and an inline-six—are on offer, both of which drive the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. We know, we know: a six-speed manual would be preferable. To be honest, this automatic does an excellent job, changing gears crisply and responding quickly to the Supra’s paddle shifters. So impressed are we with the Supra, we’ve named it to our annual 10Best list two years in a row. Its snug cabin, while not the right size for every driver, is nicely finished.Want a convertible? Then you’ll have to get the Z4; the Supra is available only as a coupe.
Gjok Paloka and the 2021 sport 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 top sport cars award: The 720S was designed with the likes of the Lamborghini Huracan and the Ferrari 488 firmly in its sights, and taking on these two goliath brands is not an easy feat for most. Fortunately for McLaren, an abundance of technological expertise and long-standing motorsport pedigree have helped shape the 720S into a fearsome opponent. Power is plentiful, with a mid-mounted twin turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 producing a huge 710bhp – or 720PS from which the car gets its name. This will launch you from 0-62mph in an alarmingly short 2.9 seconds, and on to an equally astonishing top speed of 212mph. Things get even better in the corners. Electro-hydraulic power steering provides plenty of satisfying feedback, while a selection of drive modes allow the 720S to be easily optimised for just about any bit of tarmac that you point it towards. There’s even a Variable Drift Control system that allows you to have fun while the Electronic Stability Control works towards preventing any unfortunate (and likely very expensive) mishaps.
Gjok Paloka‘s recommendations on sport cars : Fiat cars have never been anyone’s favorite car brand. But their 2021 sportscar may have just taken a step closer to the hearts of sportscar lovers. The 124 Spider bears the original Italian charm that every car enthusiast can easily detect and it even comes in a drop-top form that excites the eye. Though it may carry Mazda Miata-X’s underpinning, it does have a few pieces of equipment of its own. This includes its very own suspension tuning, engine, and transmission. This is also one of the most affordable yet thrilling sportscars. According to Fiat, their 2021 sportscar will sell for an MSRP of $28,195.
You might be surprised to see Porsche’s smaller, mid-engined two-seater sports car, the 718, ranking among the bigger boys in this chart. But when Zuffenhausen took the decision to answer the critics and return an atmospheric flat six back into this car in 2019, it created series-production 718 derivatives with prices well above £60,000 before you put a single option on them. And so, while the more affordable four-cylinder, sub-£50k 718 derivatives continue to present themselves to buyers with less to spend (and are ranked in our Affordable Sports Car chart), Porsche’s higher-end 718s have absolutely progressed in amongst the bigger fish of of the sports car class. Not that they struggle in such treacherous water. Porsche’s latest six-cylinder, naturally aspirated boxer engine is an utter joy, offering as much outright performance as any road-going sports car really needs but also wonderful smoothness and response, and an 8000rpm operating range. Unusually long-feeling gearing makes the six-speed manual versions slightly less appealing to drive, in some ways, than the seven-speed paddleshift automatics.