2019 Acura NSX Track Test Bowmanville, Ont. Visit Acuras website, click on the models tab at the top of the page, and the companys models will pop up below, categorized by type. Youll find a column of sedans, a couple of SUVs, and a supercar. Acura is the only Japanese manufacturer to list a supercar in its model lineup, and its the only Japanese company currently offering any vehicle at anything approaching $200K.Supercar CredentialsAnd the 2019 Acura NSX is a bona fide supercar; if its low-slung, streamlined silhouette doesnt tip you off that it is, its $189,900 starting price will. As will its spec sheet. Its mid-engine-mounted 3.5-litre turbocharged V6 combines with three electric motors to produce a total of 573 horsepower and 476 lb.-ft. of torque. One electric motor mounts to the rear of the engine, which drives the rear wheels through a nine-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The remaining two electric motors drive the front wheels, one motor each. This effectively makes the NSX an all-wheel drive hybrid, and which power unit drives what depends entirely on which of the four drive modes are selected (Quiet, Sport, Sport +, Track) and whats going on at the wheel. Track Tested, Costa ApprovedWere testing the NSX at a special event held at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Driver Development track. While the Development track lacks the high-speed sections of the longer Grand Prix circuit, it does offer a highly technical course that tests the cars handling, brakes, and corner-exit thrust. Were also treated to a few hot laps in an NSX GT3 Evo race car, driven by 17-year-old former kart driver Antonio Serravelle, who currently competes in the Indy Pro 2000 championship.Electrification makes the NSX porky by supercar standards, weighing between 1,725 and 1,800 kg depending on the trim. Despite the extra heft of the added batteries and electric motors, the NSX is a brutally fast car. Its manufacturer claims just 2.7 seconds to go from zero to 100 km/h and it feels as quick. What really helps it blast out of corners is the all-wheel drive assistance of the electric motors. The NSX sinks you deep into the seat exiting every turn, and keeps doing so each time a steering-wheel paddle is pulled to gear up. This is especially exemplified after a stint in the passenger seat of the GT3 race car. While the roll-cage and slick-tire equipped NSX weighs about 485 kg less than its street-oriented sibling, it lacks the forceful punch coming out of corners, taking time to build revs before it sinks you into the seat. Make no mistake: its a faster car with much more grip, diving deeper and harder into corners, and maintaining higher cornering speeds than the street car. But the latter certainly feels faster just based on the seat of the pants.Point and shootAnd it handles remarkably well. My test car is equipped with sticky Pirelli P Zero tires, as well as the optional carbon-ceramic brakes, both of which facilitate better racetrack outings. A multitude of electronics are doing things in the background in Sport + mode (Track mode works best with slicks, were told), including managing the electric motors, and the torque vectoring at the four wheels. This helps the car steer precisely, masking its weight well, and as long as youre looking where you want to be on the track, the NSX takes you there with little need for correction. It feels balanced, neither over- or under-steering unless it is coaxed to do so, either deliberately or by driver error.it is almost flawless.And those optional brakes! You can hammer on the pedal repeatedly, lap after lap, and it loses neither feel nor power. The composite brakes are, however, a $12,700 option, and if you never take your NSX to the track, theyre an option you can overlook.Driving the NSX near its limit on a racetrack revealed that it is almost flawless. Unfortunately, this test didnt include any street time, and though Im far for complaining, some time in a more normal driving environment would surely reveal some other aspects of this car that should be equally as
Origin: Is the Acura NSX too heavy to be a great track car?
