₦airaland Forum

oba009:
Thanks man you are the best.

No worries Bros.

Gee2728:
@auhanson, two days brother

Gee welcome back , we've got to do some drifting and twisting like these ones here:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3N9dtNjS84


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv-tEtGQzN8


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDoZl_j-qjs

Eyop:
Yes they can afford it. I will pick this 6x6 over Hummer. Hummer has never wowed me and never will it. This is the real beast.

The hummer of nowadays cant even crosswater, but you could see as this maniac chew the waters and spew them off

Eyop:
Hanson this benz is a real beast ooooh. Na real jungle vehicle be this one and this is money.

I bet you this beast surpasses the so called "Hummer" and our politicians/biz men can definitely afford it

oba009:
Please house is there any major problem with ML 350 2000. I want to buy one please what and what should I know?

Thanks

Though I am not a fan of suvs nor cross overs, because they seems to be like an unnecessary evil to me(a mid size compact sedan Benz is just capable enough) , but if you happen to test drive an ml350 with any other suv, like rx330 you will be surprised at the level of luxury and comfort as well as handling that your ml350 will offer you unlike your rx330 and her likes, that are somehow boring, no soul to it like your ml350.
Ml 350 handles just like some luxury sedan , you could drift and twist with it and above all her acceleration is excellent, 0-60 mph(120kmh) in 8.4 sec for an suv, and has a very good mpg of 19/31 cty/hw averaging out 25mpg in British standard scale for a 6 cylinder engine of 272 bhp at 6000RPM, with a 7 speed steptronic auto gearbox to cut down cost of running while reducing any load on the engine of 3,498 cc displacement stock, a 4matic drive.

To me Benz is the cheapest car to maintain if you are not careless in maintenance, but could be the costliest if you are. Unfortunately few of the guys I see around with Benz, BMW and Audi are very careless in maintenance and they pay dearly for their ignorance, hence looking at the cars as an expensive type in terms of maintenance.

The truth is that if you look at Benz as a costly car so it will be, but if you look at it as a cheap car to maintain then it will be same too. Any angle you look at it, it will deliver same to you. There was this myth that I knew from infanthood that benz is an expensive machine to maintain, I buried it in my heart and definitely it became very expesive for me to maintain when I finally bought benz not until I changed my mindset did benz became a budget machine to me, in a sense that I could run it a whole year when broke with little or no kobo. Don’t wait for a component to breakdown before you fix it , any defective component will always give an extended warnings until you have the bucks to fix it, besides most of her wear items can be re engineered locally to last even like stock at no cost because they are made of quality material/alloy. For a careful and a knowledgeable owner, Benz is cheaper to fix than any other brand of vehicle.

Ml350 has many wires and circuitary like benz c class and e class of that model year, and never you nor your technician mess with these items, simply replace what ever is bad here, and leave it at the factory settings , avoid by passing/straight connections at all cost since it is a highly computerised machine with proper computer(ECU) coding, in order words it is very loaded with hightech.

Because of her sportlike fenders and side sketches, she is more beautiful when decorated with wider tyres

Just cruising now once I get home would definitely post

Absolutely the best car for Nigerian road..who can afford it by the way?

If I ever needed a Honda car, its manual tranny that I'd buy.. Needless to spend resources for some dame conversion biko. What u have is already desired by many. Give it to them and buy an auto

You've got to check out this maniac, Mercedes Benz AMG 6x6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8thaIMJd1Rg

A wholesome maniac video


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8thaIMJd1Rg

Mehn! i bought a 2005 Toyota Rx330 for a friend and i was dumbfounded at the gadget & the cleanliness this car carries, if rx300 is any thing near this then what d heck have i got to do wt an empty kia Rio with all the poor handling, poor safety in the name of a new car. I wouldn't even thread in a graded w202 2000 model kompressor Benz for it

Isn't lovely to see this very rare marque, so clean and neat drive pass you on the road? What a feel of fulfillment, a car this age in such condition, and named brand marque for that matter, an "s" class, c'mon guys.

Return back your thermostat, if you are afraid of overheating, install 71 -82 degrees thermostat, that is if you are in the tropical zone like me

nurey:
Hi pips let's start this thread for fun by mentioning cars that you think or wish people should stay away from or not look at twice even though the car is beautiful, rugged and fast but for one reason or the other you just think people should stay away or not invest their cash on it.

Mine is the regular mercedez benz Eseries I think the 1980s models. My dad used three of this vehicles when he was alive, most times we had to push the car to start because the kick starter na wahala, the body was nothing but a rusted motion picture on wheels the springs and shock absorbers fail when two fat people sit at the back, it needs oil topping regularly and water to the radiator and above all, that beast is a Guzzler. The major advantage is when you are in that car, you are regarded as a chief, and feared by other road users, the handling power of that car is top notch and the car is a rugged metal block and often reliable, but I will advice you stay away from that car if you don't want an un warranted disgrace especially the ones that have been abused by my dads quack, poverty stricken and hungry mechanics.

Please add yours just for fun with pix please.

