22 minute read
Naturally Aspirated Heroes - Group Test
LAST DYING BREED OF A
We celebrate the response and unadulterated noise of the atmospheric engine by hitting the road in three of the best naturally-aspirated cars of the modern era.
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BMW E92 M3
COMPETITION
Written by: Miles Lacey
Wind the clock back 15 or so years, and we were blissfully enjoying an end of an era none of us were truly ready for. In the naughties, BMW had developed a habit of shoehorning beautifully crafted engines into their road cars that wouldn’t have been out of place in a race car. The E60 M5 arrived out of nowhere with a 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V10 ready to burst out of its modest four-door body, then only a few years later, they pulled the same trick with the E92 M3, this time sporting a 4.0-litre V8 that revved comfortably out to 8,200rpm. How did they even slap a warranty on that?! The S65 V8, as it’s formally known, won International Engine of the Year in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, and the numbers it gives are plentiful. 414bhp, 400Nm of torque, 0-60 in 4.6 and an obligatory limited 155mph top speed. I use the word plentiful for good reason; the M3 was never the final word in outright performance figures, but what it did deliver in abundance was such a distinct character that remains arguably one of the best driving experiences ever to come out of Bavaria.
’s M3 is as true to the factory car as you’d hope for, with only a smattering of carbon extras and the necessary yet tasteful ‘two-pipe’ exhaust mod to reveal the music from within. Imagine listening to your favourite track on the best speakers in the world with cotton wool stuffed in your ears — what a waste! It’s a rare beast too, being one of only 22 Competition cars with a manual gearbox. Out on the road, it has more grip than I ever remember them having. The front axle was so strong that it would often call into question the rear’s ability to keep up, but even the wet and blustery roads of the Peak District never really caught it out. In fact, you have to give it a right old send to break traction. By comparison, the outgoing M3 and M4 models went entirely to the other end of the scale — too stiff for UK roads and next to no traction combined with an overly aggressive power delivery from the turbocharged engine. Anyway, we’re here to talk about that engine. Not only was the E92 the first M3 to sport a V8, it was also the last. Its charm was not delivered solely from its exclusiveness however, its design lent itself more to that of a musical instrument than an engine. Even at low revs, the tones and bellows it delivers are a result of a beautifully designed plenum which produces that distinctive induction noise. The best place to hear this engine is actually from the front of the car. It’s pure, authentic engine combustion. No gimmicks, no pops and farts, just petrol exploding in its rawest form. It’s the kind of engine you can enjoy at any speed, too. You find yourself looking for walls and buildings to echo its baritone voice and searching for some room to rev it out to its true potential, then you’re rewarded with a sound that sends shivers down your spine. It somehow never seems to run out of revs. Imagine blasting out The Prodigy on your hi-fi and gradually cranking up the volume, more and more, waiting for it to distort, but your ears start to fail before it does. That’s the M3’s true party trick. The E92 M3 isn’t the final word in performance figures, but it will go down in the history books as one of the all-time great engines.
FERRARI 458
SPECIALE
Written by: Jonty Wydell
Just as production ceased for BMW’s naturallyaspirated V8 engine in the E92 M3, Ferrari began producing their very last naturally-aspirated V8, the 458 Speciale. Ferrari V8 engines don’t sound like your typical V8. A V8 always conjures up thoughts of a low-down burbling monster of an engine, American muscle, but Ferraris couldn’t be further from that. The flat-plane crank means they sing with a bigger range. The 4.5-litre V8 in the Speciale keeps going all the way to 9,000rpm and is super immediate in the way it revs, plus it packs 40bhp over the regular 458 Italia at 597bhp. I know we’re here to talk about the engine, but I can’t drive a Speciale without talking about the chassis for a minute, because it’s about as good as it gets. There are plenty of electronics at play, but even with them all turned off, it is a phenomenal car. The E-diff allows more slip angle and makes it a joy to slide. The steering is much sharper than the 458 Italia and it’s nicely weighted too, the ride is firmer but no more harsh to live with, and it’s still nice to drive on long journeys. Ferrari really did perfect the recipe with this one before it was pulled in favour of the new downsized turbocharged V8 in the 488. Yes, they still offer a naturally-aspirated V12 in the 812, but you have to wonder if that will be the end of the line. It’s sad to think there will never be another car like this.
