Words: Matthew Harris
For the modern day gentleman nothing ignites the soul quite like the excitement of a high performance car. But you knew that already didn’t you? Even passing the showroom you look in and picture yourself sat behind the wheel of the latest two-seater and it stirs something in you. Deep down you know that with the right set of wheels you would be the perfect combination of Lewis Hamilton-like prowess and James Bond allure. The right car doesn’t necessarily require the feats of engineering that hyper-car brands like Pagani deliver, but a good performance car must have the ability to make its driver feel special. Whether cruising the French Riviera or negotiating the busy streets of London, here is a selection of the hottest sports cars that every gent would want to own, and drive, on a daily basis.
JAGUAR F-TYPE R
0-62mph, 4.2 seconds, Top speed, 186mph
It’s almost too easy to choose, but the star car of 2014 is still one of the most exciting performance cars to be driving in 2015. Its E-type reminiscent charisma still has our hearts pounding and its performance figures put it straight to the top of our list.
We like the F-Type Coupé R with a powerful 5.0-litre supercharged V8 and the option of All-Wheel-Drive. However, this engine does not have the option of a full manual H-pattern gearbox; for the manual you’ll have to stick with the S model and it’s 3.0-litre V6. Purists might see this as a compromise between the punch of a bigger engine and the hands-on feel of a manual gearbox. We must must admit though; the price jump of £33,765 from the F-Type base model to the F-Type R does seem hard to swallow, particularly since the base model isn’t exactly slow.
Jaguar F-Type R, from £86,800.00
PORSCHE CAYMAN GTS
0-62mph, 4.9 seconds, Top speed, 177 mph
The Cayman has a hard time being seen from the formidable shadow of it’s big brother the 911. But with the GTS churning out almost identical performance figures to the base 911 Carrera – with an £18,000 cheaper price tag – we think it’s time the Cayman stepped into the limelight.
The Cayman GTS is the first car on our list to come with an H-pattern manual gear-box as standard – purists rejoice – however a dual clutch transmission is available for a considerable extra fee. One optional extra worth forking-out for is the carbon-ceramic break package, which brings serious performance feel to this 911-slaying car. Some will always say the Cayman is a step below the 911, but we love it’s sporty styling and performance spec enough to admit that this is a lot of car for considerably less than 911 money.
Porsche Cayman GTS, from £55,397.00
AUDI TT-S
0-62mph, 4.9 seconds, Top speed, 155mph (limited)
Despite selling more TT’s in the UK than in any other market, the TT has always suffered a reputation as being less than manly. Audi have now launched the third generation of TT and they’ve certainly done their best to shake up the cars image. We think the styling is vastly improved and by all accounts the interior is built to match. With a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard it’s only a relatively small step of £1370 for the dual clutch automatic, which also shaves 0.3 seconds off the 0-62mph times.
Being the cheapest car on our list, while still delivering competitive performance figures, makes the new TT-S a formidable contender, however it’s high sale numbers mean you won’t get much in the way of exclusivity and we doubt you’ll turn many heads in downtown Monaco… you will probably have a smile on your face though.
Audi TT-S, from £38,900
ALFA ROMEO 4C
0-62mph, 4.5 seconds, Top speed, 160mph
Thanks to a string of indifferent management companies diluting the brand with half-baked ideas, Alfa hasn’t made a car truly deserving of the badge in decades – and as a real drivers brand – this has been a big loss. Enter the momentous Alfa 4C.
Using a carbon-fiber monocoque base puts the 4C on track to be something truly special and puts it in line to compete with supercars like the Mclaren 650S rather than rivals of the same price bracket. But let’s not get carried away; the 4C is not a £200k super-car at a fraction of the price however it does have the necessary ingredients to make an incredibly exciting car. The 1.75-litre four cylinder engine is the smallest of the cars on our list, but thanks to its almost unbelievably light-weight construction, the 4C has an impressive power to weight ratio.
Most importantly, the 4C possesses something that it’s rivals do not; exclusivity. Let’s face it, how special will you feel in your new Aston Martin if you pull up to a traffic light in Mayfair and another one pulls up right alongside? With the 4C, you are getting something a bit more unique and it’ll certainly have heads turning.
Alfa Romeo 4C, from £45,000
ASTON MARTIN V8 VANTAGE
0-62mph, 4.2 seconds, Top speed, 180mph
It doesn’t matter what we say about exclusivity; having an Aston Martin on the driveway is on every gentleman’s bucket-list, and with the F-Type R priced a shade higher than the entry level V8 Vantage this car is impossible to ignore.
Every car on this list still falls short of the V8 Vantage’s staggering good looks which it inherits from it’s big brother the DB9, and the wealth of choice from Aston Martin’s interior design department allows complete customisation. But be warned, even a modest glance over the optional extras list can easily push the Vantage’s list price to the other side of £100k, and if you want Aston’s twin-clutch sport-shift gearbox or the slightly more capable ‘S’ model, you’ll comfortable reach six figure pricing.
Aston Martin V8 Vantage, from £84,995
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