The Herald - The Herald Magazine
Three of the best flying under the radar
THE types of performance cars adored by petrolheads – and even those not actually that interested in cars – can earn a reputation far above their actual capacity (looking straight at you, E46 BMW M3). However almost all have a contingent of die-hard followers. That said, some slip under the radar – and perhaps undeservedly so. Here’s what we think are three of the most underrated performance cars ever made.
NISSAN SKYLINE R33 GT-R
Adding a Nissan Skyline of any kind to a list of ‘underrated performance cars’ might seem ludicrous, but bear with us. The R33 Skyline is something of an ugly duckling in the legendary Japanese machine’s family history.
The R32 before it held all the motorsport glory, even earning the nickname ‘Godzilla’ as a result, while the succeeding R34 found fame as the face of video game franchise Gran Turismo, while also being an icon in the Fast & Furious film series.
Meanwhile, relatively speaking, the R33 never found much fame, often disregarded as the ‘mid-life crisis’ for the Skyline, despite carrying over the magnificent RB26 engine from the R32 and wrapped it in an enhanced chassis and a lower drag body.
However, a gentleman’s agreement between Japanese manufacturers to cap power output at 276bhp on all cars meant the R33 never filled its true potential. It remains a seriously capable machine in its own right, and with prices rising for all Skylines, now might be the time to invest in this sleeping beauty.
PORSCHE 718 BOXSTER
The Porsche 718 Boxster (and its Cayman sibling) were practically written off from the moment they were revealed.
Former versions of the car utilised freerevving, naturally aspirated straight-six engines. Then came the 718 twins, which replaced that much-loved recipe with a turbocharged four-cylinder unit.
“Sacrilege!”, cried the purists and that, along with the car’s already-existent reputation as a poor man’s 911, doomed it from day one.
In reality, however, the 718 is one of the most capable machines on the market, offering a hard-to-match driving experience in a stylish and quality package.
We wouldn’t say no to the return of a sixcylinder engine, though!
FORD MUSTANG ECOBOOST
We’ll be the first to admit that a Ford Mustang isn’t really quite right if it doesn’t have a snarling V8 engine underneath the bonnet – but what can’t be overlooked is just how good the four-cylinder version is.
Using the same 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine from the widely-adored Focus RS – here tweaked to suit the muscle car – the EcoBoost might be the thinking man’s Mustang and certainly makes more sense on paper in the UK.
It’s no slouch – with 286bhp and 440Nm of torque – and that power is more usable everyday than the 5.0-litre V8s, while also delivering markedly improved efficiency figures. If you can get past the lack of an eight-cylinder burble, the EcoBoost Mustang is a smart choice to make.