If you’re tired of Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini what else should you buy, assuming you want raw power?  Well, you’ve got a range such as Spyker, Ariel, Caterham, Morgan and Koenigsegg.  However, only one of them really goes the whole way - designing something that for my mind looks like it has come from 20 years into the future.  That brand is Pagani.

They have truly outdone themselves in this case too.  The Pagani Zonda Cinque is special.  Let’s just put that out there.  It is special first of all as it is a homolgation of sorts, between the F and the R, to create a road going sports monster.  What else makes it special?  Well, as the name suggests, only five of them will be made.  To top that, it’ll cost £1 million and will arrive to the lucky respective five owners in June next year.

What about performance?  Well 0-60 is taken care of in less than 3.5 seconds and the engine outputs 678bhp.  This means that the body needs to generate the extra downforce to keep you on the road - whilst you’ll need a strong neck to cope with the potential 1.45g of cornering force.  Top speed meanwhile is in excess of 200mph.

In these days of the green meanie (or the angry eco warrior), the Pagani Zonda Cinque is a real achievement.  It is special.  I don’t care that you have to warm the 7.3 litre engine up for five minutes before using it, nor that the limited run means that you and I will probably never see one in person.  The fact remains that it is simply a stunning feat of engineering - one that should be respected as almost perfect.  What would make it better?  Well, I’m always happy to get exclusive test drives for Car Articles…

Well, it’s been 60 years of Porsche and what a journey.  Few cars have managed to sustain such a motoring evolution through their history, rather than a revolution.  Even fewer have the same setup as Porsche – that being the rear drive, rear engine setup that is a peculiarity to the German automotive giant.

Mentioning evolution, these new Carrera models (the standard and the S respectively) are a perfect example of just that.  Things have been improved both under the bonnet and above, providing an even better reason (not that you need one) to own one of the most iconic cars ever built.  But what’s different for the extra £1,500 across the range (now priced at £63,070-77,650)?

Well for the body you get a lovely reprofiled front bumper and grille.  There’s also xenon headlamps, indicators and taillights that use LED bulbs.  You’ll still get those lovely (and exclusive I hasten to add) coloured alloys as well as the funkily chosen brake calipers (if you buy a blue for instance you’ll get these in yellow).

Of course it’s the engine that’s the real pull in a Porsche and the Carrera is no exception.  Expect to be flung from the rear to sixty MPH in only 4.7 seconds, or an Aston equalling 4.5 seconds if you buy the more expensive S variant.  These great performance figures are down to the reworked powerplant at the back that has 345BHP – 20 more than the previous incarnation.  The S has 30 more, so that’s where you’ll get your extra kick.

The technology itself is somewhat improved, with direct injection technology being available for the trademark flat six engine.  This has allowed, apart from the power improvement, a lowering of the emissions from the car by 12% - don’t think however that this is going to be an eco-friendly model.  The taxman will still love you for buying it.  Your bank manager might still wince at fuel consumption too.

For the first time in its range, Porsche is offering a new slick-shift in the form of a wonderfully named Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe.  This is, funnily enough, the german for double-clutch gearbox.  It’s a great development and offers (as with F1 cars) seven gears and the opportunity to change ratios with the paddles on the steering system.  Shifts are apparently much faster than the old Tiptronic – but then things have moved on significantly since then.

Should you buy it?  Well that depends how you feel about cars.  Purists still love Porsches, and if you’ve driven one then you’d understand why.  The handling is superb, easy to push to the limit and the engines are really, really sweet.  However, do modern racers expect more?  No doubt they want more space, less drama and arguably a much lesser price tag.  They’ll no doubt look at the new Subaru Impreza WRX or the Mitsubishi Evolution X.  Do they have the same pedigree though, the same level of history?  You pays your money you takes your choice.

Do you know someone who bangs on and on about how modern cars or rubbish?  Or how about the bloke in the pub who claims that his old Triumph TR-7 is better than anything else on the road?  It always interests me when this sort of argument crops up - not least because I think they are wrong but also because nostalgia has a place and you should be aware that is all it is.