If any body had issue with this car, popularly known as german mistake(over engineered, and built to last forever), then that person lack maintenance culture in totality

Here are the mighty autorist falling, new comers are taking over the autoworld..the competition is really stiffed neck, the gab between the brand names of old like BMW and Porch is really narrowing if not completely swept off

The Americans seems to be taking over the game now from the Germans, let's see how far they can remain at the top..I know this is unacceptable by the old auto Mister whose mind frame has already been stiffened up leaving no room for modification...

The most amazing thing is the way each and every one of these cars twist at bends in their own unique way and the emergent of new comers to take positions off the old giant.

Who says auto tranny supersede manual tranny or vice versa? It is even more compounded the way each of them are handled to supersede each other in the videos

yeah! extremely pushed engines like rocket launchers, just waiting to grenade all of a sudden after being pushed to fierce battle. Little wonder why Dominic Torreto would always rebuild his turbo packed mustang every now and then.

Though, modern technology may improve this a lot in recent times leaving little or no room for such frequent rebuilt . Hyundai is coming out of the dark ages, i'm impressed by these achievement and the inclusion of back axle driven rear drive to their league.

Eyop:
Very nice analysis my Boss.

Cheers

Thanks Dude

If you are like me that prefers mid size compact sedan and a little of sport Benz’s but not suv’s, C250 is a compact sedan, silent whisper machine with a lot of carefully built considerations to cut across good efficiency and adequate power to balance these two factors without compromising neither power nor efficiency while cutting down cost of ownership just like any other 1800 cc engine displacement with multiple gearbox system..
Her 1.8 litre IV (1800 cc displacement) engine is turbo packed making her very robust and efficient with the 7 gear auto steptronic system bringing down the cost of maintenance, built on a strong chassis and suspension mechanism that has excellent handling & stability with great aura, comfort and satisfaction when owned.

A c250 can accelerate 0-60mph(or 100km/h) in 6.7 sec with a top speed of 149 mph(240km/h), while a c320 does same in 6.7 sec too with a top speed of 155mph(250km/h)

A c250 can generate 204 horsepower at 5500RPM and 310 Nm that produces 229bft torgue while c 320 dose 224 bhp at 3800 RPM and 510 Nm that yield 376 bft torgue. And a heavier chasis.

A c250 has economy of 32/55 mpg in city/hw, averaging 55mpg using British standard measurement , while c320 has economy of 27/46mpg in cty/hw, averaging 37mpg British standard measurement

C250 commence production in 2009 till date while c320 discontinued in 2009

Also, the c320 is a compact sedan with 6 cylinder naturally aspirated engine built for durability and performance with 12 plugs for the 6 cylinder head for performances in a 300cc engine displacement that has 4matic variances in abundance, a factor making it a little expensive to own.
From the aboved analysis, you can see that the c250 is a better machine, It is now left for you to weigh your balances to inform to inform your decisions, but I personally prefer the c250 for everyday use with rather the c350 or c63 amg for occasional drives just for the robust nature. Just like i would prefer the c230 kompressor that balances power and efficiency to the c220, c280.

For either models, don’t mess with the electrical systems if you want a problem free ride, always leave things at factory settings, replace what is bad but avoid bypassing of components..

The BTR Genesis, if built, would be essentially a street-legal race car. But there’s really no rationale reason for driving it on the street.

Along those lines, it gets these racing enhancements: Sabelt GT-200 Carbon / Fiberglass shell racing seats, sliders, racing harnesses and SW-390 racing steering wheel; planted seat brackets; Tanabe OLED Revel gauges; Cusco Roll Cage; and BTR custom rear seat delete. That rear seat would just be a vomit causer anyway.

By the way, which Hyundai SEMA car do you think is better looking? The BTR Genesis or the Bisimoto Sonata in the above photo? Comment below

With the addition of a high-boost Precision Turbo turbocharger, strengthened and fully balanced internal components, a custom intake, intercooler, full exhaust kit and nitrous injection, the BTR Genesis Coupe sends over 800 horsepower to the rear wheels (nearly 1,000 horsepower at the crank) through a six-speed manual transmission. All hail the almighty nitrous injection.

The drivetrain gets modified with, among other improvements, competition clutch upgraded clutch kit; competition clutch flywheel kit; enthuspec stainless steel clutch line; upgraded driveshaft; short throw shifter; shifter bushings; and upgraded transmission mount. The latter being probably most important because you don’t want that tranny dropping when that grand’s worth of horsepower kicks in.

RELATED: See the Bisimoto Engineering SEMA Sonata

Hyundai has paired with Blood Type Racing Inc., a Chicago-based builder specializing in extracting extreme, street-friendly performance from Korean vehicles, for a 1,000 horsepower Genesis Coupe. Unfortunately, it’s just a one-off that’s headed to the SEMA show next month.



Believe it or not, he BTR Genesis Coupe uses the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder as the engine’s foundation. The engine gets new sleeves, and was bored to give a larger displacement. Blood Type Racing Inc. is just one of 5 companies building a SEMA show 2014 vehicle for Hyundai this year.

