2020 BMW M8

Vehicle Type: front-motor, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback

Base/As Tested ............... $37,495/$44,130

Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC Power: 200 hp @ 4750 rpm Torque: 266 lb-ft @ 0 rpm Battery: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 66.0 kWh Transmission: single-speed direct-drive

Dimensions

• Wheelbase ................................................ 102.4 in • L/W/H .................................... 164.0/69.5/62.8 in • Curb Weight ............................................. 3585 lb

t e s t R E S U L T S

Rollout, 1 ft ................................................. 0.3 sec 60 mph ........................................................... 6.7 sec 90 mph ......................................................... 13.9 sec Rolling Start, 5–60 mph ........................ 6.7 sec 1/4-Mile ................................... 15.2 sec @ 92 mph Top Speed (gov ltd) ................................. 93 mph Braking, 70–0 mph ....................................... 191 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ................ 0.79 g

EPA Fuel Economy

• Comb/City/Hwy .................. 118/127/108 MPGe • Range .......................................................... 259 mi

little like driving through a train set. It’s the complete opposite of Death Valley, a sort of desert upside-down world. Cooler temperatures bring relief from the searing heat and we relax for a moment. The Bolt has made the 134-mile trek to the turnaround point with 75 miles left on the range display.

Obviously, 75 is less than 134. But the way back is mostly downhill, and our anxVRaf SNQR` N` R[R_Tf ½\d` V[a\ aUR ONaaR_f Thirty-nine miles are added to the range as we come down from Whitney Portal.

The return trip over Towne Pass will either make or break this exercise (and our mental state). We start with a feel-good 101 miles remaining, but then the number ORTV[` a\ Q_\] V[ PYbZ]` \S ¼cR =R_UN]` it’s the heat or the range anxiety or that I’ve ab_[RQ \ß aUR _NQV\ a\ P\[`R_cR ]_RPV\b` electrons, but I’ve begun talking to myself in the third person. Dave isn’t scared. Dave can make it back. Dave can do this. You know, Dave is pretty sweet on you. You’re just Dave’s type. When the going gets weird, the weird turn professional.

We make it over the hump and the numbers make sense again. The fall from Towne Pass invigorates the indicated range by 39 miles. No problem.

The drop into Death Valley happens as the sun sets. A Martian glow covers the land. We’ve made it. All 268 miles on a single charge. We’ve exceeded the EPA-estimated range by nine miles and the Little Bolt That Could still shows 33 miles left on the display. But we can’t stop here. This is bat country.

2 0 2 0 B M W M 8 ~ B Y M I K E D U F F

German for “Pony Car”

Part M5, part Ford Mustang, the M8 is all special.

Anyone looking for an M badge on a V-8-powered all-wheel-drive 8-series must feel a little spoiled. Not only has the existing M850i been bettered by a range-topping M8 (including the option of a pricier Competition pack), but with coupe, convertible, and four-door Gran Coupe variants available, there are now nine choices.

The M8 leans on the same powertrain we experienced in the M5. The regular car brings 600 horsepower; the Competition boosts that to 617 and uses stiffer engine mounts, a front suspension featuring more camber, and ball-jointed toe-control links in the rear. Those three chassis modifications promise improved turn-in and handling over non-Comp models. Plus, the hotted-up M8 gets that all-important Competition badge, so your buddies will know you spent the extra $13,000.

Not that the Competition lacks refinement. It brings impressive ride compliance and a chassis that deals more in grip than slip. Traction is ample, and there’s little sense of the all-wheel-drive system’s claimed rearward torque bias except under hard use or deliberate provocation. The M8’s steering also delivers far more natural feedback than the M850i’s. The new electrohydraulic brake booster, though, felt slightly disconnected in humdrum traffic.

The regular M8 is about $22,000 more than the M850i, but we struggle to see much of a reason to buy the cheaper car. The pure M model gives away almost nothing in everyday usability and feels at least 20 grand more special. t h e n u m b e r s Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear/ all-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe Base ................. $134,995–$147,995 Engines: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve 4.4-liter V-8, 600 or 617 hp, 553 lb-ft Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Dimensions

• Wheelbase ............................ 111.3 in • L/W/H ................. 191.8/75.1/53.6 in • Curb Weight ....................... 4400 lb

Performance

• 60 mph .......................... 2.8–2.9 sec • 100 mph ......................... 7.4–7.5 sec • 1/4-Mile ...................... 10.8–11.0 sec • Top Speed .................. 155–190 mph

EPA Fuel Economy

• Comb/City/Hwy ..... 17/15/21 mpg

2 0 2 0 L A M B O R G H I N I H U R A C Á N E V O ~ B Y S C O T T O L D H A M

Bull Buster

Highs: The go, the sound, docile around town. Lows: Big bucks, former Bolivian president Evo Morales wouldn’t approve.

If you just plunked down your Black Card on a 2020 Corvette Z51, heed this warning: Do not challenge a Lamborghini Huracán Evo to a race. In the words of Russian philosopher Ivan Drago, “You will lose. ”

For 2020, Lambo cranked up its entry-level supercar to match the power of its Performante model. Boasting 631 ponies at 8000 rpm, the Evo’s V-10 makes 29 horsepower more than last year’s all-wheel-drive Huracán.

Thanks in part to a tweaked all-wheel-drive system, the Huracán Evo hits 60 in 2.5 seconds. Then it really starts pulling away from the rear-drive Chevy, needing only 5.7 seconds to reach 100 mph—1.5 seconds quicker than the Corvette—and covering the quarter-mile in 10.4 seconds at 135 mph. By 150 mph, the gap is nearly six seconds in the Huracán’s favor. The Lambo also turns out a 1.10-g skidpad performance and a 136-foot stopping distance from 70 mph, due largely to its ultrasticky Pirelli P Zero Trofeo Rs.