Modern cars are wonderful, wonderful creations.  They are, almost without a doubt, better than anything else we’ve produced historically.  In every area I’m going to look at, you’ll see that not only should you be pleased with your modern car - whether it’s an Aston Martin or a Kia - and you should understand that it is a technological and engineering marvel.

Safety
In years gone by, a crash was bad news.  Far worse news than these days, where you’re more likely to be crying over a scratched bumper than you are anything else.  Back in 1970, 7,500 people were killed in road accidents.  In the year 2000, there were less than 4,000 even though there was more than double the amount of cars on the road.

Granted, anyone killed on HM’s highways is a tragedy, but these days cars are without a doubt much, much safer than previously.  Air bags, Safety cells, crumpling single-use bumpers and 3 point safety belts all work hard to help us reach B just the same way as we left A.

Technology
Driving has been made much easier due to a number of new technologies that have been pushed to the forefront of design.  These include ABS and traction control - two race-style developments that mean handling a car is easier.  It can also help you out in a tight spot and stop an accident happening in the first place.

Modern technologies have also made it possible to set up a car to have impressive dynamics at any given speed - such developments include the F1-inspired paddle shift and double clutch technology to handle lots of power.

Materials
The horrendous ‘plastic dash’ not withstanding in very cheap small cars, generally speaking the materials used these days are more sophisticated.  Whether this is the use of lightweight aluminium sub-frames carbon fibre roofs it is clear that modern advances have helped to make a modern vehicle lighter, better handling and prettier.

Exterior
Modern cars aren’t just designed by an engineer - a marketing team also designs them.  Whilst for some that might sound like a nightmare, for others it is very clearly a dream come true.  The reason for this is that there is literally something out there for everyone - whatever your need, style or choice.  Granted there are a lot of bland cars out there, but with everything from the Aston Martin DBS to the Fiat 500 you are certainly spoilt for choice.

A complaint of a certain generation tends to be that new cars have no ’soul’.  Well, whilst your retro-mobile is cool, my BMW M3 offers absolutely wild performance and style in the same package.  It also stops me from looking like I’ve reached a mid-life crisis early.

Comfort/Entertainment
These days we’re doing more and more miles in our cars - something which manufacturers are keenly aware of.  So much so that many motors are now set up to be an almost home from home, with DVD players, cooled gloveboxes for food, cubbyholes for toys and above all space.  None of this would be available in an unmolested oldsmobile and you won’t enjoy the bumpy or too-hard ride in one of those either.

Power/Efficiency
In years gone by, cars were lighter.  They were far less safe as well, as we also covered.  These days, cars are heavier, but they get much bigger engines.  This is fine though, because they emit far fewer gasses on the whole to pollute the planet with.  Not only that, but diesels are far more planet-friendly and a lot less noisy too.

Conclusion
It’s clear from the points above that you’ll find a lot more joy out of investing in a modern motor than a true ‘oldie’, even if it’s what you’d call a modern classic.  With those in mind, here’s a list of the modern cars that I think we should salute as some of the best of their type:
Ferrari F430, Porsche Boxster, BMW 3-series (saloon), Fiat 500, Lotus Elise, Mazda RX-8, VW Golf.

I’ll look at some of the above in further detail in the near future to let you know just why they are so good.

I’ve thought about this question before because I would like to quantify exactly what makes them special. The area of the car market I’m talking about is the really top end - not the things mind that are just expensive cruisers (such as the Rolls Royce range) but stuff with scary, balls-to-the-wall performance to go with it.

Impracticality
One thing I’ve noted during my search for the ‘essence of supercar’ (it could be a well nice aftershave that, though granted it would have a whiff of the high octane stuff about it) is that the car has to be completely impractical. It has to really offer barely any room at all, whether you’re a passenger (real supercars rarely offer room for more than one of these) or a piece of baggage.