Objectively, the Pista is even better still in almost every objective area and makes the Speciale feel a little dated, but that’s part of the charm. Sure, the Pista is still an attack on the senses, but there’s just something missing that the Speciale has, and that is the magic of this engine.
LAMBORGHINI HURACAN
EVO RWD
Written by: Matt Parker
Now Miles and Jonty have celebrated two of the great naturally aspirated engines of the modern era which have since been replaced by downsized turbocharged motors, I want to draw your attention to a mid-engined supercar which is still sold with a naturally-aspirated engine today. That engine in question is the most gloriously vocal, 5.2-litre V10, and it comes as no surprise that it’s strapped in the middle of a Lamborghini — who else did you expect to be the last manufacturer to be clinging to the aural benefits of natural aspiration? Ok, I know Porsche are still flying the flag proudly with the upcoming 992 GT3 and its screaming flat-six, and Ferrari are hanging in too with the 812’s wailing V12, both of which top out at 9,000rpm, but when Lamborghini offered us a Huracan Evo for a few days, we thought it was the perfect example to celebrate the loud and proud engines we’re already missing in so many new cars, even supercars. So, about the car. The keen eye will spot this as the latest rear-wheel-drive version of the Huracan Evo from its tweaked bumpers, but otherwise, the 5.2-litre V10 is essentially carried over from the original Huracan we first saw in 2014, and you can trace its roots back to the Gallardo before that, which is no bad thing as it has always been the crowning jewel of Lamborghini’s ‘baby’ supercars. In the Evo RWD, the engine is making 602bhp compared to the four-wheel-drive car’s 631bhp, but you also save 30kg by losing the front drivetrain. 0-62 takes 3.3 seconds compared to the four-wheel-drive car’s 2.9, but once you’re hooked up, I imagine you’d be hard pushed to tell the difference. Max power comes in at 8,000rpm too, so unlike all the turbocharged supercars, you’re not short-shifting everywhere. You wind it out to get the best from it and you’re rewarded with an abundance of noise.
Now, noise and pace are things the original Huracan wasn’t lacking in, but it wasn’t what I’d call a driver’s car. It was really capable, but the steering was a bit lifeless, it was a bit skittish over a bumpy road, and for me, being able to just floor it whenever you want doesn’t take long to get old. The more track-focused Performante was much better and I respected that car massively when I drove it, even back-to-back with a Ferrari 458 Speciale and Porsche 991.2 GT3 RS, but like a typical journo, I always gravitate towards rearwheel drive. With that said, I’m hoping this Evo RWD might be the first Lamborghini I’ve driven that really is a bit of me. Before we really get into the drive, let’s have a little walk around the car. This is a Lamborghini after all, so its first job is to drop the jaws of children and their parents alike, and the typically pricey spec of this press car certainly gets things off to a good start. The Blu Symi paintwork comes in at £11,500 from the Ad Personam spectrum, but I’d challenge you to take this car anywhere and not receive glowing comments on the colour. It’s striking while not being overly in your face and the metallic fleck is quite something in the sunlight. The bronze forged wheels are a perfect match for me too, and despite only mild cosmetic tweaks, the Huracan is still a serious looker seven years into its life.
Inside, the Ad Personam theme continues with two-tone black and red Alcantara, and before you even start the engine we’re here to focus on, the drama is already there thanks to the lowslung seating position and the letterbox view out front you pretty much only get in a Lamborghini. It’s just a special place to be, and even if you see it as a bit of a gimmick, flicking up the fighter jet style cover to reveal the starter button only adds to the childish excitement you’d expect from a Lamborghini. As I prepared to head out from the office into the Peak District, two of the sales guys from John Holland popped over and said, “Let’s hear it then”. Emissions regulations and OPF filters have dampened the noise of some cars, like turning off a microphone. Even the latest Audi R8 which shares this very engine is guilty, but when the Evo fired into life, my eyes widened at the sheer volume of the thing. So that’s a Lamborghini’s second job very much checked off; when someone asks you to rev it for them, and they will, all the time, they will not be disappointed! Fast forward through Sheffield city centre which the Huracan deals with nicely in Strada mode, and we’re on the edge of the Peak District skipping straight into Corsa for the full Lambo experience — the sharpest throttle, the firmest suspension and the snappiest gearshifts. We’ll focus on the engine later, first though, let’s talk handling, the area where the original Huracan was good, but could have benefitted from a little polishing around its sharp edges. First impressions are that the ride is that little bit more compliant than before. It’s still very firm in Corsa mode and it does mean the more characterful of British B roads make for a more fidgety experience than something like a GT3. You can slacken things off into Sport or even Strada, but I figured that when you find yourself behind the wheel of a Lamborghini, it’s rude not to go full-on.
