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Performance doesn't matter anymore, it's all about the feel

We've just had a week of supercars and high-end EVs revealed. Many of them boast outrageous performance specs. There were multiple vehicles with horsepower in the four-figure range, and not just sports cars, but SUVs with 0-60 mph times under 3.5 seconds. And it's not just a rarified set of supercar builders, comparatively small tuners are also building this stuff. Going fast is easy nowadays and getting easier. So what will distinguish the greats from the wannabes? It's all about how a car feels. This may seem obvious. "Of course it matters that a car should have good steering feel and a playful chassis!" you say. "Why are you being paid for this stuff?" But a lot of automakers have missed the memo. This past week I spent some time in a BMW M4 Competition convertible, and it's a perfect example of prioritizing performance over experience. It boggles my mind how a company can create such dead and disconnected steering; the weight never changes, there's no feel whatsoever. The chassis is inflappable, but to a fault, because it doesn't feel like anything you're doing is difficult or exciting. The car is astoundingly fast and capable, but it feels less like driving a car and more like tapping in a heading on the Enterprise-D. I also happened to drive something of comparable performance that was much more enjoyable: a Mercedes-AMG GT. It was a basic model with the Stealth Edition blackout package, and even though it had a twin-turbo V8 instead of a six-cylinder, it only made 20 more horsepower. The power wasn't the big differentiator, it was (say it with me) the feel. While not the best example, the steering builds resistance as you dial in lock, giving you a better idea of what's happening up front. Pulses and vibrations come back to you as you move over bumpy pavement in corners. The chassis isn't quite as buttoned down, either, providing a little bit of body roll that tells you you're pushing it. It's also easier to feel when the car is wanting to understeer or oversteer, and how your throttle and steering inputs are affecting it. The whole thing is much more involving, exciting and fun. 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Stealth Edition View 8 Photos That's also to say nothing of the Merc's sounds. That V8 is maybe not the best sounding engine, but its urgent churn through the opened-up exhaust gets your heart racing. It also seems like it's vibrating the whole cabin, so you feel it as much as you hear it.

2020 Dodge Charger Widebody Daytona wrecked with 296 miles on the clock

The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition can do 0-60 faster than you can say its name, and one new owner appears to have proven that it can all go wrong just as quickly. This one-of-501 sedan currently resting on a Copart lot in California has already met its end.  Dodge named the model after NASCAR's season-opening venue. The Daytona 500 gets the numerical part of its name from the length of the race — 500 miles. This poor White Knuckle example didn't even live long enough to put that much distance behind it; it shows just 296 miles on its odometer, says Motor1.com, who spotted the wreck on Copart.  This poor Widebody suffered a front-end accident severe enough to pop the airbags, which is never a good sign. Both front fenders took a beating, and the passenger-side panel was ripped off completely. The hood was badly buckled in several places, and the bumper covers appear pretty badly thrashed. It's difficult to tell from these photos whether the front crash structure was badly mangled, but we suspect it didn't come out unscathed. The passenger-side front suspension clearly took a beating, as the tire on that side was de-beaded from the wheel.  On the bright side, multiple images show that the car's electrical system is intact; whether it starts and runs is another matter.  The Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition package is, fundamentally at least, little more than a plaque, a sticker package, and a re-rated 717 peak horsepower. What you really get for your money is exclusivity, and thanks to this little "oops," there's more of that to be had. Only 501 were built (to commemorate the number of production units required to homologate the original Charger Daytona for NASCAR racing); just 451 went to U.S. dealers, and the other 50 were reserved for the Great White North where it's built. These models are so scarce that some dealers were already tacking on tens of thousands of dollars in additional markup. Back in December, at least one dealer had slapped a $25,000 market adjustment on a Daytona model (in the same "White Knuckle" finish as the wrecked car here), and others were being spotted with similar tacked-on premiums.  Related Video:    

Real-life Bravado Banshee from Grand Theft Auto up for sale

Remember the Bravado Banshee that West Coast Customs built last year to promote Grand Theft Auto V? Given away by GameStop, the woman who won it says she's better off with money to send her two kids to college than with a race car, so now you can steal buy it on eBay.
Based on a 2006 Dodge Viper SRT-10, every exterior panel was redesigned to match the Banshee, and the red embroidered badging inside won't let you forget it. There's still that V10 up front that can make some kind of racket, and a SEMA-worthy stereo filling the entire trunk to make a different kind of racket. Oh, it's also got hood struts that have crapped out, so you'll notice the hood is held up with a wooden rod.
The auction ends on June 5, and you can make an offer or hit the Buy It Now button and hand over $170,000. Might be time to change the outfit and run a few jobs for some quick cash.