track
Donkervoort launches D8 GTO-JD70 as 415bhp track weapon
Dutch car maker Donkervoort has unveiled the JD70 – a supercar designed to celebrate the 70th birthday of company founder Joop Donkervoort. An evolution of the D8 GTO sports car that was released in 2011, the JD70 weighs less than 700kg and is claimed to “be suitable for both the road and the racetrack”. Power comes from a uprated version of the turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder petrol engine that’s fitted to Audi’s RS Q3 and RS3, producing 415bhp and 384lb ft of torque to make the JD70 Donkervoort’s most powerful model yet. Detailed performance figures are yet to be revealed, but the new model is expected to beat the standard GTO’s 2.8sec 0-62mph time and 168mph top speed. Donkervoort has confirmed, however, that the JD70 can generate over 2G of lateral acceleration in corners in standard trim. The JD70’s exhaust system incorporates a new catalytic converter, making it compliant with the latest Euro 6d-Temp emissions legislation, and exits from the side of the car, rather than the rear, to reduce weight. Donkervoort also claims it “has been tuned to deliver an even more emotional engine sound into the car”. Carbonfibre makes up more than 95 percent of the JD70’s bodywork, with further weight savings courtesy of carbonfibre race seats, a lightweight lithium ion battery and a multi-function steering wheel that reduces the amount of switchgear in the interior. While the JD70 bears a strong resemblance to the D8 GTO on which it is based, it receives a number of styling tweaks aimed at maximising aerodynamic efficiency and downforce. The front wings feature a louvred design that enhances air flow for an improved top speed, while a redesigned front end, prominent rear diffuser and ‘cycle-wing’ wheel covers help to generate 80kg of downforce at the rear, and 50kg at the front. Taking a minimalist approach, the company says that the JD70, which will cost €163,636 (£141,677), will “swim against the mainstream sportscar tide by minimising electronic driver aids”. Just 70 examples will be built across a 2020/2021 delivery run. Pre-orders are already being taken. The JD70 isn’t the first variant of the D8 GTO; Donkervoort also revealed S, R and RS versions in
Origin: Donkervoort launches D8 GTO-JD70 as 415bhp track weapon
Track Test: Porsche GT2 RS Clubsport, GT4 Clubsport, 935
EUROSPEEDWAY LAUSITZRING, Germany If you can still breathe the belts are not tight enough, Lars Kern tells me in a stern, authoritative voice as he double-checks my six-point harness. Kern, who is a test driver for Porsche and holds records at the Nrburgring, then laughs and pulls down hard on the belt adjusters.Ive strapped myself into the seat of the Porsche GT4 Clubsport race car for a lapping session at the 4.5-kilometre long Eurospeedway Lausitz circuit, located about one hour south of Berlin. My ride in the GT4 is just a warm-up for my upcoming sessions in the GT2 RS Clubsport, and the ultra-rare 935. Usually when Im strapped into a bona fide race car, its into a passenger seat hastily installed for the purpose of taking me out for a few hot laps, usually driven by some former or current racer. This time Im at the wheel.I dont know of any other automaker that releases customer race cars as regularly as Porsche does. My first experience with these remarkable, track-oriented automobiles began in 2016, when Porsche Motorsports launched the GT4 Clubsport factory-built race car. This competition-only car was a stripped-down, race-prepped version of the Cayman GT4, and was designed to compete in various race classes worldwide. The following year Porsche followed up with the 911 GT3 R, and the nearly unobtainable GT3 RSR its engine was moved ahead of the rear axle, effectively transforming it into a mid-engine car. This year Porsche Motorsports released the trio of customer race cars mentioned above, and sent an exclusive invitation to drive them. Would you say no?GT4 Clubsport The 2019 GT4 Clubsport is the next-generation race version of the mid-engine 718 Cayman GT4. Unlike the 718, however, which uses the new 4.0-litre, 414-horsepower flat six, the Clubsport retains the previous-generation 3.8-litre six. It has nonetheless been tuned to produce 425 horsepower, up from the previous Clubsports 385 hp. The added power comes via revised engine mapping and more aggressive camshafts.Porsche has sold 421 GT4 Clubsports since 2016, and the engine has proven bulletproof, with some of the cars having tallied upwards of 80,000 km of racing abuse, with service including nothing more than oil changes. Since these are race cars, Porsche Motorsports had also produced 40 spare engines in 2016. A testament to this engines durability is that today, 32 of those spares are still sitting in a warehouse.Aside from the engine, another major difference between the street-oriented GT4 and the Clubsport is the gearbox. While street drivers must make do with a six-speed manual (woe is them), in the search for quick lap times, the Clubsport is equipped with Porsches PDK dual-clutch gearbox, also with six speeds. Another benefit of the PDK is that it reduces the likelihood of missed shifts and subsequent stratospheric engine speeds, so it also improves reliability. From the drivers seat, I can add that in a racetrack setting it also reduces the workload on the driver. There are usually restrictions we must abide by at racetrack press events, which include either interrupted laps, where one