Tabla de contenidos para August 2016 en Evo

GOD IT MUSTBE exciting. Panning down Pagani’s options list for the £2.2m Huayra BC with the power to dream up almost any recipe and make it real. The problem with creating something unique, of course, is that you don’t really know what it’s going to look like. Incredibly potent our imaginations may be, and car configurators the best they’ve ever been, but when your dream Pag finally arrives (the waiting list is said to be four years long, by the way) and the colourimpregnated carbon bodywork you paid 120,000 euros for isn’t what you were expecting… Well, Arancio Marbella always was a tricky one to judge. Help is now at hand, however, because 3D-visualisation outfit ZeroLight is using experience gained in the ultra-competitive world of racing games to create car…

THERE ARE MANY reasons to attend a motorsport event held at Spa-Francorchamps. That the Belgian circuit is one of the few left untouched by today’s racing administrators, who are obsessed with tarmacking over every gravel trap and installing as many sponsorand TV-friendly hairpins as possible, is reason enough. That it never fails to produce racing that’s nothing short of spectacularly thrilling and rarely fails to deliver an unexpected result are further strings to its bow. The 4.4-mile circuit also plays host to the most colourful selection of motorsport categories around, many of which are ignored by modern venues that trade on theme parks and hotels as attractions rather than focusing on the on-track action. From motorbikes to F1, Spa-Francorchamps has it covered, and we can’t recommend a weekend away at…

McLAREN 570GT // JAGUAR F-TYPE SVR // AUDI RS6 PERFORMANCE // NISSAN GT-R 2017MY // PORSCHE 718 BOXSTER // ASTON MARTIN V12 VANTAGE S MANUAL //DREAM AUTOMOTIVE HONDA CIVIC TYPE R The team This month, we asked our road testers to name their favourite car launch location… NICK TROTT Editor ‘The MK1 Clio V6 on some hairy, barrierless mountain roads in the south of France…’ JETHRO BOVINGDON Contributing editor ‘Ford GT launch, California. An early morning blast along Highway 1. Perfection.’ STUART GALLAGHER Managing editor ‘A closed Col de Turini, the new 997 Carrera 4S and Walter Röhrl driving. Magic/madness.’ RICHARD MEADEN Contributing editor ‘Clio Williams on the stages of the Tour de Corse rally. Amazing experience.’ HENRY CATCHPOLE Features editor ‘The R35 GT-R on the Sendai Hi-Land Raceway in…

Test location: Box, Gloucestershire GPS: 51.706013, -2.208995 THE NICE MAN WHO heads Ferrari’s European PR tweeted the other day that, after 11 years in the job, he had finally driven a Ferrari with a manual gearbox. Naturally he thought the 512M in which it was installed was amazing. And of course, it was, because there is something incredibly special about the opengate shift of any Ferrari, no matter its vintage. Which is why there’s a part of me that hopes Maranello soon follows Porsche and now Aston Martin in offering at least one of its products with a manual gearbox. Yes, I know this return to the past doesn’t offer the lightning-quick shifts of the most sophisticated double-clutch units, but seriously, odd blast on a deserted road at an ungodly…

FORMULA 1 IS IN THE DOCK. IT stands accused of dereliction of duty: a failure to deliver us the spectacle, sport and scintillating action expected from the pinnacle of motor racing. The case for the prosecution is strong, the body of evidence apparently overwhelming. Exhibit A is one B Ecclestone Esq. While any sane person would have stopped digging, Ecclestone continues to excavate an even larger hole, his bizarre and increasingly provocative comments suggesting he actually relishes being so apparently out of touch, yet in a position of such absolute power. But then you know what they say about absolute power… Exhibit B is the sport itself. Between Ecclestone, the teams and the FIA, F1 appears to be tying itself into a constrictor knot. The gulf between manufacturer teams and…

