GTs and Supercars

Road testing the Lamborghini Aventador SV was one of the highlights of 2016 for Asphalte. Terrifying at first, Sant’Agata’s flagship is a suprisingly accomplished sports car as long as due respect is given to its dimensions and ground clearance. Our drives with the Audi R8 V10 Plus were memorable too. Sportd cars are a mean to an end: to deliver cherished driving experiences. Taking the R8 through our favorite alpine passes achieved that goal, and then some. The Spyder version retains most of the rigor, but ads the charms of open air driving, with the volume dial turned to 11. The McLaren 570S impressed us, offering fierce performance and scintillating handling at a remarkably attractive price for the category. The 570GT proved less convincing in direct comparison.

Coupés

Coupés are snobbed by swiss customers, and the Audi TT RS is a convincing case against this oversight, demonstrating the benefits of a reduced weighed and lower center of gravity. The new Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman raise the thorny question of radical downsizing applied to sports cars. Performance benefits thanks to a healthy torque boost, but something’s missing: the music of the flat six. The Jaguar F-Type Coupe V6S is a beautiful car, but it is still a bit too brash to be an every day car.

Links: Asphalte 2016 road tests