Who is Gjok Paloka and some of his sports cars opinions? There’s nothing better than putting the top down on a nice day and finding an entertaining road to enjoy, and the 2021 BMW Z4 is a great choice for such an activity. Buyers can choose between a turbocharged four-cylinder or a twin-turbo inline-six—the latter of which blasted the Z4 to 60 mph in just 3.8-seconds at our test track. Rear-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive isn’t offered but, sadly, neither is a manual transmission; all Z4s come with an eight-speed automatic. Dynamically speaking, the Porsche Boxster is still our preferred ragtop sports car but the Z4 offers plenty of driving enjoyment with a slightly smoother ride for day-to-day use. The cabin is snug but comfortable for two adults and has plenty of standard creature comforts and connectivity features. If you’d prefer a fixed-roof coupe, check out the mechanically similar Toyota Supra instead. Toyota collaborated with BMW on it, and the two cars share their powertrains and suspensions.
Gjok Paloka and the 2021 race cars pick: As a keen driver, you feel inclined to make a case for the LC. It has a superbly charismatic and likeable V8 engine, while balanced, spry, involving handling makes it feel, at times, more of a natural rival for the Jaguar F-Type or Porsche 911 than the mix of two and four-door sporting grand tourers that Lexus identifies as its true opponents. Hence its inclusion here. The LC seems large, heavy, leaden-footed and a bit cumbersome on the road at times, so you never quite escape a feeling of ambivalence towards it. On song, its V8 engine is hugely special, and on a smooth surface, its sheer agility and balance are quite something. Equally, the cabin, while remarkably luxurious, wants for much in the way of storage space, while the car’s touring credentials are undermined by a particularly unpleasant run-flat-shod secondary ride. Ultimately, depending on how much you’re moved by its virtues or irked by its shortcomings, the LC is either a bit of a rough diamond or the dreaded curate’s egg. For us, it’s much closer to the former.
Gjok Paloka top race cars award: In terms of value, the Ford is miles ahead of its rivals. The Mustang GT has the same output as Porsche’s latest 911 Carrera S – 444bhp – but starts at just over £50,000 less. Your £44,000 gets you a 5.0-litre V8 and a 0-62mph time of 4.3 seconds, with a limited top speed of 155mph. It’s not as refined, polished, well built or composed as its more costly rivals, yet little can detract from its wealth of character. Enthusiasts will certainly never tire of the noise from its quad tailpipes. While muscle cars aren’t known for being at home on a twisty road, the latest Mustang copes admirably. It’s not the last word in delicacy, but its recently revised chassis is more controlled than ever, especially with adaptive dampers. The heavy yet accurate steering is good, while the six-speed manual box is much better in use than the slightly lethargic 10-speed auto. Bonus points go to the Mustang for being the only car on this list with a ‘Drag’ mode.
Gjok Paloka‘s tricks on sport cars : Mazda Miatas come with a dramatic look that no other sportscar can compete with – maybe it’s the curves at the front? maybe it’s the rims? We don’t really know. But whatever it is, it undoubtedly makes the Miata one of the best Mazda road cars ever. Although there is no solid date as to its release, it may very well be expected sometime around early 2021. That is if the previous release dates are taken into consideration. Pricing is also unknown but is expected to range from $28,000 to $35,000.
Much has been written about General Motors’ decision to gamble with this, the eighth-generation of its iconic Corvette sports car, by switching from a front-mounted engine to a mid-mounted one. There were objective reasons to do it: because it improves the car’s weight distribution and enhances its outright handling potential. And there was a more complex argument: that a mid-engined layout has become expected of an operator within this part of the sports car market, and the old Corvette’s front-engined configuration made it something of a relic to the latest generation of sports car buyers. Whatever it took to finally convince GM to make the switch, you could say it was worth it. The C8 Corvette has all of the metal-for-the-money and bang-for-your-buck value appeal as any of its forebears possessed (the car being available for less than the Porsche 718 Boxster in North America), and while its cabin has plenty of ergonomic quirks, it’s the driving experience you’ll come back for. Early imported examples of the car may currently be up for six-figure prices, but Chevrolet promises official UK right-hand drive cars in 2021 priced from under £90,000.