RELATED: See the 2013 Bisimoto Engineering SEMA Genesis Coupe

Who does best at twisting? Handling & speed, let's check out in this video:

Lightning Lap 2014: Porsche 918 Spyder Hot Lap Video
Car and Driver Videos 3:27 mins
https://autos.yahoo.com/video/porsche-918-spyder-193018530.html
The Porsche 918 is the quickest car we've ever run at Lightning Lap. Watch it lay down its blistering lap at Car and Driver.


https://autos.yahoo.com/video/srt-viper-210257513.html
Lightning Lap 2014: SRT Viper TA Hot Lap Video
Car and Driver Videos 3:19 mins
We fling the 2014 SRT Viper TA around VIR and record an astonishing lap time. See the full video at Car and Driver.


https://autos.yahoo.com/video/mercedes-benz-e63-amg-193326579.html
Lightning Lap 2014: Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S-Model Hot Lap Video
Car and Driver Videos 3:26 mins
The 577-hp E63 AMG is soft, comfortable, and fun to jump on—see video of its hot lap at Car and Driver.


https://autos.yahoo.com/video/nissan-gt-r-nismo-201448258.html
Lightning Lap 2014: Nissan GT-R NISMO Hot Lap Video
Car and Driver Videos 3:27 mins
You just simply point and shoot the 2015 GT-R NISMO to get a top lap at VIR. Watch video of its lap at Car and Driver.


https://autos.yahoo.com/video/chevrolet-corvette-stingray-203624318.html
Car and Driver Videos 3:31 mins
Lightning Lap 2014: Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Hot Lap Video
We thrash the incredible Corvette Stingray at Lightning Lap in pursuit of a hot lap time. Check out the video at Car and Driver.


https://autos.yahoo.com/video/porsche-911-turbo-203539157.html
Lightning Lap 2014: Porsche 911 Turbo S Hot Lap Video
Car and Driver Videos 3:31 mins
The 911 Turbo S is the most confidence-inspiring ICBM you'll ever drive. Watch its full lap at Car and Driver.


https://autos.yahoo.com/video/jaguar-xkr-202714096.html
Lightning Lap 2014: Jaguar XKR-S GT Hot Lap Video
Car and Driver Videos 3:32 mins
The XKR-S GT is hairy, but far less so than the regular XKR-S. Check out the full video at Car and Driver.


https://autos.yahoo.com/video/audi-rs7-204136966.html
Lightning Lap 2014: Audi RS7 Hot Lap Video
Car and Driver Videos 3:34 mins
We launch Audi's latest military-grade weapon at VIR. Watch the full video at Car and Driver.


https://autos.yahoo.com/video/chevrolet-camaro-z-28-195058490.html
Lightning Lap 2014: Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Hot Lap Video
Car and Driver Videos 3:36 mins
The burly Camaro Z/28 was effin' *quick* around VIR's Grand Course. Watch video of the lap at Car and Driver.


https://autos.yahoo.com/video/bmw-m235i-210709112.html
Lightning Lap 2014: BMW M235i Hot Lap Video
Car and Driver Videos 3:41 mins
The 2015 BMW M235i punched above its numbers at VIR. Watch the full hot lap video at Car and Driver.


https://autos.yahoo.com/video/lexus-is350-193701372.html
Lightning Lap 2014: Lexus IS350 F Sport Hot Lap Video
Car and Driver Videos 3:46 mins
The IS350 F Sport is rock solid—it just needs more power. Watch video of its hot lap at Car and Driver.


https://autos.yahoo.com/video/ford-focus-st-194724157.html
Lightning Lap 2014: Ford Focus ST Hot Lap Video
Car and Driver Videos 3:52 mins
The Focus ST corners unlike anything in its price class. Watch the lap video at Car and Driver.


https://autos.yahoo.com/video/ford-fiesta-st-203158380.html
Lightning Lap 2014: Ford Fiesta ST Hot Lap Video
Car and Driver Videos 3:52 mins
This hot hatch ranks near the front of the pack in terms of sheer fun. Watch video of its best lap at Car and Driver.


https://autos.yahoo.com/video/subaru-wrx-191722897.html
Lightning Lap 2014: Subaru WRX Hot Lap Video
Car and Driver Videos 3:52 mins
We fling the rally-inspired 2015 WRX around VIR in search of a top lap time. Watch full video of its lap at Car and Driver.


https://autos.yahoo.com/video/volkswagen-gti-203117069.html
Lightning Lap 2014: Volkswagen GTI Hot Lap Video
Car and Driver Videos 3:53 mins
We put the 2015 VW GTI through its paces at Virginia International Raceway in search of the best time. Watch a hot lap at Car and Driver.

I need to cruise that coffee colour truck and the spreading trunk oversize sedan

1st Place: Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
Zero to Hero
By: Scott Evans