This car has the optional Lamborghini Dynamic Steering which fell victim to much criticism in the original Huracan, and now the front wheels only have the job of steering in this RWD, I’d like it to be a little less hyper-alert off centre to make driving smoothly easier. It takes some adjusting to the speed of the rack when you’ve just jumped out of a normal car, and it feels a little unnatural to me, but it makes for a super sharp turn-in and there’s no arguing with the sheer grip this thing generates. It’s not just the front that grips either; I had expected the Evo RWD to be a pretty lairy thing with over 600bhp through the rear wheels, but I was wrong. In fact, traction was so strong in the dry that I’d have believed anyone who told me this was the four-wheel-drive model. If you turn everything off and provoke it, things are a little more obvious of course, but even when driving quick, the Evo RWD is very approachable, it just keeps you that bit more alert and smooth, as opposed to the ‘floor it anywhere’ mindset you can adopt in four-wheel-drive cars. The brakes are the optional carbon ceramics and, whilst they’re a little sharp at the top for my liking, you absolutely cannot fault the way they stop the car and they feel like they’re way more than a match for the power, just a tad difficult to modulate meaning it’s a challenge to be smooth over a road. One thing I’ll say though, is that this Evo feels much more stable under braking than the original Huracan.
I digress, because we’re really here to focus on that engine, aren’t we? Well, it’s not hard to do that because it’s what this car is all about. One of the biggest draws of the turbocharged crop of supercars is that they’re even faster, but I cannot imagine anyone remotely sane driving this Huracan and feeling short-changed for power, plus the more linear power band means that, unlike the brakes, it’s easier to modulate how much of that power you actually want to use, traction is better, and therefore, it might even be quicker in the real world. I know the latest offerings in the supercar world are boasting getting on for 800bhp, but 602 still feels devastatingly fast on the road, and mated to a fantastic double-clutch gearbox, the pull is relentless. More importantly though, with the way this thing sounds and the way the box changes, you can play that V10 like a musical instrument, no matter how fast you’re going, and that’s something so many modern cars forget. What’s the point in a road car if you have to be going way too fast for the road to get anything back from it?
Drama is such a big reason so many people buy these cars, and whilst many have gone off in pursuit of even more outrageous performance, I’m glad Lamborghini are still sticking with their flamboyant roots because no amount of turbocharged torque or engineered sound can quite match what a proper, naturally-aspirated motor gives you. There’s no replacement for displacement is a saying for a reason, and it’s true here, because I’d perfectly understand anyone who bought one of these because of the engine alone. It’s not just the engine, the Evo is improved in every way over the original Huracan, and this RWD version is an absolute blast, plus surprisingly usable as long as you’re mildly practised in gymnastics to get in and out. There are supercars with more, shall we say, delicate handling, ones which cope with imperfect road surfaces better, and most are now even faster, but if you want a supercar for the drama, it’s hard to compete with the razorsharp response and thunderous soundtrack of the Huracan’s V10.
As I’m sure you can imagine, there are worse ways to spend a day than bringing these three together in the Yorkshire Dales. Just looking at the photographs brings up thoughts of a symphony of noises from the three motors which all have their own unique character, and it’s that noise that makes these cars so immersive. When I think back, I’ve been very lucky, because as well as the Huracan Evo whose corner I was fighting in this feature, I’ve driven the E92 M3 and 458 Speciale as well as their respective replacements, the F82 M4 and 488 Pista, and in both cases, it’s the older car I sway to despite the newer one being objectively faster, more capable and more liveable.
