What’s more important: driver involvement or outright speed? This is a question which is becoming increasingly relevant in today’s age of engine downsizing and electric power steering. Some manufacturers seem to be pursuing sheer speed – each one of their new models 0.2 of a second quicker here and a fraction faster there. But is there really any need for this?
Ferrari is one company which undoubtedly obsesses over lap times and performance. With each new model comes a fresh Fiorano lap time, each one invariably quicker than that of its predecessor. With the release of its most recent creation, the 488 GTB, Ferrari claimed a lap time of 1:23.000 – a full two seconds quicker than the 458 Italia from which it evolved. How much does that mean to your average Ferrari customer, really? Many of them probably won’t have even heard of the place.
What will matter to them though is how the car drives. And that’s where we run into a problem. You see, in order to shave those two seconds off the car’s lap time, Maranello were forced to adopt forced induction. This works wonders for performance; the new engine boasts a whopping 100hp more than the previous naturally aspirated power plant.
But adding those turbochargers – in my opinion, at least – strips away a degree of the previous car’s soul. Part of the reason everyone loved the 458 so much was because of its high-pitched, operatic scream. The sound emanating from its triple tailpipes was simply mesmerising. The 488? Not so much. It neither has the timbre of the 458’s engine nor the aggressive boosted soundtrack of the likes of the F40. Hence why values of used 458’s are already starting begin a slow but inevitable climb.
Of course, forced induction is only one aspect of manufacturers’ quest for speed. The next most obvious is the use of semi-automatic paddle shift transmissions. What began as Ferrari’s ‘F1’ system back in the 1997 355 has since evolved into the dual-clutch masterpiece we know today; a system which, in its latest guise, is able to shift gears in 60 milliseconds. And as for the gated manual? The 2008 California was the last new model to be sold with it – and only three were built.
The sad fact is that, while I and much of the internet would buy a brand new Ferrari with a manual if given the chance, their actual customers (i.e. the ones who actually use the configurator for its intended purpose…) aren’t interested. As if to prove the point further, BMW recently announced that it would be canning the three pedal versions of its M cars in the USA – the only country where a manual was offered – due to poor sales. Speaking to Car and Driver, BMW M GmbH boss Frank van Meel said, “demand has dropped to zero”. What a shame.
However, hope is not lost entirely. Happily, there are cars out there which continue to fly the flag for simplicity and connection over out-and-out speed. Take the new Mazda MX-5 as an example. Not only is it both lighter and smaller than the car it replaces (hurrah!), it can still be optioned with three pedals and a stick. Sure, it’s not blindingly quick, but that’ll be the last thing on your mind when you’re hurtling down your favourite B-road grinning from ear to ear.
It’s not all doom and gloom amongst prestige manufacturers, either. Porsche has been on a roll recently with the launch of its N/A, manual Cayman GT4 – a car which has been so successful, it prompted the launch of another machine along the same vein: the new 911R.
What do you think? Have your say in the comments down below.
What will matter to them though is how the car drives. And that’s where we run into a problem. You see, in order to shave those two seconds off the car’s lap time, Maranello were forced to adopt forced induction. This works wonders for performance; the new engine boasts a whopping 100hp more than the previous naturally aspirated power plant.
But adding those turbochargers – in my opinion, at least – strips away a degree of the previous car’s soul. Part of the reason everyone loved the 458 so much was because of its high-pitched, operatic scream. The sound emanating from its triple tailpipes was simply mesmerising. The 488? Not so much. It neither has the timbre of the 458’s engine nor the aggressive boosted soundtrack of the likes of the F40. Hence why values of used 458’s are already starting begin a slow but inevitable climb.
Of course, forced induction is only one aspect of manufacturers’ quest for speed. The next most obvious is the use of semi-automatic paddle shift transmissions. What began as Ferrari’s ‘F1’ system back in the 1997 355 has since evolved into the dual-clutch masterpiece we know today; a system which, in its latest guise, is able to shift gears in 60 milliseconds. And as for the gated manual? The 2008 California was the last new model to be sold with it – and only three were built.
The sad fact is that, while I and much of the internet would buy a brand new Ferrari with a manual if given the chance, their actual customers (i.e. the ones who actually use the configurator for its intended purpose…) aren’t interested. As if to prove the point further, BMW recently announced that it would be canning the three pedal versions of its M cars in the USA – the only country where a manual was offered – due to poor sales. Speaking to Car and Driver, BMW M GmbH boss Frank van Meel said, “demand has dropped to zero”. What a shame.
However, hope is not lost entirely. Happily, there are cars out there which continue to fly the flag for simplicity and connection over out-and-out speed. Take the new Mazda MX-5 as an example. Not only is it both lighter and smaller than the car it replaces (hurrah!), it can still be optioned with three pedals and a stick. Sure, it’s not blindingly quick, but that’ll be the last thing on your mind when you’re hurtling down your favourite B-road grinning from ear to ear.
It’s not all doom and gloom amongst prestige manufacturers, either. Porsche has been on a roll recently with the launch of its N/A, manual Cayman GT4 – a car which has been so successful, it prompted the launch of another machine along the same vein: the new 911R.
What do you think? Have your say in the comments down below.