If you'd asked us five years ago whether the then-all-new Chevrolet Camaro would be invited to Best Driver's Car, we would have scoffed. Had you suggested that a Camaro would win Best Driver's Car, we'd have all had a good belly laugh at the very notion.
Who's laughing now?
The transformation of the fifth-generation Camaro from "musclecar that handles pretty well" to Best Driver's Car winner is astounding. Few other cars we can think of have made such an advance in a single generation. Says Lieberman, "Perhaps the Corvair, but even by 1965 it wasn't anywhere near this good."
Nowhere is this more evident than in driver confidence. Many a judge remarked on the ease and speed with which they became comfortable pushing the car hard on our closed canyon road. Mortara was especially smitten: "This was the only car here I could drive as hard down 198 as I could up it." We also were impressed with how incredibly high the car's limits are and how much fun we could have behind the wheel without coming anywhere near them. With the computers engaged or sidelined, the Z/28's world-class handling highlights the hard work Al Oppenheiser's Camaro team did to the chassis and suspension on the meanest track of them all, the Nüburgring Nordschleife.
You don't have to kill the nannies to appreciate the ground-up approach to this car. You can feel it in the steering, which is light and razor-sharp but still provides meaningful feedback from the massive front tires and weights up appropriately as g-loads increase. You can feel it in the arrow-straight power curve that builds and builds and builds as the screaming, free-revving, naturally aspirated 7.0-liter V-8 races to redline faster than any pushrod engine has a right to. You can feel it in the monstrous, fadeless carbon-ceramic brakes that always returned a linear pedal travel and usable feel. You can feel it in the light, crisp shifter that easily outclassed any other manual present with short, precise throws. You can feel it in the Recaro seats, which hold you firmly in place but are still comfortable at the end of a 400-mile drive.
Most important, you feel the superior engineering in how the car responds to inputs both internal and external. From within, the car reacts immediately and precisely to your commands but doesn't punish you for minor mistakes. From the outside, the Z/28's suspension attacks bumps and dips with an unbridled passion for keeping the tires on the pavement. Yes, the ride is very stiff and you feel every one of those bumps, but they don't unsettle the car and they don't test your nerve. Says Lieberman vis-à-vis bumps, "One and done." In fact, it feels as though the car is bowling right through the bumps and actively flattening the road as it goes, as if the car is punishing the road for punishing you.
On the track, every impression above is simply elevated. With the first turn of the wheel you become confident in the Z/28. With the second, you're ready to set a hot lap. There is no learning curve. Per Randy: "There's kind of not a bad corner for this car. I've never felt a car grip up so much halfway through Turn 9. Turn 9 is downhill and when it levels out I could corner harder. Cars are kind of floaty here. This one, not so bad, but it feels like with the speed it's carrying it's not going to grip up. And it did. It would land and grip up and I could roar, just go for it."
Yes, it's a Camaro and still hard to see out of, and, yes, more than one editor complained about keeping such a big, wide car between the lines, but these issues become easy to forgive at the first turn of a great road. The Camaro Z/28 is the revered, old-school formula for speed writ large: big motor, bigger brakes, manual transmission, and a chassis tuned to race without any digital help. Greater than the sum of its parts, though, the Z/28 is a car in which how hard you smile is directly correlated to how hard you're driving it, and for that, it's Motor Trend's 2014 Best Driver's Car.
Facial Analysis
"While he's mostly tense and somewhat stressed, Randy is also the most alarmed during this lap than when in any other car. Very alarming to drive."


This thread is about driving performance on a track. Guess what this Z/28 was built for....yes the TRACK! So, it shouldn't be a surprise to you all that it trumps every car that's "not" built specifically for track performance people.

2nd Place: Alfa Romeo 4C
Best Track Car? Maybe. Best Driver's Car? Not Quite.
By: Christian Seabaugh

The Alfa Romeo 4C was an easy favorite going into this year's competition—and why shouldn't it have been? A look at past winners such as the Porsche 911, Ferrari 458 Italia, and Audi R8 reveals they all have much in common with the Alfa: mid-/rear-engine, automated-manual transmission, and a European origin. So why didn't it win? That was a pretty hotly debated question, since there was no car more polarizing than the Alfa in this competition. Some loved it, while one guy plain hated it.
Despite two votes, the Alfa has plenty to like. It drives exceptionally well on the right roads. Its 237-hp turbo-four combined with its six-speed dual-clutch is more than enough to get the flyweight rocking and rolling down the road. The pricey carbon-fiber tub helps to keep pounds off; couple that with the completely manual steering rack and you wind up with comments like Lieberman's: "They should have called this car the Dino. Ultra-light, ultra-stiff carbon-fiber tub, no power steering, no mufflers, turbocharged four-banger sitting right behind your head, and looks that don't quite kill, but that do make you feel awfully tingly."
Speaking of, more than a few were left with the strange tingly sensation known as love after driving the 4C. "Is there a purer sports car here? I don't think so," gushed Carlos Lago. "It's a stunning rebirth of the Italian sports car," said Randy Pobst. Indeed it is, with sharp throttle response, a howling engine that snaps and crackles as it surges forward, and a pretty good gearbox at speed.