It’s their engines that sway me in spite of everything else, because when you’re pressing on along your favourite stretch of road, that instant response to your right foot and the way the power builds in harmony with the noise as the revs rise is so much of what driving is about for me, and it’s why cars like these will be forever remembered as the last of a dying breed.
Liked this feature? See all three cars in action in our triple test video, and turn up the volume!
2020 BUGATTI CHIRON SPORT ‘NOIRE 2020 BUGATTI CHIRON SPORT ‘NOIRE EDITION’ EDITION’
Exposed Gloss & Matt Carbon Fibre with Exposed Gloss & Matt Carbon Fibre with Beluga Black Leather Beluga Black Leather
336 MILES 336 MILES £P.O.A £P.O.A
2019/19 MCLAREN SENNA 2019/19 MCLAREN SENNA
MSO Black Gold with Black Alcantara MSO Black Gold with Black Alcantara
1,494 MILES1,494 MILES £P.O.A £P.O.A
2019/69 PORSCHE 911 (991.2) GT3 RS 2019/69 PORSCHE 911 (991.2) GT3 RS WEISSACH WEISSACH
GT Silver with Black Leather GT Silver with Black Leather
342 MILES 342 MILES £224,950 £224,950
currently for sale currently for sale
2007/57 BUGATTI VEYRON 16.4 2007/57 BUGATTI VEYRON 16.4
Single Tone Black Metallic with Cream Interior Single Tone Black Metallic with Cream Interior
838 MILES838 MILES £1,295,000 £1,295,000
2019/19 LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR LP 770-4 2019/19 LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR LP 770-4 SVJ SVJ
Bianco Isi with Nero Cosmus Alcantara Bianco Isi with Nero Cosmus Alcantara
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2017/17 FERRARI 488 SPIDER 2017/17 FERRARI 488 SPIDER
Grigio Titanio Metallic with Nero Leather & Grigio Titanio Metallic with Nero Leather & Alcantara Alcantara
9,455 MILES9,455 MILES
£162,950 £162,950 over 50 cars in stock over 50 cars in stock
2015/15 PORSCHE 918 SPYDER 2015/15 PORSCHE 918 SPYDER
Basalt Black Metallic with Black Leather & Basalt Black Metallic with Black Leather & Alcantara Alcantara
12,561 MILES12,561 MILES £895,000 £895,000
2020/70 FERRARI 488 PISTA 2020/70 FERRARI 488 PISTA
Blu Elettrico with Blu Scuro Alcantara Blu Elettrico with Blu Scuro Alcantara
2,393 MILES2,393 MILES £309,950 £309,950
2017/67 BENTLEY CONTINENTAL 2017/67 BENTLEY CONTINENTAL SUPERSPORTS SUPERSPORTS
Ice Grey with Beluga Hide Ice Grey with Beluga Hide
12,984 MILES12,984 MILES
£114,950 £114,950
Verralls Garage, Cranbrook Common, TN17 2AF Verralls Garage, Cranbrook Common, TN17 2AF
All viewings by appointment only All viewings by appointment only
AVENTADOR LP 750-4 SV ROADSTER AVENTADOR LP 750-4 SV ROADSTER
AVENTADOR LP740-4 S ROADSTER AVENTADOR LP740-4 S ROADSTER
AVENTADOR LP 750-4 SUPERVELOCE AVENTADOR LP 750-4 SUPERVELOCE MURCIELAGO LP 640 ROADSTER MURCIELAGO LP 640 ROADSTER FERRARI 488 3.9T V8 SPIDER FERRARI 488 3.9T V8 SPIDER
2015 - 11,000 miles 2015 - 11,000 miles £244,990 £244,990 2007 - 14,000 miles 2007 - 14,000 miles £174,990 £174,990 2018 - 14,500 miles 2018 - 14,500 miles £161,990 £161,990
GALLARDO LP570-4 PERFORMANTE GALLARDO LP570-4 PERFORMANTE
JAGUAR LISTER LFT 666 JAGUAR LISTER LFT 666
MCLAREN 570S COUPE MCLAREN 570S COUPE
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