6 of the best Cars for 2018

Superlative Supercar, Beastly bullet

Bugatti Chiron

6 of the best Cars for 2018. When Bugatti (bugatti. com) introduced the 2005 Veyron, the vehicle immediately became the measure by which all other supercars were judged. The 2010 Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport was so remarkable that we named it the Car of the Decade. And now, eight years later, the world has a new ultimate supercar: the Bugatti Chiron. This Monster of Molsheim (the small town in northeastern France where Bugattis are made) has a window sticker starting at roughly $3.3 million. Its specifications are essentially academic, even for the handful of people who will actually drive – much less own – one. (Of the 500 units planned, more than 300 have been sold.) Compared to its predecessor, the Chiron dials everything up – more power and torque, and handling response that is more immediate and light with less understeer. It’s astoundingly quick but brutal acceleration is just one facet of the Chiron’s personality.

Engineering a 1103kW supercar is challenging, as it requires channelling massive air volume to a quartet of turbochargers while exhausting the infernal heat generated by an 8.0-litre W16 engine. Civilising such a beast is an even greater challenge. However, despite its 1600Nm torque and top speed of 420km/h, the Chiron is as refined to drive as a Bentley. It’s the ease with which one pilots this large GT that makes it different from other supercars – no deafening exhaust note, no spine- rattling suspension, no claustrophobic cabin panelled in surgical steel or cold carbon-fibre. Instead, the Chiron’s interior is a model of simple luxury. And although the supercar is anything but simple, its designers make it seem so – and that may be the most remarkable thing of all. – ROBERT ROSS

Racer for the road

McLaren 720S

“Life is measured in achievement, not in years alone,” the late racer Bruce McLaren once stated, a sentiment that certainly holds true for the British brand that bears his name. Relaunched as McLaren Automotive (cars.mclaren.com) in 2010, the company has since released multiple models spread over its Sports Series, Super Series and Ultimate Series categories. Known for bridging racetrack technology and dailydriver disposition, McLaren has perfected the formula with the new 720S (starting from $489,900).

The latest Super Series sensation features a carbon- fibre core, an aluminium- panelled body and an organic aesthetic reminiscent of the McLaren P1, whose shape was inspired by marine inhabitants. In the case of the 720S, its sculpted curves and linear flow – so intrinsic to the marque – resemble those of a great white shark. As breathtaking as the design is, what really gives reason to gasp is the 720S’s performance. The rear-wheel-drive, midengine coupé harnesses 530 kilowatts from its 4.0-litre, twin- turbocharged V8, catapulting the car from zero to 100km/h in 2.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 341km/h. In the current sea of production-supercar competition, those specs make this McLaren an apex predator. – VIJU MATHEW

Itallian Stallion

Ferrari 812 Superfast

“Fastest and most powerful” appears to be the mantra among high-end carmakers this year. Ferrari’s 812 Superfast (ferrari.com), powered by a 6.5-litre, naturally aspirated V12, assumes that lofty position in the Maranello stable (starting from $610,000). And the 588kW prancing horse certainly lives up to its name, with a top speed of 340km/h. In the same spirit as Ferrari GTs going back to the early ’50s, the frontengined, rear-wheel-drive 812 is as refined and luxurious as it is absurdly quick and capable. 

Electronic power steering, magnetic shocks and rearwheel steering aid nimble handling, while its compliant ride reminds one that the 812 is made for real grand touring over long stretches of curving roads or highway. Like its F12berlinetta predecessor, the 812 is an exercise in restrained good taste. All of its curves and creases have a purpose, channelling airflow and optimising aerodynamics without the visual encumbrance of spoilers and additional body parts. The result is a pure form as timeless as the GT concept so artfully imagined by the Italians decades ago. – R.R.

A-list apparition

Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII
Now in its eighth iteration, the British marque’s (rollsroycemotorcars. com) most iconic model – which dates back to 1925 – dominates its class and is a perennial pick for nearly every accolade. Available in extended- and standard- wheelbase versions, the new Phantom VIII (from $950,000) features a 420kW, 6.75-litre, twinturbocharged V12 engine mated with a satellite-aided eight-speed transmission.

The powertrain combines with the car’s allaluminium space-frame construction and state-of-the-art air suspension to provide what Rolls-Royce refers to as a “magic carpet ride” – a promise that the Phantom definitely delivers on. But what makes the Phantom VIII phenomenal is the passenger experience inside the acoustically insulated cabin. Eye-catchingly lavish (the lambswool rugs say it all), the interior includes accoutrements like the brand’s rear picnic tables, video screens and a bespoke dashboard gallery designed to showcase commissioned work from one’s favourite artist. – V.M.


Bond’s new baby
Aston Martin Vantage
English attitude generally comes in two varieties: stately and proper (think Prince Charles and Roger Moore) or irreverent and swashbuckling (Prince Harry and Jason Statham). The brandnew Aston Martin Vantage (global. astonmartin.com) fully inhabits the latter category. The totally re-engineered coupé (starting from $299,950) forges a new style for the marque, flaunting overt musculature inside and out.

There’s no quiet reserve here – this is a fiery, twoseat sports car that speaks loudly and carries a big stick. Beneath the exterior’s bravado lies engineering that places the Vantage alongside such greats as the Porsche 911. In addition to a 375kW, twin-turbo V8 engine, the car has a 50/50 weight balance, an electronic rear differential, torque vectoring and brilliant steering. These features – and its aggressive appearance – help make the Vantage the new bad-boy prince of automotive performance. – JASON H. HARPER

Bold bull
Lamborghini Urus
When history repeats itself, the second go-around rarely offers a profound improvement over the first. Not so with the new Lamborghini Urus (lambor ghini.com), the exponentially advanced successor to the marque’s original off-road raging bull, the ’80s-era LM002. The Urus (starting from $390,000), which is named after an extinct breed of ox, is also an improvement on current-model SUVs. It breaks boundaries in the burgeoning market, offering horsepower on a par with its supercar sibling, the Lamborghini Huracán Performante, while the cutting-edge crossover’s four-wheel steering, active damping and four-wheel-drive configuration are inherited from the brand’s flagship Aventador S. But the Urus doesn’t rest on other Lambos’ laurels.

The frontengined SUV is unique in its combination of active torque vectoring, adaptive air suspension, active anti-roll bar and six driving modes – including options for dirt, sand and snow. In addition, each mode can be further fine-tuned by the EGO setting, which tailors traction, suspension and steering. “We have taken a mix of the most important features of the Aventador S and the Huracán Performante and merged them with additional technology in order to be able to control weight and the centre of gravity,” says Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini’s chief technical officer. “The result is the perception that the car is much shorter and lighter because it’s so agile.” Powered by a 478kW, twin-turbo V8 (churning out 850Nm torque), the four-door from Sant’Agata Bolognese blasts from zero to 100km/h in 3.6 seconds while barreling to 305km/h. And at 2200 kilograms, it purportedly has a best-in-class weight-to-power ratio of 4.6 kilograms per kilowatt. Its appearance is equally impressive. “In terms of design, the Urus combines the Countach with elements of the LM002,” states Mitja Borkert, the vehicle’s head designer. “It’s a visionary expression with the most extreme proportions.” – V.M.
Sources: Robb Report Australia, July 2018

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