So what's to argue about? Ride and handling, for starters. Driving the Alfa fast is hard work. The manual rack is light on-center before rapidly firming up, which proved difficult for some to get used to. Combine that with a busy ride, and you wind up with a car that could be unenjoyable on any road that isn't glass-smooth. Says Markus, who loved the steering: "Everyone knows Italians talk with their hands, and so does this one. Its hands are the steering wheel. Some will say it's too talkative and needs to know when to keep some secrets." Lieberman dissented: "You really have to wrestle the car when you hit bad pavement. Some on staff think that's just good steering feel. Could be, but it's also a bit much."
Others wanted more from the 4C's engine. "The engine doesn't really want to rev real high," said Pobst. "I don't find it terribly satisfying."
While far from the best street car, the Alfa makes sense on track. The taut ride, communicative steering, and upright seating position make it feel like a race car. The Alfa flows gracefully from corner to corner, putting the power down well and rocketing out of corners. It's astonishing how fun to drive the Alfa is on track, considering how much of a handful it is on the road. "Super-enjoyable car, really satisfying to drive because it's kind of like a race car," said Pobst. "It's fun to just keep pushing it and trying to be better."
But the 4C feels more like a weekend toy—driving it every day would border on masochistic. Said Burgess, "It is a great driver's car, but I cannot get over all of the flaws." Flaws aside, we're ready to welcome Alfa Romeo back with open arms and greedy hands. The 4C is wonderful.
Facial Analysis
"Very serious car for Randy. He exhibits no positive emotions. He's predominately alarmed and tense. He lets up only once—in Turn 9—where he's just as alert."

3rd Place: Porsche 911 Turbo S
The King is Dead Third
By: Edward Loh

Let me get this straight, you're probably saying. The car with the best weight-to-power ratio (6.4 pounds per hp), the one quickest to 60 mph (2.7 seconds) and through the quarter mile (10.9 seconds) does not win Best Driver's Car?
The very same car that laps Mazda Raceway a stunning 3.6 seconds faster than last year's winner does not even place second? Even though it has a Porsche badge on its nose and 911 on its butt, like the last two winners?
Say what? Says who?
Well, just about everyone. Every driver who spanked the Turbo S ranked it third, save Scott Burgess and Frank Markus, whose fourth- and second-place votes canceled each other out. All heaped praise upon the $193,000, 560-hp slot car for its flat-out speed, confidence-inspiring demeanor, and refinement.
"The speed, the smoothness, the composure, the torque, the looks, the comfort—nearly everything about the Turbo S is effortless," said Nate Martinez. Scott Evans concurred: "What a sublime machine. It just begs you sweetly to drive faster and faster. It doesn't quite have the raw sense acceleration like the GT-R, but it's so much more graceful."
Grace is not pace, however, and the Turbo S was the fastest thing around Mazda Raceway, until the heavier but more powerful GT-R Nismo edition nicked it by a tenth of a second. Still, speed is not everything.


"After getting out of the GT-R I didn't think there was any possible way the 911 could be better than Godzilla," said Seabaugh. "I was wrong … it's undoubtedly a better all-around package. Whereas the GT-R is a machete, the 911 is a scalpel."
Several editors credited this sharpness to the racing shoes the Turbo S was wearing. "There is always an intimate awareness of where this car's feet are and what they're doing. Inspires a lot of confidence on these racing tires," said Markus. Racing tires indeed—while not a factory option, Dunlop Sport Maxx Race tires are factory spec on the 911 GT3 and available through any Porsche dealer. So are they cheaters? Not really, said Pobst, who noted that grip "fell off" as tire pressures rose from the hot laps. Instead, he credited his blistering pace to the "mind-reading" PDK transmission, "world-class" steering feel, and ceramic composite brakes. "Brake pedal feel, brake power, and braking grip are as good as anybody's, if not better. It's an extremely well-balanced car that likes to go fast lap after lap. Actually in some ways it out-handles the 918. It does not have the entry oversteer that the 918 has."
Pobst also called out the most significant knock on the Turbo S, aside from a turbo-muffled exhaust note. "It's a terrific car to drive on the street. But it needs to be driven really hard to be really appreciated. And the harder it's driven the more its capabilities show and the more rewarding it is. It's just so easy at lower speeds."
How is that a strike against it? Burgess explains: "There was something clinical and soulless about this car. It's classic 911 in looks, it has a superior interior, and high-tech driving features. But those also sap some of the fun out of the car." One other ding: Several editors noted that the Big Daddy 911's body control wasn't world-class, especially as it bounced up and down over the dicier sections of 198. Yes, I'm picking at nits." Continues Burgess, "Maybe the Turbo S' mistake-free performance makes it feel less like driving and more like riding."
As this is not Best Rider's Car, two rougher, more raw-edged and fun-to-drive vehicles finish ahead of the Turbo S.
Facial Analysis
"Randy is tense, alarmed, and more stressed than in most of the other cars. Only during Turn 10 does he emote when he verbally compliments the car."

4th Place: Nissan GT-R Nismo
The Sharpest Knife in Nissan's Block
By: Nate Martinez

