They’re the supercars of the moment:
the Ferrari 458 Speciale, McLaren 650S and Porsche 911 GT3. We bring them
together for the first time to find out which is the pick of the bunch, before
putting the Speciale through its paces on track
This is it, then. The big one. Ferrari,
Porsche and McLaren on the same roads on the same day. One way or another each
has got something to prove. The GT3 is the reigning Car of the Year, but much
soul-searching ensued when we totted up the votes to last year's competition
and we realised yet another 911 had just stolen it. We didn't quite love the
engine as n1uch as the old one, we missed the six-speed manual 'box, we
wondered if you had to go too damn fast to enjoy it on the road, but still it
dusted F12, SLS Black Series and R8 V10 Plus. And then there would be the
inevitable conspiracy theories. The GT3 as Car of the Year - for some - will
always be a smoking gun. Did someone say smoke? Oh dear. Don't worry: this
particularGT3, kindly loaned to us by long-term reader, trackday junkie and
all- round good egg Kavi Jundu, is freshly fitted with the new non-flammable
engine.
Like
its predecessors, the new 911 GT3 has been developed to provide a platform for
Porsche’s lucrative clubsport division
The McLaren 650S has much to prove, too.
Its predecessor, the 12C, promised to detonate an atom bomb on the supercar
establishment when it was launched back in 2011: faster, cleverer, all-carbon
fibre, a McLaren to evoke the intensity of the F1 for a new age. In some
respects it delivered on the brief and its cool understatement was the perfect
tonic for those who just can't abide the boisterousness of Ferrari (there are
plenty of them). However, despite things you may have read that divide
arch-enemies 458 Italia and 12C with words like 'character' and 'emotion', know
that the Ferrari also had some real and tangible advantages. In no particular
order: better throttle response, more consistent brake feel, more intuitive
body control, finer balance. It was a lot more than 'it's red and noisy and
makes us feel ten again'. So the 650S has a reputation if not to rebuild, then
to enhance. The sensational P1 proves beyond doubt that McLaren can build a car
to blow minds and pull at heart-strings ... Pray God that the 650S brings that
thunderous level of excitement to the 12C formula.
McLaren
has incorporated styling elements from the P1 hypercar into the 650S
If it doesn't, then it will be obliterated
by the Speciale. I know this because I drove Ferrari's new contender on the
international launch and I was shocked by its abilities. Beforehand I wasn't alone
in wondering just how much better this new lighter, more focused and more
powerful 458 could really be, but my doubts were blown clean away in just a few
minutes and seemed naive a few hours later. By some margin it's the best new
car I've driven in months. So much so that I've wondered lately if I just fell
into 'new car euphoria' syndrome that wonderful sunny day. It can happen, and
when you're driving a supercar in isolation on superb roads, it's easy to get
swept up in the moment - I guess that's the very point of the breed. Anyway,
we're back on superb roads here but this time they're more familiar, more
challenging and there's formidable company. In other words, nowhere to hide.
With its V8 howl, pulverising performance, top
handling and racing heritage, the Speciale is one of the greatest performance
cars