must slow down and drive through pit lane before continuing onto the next lap, or lead-follow lapping to keep drivers from getting overly enthusiastic. And normally, were told not to switch off traction control, for obvious reasons.No such restrictions are mandated by my hosts, who actually show me how to shut off traction control, as well as ABS. And to emphasize the focus on driving, by the time Im ready for my first stint, Im told were running ahead of schedule, so two additional laps were added to each of my stints, totalling 11 laps each stint, including in and out laps. Who am I to complain?There are two variations of the GT4 Clubsport: the GT4 Clubsport Trackday, which is the car I drive, and the Competition. The Trackday version ($216,000) is designed for lower-level club racing, and aside from track-mandated items like a welded-in roll cage, tow loops, racing seat and six-point harness, it has non-adjustable suspension, a brake booster (so the brake feels more natural to a less experienced driver), and mounts for air jacks, among other track-specific items. Air conditioning is also standard in all of the cars, the trade-off in added weight well worth the added comfort. Oh, and get this: the doors and rear wing are made from a composite material comprised of agricultural byproducts, including flax and hemp, so its even a touch environmentally friendly just a touch…. this mid-engine marvel remains the best-handling, best balanced car I’ve driven to date.The GT4 Competition ($242,000) is for the more involved driver partaking in international competition, and has manually adjustable suspension, an integrated air jack system, a larger 115-litre safety fuel cell (80 litres for the Trackday), adjustable brake balance with no brake booster, a lightweight lithium-ion battery, a quick-release carbon-fibre steering
Origin: Track Test: Porsche GT2 RS Clubsport, GT4 Clubsport, 935
Porsche’s Taycan EV on track to zoom past 911 sales
The Porsche Mission E, the concept that previewed the companys upcoming Taycan EVHandout / Porsche Porsches iconic 911 sports car, which shaped the German brands elite image for decades, may soon get eclipsed by the Taycan EV.Months before its official unveiling in September, Porsche has already amassed deposits for nearly 30,000 Taycans, and the early haul supports plans to lift annual production of the brands first all-electric model to 40,000 vehicles, Evercore ISI analyst Arndt Ellinghorst said Monday in a note.With Porsche delivering 35,600 911s last year, the Taycan to be priced at roughly US$90,000 could zoom past the conventional two-door to define the brand for the next generation.Success of the Taycan is critical for parent company Volkswagen to boost the appeal of electric cars as it prepares for a rollout of battery-powered vehicles for the masses. The Taycans arrival could also pose a fresh challenge to Teslas Model S, a key vehicle for Elon Musks push to make the U.S. electric-car leader profitable.Customers can register as a prospective Taycan buyer by placing a 2,500-euro deposit, which gets deducted from the final purchase price. To help drive uptake, Porsche is installing fast chargers at dealerships in the U.S. and Europe that will load the Taycans battery with enough power to drive as far as 100 kilometers (62 miles) in four minutes. The cars total range on a single charge stands at 500 kilometers.Porsche set an initial production target of 20,000 vehicles per year, based on a two-shift system, but that can be expanded if needed, production chief Albrecht Reimold told reporters last year.The company has been rapidly building up capacity in recent months. For the 1,500 new hires needed to produce the Taycan, Porsche said Monday that it has recruited nearly 1,000 so far after receiving some 32,000 applications. The training process for the electric-car assembly lasts as long as six
Origin: Porsche’s Taycan EV on track to zoom past 911 sales
First drive: 2019 Mini Electric driven on track
The Mini Electric is the launching point of a bold new era for the venerable British brand – but the first impression you get from driving one is reassuringly familiar. Perhaps the biggest compliment you can pay Mini’s first series production electric car is that it drives and handles exactly as you’d expect a Mini to, regardless of powertrain. Which, of course, is no bad thing, because the classic Mini characteristics – sharp steering, rapid direction changes, nimble handling – represent both a formula that works, and exactly the sort of characteristics you’d want from an electric city car. Much like when BMW first revived the brand with the hatch in 2000, the aim for the British-built Mini Electric (known as the Mini Cooper S E outside the UK) is to wrap up a progressive modern design with nostalgic-tinged appeal. And a brief run in a production version on the Brooklyn Street Circuit that hosted the recent ABB Formula E Championship New York ePrix suggests that goal has been achieved. What is the Mini Electric like? Like any other Mini three-door hatch, when you first set eyes on it. That’s aside from a few visual touches, mostly based around the front grille and a handful of small badges – and the obvious lack of engine noise when you hit the start button. Which is probably a good thing, since it’s a proven, popular design, and there’d be little point in having an electric Mini that didn’t really look like a Mini. It’s a notably different tack from the designed-to-be-different BMW