We've admired the GT-R for years. Back in 2008, it was an alien in a segment replete with similar-looking, equal-performing, pricier choices. It was, and always has been, a beast. Each year, Nissan refined its sound recipe, but this year Nismo did the tinkering. And, amazingly, it successfully dialed up the feel.
"This is the first GT-R since the original that's left me in awe," noted Carlos Lago. "This is also the first special edition where I've noticed a difference from other GT-Rs."
Its thin Alcantara-wrapped helm is connected to a revised hydraulically assisted setup that communicated California Route 198's nuances clearly. "The steering feels the most pronounced," continued Lago. "It offers good feedback and accuracy, making this large heavy car easy to point around."
It wowed us with its distinctly sharper foothold. Nismo replaced the Bilstein DampTronic dampers and springs with versions of its own, upped the front caster-trail, and installed a thicker 17.3mm hollow rear stabilizer bar. Half-inch wider front wheels, Nismo-spec Dunlops, larger diameter hub bolts, and Super GT-inspired body boosted stability and grip.
Frank Markus added: "This is a physics-defying magic machine. It feels like I'm going 10 to 15 mph faster everywhere on 198 than I am in anything else. Its brakes are phenomenal. Grip is otherworldly. I saw the cornering g-force meter reading somewhere between 1.0 to 1.5 g."
GT3-derived turbos give it a meatier mid-range. Its 600 horses and 481 lb-ft were always at the ready, yet the higher output didn't shove us as tenaciously into the Recaros as we expected. The lackluster straight-line gravitas was most likely because of the 91 octane fuel we were forced to use; the Nismo is tuned for 93 and above.
"Perhaps my expectations were too high, but, to me, the new Nismo felt like … a GT-R," wrote Lieberman. "Faster? Not really, as evidenced by our testing."
On MRLS, Randy noted it was "very stable" and called it "the strongest GT-R ever on power." He was able to "run the corkscrew harder than I did in any other car" but he did notice corner entry understeer. He felt the brakes and tires needed further attention, too.
"It puts down power well," he said. "It does not push on the exits, which I love, but it was pushing on the entry. Like, a lot. Something about the car doesn't like deceleration, and I think it's in the differentials, because when you go to the power, it's a different car. It frees right up and it just feels like it's going a lot faster through the corner."
Even so, he clocked 1:35.51 -- the quickest car this year. That also makes it the speediest GT-R we've ever had at Madzda Raceway Laguna Seca, beating last year's Track Edition by more than a second.
"I think it would be faster, but it needs thicker tires," Randy continued. "They're not extreme enough … I didn't get (brake) fade. I just didn't have enough bite."
Although the Nismo's comfort, drivability, sharpness, and feel have been honed exceptionally well, it lacked the high caliber of effortless finesse BDC victors have always possessed. Yet we'll be the first to confirm that the Nismo is without a doubt the most fun and most impressive road-going GT-R ever.
Facial Analysis
"Randy exhibits the full battery of attentive emotions (alert, tense, and stressed) though he's less alarmed. Exiting later turns, these expressions last longer."

5th Place: BMW M4
Monstrous Motor Meets Magnificent Manners
By: Jonny Lieberman

“This thing’s gotta make 500 horsepower.” That thought kept echoing around my brain every time I floored the pedal in the shiny new (and oddly colored) BMW M4. The acceleration feels like a Corvette Stingray, but on paper the C7 Corvette makes 40 more ponies (than the M4’s new 425-hp 3.0-liter, twin-turbo inline-six) and weighs about 150 pounds less. Still, the bigger, heavier, Bavarian feels just as fleet. But is it?
Close, but not quite. The Stingray hits 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, while the M4 requires 4.0. However, look at the quarter-mile numbers. The Chevy needs 12.0 seconds flat at 118.4. The BMW takes 12.2 seconds at 117.8 mph. Power-wise, the new BMW M4 is a monster.
Here’s what Carlos Lago had to say: “It’s just so fast! Holy torque! In M Dynamic Mode, I saw the stability control light flashing constantly. Even in third and fourth gears! Intervention wasn’t pronounced, but it was amusing to see that light blinking endlessly.”
Agreed. Now, that’s in a straight line. How about everywhere else?
The most important thing you need to know before purchasing an M4 is that you absolutely have to check the Adaptive M Suspension option box. While the standard suspension is supposed to be equivalent to the active dampers in Sport, it ain’t. Moreover, the base suspension feels floaty and bouncy. The adjustable suspension is better all around, no matter the mode. Says bossman Edward Loh, “Adaptive dampers make this thing feel so much better than [stock]. M redemption comes in coupe form.”

The M4 is the best-driving M Division product in years, easily eclipsing even the pretty dang great M6 Gran Coupe. This becomes especially true when it’s time to make the snot yellow coupe’s rear end dance. “Love how this car rotates mid-turn,” says Kiino. “Get on the gas, and the rear end just shoots you around -- minimal understeer, no drama.” BMW did an admirable job of allowing the chassis to slip just enough before the rear tires regain their purchase. Totally sweet, and more so on the track than on the street.
Randy Pobst explains, “I have renewed respect for the capability of this latest M coupe, and it is a giant step forward from the peaky and pushy E92 M3. The shocks in Sport Plus are track-firm and effective, and the fat, flexible, and generous torque curve makes for delicious, all-natural managed oversteer as it powers out of corners. That’s a driver’s car right there. Usable power-oversteer. And they even made it rumble a little.”
Why didn’t the M4 finish even higher, then? The steering’s a little odd, for one. “I couldn’t get used to the adjustable steering,” says Nate Martinez. “I found it to be too much on either end of the spectrum -- too light or too heavy.” As much as we all dig the adaptive suspension compared to stock, on imperfect, non-track surfaces, the M4 is still squirmy. “While it’s not nearly as wild over the bumps,” says Scott Evans, “the M4 still moves around more than I’d like. Needs to be a little more buttoned-down.” True, true.
The quibbles are small, however. The BMW M4 is one hell of a great driver’s car. Trouble is, this year’s field is especially gifted.
What is the Map of Emotions? Click here to find out.
Facial Analysis
"Randy is predominately tense and alarmed. He's upset after many of the turns, in much the same way as he was in the GT-R."