SOICHIRO HONDA SAID that racing improves the breed. Slightly ironic, given the big H’s recent track record in F1, but it’s a good statement and one that applies to plenty of other car manufacturers, too. Some of the greatest ever road cars have been homologation specials; creations that would never have seen the light of day were it not for a specific set of racing regulations. The Ferrari 250 GTO, the BMW E30 M3, the 993 GT2, the Integrale, the RS200… all were built as a direct result of competition. Sadly these days we don’t really see homologation road cars, but we do see plenty of inspiration taken from motorsport. We see it in carbon-ceramic brakes, we see it in the front arch vents of a GT3 RS, we see…

AHHH CAFFEINE, THAT ELIXIR of wakefulness. in its small shot glass, a morning espresso looks like a miniature Guinness, with thick crema settled atop dark liquid. picking it up between thumb and forefinger, the smell alone seems to prickle the mind into alertness. sip the hot liquid and as the beautiful aromatic bitterness courses through your taste buds, so the last shackles of sleep are cast off almost in an instant. the world suddenly pulls into sharper focus. muscles feel poised, nerves energised and your flow of consciousness turns from a trickle into a torrent. Wonderful. What, you are probably wondering, has this to do with the lotus elise. Well, it occurred to me (perhaps after one too many visits to the altar of arabica) that the automotive equivalent of…

THROUGH TV FEATURES IN THE LAST DECADE, I AM the only person to have ridden shotgun in four of these cars, on both road and track. nothing equips you for the experience, not even drives in mclarenmercedes slrs, nismo gT-rs or ariel atom V8s. nothing can match the outright power, grip and feeling of wide-eyed vulnerability. cruising around Wolverhampton’s badlands in andy’s red Victor 2 was my first foray into the street dragster. The unfurnished cabin is no place for even the shoutiest of conversations. mechanical noise – especially valvetrain – is deafening. it’s all flickering gauges and rows of toggle switches. like andy’s car, John sleath’s audi took to the road with turbo boost backed right off. You’re tickling the lion’s chin, idling around. What struck me with both…

‘MID-LIFE CRISIS?’ ASKED Catchpole upon seeing me emerge from the Civic one morning. Very funny. Although I can understand why making such a comment was impossible to resist. This latest Type R is rather in yer face and perhaps not the obvious choice of transportation for a folically challenged bloke in his 40s. With its jutting front splitter, widened arches, extra vents, the pinstripes, the diffuser, more vents, those spats beneath the rear lights and, of course, that whopper of a rear wing, this is one hot hatch that definitely doesn’t operate under the radar. One evo reader recently suggested that the Type R’s somewhat outrageous styling makes it the hot hatch equivalent of a Pagani Huayra (Inbox, evo 221). I don’t think he was too far wide of the…

‘It may be basic, but the Roadsport car is brilliant fun to drive on circuit’ NOSE CONE SKEWED, registration plate worn away at one corner, radiator spewing fluid. My first weekend in the Caterham Roadsport Championship was more eventful than I’d have liked. It wasn’t a complete disaster, though. If you read ‘Climbing the Racing Ladder’ last month, you’ll know that I’m racing with Caterham this year, taking a closer look at the company’s various race series. Over the course of five weekends – the first being the aforementioned Roadsport Championship race at Brands Hatch back in April – I’m working my way up the ladder until I reach the terrifying R300-S series in September. The Roadsport car is a fairly stock 1.6-litre Seven, which makes it an unintimidating introduction…

ANOTHER MONTH OF getting sucked into the 7-series’ numerous driver ‘assist’ systems. I feel like Tron. Let’s look at the ‘Approach Control’ warnings first. Like many cars today, the 7-series will give you a warning flash on the mirror if you attempt to move into the path of a car approaching from behind. However, if after a safe overtake you don’t indicate to return to the inside lane, the 7 will attempt to keep you in the current lane by resisting your steering movement. I found this flipping annoying, and have switched off the steering intervention. The 7 also has camera and radar-based systems that warn of impending collisions with vehicles or pedestrians, and will brake for you if it recognises an emergency. In nearly 7000 miles, the ‘Person Warning…

