Driving events don’t come much bigger than the annual Test Day of the SMMT in Millbrook.
It’s where most of the companies in the UK bring out their press fleets for journalists to sample them in one place, giving the opportunity for press and manufacturers to catch up and be brought up to speed with the latest developments in the industry. But mostly it’s the driving thing that makes so many journalists come to this place.
Of course, it’s the cars that steal the show, with a very wide selection of vehicles offered for test drives in the controlled environment of Millbrook Proving Ground, including the Hill Route and the banked high-speed circuit. The Hill Route is basically a road circuit filled with huge elevation changes and blind corners, allowing the drivers to see how the cars react in a variety of situations. It’s a torture device, specifically made for cars.
Cars like the fresh Mercedes AMG GT S, the Tesla Model S P85D, Jaguar’s latest AWD F-Type R, Porsche’s whole GTS range, the Bentley Mulsanne Speed, the Maserati Ghibli, the Lexus RCF and the Rolls Royce Wraith were present next to the always wonderful Megane RS 275 Trophy, the Audi TTS Coupe, the all-new Mini JCW and the latest Subaru WRX STI among others. Fast estates were represented by the Ring-crashing Seat Leon ST Cupra, the diesel Ford Focus ST Estate and the Volvo V60 Polestar. To say it was a busy day would be an understatement.
Deciding where to start was not so easy but the sight of Caterham’s gorgeous Seven was too inviting to say no. It was my first time driving one of these and after a few minutes trying to figure out how to fit in there, I was strapped in the 360R version and ready to go. This car is the best reason for a man to go on a diet and lose some weight, hands down. You feel like wearing someone else shoes if you are not a skinny guy but as soon as you get going, you just forget all about it and try to keep your face from smiling as you go up the gears, letting the 180hp 2.0-litre Ford engine rev like a lunatic and trying to control the shock wave of info rushing through your whole body. To own one is now high up in my dream list.
Next we have Jaguar’s latest addition to the F-Type range, the all-wheel drive version of the R Coupe. I didn’t have the opportunity to drive the F-Type up until now, and all I knew was that the supercharged 550hp V8 model was widely considered as a modern-day hot rod. Adding the all-wheel drive to it made even faster and less smokey but the sound of it is still one of the loudest, angriest and theatrical exhaust notes ever to exist. Combine this with a relentless straight-line performance and what you have is a genuinely exciting car that attacks all your senses. The all-wheel drive now means that you can get back at the throttle earlier and have your back pinned at the seat more of the time, but the balance remains rear-driven although much more friendlier to the less accomplished driver. It may lack the ultimate handling delicacy of let’s say, a Cayman GTS but the performance on offer is so much bigger, you just don’t give a damn.
Up next was the brilliant Megane RS 275 Trophy. If you just want the hottest of the hot hatches, this is my recommendation and personal favorite of the class. Despite the fact that it’s been around since 2010 (in RS 250 guise) the fast Megane is still the sharpest, most responsive hatch of them all. It’s the balance of the chassis and the way it transmits all the info you could possibly want, makes you feel more confident in thrashing it even harder, and that is what makes it such a giant-slaying machine.
The Ford Focus ST has always one of the nicest steering feedbacks in the segment and this remains true in the diesel Estate model. Fast estates are perhaps the most interesting real-life models, especially when they are based on one of the best hot-hatches out there. The first diesel Ford that wears the ST badge is every bit as dynamic as its petrol sibling and that is always good news. Even the 182hp diesel is a nice unit to work with –if you remember to short shift around 4,000rpm, just to keep it on the boil.
The Lexus RCF was there too. It is such a different, non-German car in every aspect, and despite the big and unforgiving weight figure it carries around, the naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 remains a very nice engine to play with. I like the angry presence of it, the way it sings when you exercise the free-revving nature of its engine and the whole origami style inside-out. To get the best out of it you need to spank it through the paddles and keep the engine working above 4,000rpm. If you are a torque junkie and want to play it safe though, this is not for you.
The Mercedes AMG GT S is one of the most anticipated sports cars of the year. Visually the highlight for me is that interior. The carved center console looks the business and the whole atmosphere is miles more special than a 911. The front-mid engine configuration means you sit closer to the rear axle and the view from the driver’s position out is similar to an SLS, with that huge bonnet in front of you. The bark from the exhausts is unmistakeably AMG, with the aural character remaining one of the big attractions. Torque is simply everywhere and the bite from that front end gives you extreme confidence to up your pace. It is such a nimble car and that engine is just full of charisma. I just wish we had more time with it.
I’m supposed to pick a car now as the highlight of the event but it’s too damn difficult… I mean, I was so impressed by how ferociously the F-Type R accelerates, so happy playing with the AMG GT S on the Hill Route, so satisfied from Maserati’s beautiful Ghibli but as a Caterham virgin, this was the day my eyes saw the truth. That’s right, the Caterham 360R is the one who filled my whole body with adrenaline and left me shaking and trembling. This, I need more of this…
Note: My sincere apologies for the shortage and quality of the photos, but apparently -and unlike the previous years- a professional photographer wasn’t there to fully capture the vast variety of the vehicles. I either had to spend the day shooting cars or driving them. Guess what I did -MK
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Cars don’t get much angrier than this Jaguar F-Type R Coupé
Posted by Carscoops on Saturday, May 23, 2015
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Let me play you some Lexus RCF music
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