i3, which the Mini takes much of its powertrain from. The production interior is highly familiar as well, using the retro-fused dash layout as the petrol-powered Mini hatch. So there are big, round driver info display and infotainment screens, with plenty of old-school toggles and physical switches, including the classic start/stop switch in the middle of the dashboard. It contrasts sharply with the minimalist, touchscreen-dominated interiors of many electric cars currently being developed, but the links to the current petrol-powered Mini – and, in turn, back to Alec Issigonis’s original creation – work well. There are some minor differences, if you look hard enough. The most notable is the replacement of the manual handbrake with an electronic one for the first time, to match the gear-free electric powertrain. There is also a mode that sets the level of energy the car recaptures under braking, which the digital display gets new screens showing energy usage, power levels and so on. Under the retro skin, the Mini Electric borrows much of its powertrain from the BMW i3, with a 32.6kWh T-shaped battery powering a 181bhp and 199lb ft motor. Unlike the i3, power is sent to the front wheels only, resulting in a -062mph sprint of 7.3 secs, and a top speed of 93mph. The battery size gives a WLTP-certified range of 124-144 miles, which is around the same as the forthcoming Honda E, but less than rivals such as the Peugeot e-208 and Vauxhall Corsa-e will offer. What’s the Mini Electric like to drive? We were among the first journalists to drive a production-spec Mini Electric, albeit for a brief run around the 1.475-mile Formula E Brooklyn Street Circuit at limited speed. That said, it was enough to confirm initial impressions from our previous run in a prototype: that electric propulsion suits a Mini very well. The instant torque offered by an electric motor makes for rapid progress at all speeds, while BMW’s new ARB traction control system ensures that delivery is kept smooth. With its capability to make rapid progress, it definitely has an air of Mini Cooper S about it. The steering is also pleasing direct, the machine responding well to rapid direction changes and betraying little signs of the extra weight of the batteries contained low down in the car. It rides well, too, soaking up the many bumps and rough surfaces that feature on a street circuit laid out on the ageing roads of the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. It didn’t feel quite as direct or nimble as the smaller Honda E did from our brief time in a prototype version of that car, although the Mini Electric is bigger and more practical, and could perhaps prove more versatile beyond tight city streets. The three drive modes – Standard, Mid and Sport – carried over from the regular Mini adjust the performance as you’d expect, although it will take a longer run to really explore the differences in all conditions. The Mini Electric also offers adjustable levels of energy recapture under braking, as with many electric cars. In the higher setting it’s possible to drive the machine largely without touching the brake pedal, the recapture quickly slowing the car enough for all but the tightest turns. Again, it’s a driving style that is well-suited to the characteristics that have long underpinned the Mini brand. Is the Mini Electric worth considering? It will take a longer run on real-word roads to truly judge the Mini Electric, but what’s clear is that everything customers
Origin: First drive: 2019 Mini Electric driven on track
Unlikely track day stars: top picks for under £2000
To the casual observer, they appear to be worn-out wrecks. But the Autocar team knows better. These are 10 of the most entertaining, affordable used cars that will be a hoot on track. Cheap but cheerful (well, until a wheel falls off), they are a great way to understand why, when you visit places like the Nürburgring, it’s drivers of old Volvo 340s and Citroën ZXs who are laughing all the way round the lap. And when it rains, imagine how smug you would feel overtaking a supercar in a £1500 Subaru. Avoiding cars with overtly sporting pretensions and sticker prices above £2000, this ragtag bunch proves that very little money can indeed buy happiness. So with the summer now in full swing, why not give into temptation and get yourself sidetracked with an unlikely track-day car. MG F/MG TF 1995-2002 The correct roadster in which to learn the dark arts of pedalling a mid-engined car without falling off the track and remodelling the nearside bodywork should be a Toyota MR2. But the MR2 has a reputation for being good, so prices aren’t all that affordable. The MG F, or TF, is still as cheap as chips, though, probably because those in the know are worried about head gasket failure or the Hydragas-based suspension expiring. Yet snap one up with a long MOT and you’ve got yourself a car as entertaining as it is challenging to master, just like those used in the one-make MGF championship. One we found: 2002 MG TF 1.8, 60k miles, £1295 BMW 318i 1991-1998 ‘Is there a better £15,000 sports saloon?’ asked the Autocar coverline of 24 April 1991. Before you could ponder the question, the crack squad of road testers had answered it for you: ‘We don’t think so.’ Which is why budding track-day drivers should stop fantasising about clipping apex after apex in an E46-era CSL, and start searching for a humble, 28-year-old BMW 318i. It was a joy to drive. And with a few new bushes in the suspension, it probably still is. So track one down and decide for yourself whether the 318i is the best sports saloon – albeit for now less than £1500. One we found: 1993 318i SE, 100,500 miles, £585 It may cost just a few hundred quid. You might be left wondering whether a couple of cylinders are on strike. And there will be misaligned panels following years of Parisian-style close-contact parking. But none of that matters one bit. What counts is that it will teach you everything you need to know about car control in a front-wheel-drive set-up. The ZX, like its Peugeot 306 cousin, features a passive rear-wheel steering system, and once weight transfer takes hold, the tail can be coaxed into angles Ken Block would be proud of. One we found: 1995 ZX 1.4, 82,000 miles, £495 When Lexus released the original, straight-six IS 200, it was a departure from what we’d come to know of US-influenced Japanese saloons. The steering was direct, the alloy-capped, Ferrari-like gearlever had a short-shift action and the rear-drive chassis was set up to reward drivers who treated every trip as though they were running late for a job interview. And then there was the interior, which was like peering into the window of a posh watch shop. Engineered to last, and surprisingly resistant to rust, a well-cared-for IS 200 should give track-day drivers a really satisfying steer. One we found: 2004 IS 200, 87k miles, £1995 Jaguar S-Type 1999-2007 The S-Type wasn’t Jaguar’s finest hour. Bits of the original, pre-facelift car’s interiors felt like they were lifted straight from Ford’s giant parts bin – because they were. Some of the switchgear was lifted directly from the Lincoln LS, a car that in turn looked like a mediocre Hyundai. Nonetheless, with the V6 turbodiesel engine, it’s got plenty of effortless urge, yet won’t run the tank dry in a handful of laps like the supercharged V8 R version would. Find a fully serviced, 100,000-miler for less than £2000 and you’ll be able to lap the circuit – and drive home – in comfort. One we found: 2006 S-Type 2.7D V6, 89,000 miles, £1500 Want to be loud, proud and stand out from the crowd? Then consider one of the most famous names on the road. The CTS is a sports saloon that was sold during Cadillac’s dalliance with the European market. However, Brits didn’t embrace it with quite the same enthusiasm as rock ’n’ roll, Hollywood or drive-throughs, so they’re nearly as cheap as a bottle of flat Budweiser. A potent 306bhp, 3.6-litre V6 drives the rear wheels, making this a proper 155mph highway hauler for less than two grand. One we found: 2007 CTS 3.6 V6 Sport, 56,000 miles, £1995 Ford SportKa 2003-2009 The success of the original Ka took Ford by surprise – it outlived its planned life cycle. But during the first seven years of production, the first question from fans of fast Fords was always: “When’s there going to be a hot version?” It was worth the wait, though. To create ‘the Ka’s evil twin’, Ford dropped in a larger, 1.6-litre engine, paired it with the Puma’s super
Origin: Unlikely track day stars: top picks for under £2000
GM will convert Oshawa plant into autonomous vehicle test track
GM Oshawa Assembly signHandout / GM Canada General Motors will invest $170 million converting the Oshawa, Ontario assembly plant it’d intended to close into a parts production facility and autonomous vehicle test track. GM and labour union Unifor announced May 8 their new agreed-upon plans for the plant. The 60-plus-year-old facility will be transitioned into an parts producer for GM and other auto industry clients; the vehicle assembly stations will go away, and be replaced by machines for stamping aftermarket parts. The facility will also act as hub for autonomous vehicle (AV) testing, and its redevelopment will see the construction of an AV test track. GM says 300 jobs will be retained with the potential to grow and generate significant additional jobs in the coming years. Unfortunately most of the roughly 2,600 hourly workers currently employed in Oshawa assembly will still lose their jobs, though there will be opportunities to move to other GM plants in Ontario. Packages will also be offered to employees who are close to retirement. A Job Action Centre will be established in June to help people find jobs outside of GM once the plant closes in December 2019; the centre is jointly supported by GM, Unifor and the Ontario government. GM is also offering financial support for employees looking to retrain for new jobs. “This transformation plan is very significant as it positions Oshawa for a sustainable future, GM Canada president and managing director Travis Hester said. This agreement maximizes the support for our people and their families, and further secures Oshawa as a key in developing vehicles of the future at our new test track.” That new test track will be used specifically to test autonomous vehicle technology, as well as to expand GM’s technical centre capabilities in Ontario. After ongoing protests and even Super Bowl ads fighting the plant’s closure, it seems like Jerry Dias, Unifor National President, is satisfied with this new resolution. “By maintaining a footprint in Oshawa, and keeping the plant intact, we save hundreds of jobs and this gives us the ability to build and create new jobs in the future, Dias said. We are in a much better position than we were five months ago when the plant was
Origin: GM will convert Oshawa plant into autonomous vehicle test track
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