WHAT’S THe SIgN OF AN evo Fast Fleeter that has integrated seamlessly into your life? Answer: when from the moment you close your front door to the first metre of travel is an intuitive sequence that requires no thought whatsoever. The vRS achieves this. Pull the house door shut, unlock the car (no keyless entry on the Octavia, sadly), open the rear door and launch the laptop (or the child) onto the back seat and open the driver’s door as the rear clicks shut. Slide onto one of the most comfortable seats on our fleet, insert key, left foot on brake, left hand reaching for gearlever, wait for that first sign of life from the engine. ‘D’ selected, brake released, drive. Henry’s F-type has more drama and you can’t help…

THE ORIGINAL BOXSTER, THE 986, had been a huge hit, so Porsche was never going to reinvent the wheel with the 987. More power, fresher tech and a bit more attitude were the order of the day. Looks-wise it was a careful evolution of the original – new lights, bigger air intakes on the flanks, more of a flare in the rear wheelarches. Underneath, the mid-mounted flat-sixes had grown in both capacity and output. The basic Boxster now had a 236bhp 2.7, the Boxster S a 276bhp 3.2. As with the 986, there was a choice of a manual gearbox (five-speed on the basic car, six-speed on the S) or a five-speed Tiptronic auto. For the first time, PASM active dampers and PCCB ceramic brake discs were among the options.…

+ = new entry t his month. * = grey import. Entries in italics are for cars no longer on sale. Issue no. is for our most recent major test of the car (D = Driven, R = Road test or group test, F = Feature). Call 0844 844 0039 to order a back issue. Price is on-theroad including VAT and delivery charges. Engine is the car’s main motor only – additional hybrid tech isn’t shown. Weight is the car’s kerb weight as quoted by the manufacturer. bhp/ton is the power-to-weight ratio based on manufacturer’s kerb weight. 0-60mph and 0-100mph figures in bold are independently recorded, all other performance figures are manufacturers’ claims. CO2 g/km is the official EC figure and EC mpg is the official ‘Combined’ figure or equivalent.…

BACK IN ISSUE 206, WE conducted a number of tests to compare the performance of carbon ceramic brake discs with regular cast iron items. Our conclusion? That the stopping benefits of carbon ceramics are minimal and that their most significant advantage is in the reduction in unsprung mass that they bring. This result might make you less inclined to tick the option box for carbon ceramics, especially given their typically high asking price, but before you make that call it’s worth understanding the advantages of lowering unsprung mass. unsprung mass is any part of the car that isn’t supported by its springs. That means the weight of the tyres, wheels, brake discs, calipers, etc. Only half of each spring’s weight contributes to unsprung mass, the other half is considered to…

GRAN TURISMO SPORT might just be the most ambitious racing game ever made. It aims to blur the lines between real-world motorsport and digital gaming with an out-of-thebox FIA-approved racing series that exists entirely within the game. From its launch in November, GT sport will feature a pair of FIA-recognised ‘Cups’. The first Cup will be a manufacturer-based challenge, with the second Cup competed for by nationality. Winners of both Cups will be honoured at the FIA’s annual prize-giving ceremony in Paris. Anyone can enter the Cups simply by competing in daily races and weekend events. GT sport will employ a points system based on sportsmanship and skill and then match players accordingly. Those who rise to the top will be entered into the game’s official championship races. These races…

RICHARD PORTER (PETROLHEAD, EVO 223) is not alone in subliminally guiding his young son in automotive taste – or ‘brainwashing’ as my wife calls it. My four-year-old twin sons love their toy cars and are blissfully unaware that any cars given to them by Daddy have been carefully selected as vehicles to admire and aspire to. The random handful of battered models that I grabbed from their toy box and photographed ‘evo cover style’ for you includes a 993 GT2, 934 RSR, 917, 356, Countach, Sesto Elemento, 599XX, 8C Competizione, DB5, One-77, Elise S1 and Caterham R500. These things are important. Although when I showed my wife your article to prove that I was not alone in my toybuying preferences, she just said, ‘Oh, another nutter.’ My only worry is…