This is one of the reasons why you could call cars such as the Subaru Impreza WRX Sti and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution incredibly impressive and fast - but they aren’t supercars. There’s just too much space, a bit too much ‘well I could help you do the shopping run too’ about them. There’s a place for that, but it’s not as a supercar.

Looks to die for
Supercars, invariably, look different from all other cars on the road. I was recently driving to work and there was a Lamborghini Gallardo driving on the opposite carriageway. It caught my eye and made my stomach feel light. The sheer looks of the thing made me gawk.

A car cannot be called a supercar unless it looks a bit special. I’m not just talking about a bit of carbon fibre as the bonnet either - it must have something that screams ‘I will eat you if you do something I don’t like’. This can be a rear diffuser; a bonnet bulge or intakes that make the car look like it has miniature caverns. Whatever it is, it must catch your eye. Cars that are trying the same trick (but aren’t supercars) will frequently paint their machines in traditional supercar livery such as bright reds and yellows.

Power and performance
A supercar should be super in every way - whether it is the looks or the performance. This being the case, such a machine cannot carry the moniker unless it is flying the flag for pointless, over the top performance. If your current car can do a higher top speed then you’re either rich or kidding yourself.

Cars such as the new Nissan GT-R are genuine sports cars - simply because it will do the 0-60 run in 3.6 seconds. Truly breathtaking. A bit scary as well no doubt. That’s another purpose of a supercar. Unless you’re a racing driver, it should have the ability to make you wet yourself. Repeatedly.

Costs
This really is something particular to supercars (well okay, you’ll suffer some of this if you get a performance car of the non-super variety). The cost of an initial purchase can be just about as high as you want to go, given how much you can customise your chosen vehicle. Your dealer can give you an options list longer than your arm and if you’re a real supercar buyer you’ll tick more than a few.

Cars you might like which won’t make your bank manager cry
These days, there are some cars that you can get for a very reasonable price that are either supercars or have genuine heritage. The Honda NSX is one such car. You can pick one of these bad boys up for just up from £20,000 and you’ll have a high revving V6 howler to your name that will put a lot of other cars on the road to shame.

Whilst some complain about TVR, if you haven’t got the Earth to spend then I’d recommend one. Look for a good model though, as reliability is a known issue (tell me which ’supercar’ doesn’t come with this feature though). I found a TVR Chimaera (4.3 litre convertible monster) for only £8,650 - a real bargain that will go like absolute stink.

My favourite supercar
As a car enthusiast, naturally I have a preference for a vehicle - should I happen to win the lottery or get an inheritance I wasn’t expecting. My choice is for the Ferrari F430. This two-door coupe is a fantastic vehicle. You can get it in manual or ‘F1′ style paddle shift and it’ll go from 0-60 in less than four seconds and will naturally cost you the Earth to run. I found one however for only £100,000.

I guess the point of supercars really is just that - to be super, in the same way that Superman is. They are unattainable. The height of mechanical and automotive genius. They turn heads. Perhaps though the only sign of a true supercar is whether a boy will have a picture of it on his wall. In that case, make mine a Lamborghini Diablo. This analogy highlights perfectly what a supercar represents - emotion, excitement and power all rolled into a beautiful package.

I have no understanding whatsoever of why you’d buy a Porsche Cayenne of any variety.  Let me just get that off my chest.  I do wonder whether the Cayenne buyer goes to the dealership, sees a 911 and then says ‘no wait, I need something bigger than this‘.  That’s fair enough, the 911, whilst iconic, doesn’t exactly feature the most roomy cabin, or indeed masses of luggage space.

However, why buy a Porsche at all if you aren’t going to buy a 911, or, at a push, a Cayman or Boxster?  It beggars belief.  Especially when the vehicle in question here resembles a BMW X-3 (what an ugly car).  Even the Hummer-like dimensions of the BMW X-5 are (slightly) more appealing.

