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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.

Lamborghini Huracan replacement reportedly gets twin-turbo V8

Lamborghini is planning on electrifying its entire lineup by the end of the 2020s. One of the hybrid models in the pipeline is a supercar that will replace the popular Huracan. Its name hasn't been revealed yet, but an unverified report allegedly outlines what it will be powered by. Without citing sources, Motor Trend wrote that the Huracan's successor will downsize from a naturally-aspirated V10 to a twin-turbocharged V8. If true, that's a big deal: Lamborghini has proudly eschewed forced induction for its line of supercars, and the only turbocharged member of its lineup is the Urus SUV. The eight-cylinder will reportedly be related to the unit that powers the Urus, but the two engines won't be identical. Motor Trend learned that the turbos will be programmed to spool up between 7,000 and 10,000 rpm, which is high in the rev range. An electric motor installed between the V8 and the transmission will add a hybrid component to the drivetrain, though figures such as horsepower and torque haven't been published. An earlier report pegs the total output at 850 horsepower, but it's not official. We also don't know if the car will be a standard hybrid or if it will get a plug-in system, and whether it will use mechanical or through-the-road all-wheel-drive. Motor Trend believes that the model will be longer than the Huracan to accommodate the electrified parts of the powertrain, however, and we're curious to find out how Lamborghini will offset the hybrid system's mass. The battery pack and the motor will inevitably add weight. Lamborghini hasn't commented on the rumor, and it hasn't revealed what will power the Huracan's successor. In fact, it's not done with the Huracan: the final road-going version of the car is due out by the end of 2022 as a hot-rodded off-roader (we're not kidding!) called Sterrato. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Chinese patent filing may mean Lamborghini Urus closer to production

The Urus SUV still hasn't received the official green light for production, but that hasn't stopped Lamborghini from protecting its performance crossover in the land of stolen vehicle designs. These patent drawings submitted in China show what appear to be the Urus in the same concept form that we first saw last year at the Beijing Motor Show.
Last we heard, the Volkswagen Group had put development of the Urus on hold even though, more recently, the Bentley EXP 9 F (aka, the Falcon) has reportedly been given the nod. Although the existence of these patent images don't necessarily mean the Urus is going into production, they are at least another excuse to debate the SUV's stealth-bomber-style lines.