Test location: TF-21, Pico del Teide, Tenerife GPS: 28.47115, -16.24737 MCLAREN IS HAVING A laugh. That’s your first impression as you steer the new 570gT through a series of fast sweepers. You’ve read the press pack, stroked the new leather trim and stuffed a bag and a few jackets into the trick side-opening rear hatch. everything you’ve been told (and touched) leads you to believe that this is a gT car, that it will waft you serenely to your Princess 60 moored in Cannes. But this series of fast sweepers is telling you something else. That this is still a McLaren. a sports car. a performance car. and a damn fast (and fine) one at that. But let’s rewind. The 570gT is the newest ‘sports series’ McLaren. it sits below…

Test location: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium GPS: 50.43691, 5.97204 ALTHOUGH WEISSACH might not admit it, i’m sure the R35-gen Nissan GT-R and its monster performance was the car that forced the 911 Turbo to become a more aggressive, gripobsessed machine. As a consequence of the Nissan’s arrival, Porsche took a little of the everyday out of the everyday supercar in the 997.2 Turbo. Now we have this: the new, 2017MY R35 GT-R. A car Nissan wants to be more mature, more refined… more everyday. how ironic. it feels like the engineers have never really stopped tinkering with the R35 since it was launched in 2007, but this is the biggest wholesale update to the GT-R since then. There is a stiffer bodyshell and various aero tweaks to the bodywork, many of which…

A MATE OF MINE IS VERY EXCITED by the prospect of the new Aston Martin/Red Bull AM-RB 001. He’s so excited, in fact, that he wants to pull together a cabal of wealthy friends and use their combined largesse to order one. You’d think buying a car as a collective is a tricky idea. Who gets to use it on which days? Whose garage does it live in? What if two of you want to show off at a wedding on the same weekend? But that’s not a problem in this case, because their theoretical purchase won’t be used on high days and holidays and occasions when you want to make ex-girlfriends believe things are going very well for you. It won’t be used at all. They would be buying…

SOMETIMES YOU have to remember to let the panic and chaos wash over you and savour the moment. This is one of those times. I’ve been at Knockhill Racing Circuit for the past couple of hours. My mission is to collect the 911 R at around midday, head south via the fantastic roads in the Scottish Borders region, and then deliver the car to the evo office in Northants early tomorrow. Features editor Henry Catchpole and staff writer Antony Ingram will then take up the baton and drive it home to Weissach (after the small matter of a cover shoot). It sounds simple enough, but there’s a barrage of calls and emails whizzing around about when the car needs to be in Germany, how we can squeeze in a full…

GET IT UNDERSTEERING a touch on turn-in. That’s the key, because it means the car is poised and carrying just the right amount of speed. Then you open the throttle. In this car it needs to be a sharp, precisely measured input. The next step is to throw the corrective lock in. Strangely, you can’t just allow the wheel to slip through your fingers; you really have to chuck it around. That should follow immediately after the throttle input, almost in tandem but just about distinct, like the two thuds of a heartbeat. Then you’re sliding… I suppose the rear-wheel-drive configuration is the purest of all because it does less of the work for you. It’s the most demanding. And while a front-wheel-drive car can corrupt its steering under power…

PURE THRILLS COME IN MANY SHAPES and sizes, and at a wide range of price points. If the ingredients are right, there are no barriers or boundaries to where you might find an exceptional driving experience. Pure thrills don’t rely on raw power. And though clearly none of the cars we’ve driven are exactly sluggish, pure thrills don’t depend on searing pace, either. Sometimes it’s simply the idea of a car that creates that elusive frisson we crave. A manual, dewinged Porsche GT3 might leave some people scratching their heads, but for us the 911 R is intoxicating catnip. A fizzy hot hatch with racing genes has the same effect, too – we’re hooked before a wheel is turned. What else have we learned? That pure thrills rely on a…

YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED an absence of Yellow Flame paintwork in Fast Fleet last month. That’s because, through circumstances beyond my control, it’s only very recently I’ve been able to climb back into the wedgy Kia. First our publisher nicked it for two weeks, then I was away on various events, and more recently a diverse collection of vehicles – from Peugeot Sport 208s to Mustangs and Mk1 Golf GTIs – meant even the Proceed’s searing hue wasn’t able to grab my attention. But you know what? I’ve rather missed it. While my colleagues have done their best to turn the Kia into a rolling skip over the past month (perhaps they were confused by the colour), it’s been quite nice to drop back into the bolstered seats each morning…

AFTER THE BETTER PART of 19,000 miles, our Golf R has had its first service. I think the days of a car coming back from an oil change and general check-up feeling fitter than before are long gone – I certainly didn’t notice any difference with the R, but it did at least look a lot better for having had a thorough clean inside and out. The cost was £329, which is a fixed price for a major service for all Volkswagens up to 2 litres. What really has made a useful difference, though, is a fresh set of tyres. The originals were down to their wear indicators after six months of reasonably hard use. The standard-fit Bridgestone Potenza S001s are really well suited to the Golf R so I’ve…

AFTER A COUPLE OF trackdays, being subjected to my daily commute and an altercation with a kerb, the MX-5 has finally run out of tyre tread. It’s the rears that have bought it, the nearside rear having kissed a kerb while in the custody of someone who has yet to own up to their crime. The alignment will also need looking at, then, to avoid accelerated wear on the new tyres. And all this coincides with the first service, which is now due. The need for new rubber means I can try a more high-performance tyre in a bid to extract a little more from the MX-5’s chassis. To this end, I’ve ordered a set of Dunlop SportMaxx to arrive in time for evo’s track evenings this summer. The OE…

IT’S UNUSUAL THAT WE SHOULD SEEK the advice of a manufacturer about the used values of its products, but then Ariel isn’t a normal company. It keeps a close eye on its cars, knows where most of them are, and services them. The first Atoms, made in 2000-2002, started with a 125bhp Rover K-series engine and are rare. Only 100 were made, according to Ariel’s Tom Siebert, and many were exported. You’ll pay £15k for a scruffy one, maybe £20k for something good. The Atom 2 of 2003 is more recognisable as the car we know today. These were the first Hondapowered Atoms, with an entry-level 160bhp car using a Civic Type S engine, a 220bhp car with the Type R engine, and the same motor supercharged for the 275bhp…

THERE ARE HOMOLOGATION CARS, AND THEN there are homologation cars. Aston’s DBR9 might have two Le Mans class wins to its name, but the luxurious road cars are hopelessly neutered by comparison. The DB9 was also a huge commercial success and you could even buy one with an extended warranty. Hardly the stuff of the legend, is it? Lancia, meanwhile, screwed together 200 Delta S4 Stradales through gritted teeth because that’s what it took to compete in a series so unhinged it was quickly banned. Extended warranty? Er, yeah… The Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II sits somewhere in between. Sure, it’s rare, but with 502 examples built by AMG in 1990, it doesn’t qualify as 24-karat unobtanium. Relative to the championship-winning DTM bruiser whose existence it sanctioned by acting as…

WITH DIFFERENT CARS, on a different track, in different countries, you’d be forgiven for thinking there are very few similarities between the le mans and nürburgring 24 hours races in regard to tyres. But the philosophies and requirements to suit each race are remarkably similar. What’s required from tyres for both isn’t ultimate grip. that helps, of course, but a tyre that a driver can feel up to the limits of grip is significant. this is perhaps more important for the n24, when a driver will spend a significant amount of time ‘off-line’, overtaking much slower cars. tyres for both races also need to have a wide operating window; they need to have similar performance and feel when they are fresh to when they’re close to the end of their…

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Test location: Serrania de Cuenca, Spain GPS: 40.22187, -1.96151 JAGUAR KNOWS ALL about the Porsche 911 gT3. It knows how good it is and how highly regarded the car is among enthusiasts and the motoring press. It knows how much goodwill the gT3 generates for the Porsche brand, too. But Jaguar is not at all interested in squaring up to it – for the time being, at least. It’s almost impossible to discuss a lighter, faster, more focused version of an existing sports car without allowing your mind to wander towards Porsche’s ear-splitting track weapon. and although this new SVr clearly is a lighter, faster and more focused F-type, it categorically is not Jaguar’s answer to the 911 gT3. That’s why the boot hatch and seats are still powered; it’s…