The Evo’s 5.2-liter V-10 revs to 8500 rpm so quickly that it’s QV¦PbYa a\ XRR] b] dVaU aUR TRN_PUN[TR` dUR[ b`V[T aUR ]NQQYR `UVSaR_` DVaU\ba aUR Zb¤V[T RßRPa \S ab_O\PUN_TV[T Vaμ` Y\bQ 9VXR ²5\d V` aUV` YRTNY,³ Y\bQ 3bYY aU_\aaYR ¼YY` aUR 9NZO\μ` PNOV[ with 96 decibels of aural intensity. You can hear it ripping through the gears from a half-mile away. But the Huracán isn’t all noise and face-twisting thrust. At around-town speeds, the Evo is shockingly docile, an orange wedge with a livable ride and a hushed cabin. This year’s facelift includes revised styling, a more comfortable interior, and a new infotainment system with a larger screen.

Right about now, Corvette fans are screaming about the Evo’s ]_VPR .[Q _VTUaSbYYf `\ F\b PN[ Obf ¼cR 0\_cRaaR G"` S\_ aUR P\`a \S \b_  !#& aR`a PN_ /ba O_NTTV[T _VTUa` Na 0N_`  0\ßRR _N_RYf involve value, and Black Card holders don’t care anyway.

Vehicle Type: mid-engine, all-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe

Base/As Tested ........... $267,569/$331,469

Engine: DOHC 40-valve V-10, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injection Displacement ......................... 318 cu in, 5204 cc Power ...................................... 631 hp @ 8000 rpm Torque ............................... 443 lb-ft @ 6500 rpm Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic

Dimensions

• Wheelbase ................................................. 103.1 in • L/W/H ...................................... 178.0/76.1/45.9 in • Curb Weight .............................................. 3618 lb

TEST RESULTS COMPARED

2020 LAMBORGHINI HURACÁN EVO

As Tested .................................................. $331,469 Power .............................................................. 631 hp Curb Weight ................................................. 3618 lb Rollout, 1 ft ................................................. 0.2 sec 60 mph ........................................................... 2.5 sec 100 mph ......................................................... 5.7 sec 150 mph ....................................................... 13.5 sec 1/4-Mile ................................. 10.4 sec @ 135 mph Braking, 70–0 mph ...................................... 136 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ................. 1.10 g Sound Level, Wide-Open Throttle ...... 96 dBA

2018 LAMBORGHINI HURACÁN PERFORMANTE

As Tested ................................................... $317,285 Power .............................................................. 631 hp Curb Weight ................................................ 3429 lb Rollout, 1 ft ................................................. 0.2 sec 60 mph ........................................................... 2.2 sec 100 mph ......................................................... 5.3 sec 150 mph ....................................................... 12.8 sec 1/4-Mile .................................. 10.1 sec @ 136 mph Braking, 70–0 mph ...................................... 135 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad .................. 1.11 g

2015 LAMBORGHINI HURACÁN LP610-4

As Tested (C/D est) .............................. $256,745 Power ............................................................. 602 hp Curb Weight ................................................ 3423 lb Rollout, 1 ft ................................................. 0.2 sec 60 mph ........................................................... 2.4 sec 100 mph ......................................................... 5.6 sec 150 mph ....................................................... 13.2 sec 1/4-Mile ................................. 10.3 sec @ 135 mph Braking, 70–0 mph ..................................... 144 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ................. 1.01 g Sound Level, Wide-Open Throttle ...... 95 dBA

Bill P., Phoenix, AZ Where ’ s the radar? An arrow lights up, pointing either Ahead, to the side, or Behind. And, amazingly, it’ s never wrong.

Arnie R., Atlanta, GA So easy to operate, a box with one knob. No need to poke around at full-arm ’ s reach for little buttons the size of rice grains.

Glenna R., Dallas, TX Love the arrows! Where ’ s the radar? They tell me every time. A detector without the arrows is like a car without headlights.

Chas S., Charlotte, NC Situation Awareness you can trust. With the Radar Locator arrowing toward threats, and the Bogey Counter telling how many threats you face, V1 makes defense easy.

Cal L., Trenton, NJ I’ ve owned my V1 since 2001, and I’ ve had it upgraded twice. I trust the arrows to point out every radar trap. When I know where, I know how to defend.

Ed H., Las Vegas, NV How can anyone not be smitten by the Arrows? Radar ahead needs a different defense than radar behind. When I know where, I know what to do. When I put the threat behind me, the arrows confirm it. Without the arrows, you ’ re guessing.

Rob R., Sacramento, CA This is the slam dunk best radar detector. No databases to keep updating, or other “features ” I’ll never use. Instead V1 tells me the important stuff—the Bogey Counter tells you how many threats within range and the red arrows tell where they are.

Trust...V1 earns it one ambush at a time.

Harold B., Houston, TX On my way home this afternoon I was following another detector user. I could see red blinking in his windshield as we went past the first radar. Thinking the danger was behind, Mr. Ordinary Detector User hit the gas. Uh-Oh. V1’ s Radar Locator was showing two arrows, one pointing toward the trap now behind, and a second arrow ahead. The “2” on the Bogey Counter confirmed we were being double teamed. Sure enough, Mr. O. D. User cruised into the second trap up the hill at 15 over and got himself a blue-light special. V1 points to every trap. I trust it completely.

Tells how many: Radar hiding within a

Reads instantly.

Turns On/Off, adjust volume, press to mute.

More LEDs glow as radar strengthens. Scans behind for radar.

Ahead

Beside

Behind

Call toll-free 1-800-331-3030

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