6th Place: Ford Fiesta ST
Driver's Party Piece
By: Carlos Lago
The Fiesta isn’t the smallest Best Driver’s Car contender, but it is the least powerful. It has the smallest overall tire footprint and the best non-hybrid fuel economy rating. It costs the least. It seats five. And it looks like a rental car. It’s also the highest-placing front-drive entrant in Best Driver’s Car history.
Its greatest strength is its effect on the driver. “How can you not love this little scamp?” said Christian Seabaugh. Senior features editor Jonny Lieberman agrees: ”I bought one!” The Fiesta represents not only the best fun-per-dollar ratio of this group, but perhaps in the entire new car market. Few cars inspire such giggling and reckless behavior. How fast can we take that off-ramp? How long can I stand on the throttle through these corners? Is that a jump? Let’s find out.
With modest grip and power, not to mention the second-lowest weight of the group, the Fiesta offers easily approachable limits. Combined with aggressively bolstered seats, a great shifter, and good induction noise, the car’s eagerness makes you want to play hard. And on the outside? Stealth styling and a muted exhaust mean the Fiesta flies -- very quickly -- under the radar.
The Fiesta requires no fussing around with electronic adjustments or settings. Just turn off stability control and go for it. In a great example of how front-drive street cars can handle, the rear just hints at rotation when you press hard, but it doesn’t do big slides unless provoked. And it’s tremendous fun when it does. “It simultaneously feels like it’s driving right on the edge of the tires, but always has plenty more grip,” said Scott Evans. Randy Pobst called it an “overachiever.” Head honcho Edward Loh said, “It’s one of those cars that you find yourself shifting repeatedly and changing lanes in for no reason.”

Considering the price and equipment, it isn’t surprising that the Fiesta lapped Mazda Raceway slower than the rest of the field. At 1:51.25, it matches the pace set by the Subaru BRZ from Best Driver’s Car 2012 and falls 1.95 seconds slower than the more powerful Focus ST from last year.
Despite the lap time, Pobst said the Fiesta reminded him of the cars he started racing in, especially the Rabbit GTI, but that “the Fiesta has far less body roll and far more power than those old things did. The Fiesta ST was a joy. I could stick it in there and know where the car was going to go. I can drive it right to within an inch of the edge of the track. It drifts the tail entering corners the way the GTi should. The shocks control properly, resulting in a tossable playtoy on and off the competition surface.”
The Fiesta survived hot lapping with its brakes intact, something the Focus didn’t do last year. (It left on a flatbed.) Ford attributes this to a combination of the Fiesta’s lower weight and torque output, which means its brake-actuated torque-vectoring system has less work to do.
A car this inexpensive placing this high in Best Driver’s Car is remarkable, and some wondered why it didn’t place even higher. When it comes to fun, the Fiesta ST is a giant-killer. Its ranking is a testament to the sheer quality of the competition this year.
Facial Analysis
"Randy's most tense lap, but this doesn't mean it's the most difficult; he's not alarmed or stressed, which are more negative emotions."

7th Place: Subaru WRX STI
We Like Continual Improvement
By: Scott Mortara
Past STIs have a driving characteristic I always loved: As you go into a corner, the car rolls a little and then takes a set. You steer with the wheel and throttle so you can set up the corner exit, where you can just flat-foot it out. The car has always been more capable than it felt. But this new STI eliminated that body roll -- which I initially missed --making it one of the most composed vehicles we tested. "So buttoned down," said Frank Markus. "It feels like a proper supercar disguised as an econosedan."
Driving the STI around town doesn't do it any justice. It doesn't beat you up, but this car's home is on a twisty road, and California Route 198 is the perfect winding road to play on for a day. All most editors could say about the STI was how much better it feels than the last generation. The car feels much more stable, more in control at higher speeds. Another talking point on the STI was the shifter -- very short throws, but also very notchy. The gearing is also too short for 198. You're doing a lot of shifting, and you're either too high in the revs in third or too low in fourth.
A few people expressed disappointment that Subaru has yet to give any power increase to its potent turbo flat-four. We know this engine can put out a lot more power, as we have seen in non-U.S.-bound versions of the STI. Unfortunately, for some reason, Subaru wants to keep the STI reined in for us in the States. With a tad more power, this would be an even more enjoyable driver's car.