Test location: B660, cambridgeshire GPS: 52.31981, -0.40718 Photography: Aston Parrott PORSCHE’S DECISION TO remove its sonorous flatsixes from the Boxster and replace them with turbocharged flatfours was a controversial one. More power and more torque softened the blow, but when we drove the new 718 Boxster s (evo 222), we still found its engine disappointing. then again, the naturally aspirated 2.7-litre six was never really a highlight of the 981-generation non-s Boxster. Yes, it sounded great and there was a real intensity as it reached its red line, but it wasn’t potent enough to worry the rear tyres and it didn’t allow for much adjustability via the throttle. the good news is that this new 2-litre engine, with 280lb ft (a 74lb ft increase) from as little as 1950rpm, allows…

ACOLLECTION OF RARE and iconic modern sports cars is now available for hire. The 11-car fleet offered by Sportscarhire in Shropshire spans many five-star cars – from a Caterham Seven via a Cayman R up to a new McLaren 570S – all available for a day or more without the need to join a scheme or pay for club membership. It’s simply arrive, hire and drive. The team of Liam, Matt and Scott enthusiastically ensure each car is in perfect condition and its controls are fully explained before you drive off, with a comprehensive FAQ sheet in every car for reference (pretty essential when configuring the McLaren’s setup menus on three different screens). Sportscarhire is also pleased to have been selected as the sole hire partner in England and Wales…

SOMEONE RECENTLY ASKED ME WHAT series and events I would have loved to have raced in if I hadn’t devoted the best part of my career to IndyCar. Wow, I thought. That is some question. Mainly because there’s a never-ending list of potential options. Motorsport is a bit of a freak show, with regularity rallies (not for me) to drag racing (okay, maybe) and everything in between, and if you’re someone who just loves cars and loves going fast, it would be great to try nearly all of them! The best way to find an answer is probably to make a list of all the disciplines that blow your mind; driver skill, format, environment – whatever. For me, two series immediately crop up: MotoGP and the World Rally Championship. My…

AROUND PRÜM, JUST ACROSS THE GERMAN BORDER, THE satnav gets rerouted. It’s not a difficult task – I just unstick the piece of paper. Instead of following the direct route, we’re going to take a detour onto the l16 across country. It doesn’t really matter if we reach Weissach at 11pm or 1am and driving all the way there on motorways in this car would be a waste. the l16 wriggles and writhes through shady forests and sunlit fields. It’s wonderful to be released after the last few hours in Belgium. this feels like a sleepy part of the eifel but that means no hubbub to disguise the r’s yowling on the approach to villages. the beautiful free-revving sound is irresistible and having three pedals and less sound deadening gives…

TUNED MINIS HAVE ALWAYS been a part of my life. In fact they were imprinted on my DNA well before I was born, thanks to my dad having an early Mini in the mid-’60s that he tweaked to look, go and sound the part. I can remember looking at fuzzy Kodak photos of that car – Old English White with a black roof and black Minilites – and knowing that I too would have a snorty Mini one day. When that day came – or rather when I talked my mum into selling me her nearly new Mini and then spent all my money on hotting it up over a period of years – I couldn’t have been happier, or driven it with more enthusiasm. Anything that puts a premium…

MEET LARRY LARSON. Since 1988 the Missouri-based race car builder/driver has been ‘proving a lot of philosophies’ in his twin-88mm-turbo 9.2-litre 1966 Chevy II Nova. How? Well, driving across America within a week whilst setting quarter-mile records at the end of each gruelling driving day and carrying all his necessary belongings, for example. He’s won that event, called Drag Week, five times. More important (to Larry, at least) is that he’s always finished it, and not needed to tow a trailer-full of parts. The Nova has wind-down windows, DOT-approved tyres, runs on ‘pump gas’, satisfies suspicious highway cops and yet serves up strip numbers beyond the reach of many pure race cars. ‘I put 3500 miles on it in a year once,’ says Larry. ‘Doesn’t sound much, but for a…

