JETHRO BOVINGDON
Some leftfield choices here, including a rare ’60s exotic – and an E60 M5. Brave man…
OKAY, A 997 GT3 RS 4.0 IS A PREDICTABLE CHOICE, but for all the right reasons. For me this is the ultimate factory 911 and the pinnacle of the era that evo was born into. Nothing conveys a sense of purpose quite like the 4.0, from the angry, serrated engine note to the tough, short-throw gearshift. Nothing communicates quite so lucidly, either. You can feel every piece of gravel squished beneath the Cup tyres. Such raw feedback makes driving this fearsome 911 as easy as can be, whether on road or track and come rain or shine. I wouldn’t change a single thing. Perfection.
If you’re lucky enough to own a Ferrari F50, you’re going to have to put up with people telling you the F40 is better for the rest of your life… But I can’t think of a single other downside. It’s so raw and unique with that combination of high-revving V12 as a stressed member of the chassis, stunning manual gearbox, inboard suspension and the most elegantly executed and simple interior. Despite its rather tepid reputation, the F50 is perhaps the most immersive supercar ever built. I could wax lyrical for hours (and hours) but the fact it edges out the 458 Speciale as my favourite Ferrari says everything you need to know.
There’s so much to love about Honda’s NSX-R from a philosophical point of view and just listing some of the physical ingredients is joyous in itself. From the reinforced chassis to the carbonfibre panels to the carbon-kevlar seats to the lightweight material used for the gearshift gaitor, the NSX-R ticks every geeky box imaginable. However, it’s how these components combine into one seamless, razor-sharp whole that makes the car unforgettable. Nothing else I’ve driven captures the sense of being at one with a car quite so vividly. Every action is met with the perfect response; the harder you push, the more the car seems to seep into your veins. Sharp, focused, unerringly precise and hungry for absolute commitment, the NSX-R is something very special indeed.
No Perfect 10 could be complete without a Caterham, and for me it’s an R500 Evo. Purity on four 13in wheels, a complete education about the art of car control and, in the case of the most powerful naturally aspirated version yet built, furiously exciting. Makes most hypercars feel overblown and ponderous.
Even without the incredible back story, the Ford GT40 MKII would have to be on the list. My favourite shape of all time, married to an angry V8 engine, sill-mounted shifter and a deeply physical driving experience that demands absolute concentration. I’ve driven a MKIII road car and loved every second, but I think ‘my’ GT40 would have to be a Le Mans-spec MKII – registered
for the road, obviously. If having essentially a race car is cheating, then I’ll happily go for a Superformance version built to full historic FIA spec but wearing a numberplate. The 2005 Ford GT is right near the top of my list, too. But, y’know, Le Mans. And a big block.
I feel awful that there’s no hot hatch in my list but the Megane R26.R makes way for a Mitsubishi Evo VIII MR FQ-340, the ultimate rally-inspired four-wheel-drive loon. To be honest it could pretty much be any Evo from V to IX, but the VIII MR has such a strong personal pull for me after the wonderful long term test car I had back in 2005. Yes, the one I crashed into a lamp-post one fateful Sunday morning. The gravelly 4G63 engine and spookily sharp four-wheel-drive system formed such a huge part of my early career at evo, it had to be represented.
Bizzarrini 5300 GT Stradale. Say it out loud and then tell me you don’t want one, too. Then take in the unbelievably exotic shape, do a little research about Giotto Bizzarrini and how he developed the Ferrari 250 GTO before leaving Enzo on the ‘Night of the Long Knives’. Best of all watch one floating around Goodwood, front tyres jinking left and right through each and every corner, hammering Chevy V8 sending shockwaves through the air. There’s no more evocative sight from this incredible era.
I’d love the experience, just once, of poring over colour charts and interior options and speccing a brand new supercar. Imagine how exciting that must be! And the anticipation on the morning of the day it’s finally ready. The Mclaren 720S is undoubtedly The One right now. It looks better with every passing day, the performance is simply mind-blowing and I really enjoy its incredible usability and the fact that as you start to drive it harder
it reveals an edge that calls to mind something like a 997 GT2 RS. The supercar that does it all.
Very few cars elicit fear quite like an E60 M5. Heinously complex, highly strung in a way that somehow isn’t befitting for a supersaloon and blighted by a dreaded SMG gearbox that offers wincing brutality and all-too-frequent ‘red cog of death’ stories on the internet, the V10-powered M5 is unloved to say the least. Except by me. It is the only supersaloon ever fitted with an engine that could truly be described as supercar-worthy, has the most magnificent chassis and such giant performance that long distances simply vanish. Even if they are punctuated by very frequent fuel stops. Suits my tiny bladder perfectly…
I have a pathological hatred of the sorts of ‘limited edition’ or, worse, ‘collector edition’ cars that have emerged in recent years. They are almost unfailingly overwrought, overpriced and painfully cynical. Most of them also make you look like a complete and utter tool. But I adore the idea of the Nissan GT-R 50 by Italdesign. Combining the industrial, manic and pulverising character of a GT-R with some genuinely original and intriguing Italian coachbuilding and a beautifully detailed interior is a stroke of genius. I’d use it every day.
‘RAW FEEDBACK MAKES DRIVING THIS FEARSOME 911 AS EASY AS CAN BE’