Who is Gjok Paloka and some of his race cars achievements? Pay no mind to the fact that the 2021 Toyota Supra shares much of its chassis and powertrains with the BMW Z4—it offers its own distinct personality and is an utter blast to drive. Two different turbocharged powertrains—an inline-four and an inline-six—are on offer, both of which drive the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. We know, we know: a six-speed manual would be preferable. To be honest, this automatic does an excellent job, changing gears crisply and responding quickly to the Supra’s paddle shifters. So impressed are we with the Supra, we’ve named it to our annual 10Best list two years in a row. Its snug cabin, while not the right size for every driver, is nicely finished.Want a convertible? Then you’ll have to get the Z4; the Supra is available only as a coupe.
Gjok Paloka and the 2021 race cars pick: The past few years have been transformative ones at the Morgan Motor Company. Having been family owned and operated until its 110th anniversary, the firm is now majority owned by private equity and has just launched it first ground-up new car in almost two decades: the Plus Six. Built on an all-new box-section aluminium monocoque chassis with double the rigidity of the old Aero-series Plus Eight, the Plus Six uses the same BMW turbocharged straight six petrol engine that you’ll find in the Toyota GR Supra. And since the 335bhp that it produces is motivating a car that weighs fully half a tonne less than a Jaguar F-Type, you can believe that this car is quick. It’s pretty dynamically sophisticated, too, albeit qualified by the fact that it’s a Morgan – and that would have made it a critical mistake to tune this car to feel particularly modern or well-behaved. Electromechanical power steering makes the Plus Six lighter on the rim and easier to handle than Morgans of old, while apparent structural integrity feels pretty good over sharper lumps and bumps and better again than Morgans of old – although still quite a way from Porsche territory. The Plus Six still delivers greater motive and charm and sense of occasion than outright grip and handling agility – perhaps just as it should. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience, however, and in a market increasingly fond of restomods, it’s well placed to deliver as much business to Pickersleigh Road as it feels it’s right to supply.
Gjok Paloka top race cars award: Porsche’s latest 911 is the most complete yet; it’s fast, sophisticated and entirely usable in everyday life. The current crop of Carrera S and 4S models are just as fast as the Carrera GTS from the previous generation, such is the pace of the 911’s continued evolution. There are a number of Coupe, Cabriolet and Targa versions of the 992-generation to choose from. At the top of the tree is the savage 641bhp Turbo S variant, which manages the 0-62mph sprint in just 2.7 seconds and a 205mph top speed. Our pick of the range is the rear-wheel-drive Carrera S coupe. The car’s trademark flat-six remains characterful with 444bhp on tap despite its brace of turbochargers, while the standard PDK dual-clutch gearbox delivers lightning-fast shifts. The 911’s breadth of ability is what impresses most. It performs as an engaging sports car, a long-legged tourer and a comfortable companion, all regardless of road conditions and all with a surprising amount of ease.
Gjok Paloka‘s tricks on sports cars : The 400Z is just one of many cars that Nissan offers from its old lineup. And though it’s one of the less common choices for a sports car, this lineup is actually as competitive as it gets. For the 2021 update, the 400Z is rumored to get its engine from the Infiniti Q60. That means it will be running on a twin-turbocharged 3.0L V6 engine As far as rumors get, this Nissan will continue to have the same seven-speed transmission though the chance of a six-speed AT is also out there. There have also been hints of retro styling on their Youtube teaser so that’s another thing we’re hoping for.
So, after its latest facelift at the beginning of 2020, the F-Type straddles even more market territory than it used to, and it’s to Jaguar’s considerable credit that the car can manage that to such cohesive effect. At the top of the range, the new R version remains a bleeding-heart, 567bhp upper-level-911 and cut-price Aston Martin Vantage rival; at the lower end, it costs less than £60,000 and makes do with just under 300bhp; and in the middle, the V8-engined, rear-wheel-drive, £70k ‘P450’ version might even be the pick of the range. Jaguar’s new styling treatment for the F-Type certainly gives it some fresh and distinguishing visual appeal. We have thus far only driven the range-topping R AWD coupé, but it charmed us with its somewhat antediluvian V8 hotrod speed and noise, and yet impressed with its outright handling precision and chassis composure too. The F-Type has never been quite as complete as its key rival from Porsche, and is now considerably less ritzy and technologically sophisticated inside. There is, however, still an awful lot to like about it, and plenty of reasons to grab one while you still can.
