5 minute read
If Westminster Had a Car Show
Here are the best of three breeds.
The three vehicles we review this issue can be considered the best in their segment. While none is perfect, they combine virtues in such a manner as to set the standard to which others are held.
2023 Bmw M2
The new, G87-series M2 may be the least expensive car from BMW’s hallowed M Division, yet it might also be the most com plete and rewarding vehicle in the entire lineup.
It doesn’t hurt that its looks are not as controversial as many recent releases from the Bavarian company. It’s lower and longer than the outgoing model and its massive fender flares wouldn’t look out of place on a DTM Touring racecar.
Inside, quality is high and everything is logically laid out. There are two attention-getters: the massive, curved display that features in all modern BMWs, and the M2’s optional M Carbon sports seats. The former anchors the latest BMW OS, iDrive 8, whose bright, angular graphics and fast response to inputs are to be applauded, but whose complexity takes longer to master than the outgoing system. The latter lock one into the right position to make a proper getaway, with rigid padding — even a divider between the legs that has been described as a “codpiece”. They prove to be incredibly comfortable, even over extended drives, and if they fit one’s physique, should be considered de rigueur.
The M2 is basically a shortened M3/M4, with its suspension and adjustable dampers, powered by a slightly de-tuned version of its fantastic S58 engine. Not that you’d know the M2 is at all short of puff; it takes off like a scalded cat, scrambling to 0-60 in 3.6 seconds, and always feeling well endowed, no matter the speed. This is one special engine, with a deep well of midrange muscle and a sizzling top end. It routes 453hp and 406lb-ft through either a 6-speed manual or a conventional 8-speed automatic—gone is the 7-speed twin clutch. The stick shift will please purists and the ZF auto is generally excellent, with quality gear changes in most modes, though 1-2 shifts selected from the paddles sometimes take too long to land. Also present from its big brothers is the brilliant, electronically-controlled limited-slip diff, with 10-stage, driver selectable, racespec traction control system. This allows drivers of almost any ability to revel in the thrills of power oversteer, from mild to full on drift, without fear of wadding the M2 up.
EPA RATINGS: 16/23/19mpg 0-60MPH: 3.6sec PRICE AS TESTED: $76,845
That this M2 is the entry level M, but also a range of future, more extreme M2s is very encouraging. That it is also the last pure-gasoline machine from the division gives reason for reflection, as these fabled engineers and product planners have crafted some of the greatest drivers’ cars of all time.
2023 Ford Ford Raptor R
Most everyone has heard of supercars — even hypercars. When it was unleased upon an unsuspecting world in 2010, the Raptor could claim the title of first supertruck, despite having fairly modest power.
Its ability to seemingly jump tall buildings (or at least sand dunes) in a single bound and its desert-racing vibe caught on like wildfire. Ram upped the game a decade later with the 707hp TRX (pronounced “T-Rex,”; it has an easter egg of the image of a dinosaur chomping down on Ford’s Raptor hidden under the hood). Now, when the latest gener ation of Ford’s beast came out, Raptorheads were let down. It still ran a twin turbo V6 and was way down on performance compared to the TRX. But Ford knew what it was doing, and it wasn’t long before the Raptor R came huffin’ and puffin’ into the village. It was worth the wait.
Simply put, the Raptor R is the finest high-performance truck yet con ceived or built, with a chassis like no other and an engine that makes the Ram feel slow. It’s a supercharged V8, just like the TRX, and its rated horsepower and torque of 700hp/640lb-ft are less. But the Raptor R weighs a massive 740 pounds less, so it punches harder, with none of wait-for-it lag of the Ram.
Mash the gas and the R rips to 60 in 3.7 seconds and fairly crushes the Ram in the quarter mile. It never seems to run out of performance and its 10-speed tranny knows how to make the most of all the torque. The Ford also sounds much better than the Ram, which is blighted by super charger whi ne and the inability to turn down the decibels. The Ford has multiple exhaust modes that range from mild to wild and make it a much more civilized beast. It also rides better, with the most compliant, com fortable suspension of perhaps any truck made. That this F-150 handles like a big go-kart is almost just a bonus; it turns in and holds a line on pavement much better than the Ram or GM’s hottest trucks, and off the tarmac it’s in another league entirely. The harder and faster you push it, the better it gets, with a seeming invincibility to big suspension hits and a playfulness to its balance that lets one pivot the Raptor R around obstacles and maintain slides for hundreds of yards effortlessly.
Demerits are few: its interior materials are well below par for how much a Raptor R costs, and its looks too innocuous to some for the performance on offer. That’s all — the R is an almost perfect vehicle, so it’s no surprise that it transacts for almost 50 percent over sticker price. With Ford’s recent run of off-road greats, ranging from Tremor versions of its more prosaic trucks to the Raptor Bronco and now this, the Raptor R, the Dearborn company is telling the world in no uncertain terms that it is the king of the off-road realm.
Side Bets Nice Drives
2023 Kia Telluride
Since the debut of Kia’s large SUV in 2019, the Telluride has gone on to win every accolade possible in its segment, and is considered best-in-class by most reviewers.
It has remained in short supply, with transaction prices well above MSRP for its entire run. 2023 represents its first major update, with freshened nose, tail, wheels and lights making its bold, boxy shape even more cohesive and upscale. Tweaks to electronics and the interior highlight just how good a practical, family conveyance the Kia is.
EPA RATINGS: 18/24/21mpg
0-60MPH: 6.9sec PRICE AS TESTED: $55,120
Nothing done changes the way the Telluride goes about its business; it doesn’t carve corners like a Mazda CX-90 nor have the performance of a Ford Explorer; instead, it is a consummate lesson in how a well-rounded entrant with no major flaws can be a dominant player.
The Kia rides pliantly, smothering the worst heaves and potholes, yet remaining composed and planted. It handles well enough for mountain duty, and its brakes are reassuringly powerful. It is generally quiet and refined, too. The Kia’s 3.8-liter V6 has a broad power band and, while it is never going to be consid - largest three-row crossover in its class, it manages to combine comfortable seating for seven (or six, when equipped with center-row, heated and ventilated captain’s chairs) in a way few others can match. All occupants have good views of passing scenery, access to the third row is easy, and material quality in the top trim levels is appropriately upscale. The driver and front seat passenger are especially well looked after, with cosseting chairs and ample stretch-out room. Twin screens share a single, curved housing (like the BMW) and the menu system is simplicity itself—and an abject lesson to competitors in how to do an interface. Chunky climate and audio controls remain for those of us who don’t want to wade through multiple submenus to change volume or activate the heated seats.
The Telluride probably did more for Kia’s image than any other single vehicle; it made this upstart brand desirable to an entirely new clientele, who then go on to become impressed by the company’s quality and durability. It no longer seems such a stretch to have named it after one of Colorado’s most scenic and desirable towns. It is almost like Telluride and the vehicle named after it caught the attention of the greater public at the same moment in history.