I’LL LET YOU IN ON a secret: I actually find hot hatches a bit boring. Modern examples may defy the laws of physics with their handling, and they can offer spectacular fun on the right kind of road, too. But that which makes them brilliant all-rounders also makes them dull: a hot hatch is ultimately still just a family hatchback. The Golf is a particularly good family hatch and, coincidentally, a car I find very dull indeed. I’ll begrudgingly concede that both GTI and R are irritatingly talented and sharply styled, with cabins crafted like the proverbial cliché, but the thought of owning one has never crossed my mind. The trip to Wolfsburg did at least prove that, by virtue of its vintage, the Mk1 GTI would be interesting to…

‘The terror of nervously checking the temperature gauge every 30 seconds while crawling in traffic is a distant memory’ WHAT ARE MY BASIC expectations for any daily driver? Well, reliability is one, and also comfort from both a ride quality and internal ergonomics standpoint. Also important are a decent stereo, boot space for at least a couple of bags, and the ability to deliver the thrill of driving should the opportunity arise. Against these expectations, the McLaren 650S Spider continues to perform with distinction. In fact, it and the 12C Spider that came before it are the first supercars I have used as daily drivers for which I have not had to make any compromises. The terror of nervously checking the temperature gauge every 30 seconds while crawling in traffic…

THE SC’S ENGINE BUILD continues. RPM Technik, who are doing the work, inform me that all the machining has been completed, including the ‘boattailing’ of the cylinder cases (see evo 221). The next step I’m considering is the porting and flowing of the cylinder heads. We hear little about the science of flowing a cylinder head these days. Apologies if you know this already, but the objective is to allow more air into the engine. This increases the amount of air and fuel atomisation within the cylinders and creates more power. The best way I’ve heard it described is that your engine is like a pair of lungs, and the fewer impediments between the mouth and the lungs, the better the engine will breathe. Where the expertise of the engineer…

‘You’d think a car like this would swallow such items with ease’ ONE PARTICULARLY impressive aspect of the RS Q3 experience is that, despite the lofty seating position, when you’re driving with some level of commitment the car doesn’t feel enormous. I find this particularly pleasing because, when combined with the bubbly five-cylinder turbocharged motor and positive steering feel, it means you’re getting a car that’s genuinely thrilling to drive as well as being practical. Except that you’re not. Well, not to the extent that you might think. The reason I say this is because while the RS Q3 might seem to pull off that neat trick of ‘shrinking’ around the driver in the same way motoring journalists say the Porsche Panamera can, it doesn’t. Not properly, at least, because…

‘PLEASE TURN LEFT IN three-hundred metres,’ said the nice, slightly prim lady inside the satnav. It was in a part of the country with which I only have a passing familiarity, so although I was sceptical, I made preparations for the imminent turn. The little green bar shrank and shrank until, with about 50 metres to go, I finally spotted a small break in the verge. Surely not? For once, I wasn’t in a particular rush, so I decided to indulge the whims of my electronic co-driver. The small lane was pretty, but the grass down the middle gradually grew higher and the pothole count got larger until it eventually petered out into a chalky, rutted track that ran up towards some woods. ‘unsuitable for motors’ read the small blue…

THE OCTAVIA vRS’S TALENT LIES in mixing strong performance with the utmost ease of use and a level of practicality that shames most other cars – especially in estate trim. The second-gen cars are also dropping in value and out of warranty, making them ideal platforms for modification. With turbocharged petrol and diesel engines, ECU tuning is an obvious starting point. Superchips’ Bluefin (£399) adds as much as 41bhp and 40lb ft to the standard 197bhp and 206lb ft in the petrol model, and 28bhp with 44lb ft for the TDI. Next is handling. Owners recommend starting with anti-roll bars. H&R supplies front and rear units (£334 from awesomegti.com) that reduce roll and improve cornering without sacrificing ride quality. New wheels are worth a look too: the standard 18-inch pieces…