The year’s end is creeping up fast and we’ve hand picked ten of the most exciting cars to hit 2014. Reckon we’ve overlooked a vehicle that needs to be on this list? Let us know in the comments.
Alfa Romeo 4C
Let’s not kid ourselves. The epitome of signature Italian style has long been associated with the Alfa Romeo badge. The brand itself however has had a lengthy absence from the sport and performance category, often being criticised for creating beautiful cars that don’t have the handling finesse or power delivery to back it up. Well, no more. Alfa Romeo created this 895kg carbon fibre bodied pocket rocket in 2014 to bring itself back into the lightweight sports car game. 177kw and 350Nm is delivered to the rear wheels via a turbocharged 1.75-litre four-cylinder petrol engine – more than enough for a car this light. Taking the old Lotus approach to building a no frills driver’s car, Alfa have also removed the power steering along with stereo, push button starts and glovebox. That’s right. Just you, car and road. And maybe quite a few eyeballs.
Mercedes-Benz AMG GT
Setting the car world on fire in 2014 was the debut of the Mercedes AMG GT. An absolutely stunning 2-door coupe that quietly slots in next to the SLS as it slowly take its place. The iconic SLS gull wings have gone, but that left the designers more room to create a swooping rear design that harks back to the Silver Arrow’s hey days. Designed to rival the Porsche 911 GT3, the AMG GT is no turtle either. The 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 delivers 460hp and 600N.m of torque in the GT model, whilst the top spec GT S punches out 503hp with a tyre smoking 650N.m. It completes the 0 – 100km/h hurdle in 3.8 – 4 seconds with a top speed of over 300km/h.
VW Golf R400
Showcased as a concept car earlier on in Beijing, the Golf R400 from Volkswagen quickly won accolades from hot hatch enthusiasts around the world begging the company to put this thing into production. In 2014 they answered those calls and it was announced via Car Magazine that an updated R400 variant would be readied for late 2015. We do hope the company follows through with final production as this is one wildly aggressive and wide hot hatch. Developed by VW’s R division, the car gets a highly tuned 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo engine reportedly putting out anywhere between 294kW – 309kW to all four wheels. The concept car does the 0 – 100km/h sprint in 3.9 seconds and yes, incase you were wondering this model is designed to sit above the current Golf R models. Gnarly.
Lamborghini Huracán
Misleadingly dubbed the baby Lamborghini, there is absolutely nothing weak or futile about the Huracán which replaces the outgoing Gallardo. Built with the brand’s signature aggressive lines and bull fighting moniker, the Huracán carries the previous 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10 engine from its predecessor. The mid-engined all wheel drive vehicle is also good for 602hp, putting away the 0 – 100km/h sprint in just 3.2 seconds. Want more carbon and less aluminium? You got it. For a price of course. With a curb weight of about 1.4 tonnes, buyers can have the option of slimming down even more for a much sportier ride.
Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake
Don’t you hate it when you get old and all of a sudden you have to give up your sports car for something more practical? Not anymore. Jaguar decided in 2014 to drop a liftback version of their insanely quick XFR-S. This bad boy wagon offers monstrous performance that won’t have the significant other complaining about versatility. It storms from 0 - 100km/h in just 4.8 seconds with a top speed of 300km/h thanks to a 5.0 litre supercharged V8 engine tuned for 550PS and 680Nm. Sporty muscular stance and carbon fibre aerodynamic parts come standard to get your family from A to B quick fast.
Honda Civic Type R
Another 2014 announcement sure to warm the hearts of hot hatch enthusiasts is the return of the Honda Civic Type R. Now for the first time ever in turbo-guise mind you. The timing is perfect as the Japanese company prepares for its return to Formula One with McLaren as well as the launch of its long-awaited NSX hero car. Guaranteed to be handfuls of fun, the new Civic Type R will feature a brand new 2.0-litre i-VTEC turbo engine that has unofficial performance figures pegged at 278bhp going to the front wheels via a 6-speed manual. Get your FWD tripod time on.
BMW M4
2015_BMW-M4_Coupe_1600x1200_wallpaper_2
We couldn’t leave out this bad boy for the top releases in 2014. The M4 is the 2-door coupe that replaces the old M3 and much has changed. No more is the V8 of the previous model; in its place now is the 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight six which develops 317kW of power with 550Nm of torque. This car is as much about vehicle dynamics as it is about power though. We’ll have our own full coverage on this car coming up for you soon.
Bentley GT3-R
What’s cooler than a Bentley? How about a race-prepped luxury Bentley? The Bentley GT3-R was developed on the racetrack as opposed to the open roads that the original car is used to. As a result, it’s extremely focused and limited in numbers. It also packs 572bhp from its 4.0-litre V8.
Koenigsegg One:1
Odd name. Not much odd about its intention. The Koenigsegg One:1 was built for one purpose and that’s to conquer the Green Hell, a.k.a. Germany’s Nürburgring. Priced at a lofty +$1.5 million, the One:1 is a hypercar for our times with 1340bhp and a 0 – 100km/h time of 2.8 seconds. Those crazy Swedes.
Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge
Before Sebastian Vettel was poached by Ferrari in Formula One, Infiniti had commissioned him to help tune their Q50 saloon. This wild creation was the result. A prototype that is powered by the twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 found in the Nissan GT-R. 560hp spins all four wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission.
No comments:
Post a Comment