Triple Threat
With the new models from McLaren, Ferrari and Lamborghini, speed is served in three unique ways. The common denominator? More is better, of course.
As I pull up to the hotel entrance, the 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 shudders the ground beneath my McLaren 620R. Also trembling, with palpable excitement, is the parking concierge, who appears barely old enough to drive. “Are those the Senna racing seats?” he blurts, transfixed, ignoring the other vehicles. For a model comprising just 225 examples, of which only 70 will hit North America, the 620R has a reputation that precedes it.
The grand finale for McLaren’s Sports Series, the 620R is a street version of the brand’s FIA-homologated 570S GT4 racer, with the same engine and carbon-fiber chassis but unconstrained by motorsport regulations. On an open stretch of freeway, the 611 hp coupe, with 457 ft lbs of grunt available at 3,500 rpm, feels every bit the pole-position competitor, though the dualclutch transmission manages the seven speeds with such stealth precision that it barely registers. Increased grip is thanks in part to a new front splitter, air intakes and vents on the carbon-fiber hood, plus the huge, three-way-adjustable rear wing. Altogether, it amounts to 408 pounds of downforce at 155 mph.
The ripping engine and high-tech aero combine to help the 2,826-pound (dry weight) coupe hustle to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds before topping out at 200 mph. Velocity is reversed via the indefatigable carbon-ceramic brakes fitted with forged-aluminum calipers. An optional motorsport-grade damper enables the aluminum wishbone suspension to be optimally customized for closed-course performance, while the road-focused adaptive damper found in my test model
allows for three drive modes—Normal, Sport and Track—throughout the various handling and power-train settings.
Any sane buyer will opt for the trackoriented suspension, because to choose otherwise is to miss the point of the car entirely—not that the machine will stop reminding you. To maximize weight savings, the glovebox and carpeting have been scrapped from the already spartan interior, and other sound-dampening is minimal. At idle, the mirrors vibrate so hard as to be unusable. Induction sound from the optional roof-mounted air intake adds to the cacophony. Given all the noise, only those with a twisted sense of humor will option the 12-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system, though dedicated racing types will gladly upgrade to the Pirelli slicks and six-point cockpit harness.
As McLaren’s Sport Series swan song, the 620R may also be among the last to rely solely on combustion, if the new hybrid Artura offers any sense of direction. One thing’s for sure: With a starting price of $275,250, it’s on the short list for anyone looking to incite fear and envy at the motor club—not to mention on the vision board of a certain young valet.
Spider) is the most powerful production convertible currently on the market. But there’s more to this car’s story than that superlative. Although Ferrari’s formula for the ultimate GT hasn’t changed much in 50 years, this is Maranello’s first production-series, front-engine V-12 drop-top since the legendary 365 GTS/4 “Daytona” in 1969. And from behind the wheel of the new 812 GTS, the wait seems more than worth it.
Anyone familiar with the 812 Superfast will feel at home in the 812 GTS, with both models sharing the same specifications, performance and appearance, at least from the waist down. And those specs are substantial, with the naturally aspirated 6.5-liter 12-cylinder producing 789 hp and 530 ft lbs of torque (at 8,500 rpm and 7,000 rpm, respectively). Equally notable is the smooth and linear power delivery at low revs, with 80 percent of max torque available at just 3,500 rpm. As the needle
The acceleration is nothing short of explosive, accompanied by an increasingly furious crescendo from the intake and exhaust as the engine wails its way to an 8,900 rpm redline.
it should be noted, tardy) production foray into hybridization.
In Italy’s Bolognese dialect, Sián translates to “lightning,” a nod to that electric power but equally fitting for its searing top speed of 218 mph and zeroto-62-mph sprint time of just 2.8 seconds. Compared to Lamborghini’s Aventador, which is solely reliant on 12 cylinders, the Sián’s added electric jolt is plenty noticeable. Credit also goes to the vehicle’s advanced regenerative-braking system, specifically developed for the car, which converts scrubbed speed into available power socked away in the energy-storage system until a power boost is requested via the right foot. That added dose of instant accelerative torque is available up to 81 mph, at which point the electric motor automatically disconnects.
(Get this: That e-motor is fueled by a lightweight supercapacitor that Lamborghini claims is three times more powerful than a lithium-ion battery of the same weight, while bolstering storage capacity tenfold.)
It’s a car that so demands to be pushed that it should be considered a daily driver only if you work at a racetrack.
The Sián’s hair-raising performance is complemented by an equally stimulating aesthetic that offers visual overload from every angle, from its eye-popping rear wing, complete with aerodynamic air streamers, to the bright digital-instrument cluster. And the brand’s trademark hexagon shapes are sprinkled everywhere like visual Easter eggs, including the door mirrors and rear lights. Even the twin exhaust pipes are formed in a six-sided arrangement.
Like that hallmark hexahedron, the cabin feels particularly hard and angular. Those familiar with the brutalist Aventador SVJ will recognize similarly rock-hard seats as well as Lamborghini’s flip-top starter button and the wellhidden indicator and windscreen buttons. But there’s more than a hint of the iconic 1970s Countach as well, most notably in the combination of low-slung seating, high center console and compromised rear visibility.
There is bad news: The odds of owning a Sián are about the same as catching lightning in a bottle. Of the 82 examples planned (19 roadsters and 63 coupes, figures which, taken together, are a play on the year Lamborghini was founded) all have been presold. But perhaps a trip to Italy is in order. Shortly after my drive, the model I piloted was wrapped in cotton wool and shipped to Bologna to be displayed at the Lamborghini Museum alongside madcap Lambos of yesteryear. While a museum may be an odd place to showcase the future, it might be your only chance to see a Sián in its carbon-fiber flesh.