This brings me to why people must be buying the Cayenne.  They want unbelievable, balls to the wall; I can destroy anything on the road performance.  They also want to have a Porsche badge on the front of the car - whilst also being able to use it as a Chelsea Tractor.

This brings us to the latest offering from Porsche, the Cayenne GTS.  This car is big.  It is also quick, with a front-slung 4.8 litre turbo-charged monster just waiting to be unleashed from your right foot.  It is certainly a license-loser as well.  But what makes it different is that Porsche has done something remarkable in this package - they have designed a 4×4 that has some of the best handling of any car in the class, and many that aren’t.

Granted, it isn’t going to win any awards.  Then again, if you can afford a car like this (£54,350), then I can’t imagine you’ll have problems with the road tax fund license - nor any issue with driving such a monster.  Nonetheless, whichever side of the ‘green’ fence you fall on, 361 grammes per kilometre is quite a bit, I’m sure you agree.

Of course, even the richest of drivers can get annoyed - a touch of the road rage if you will.  No doubt, those who drive the Porsche Cayenne GTS will feel a little bit of this every time they have to pull up at the garage.  The reason being, they’ll be doing this fairly often.  At an ‘official’ level of 18mpg, that’s not good news.  Put down the power though, and you could even be looking at dropping to a single digit.  Not good.

Yes, you’ve all been waiting patiently through this critique, so I may as well give it to you.  The figures are 0-60 in a scary, very fast (for this size vehicle) 6.1 seconds.  The big V8 that churns out 405bhp will also propel you beyond 157 miles per hour - would you do that in such a big machine though?

Of course, you can kit out your Porsche with the variety of latest safety technology, such as Active Suspension Management (a good idea for those who are considering driving it on anything but an A road at speed) and Dynamic Chassis electrics that will make the car hold the road even better.

The car (as you can see) looks quite mean, low and aggressive - all of which gives you an even clearer idea that this is not simply a ’standard’ 4×4.  You won’t be driving up any hills in this.

So what’s the point?  I’m still not that clear to be honest.  It is big on the outside, but there’s not a vast amount of space on the inside.  It is, however, incredibly powerful.  Few things on the road will keep up with it.  But why?  This is a question I’m still asking myself, and in today’s ‘we do really care about the planet’ environment, this beast seems to have made itself obsolete already.  Maybe that’s why we should salute it…

Despite what we maybe seeing on TV, it seems for those people who are old enough the Porsche 911 is the iconic cars of the eighties and the Audi Quattro which has had a nice bit of publicity on the hit TV show Ashes to Ashes came in a close second.

Out of all the cars on the list, I am amazed that at least one of these Fords made it onto the list, the RS 2000, Capri 30s and the Capri 2.8 Injection these cars were true eighties machines and really reflected the times.

The Results of the HPI survey:

What would be your dream 80’s car?

Porsche 911 29%

Audi Quattro 28%

Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 15%

BMW M5 12%

Peugeot 205 GTI 3%

Sinclair C5 1%

Which 80’s car do you most remember?

Ford Capri SLE 71R (Terry McCann - Minder) 30%

Ferrari Testarossa (Sonny Crockett in Miami Vice) 26%

De Lorean DMC12 (Back to the Future) 23%

Ferrari 308 (Magnum) 21%

Reliant Regal (Only Fools and Horses) 19%

Jaguar Mark II (Inspector Morse) 18%

KITT (Pontiac Firebird Trans Am) (Knight Rider) 17%

British Leyland Mini (Mr Bean) 11%

Jaguar XJ6 (Arthur Daly - Minder) 11%

Golf GTI (Paula Hamilton commercial) 10%

What are some people thinking about?

Source [Auto Trader]

Frankly, I’m shocked to discover that no one has yet added any coverage to CarArticles regarding this new Japanese beast, so I couldn’t take it any more.  I just have to say something about this incredible, 473bhp, four-seat 3.8 litre V6 monster.  Granted, I haven’t driven one yet (there are only about 3 in the country to my knowledge, and it isn’t coming to the UK officially until 2009.  However, I have driven a Nissan Skyline and this is the successor.