We picked Route 198 for numerous reasons, one of which is how the surface is constantly changing; this is definitely not a smooth, clean track like MRLS. This road tells you a lot about the vehicle you're driving. Casual city driving gives you the impression that the STI is a stiff vehicle. But once out on 198, that stiffness turns into road-hugging, bump-absorbing, sure-footed awesomeness. The STI instills confidence; you find yourself driving quickly without even trying. It wasn't until Pobst hit the track that we discovered that the adjustable center differential actually does make the car act differently. Through a little trial and error, he clicked the diff all the way plus, but not to full lock. "The car freed up tremendously; it started drifting on the way into corners," Pobst said. Once the brakes cooled, I went out to do a few laps of my own. The first lap was in the default center-diff setting. Then I put it in Randy mode, and what a difference it made. Going into the corners, the front end didn't push anymore. I could feel the rear get light, but not squirrelly, and then it rotated going through the corner without me having to manipulate it with the throttle or wheel.
Subaru has reinvented the STI multiple times, but this is, by far, the best version yet. It's the same, but different, in a very good way. What we lost in character with the loss of body roll, the STI more than made up for in improved overall driving enjoyment. Now just give us more power.
Facial Analysis
"Randy is tense but not stressed, suggesting it's easy to drive. He visits both poles of emotion—happy exiting the Corkscrew, but subtly sad heading for the finish."

8th Place: BMW i8
BMW’s Carbon-Fiber Future Has Wings
By: Scott Burgees

Dramatic, lightweight, and arriving with a futuristic plug-in hybrid powertrain, the BMW i8 garners more gawkers than Justin Bieber at a Dave & Buster's. Everyone wants to look at it, touch it, and coo over the winged doors, which you can open as you pull into any parking lot to add to the drama.
The i8 deserves every bit of attention it gets. Its sumptuous exterior closely resembles the concept vehicle we've been seeing for the past four years. It also surprised a lot of editors with its mettle on the road.
"It felt extremely light, very small, with immediate reactions," said Nate Martinez. Christian Seabaugh opined,"The i8 is the first of the current-gen BMWs to actually feel like a Bimmer should to me --
"I love the sculpture of it and the extreme styling," said Randy Pobst. "I think that's a wonderful thing, and the world needs more of it."
Indeed, BMW's i Division has dialed up a great mix of power, technology, and gritty handling with the i8. The copious use of carbon fiber all around the vehicle, including in the passenger compartment, plays a key role in creating such a stiff body. The aluminum subframe adds to the car's lightness. (It weighs 3378 pounds.)


All this helps the i8 glide over most bumps and provides great handling through most corners. It's fun. However, many editors noted the car's very light electric power steering and awkward regenerative braking. Those idiosyncrasies mean it might take some time to really learn how to wring it out.
The gas-electric powertrain takes even more time to understand. There is the three-cylinder turbocharged engine that creates 228 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque for the rear axle. Then the front gets 129 hp and 184 lb-ft from an electric motor, and a tiny rear motor adds 8 more hp. Combined, 357 hp and 420 lb-ft stand at the ready.
However, not all of that power is always available. The i8 carries a lithium-ion battery pack with a usable capacity of 5 kW-hrs that when fully charged provides roughly 18 miles of gas-free driving. But we had difficulty keeping that charge very long. The i8, when driven hard, has a tendency to drain the batteries quickly. In Sport mode, the engine always stays on and will send a charge to the batteries, but it's a small charge at best. On the track, the i8's batteries drained quickly, causing it to have a 6-second time difference between its first and third lap. Simply put: It ran out of juice.
But most people will never push this nearly $140,000 car that hard and should, therefore, have more than enough battery to keep those front wheels spinning. Civilians need only mash the accelerator and enjoy the slightly stereo-amplified exhaust note that sounds superb for a three-banger in the trunk. (That's why the trunk is barely big enough to fit a single carry-on bag.)
The i8 points to a bold and distinctive future for BMW and sports cars in general in terms of powertrains and materials. It's just not quite good enough to rank as the Best Driver's Car of the present.
Facial Analysis
"Randy is tense and alert rather than alarmed and stressed, which may suggest it's easier to drive. He begins to critique it while driving. It's the most exciting hot lap for him."

9th Place: Jaguar F-Type R Coupe
Like Carl Lewis in Stilettos
By: Frank Markus

A race car driver with Randy Pobst's chops and experience should be able to achieve a car's best performance with stability systems off, but the first thing out of Randy's mouth when he climbed out of the Jag was, "You know, I probably should have tried a lap with the stability control on." It took him three laps to get one without a big hairy (and time-consuming) slide, and by then the tires were pretty hot. "It has so much oversteer. It has entry oversteer. It has mid-corner oversteer. It has insane power oversteer, which we've seen in virtually every Jaguar I've driven except the XKR-S GT. It's a lot of fun and it makes for great video, but it's insane," he said, adding, "The steering is fantastic … you have to use it a lot."
Randy's suggestion for the engineers or privateers thinking of tracking their F-Type Rs: "Soften the rear springs, add front anti-sway bar, go to a bigger rear tire, and add toe-in to the rear alignment." Or how about just don't expect it to chase down 911 Turbos? Leave all the nannies on, relax, and bask in the "it's good to be bad" exhaust note. It's almost more of a rattle than a thrum, all tenor, no bass. It'll never be confused for a Camaro. Oh, and save the $12 grand on the carbon-ceramic brakes. They work great, never fading during lapping, but the rest of the car is so ill-suited to racetrack work that the brakes make no sense. And because we mortal drivers felt no more comfortable pushing it on the road than Randy did on the track, it was consigned to ninth.
Facial Analysis
"While predominately stressed and tense, Randy isn't alarmed or alert. He's thoroughly enjoying himself drifting in the first turns, overriding the normal stress."