Chevrolet Camaro 1. LE vs. BMW M2 vs. Ford Focus RS vs. Fiat 1. 24 Spider Abarth vs. Porsche 7. 18 Boxster S vs. Toyota 8. 6. Free Price Quote From a Local Dealer. View Special Offers. No Obligation, Fast Simple Free New Car Quote. Be honest. You can spend a week with one of two cars the Ford Focus RS or the Ford Mustang Shelby GT3. R. Or for Europhiles, its a decision between a Porsche 9. Boxster S. You cant choose both, but you get to beat on your selection as hard as you like on both a closed road and a racetrack. Find your way through Autoblogs comprehensive coverage of the U. S. and foreign auto industries by automaker, vehicle type and body style. Chevron is paying for the gas. That Focus RS is a cool hot hatch. But if youre being honestreally, truly, hand on a holy book honestyou choose the Shelby. Such was the sacrifice we made when choosing the field for our 2. Best Drivers Car test. It was an embarrassment of riches in terms of jealousy inducing vehicular choice. We could not bring em all for reasons ranging from available time and manpower to the width of the runway where we film the Worlds Greatest Drag Race. SOBGO52V8/hqdefault.jpg' alt='Focus Photo Editor V6 5 4 1' title='Focus Photo Editor V6 5 4 1' />Being limited to 1. Fiat 1. 24 Spyder Abarth, we would have to cut the Aston Martin V1. Vantage S. Sorry, Fiat. And so the culling began. We made some tough decisions, and although I think we cut correctly, we left some cars behind. In the days after the Mc. Laren 5. 70. S win of our 2. This is the 1988 Laurel Twincam 24V Turbo Medalist CLUBL, which means its a topoftheline C33 Laurel, and Im fairly sure it also means that it has Nissans. Lenovo C2 Android smartphone. Announced Jul 2016. Features 5. 0 IPS LCD display, MT6735P chipset, 8 MP primary camera, 5 MP front camera, 2750 mAh battery, 16 GB. Pro-Tools-edit-window-audio-editing-keyboard-shortcuts.jpg' alt='Focus Photo Editor V6 5 4 1' title='Focus Photo Editor V6 5 4 1' />Best Drivers Car, we discussed how to get the leftovers together for a separate shootout. Fast forward a few months, and we found ourselves doing what we love most pushing great cars as hard as we can on the best roads we can find. We also called upon the services of our race cardriving buddy, Randy Pobst, to set lap times at the Streets of Willow circuit. Meet what we have dubbed the Leftovers the BMW M2, the Chevrolet Camaro 1. LE, the Fiat 1. 24 Spider Abarth, the Ford Focus RS, the Porsche 7. Boxster S, and the Toyota 8. Focus Photo Editor V6 5 4 1' title='Focus Photo Editor V6 5 4 1' />Lets be clear. These arent minor leaguers. They have serious performance chops. And unlike the six figure price tags affixed to most of the BDC field, most of them have a family friendly entry fee. The competitive sets excellence became clear after our testing when the first round of initial voting resulted in a four way tie for first placeand no consistent voting pattern for the silver and bronze, either. Three days of nonstop arguing resulted in our photo finish for first through fourth place. The fifth place car was but a hair behind. It was so close that each vehicle deserved a rebuttal from a dissenting judge. The big takeaway These are some very serious drivers cars, and all of them would have handily held their own at Best Drivers Car. There might be a winner, but it was far from clear cut. Jonny Lieberman. 6th Place 2. Ford Focus RSWeather the Storm. Fords sole Los Angelesarea Focus RS was allegedly damaged beyond repair in an accident before delivery. Luckily for us and you, we were able to borrow one from a local reader. Focus Photo Editor V6 5 4 1' title='Focus Photo Editor V6 5 4 1' />Thanks again Im among the minority of Motor Trend staffers from a real place. For my Southern California native buds, the sun is a year round phenomenon, rain is something that happens once a year, and snow might as well be a myth. But growing up as a car enthusiast in New York City, I understood that weather was a certainty, a cloth top was code for rob me, and that a true drivers car has the power and the grip to be enjoyed at your limits rain or shine. Thats the modus operandi of the Ford Focus RS. The Focus RS is fast, grippy, and versatile. It might be disadvantaged in this group by virtue of its curb weight four doors and five seats add up, after all, but it makes up for it with new era technical wizardry and old fashioned power. On the former front, the Focus sports a trick torque vectoring all wheel drive system, capable of routing nearly all of the engines twist to either rear wheel, or none, as needed. In dry and sunny So. Cal, that results in a car that bombs into corners at speed, plants itself, and squirts out the apex ready for more. The Fords engine is a firecracker, too. Powered by a 2. 3 liter turbocharged I 4, the Focus RS has 3. Theres surprisingly little lag from the engine and a ton of midrange torque even when cruising along the highway in top gear. The six speed manual gearbox is nimble and precise its the type of gearbox you shift not because you have to but because the shifter is so enjoyable to row. The engines noise is just as important as how it performs. At full chat, the engine sounds like Ken Blocks rally car probably because it is. Nail a rev matched downshift, and the exhaust crackles like machine gun fire. With all this grip and an engine that just wont quit, why didnt the Focus RS finish higher As much as Id like to blame a West Coast conspiracy, the truth is the Focus RS rides worse than a dump truck. Its steering lacks the purity and play of the rest of our group. Its not a real drivers car, but the Focus RS is a tremendous performance car and an easy choice for those where weather is a real concern. Christian Seabaugh. The Rebuttal. The last time I endured a suspension this harsh in so many environments was a Porsche 9. GT3 RS, but that was forgivable because racecar. In the softer settings, the RS constant vertical upheavals dominate the driving experience so much that its hard to focus on whats good in the RS. The engine is an absolute bulldog. Just imagine the Fiata or 8. Am I right But despite what Christian says, the shifter is notchynot in a good wayand the clutch is vague and grabby at the same time. The midcorner grip and the way it can put power down out of corners is super impressive. Yet at the same time, I never quite knew where I was in the friction circle. The all conquering Focus RS is only 0. Subaru WRX STI. Theres a single way to get a car like this right, and there are so many ways to get it wrong. I cant blame Ford for trying. Im glad it did. Its been such a long wait for this forbidden Euro fruit, but after tasting it, I think Ill pass on my next slice, thank you. Chris Walton. 5th Place 2. Seed File Microstation on this page. BMW M2. Best Engine HereThis car is hands down the best BMW made in at least five years, probably more. Its the first M car in a long time to actually live up to the Ultimate Driving Machine tagline, features editor Christian Seabaugh says. Others in our test group mirrored the sentiment. Which is why it stunned, irked, and bemused me that the panel voted the Bimmer fifth out of six entries. I would reach for the M2 keys before any others in this pack. It has everything a driver wants forceful power, reassuring handling, a smooth enough ride, fantastic seats, interior refinement galore, and intuitive infotainment. Road test editor Chris Walton says the M2 has one of the sweetest engines around and torque available everywhere. There is a mesa of power through the middle gears, so you dont have to downshift to get a surge of acceleration. Associate editor Scott Evans said the engine was smooth and extremely responsive, and the steering was precise. The M2 is confident and planted when driving at 8. While driving aggressively around tight bends, the M2s seats were comfortable yet offered supportive bolstering. Not once did I have to brace myself with my knees to hold myself in place. Evans mentioned a lack of steering feel. The gearshift throws and clutch pedal travel are longer than Id like. But those arent reasons to knock this car to fifth place behind the caveman Camaro, poky Toyota, and harsh Porsche note, you should pronounce it harsh uh.