OUR FAVOURITE RIDES OF 2018
WE DRIVE A LOT OF GREAT VEHICLES, BUT THERE ARE A FEW THAT LEAVE MEMORIES WE CAN UNWRAP AND SAVOUR LONG AFTER THE KEYS HAVE BEEN RETURNED AND THE STORIES FILED. THESE WERE OUR FAVOURITES.
David Booth: I’m the big bike fan in the Driving posse, so my “drive” of the year is a ride: Kawasaki’s H2 SX SE. What made it stand out was its suspension. Not only is it perfectly damped and sprung, but the big Kawi has none of those infernal electrically adjustable gizmos motorcycle manufacturers are trying to convince bikers are essential to premier performance. The big Kawasaki relies on that most old-fashioned of engineering principles: getting the damping so spot on that you don’t feel the need for constant adjustment.
Whether I was exercising all 197 horses or just trundling round town, the H2’s basic shock and fork calibration was nigh on perfect. It’s probably the best motorcycle suspension I’ve ever tested, the perfect example of simplicity’s triumph over complication.
Ironically, the SX SE gets electronically adjustable suspension for 2019. I think it’s a step backwards.
Brian Harper: I’m a sucker for vintage cars with great history, so my choice for favourite is the red 1962 Porsche 356 B 2000 GS Carrera 2 Cabriolet. This ultrarare model, which I booted around Switzerland, comes with a $1.2-million valuation. Carrera 2s were fitted with a 2.0-litre four-cam race engine developed by Porsche engineer Ernst Fuhrmann. They were the fastest roadlegal Porsches at the time and the first road-going Porsches to have four-wheel disc brakes. As the 911 continues to get ever more sophisticated, the fundamentally simple driving dynamics of its predecessor elevates the 356 to a happier, higher plane for enthusiasts. Graeme Fletcher: Two cars sit squarely atop my list of favourites from the past year. One is an overblown luxo-mobile that took to a track like it was born there. The other is an all-electric conveyance that signals the breed has finally come of age.
The Porsche Panamera GTS Sport Turismo has the ability to be both a luxurious limousine and a track demon. On the street it was comfortable and had the versatility demanded of a “wagon.” But it also galloped like a thoroughbred down the straights at speeds in excess of 250 km/h and then danced like a prima ballerina through the corners.
The 2019 Audi e-tron feels substantial and seemed to relish a good workout. The twin-motor drivetrain delivers a peak output of 402 hp, making it fast. Throw in a driving range of 400+ kilometres and all the versatility expected of a large, practical crossover and you have the future of the electric vehicle. Derek McNaughton: The vehicles I most favoured seemed to have a sense of humour, were a joy to drive fast and didn’t take themselves too seriously: the 2020 Audi R8, 2019 Hyundai Veloster N, 2019 BMW M2 Competition, 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, 2018 Kia Stinger GT, and 2019 Ram 1500.
The Ram was a delight in part because it boasts an interior as good as many luxury brands. And it drives almost as quietly. With its “eTorque” electrification, the Ram marries a smooth V6 engine with good fuel economy and power. The Audi R8 surprised with how wickedly fast it is; the GT3 RS made us laugh with joy at how forgiving it is. And Veloster N did the same for far less money — what an amazing debut into the world of performance cars. The same surprise came with the Stinger GT, a car that not only looks fantastic but performs just as well. And it doesn’t cost a fortune. Bravo.
Jil McIntosh: Top of my list is a pair of cars, the Genesis G70 and Kia Stinger, which have their own personalities but are cousins under their skins. They’re strong and smooth on straight stretches, but they’re flat-out fun when you get to take them through the twists and turns, as I got to do with both on closed courses. They are both sports sedans in the true sense of the name.
For a family hauler, I was extremely impressed with the Chevrolet Traverse. GM has really upped its game with its sport utes, and the Traverse benefits from a smooth-riding chassis and a roomy interior that looks pricier than what it costs. The same applies to Volvo’s new S60 sedan and matching V60 wagon, with a buttery-suave ride and crisp handling. I’d prefer more buttons over its distracting centre screen, but other than that, this handsome car is as good as it gets.
And for all-out luxury, give me the Lincoln Continental. I love the big old land yachts of days gone by, and it provides that old-school presence but, unlike its wallowy 1960s and 1970s predecessors, this one actually steers and stops like it should. Peter Bleakney: It’s hard to wrap your head around the concept of a four-milliondollar car, but the Bugatti Chiron isn’t so much of a car as a Hail Mary engineering feat, launched by the bottomless fiscal and engineering resources of the Volkswagen Group. A quadturbo 8.0-L W16 engine generating 1,500 horsepower and 1182 pound-feet of torque drives all four wheels through a seven-speed dualclutch gearbox, blasting this 1,995-kilogram mid-engine carbon-fibre luxo-missile through the 100 km/h mark in 2.4 seconds. Top speed is limited to 420 km/h, and that’s only because of the tires.
Costa Mozouris: Surprisingly, among the supercars and high-performance sports cars, the car whose gas pedal really tickled my toes was the Hyundai Veloster N. It’s Hyundai’s first attempt at a high-performance hot hatch, while also introducing the high-performance N division to North America.
The Veloster N handles precisely, sounds right, has all the right go-fast bits, has pretty good kick in the pants with 275 horsepower, and above all, is affordable at $35K.
Nicholas Maronese: Despite getting some wheel-time behind the controls of the 2019 Cadillac CT6 with handsfree highway-driving Supercruise, my favourite car of 2018 was — my own. After some long overdue maintenance, the old Plymouth was running better than it ever has and I logged more miles in it this year than in any of my six prior years of ownership.
Clayton Seams: The car I drove and loved the most was the 2018 Fiat 124 Spider Abarth. It’s joyful, simple, attractive, and endearing. Simply the best sports car out there for 2018 in my humble opinion. I usually complain about the invasion of turbochargers, but the 124 is better for it. The laggy rubberband power delivery is fun. I drove one from Toronto to Quebec City and it made a surprisingly good road-trip car. Sure, the seats aren’t the best and the price is a bit much for a classed-up Miata but I’d still take one home. Nick Tragianis: This year, perhaps the most thoroughly impressive ride was the Chevrolet Camaro SS we evaluated as part of a comparison test with the Ford Mustang GT. Not only does it look all business and sound absolutely incredible, the enhancements under the skin when equipped with the 1LE package transform the Camaro into a truly capable beast that can run with sports cars almost double its price. Shame you can barely see out of it, though. Jonathan Yarkony: There are two cars that I will rave about to anyone willing to listen. The Honda Civic Type R is one. It is truly phenomenal what they have done with a front-drive chassis, and the shifter and driving feel are stupendous. I would be perfectly happy if that was the only car I ever drove again. My other favourite was the BMW M2 Competition. I was expecting it to be plenty fast and fun and capable, but it just blew me away.
For a family hauler, I was extremely impressed with the Chevrolet Traverse. GM has really upped its game with its sport utes, and the Traverse benefits from a smooth-riding chassis and a roomy interior that looks pricier than what it costs. — Jil Mcintosh