Behind the wheel of this decade’s most significant driver’s car – car pictures of the week
In this week’s car pictures we look at the highlights from our test of some of the most significant cars of the 2020s
The general consensus among enthusiasts is that cars are getting less engaging by the year, with increased dimensions, more complexity and more weight than cars of years gone by. To find out if that really is the case, we gather six of the most significant cars of the 2020s to bring our eras series to a close in issue 338. Here we take a look at the highlights, and to read the story in full, get your copy in store now or online via the evo shop.
There’s absolutely no doubt that the general trend is one of increased weight and dimensions. The new BMW M5 Touring we have here is a prime example, as while the estate body style was a popular new addition to the range, its increase in dimensions and weight certainly were not. On-paper performance took a hit over its predecessor from the decade prior as a result, but whether or not this translates to a less engaging drive is another thing.
> Driving the stars of an iconic evo era – car pictures of the week
The Porsche 911 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid also marks a significant turning point for Stuttgart as the first ever hybrid 911. We’ve been thoroughly impressed with its performance in isolation, but on trickier roads and in the company of more back-to-basics machinery, can it convince us that electrification really adds to the experience?
Back-to-basics is precisely the approach that the Mazda MX-5 brings to the table, and given it’s the last of its kind, its presence in this test was non-negotiable. Its low price and modest stats might make it the outlier here, but its old school approach brings elements of previous decades into the current day. Peter Tomalin said: ‘The MX‑5 has just enough power but a surfeit of all the things we hold most dear – fluidity, balance, engagement, playfulness, adjustability, communication. You feel it moving around beneath you, reacting to tiny inputs of throttle, steering and brakes.’
Elsewhere in the pack there’s the Honda Civic Type R, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. The most significant hot hatch of the decade by a long way, its performance has blown us away throughout its production run, only building on the excellent package offered in the FK8 to make it one of the very best driver’s cars on sale. It’s just a shame it also happens to be one of the last of its kind.
Like the 911, the final two are electrified, but couldn’t be any further apart in approach. Ferrari’s 296 GTS is one of the very next examples of a plug-in hybrid performance car we’ve seen, combining the best of combustion power with the benefits of electric drive. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N takes the latter to the extreme, throwing every trick in the book at an all-electric car in efforts to make one that’s fun to drive.
To read the story in full and find out how the current decade fares against the rest, pick up your copy of evo issue 338 in store or online via the evo shop.