All they way back in 2001, Nissan released a concept of what their new supercar would look like.  For those of you who don’t know, Nissan has a strong racing heritage and this would be something that they could use to fly the flag with.  Anyone familiar with Gran Turismo will be able to tell you all about the Nissan Skyline GT-R with all of its’ onboard computers to keep traction and stop the car flinging off the track.  This promised to be faster and meaner.

At the Tokyo Motor Show 2005, a car was revealed that is pretty much exactly the production variant that will be available in various territories from June 2008.  This big coupe contains four seats and enough gadgetry to power most things in your house, along with a whole host of technical trickery that I’ll come to in just a moment.  First though, the car itself.

The car is big - all round.  This includes the power department, what with that shouty deep V6.  It has twin-turbochargers to give you oomph all the way through the rev range, with no lag to speak of.  The dual-shift auto gearbox will give you three modes, scary, very scary and insane.  Well, surely you agree with those when you’re sitting in a large two-door motor capable of going from 0-60 in 3.6 seconds?  To put that in perspective, that’s quicker than an Audi R8 or Porsche 911 Turbo.

So what is the exterior like?  Well you can see from the picture.  It looks incredibly hard, aggressive and distinctive.  A Nissan Micra it ain’t.  Those 20-inch wheels are particularly impressive.  The paint is also promising to be particularly special, what with an ‘ultimate silver’ colouring (which looks liquid) being available for free from the factory.  Aeroblade front wings and diffuser round off the car - making it look like one of the best road eaters out there.

The interior doesn’t have the wow factor of say an Audi - but then you’re not buying this car to be swathed in faux aluminium.  You’re buying it in order to be sitting in a vehicle that is as close to mechanical perfection as possible - a car that is all about function, and this function is to provide the ultimate drive.  As such, the interior follows form, with hugging seats, multi-CD changer, HDD storage system and LCD touch screen.

Of particular interest in the GT-R is the Multi-function display in the car console.  This can be set up (along with the driver lap time system accessible from the steering wheel) to monitor your every driving input, from steering to G’s to breaking.  You can then save this information and bore all of your mates with it.  Or impress them if you’re a pro racing driver.

What about performance though?  Well, everyone on TV who has driven it has seemed to be left a little bit breathless.  I wonder why.  Maybe it’s because when you’re driving a car that will do 0-100 in 8.3 seconds you’ll be left a little bit worried.  And no doubt amazed.  I’m satisfied that the ultra-trick diff and superbly set up suspension will make even the worst Sunday driver look like they are Lewis Hamilton.

For all around ability, I’m not surprised that the Nissan GT-R is proving to be a highlight of the week (if not month or possibly even year) for anyone who has been blessed enough to be in one.  The sheer fact of the matter is that with all that know-how at Nissan, they have created something unique - a supercar for the Playstation generation that could swallow most everything on the road or indeed the track.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about the Nissan is the cost.  Granted, whilst an estimated price tag of £55,000 is never cheap, compared to its most obvious rival the Porsche, it is quite reasonable.  You see, for a brand new 911 Turbo you’ll be getting billed for almost double that.  Now if that isn’t reason enough to buy one if you are looking for a vehicle like this, I don’t know what is.  Granted, there might be some badge snobs out there, but if you can pull away from the lights that fast, who cares?

As a last note on the Nissan GT-R, the purchase price in Japan will be far lower than in the UK.  A steal in fact, at only about £30,000.  Of course there are some problems, like the fact that Nissan GB is refusing to service a Jap spec model or honour the warranty.  On the other hand, there will be specialist dealers to do that, and I’ve no doubt that a huge fanbase will build up prior to the UK launch.  However, the Japanese models will depreciate more than the UK counterparts.  At the end of the day, you pays your money, you takes your choice…