My FH5 Log: Bronco v Defender

The Ford Bronco and the Land Rover Defender are the two reborn offroaders of the decade that showcase their legendary capabilities in their newest forms in a way never seen before.

Loyalists from both sides have been arguing about which one is the best. Some say it's the Defender because although it's far-fetched compared to the old one, it's still the best offroader full-stop and it's more powerful than the Bronco. Others say it's the Bronco because it is the most off-road capable vehicle known to them, although the Jeep Wrangler can mince them both like pork grinds. For the Bronco Nation, it's E Pluribus Unum because they will go for the Bronco more than any other offroader in the world.

Before the duel begins, it's time for the reborn offroaders of the decade to identify themselves.

The second-generation Defender is a modern take on the most iconic offroader in history. Half a century of adventures has led to this evolution the world has witnessed. Although the styling is too posh for a reborn Defender, it still has the legendary offroad capability from its ancestors. Armed with the all-aluminum D7x architecture, monocoque body construction, offroad-focused suspension setup, Adaptive Dynamics with available Electronic Air Suspension, and the next-gen Terrain Response, the new Defender really works and feels just like the original despite its posh looks. 

The one that appeared in Forza Horizon 5 comes with a 3.0L petrol engine producing 400HP of power and 550Nm of torque. Mated to an 8-speed AT with low gear ratios suitable for offroading, it does 0-60mph in around six seconds and has a top speed of 119mph.

What about the Ford Bronco? Well, when Ford decided to revive the Bronco, they wanted their revival to trace its roots back to the first model. With styling inspired by the first-generation model, the reborn Bronco runs on the same mechanical bits and bobs as the Ford Ranger, meaning there are two kinds of 4x4 systems at bay such as the one with the Part-Time Selectable Engagement or the more advanced 4x4 with Automatic On-Demand Engagement. Staying true to its Built Wild mantra, the Bronco features a Terrain Management System with G.O.A.T. Modes. As the name implies, these modes made the Bronco go over any type of terrain, and with the right mode switched on, drivers can traverse through the harshest road conditions without worry, and with Baja mode (exclusive on the Wildtrak variant) switched on, the Bronco shows its trump card, putting its Built Wild theory into action.

The one featured on the game's cover alongside the Mercedes-AMG Project One is the Badlands version with the 2.7L EcoBoost engine with 330HP of power and 415lb-ft of torque. It's mated to a class-first 10-speed AT.

With their quick introductions done, it's time for the two reborn offroaders to trade jabs at a deserted runway.

Based on the specifications, the Defender is more powerful than the Bronco but because the Bronco is lighter and more off-road capable than the Defender, it's going to be a one-sided MMA match between them. The question is, who will win the cross-country MMA duel? Let's roll the tape.

After an epic fight on a deserted runway, here are the results;

Defender - 1m15.309s

Bronco - 1m14.007s

...and the winner by a 1.3-second gap goes to...the Ford Bronco!

It seems the so-called Bronco Nation was right after all. It seems the powerful Defender got beaten by a lighter and more off-road capable Bronco. Guess the revived Bronco truly is E Pluribus Unum after all. Out of many, one. No matter which offroader you're gunning for, it's always the Ford Bronco that stands out from the rest because it was born to Go On Any Terrain and there's your GOAT for you.

Surely I was going to wrap up this decisive battle but something decisive came up to me. Looks like these two offroaders are onto something decisive; tackling the dirtiest challenges in Horizon Mexico such as The Gauntlet and The Titan. The Bronco will take on The Titan with its GOAT capabilities while the Defender, well, it lost the fight against the Bronco, will handle the longest dirt sprint in all of Horizon. Because of its herculean status, both offroaders need to be prepped up for the longest fight ahead.

My special Defender is ready to take on The Gauntlet with its specifications tweaked to almost match both the Defender V8 and the Bowler Defender Rally Series raid car. I even added some "lick of love" if you know what I mean. Oh, Pepper...

The Bronco, meanwhile, likes to stay it this way, albeit with a minor weight loss to make it slightly more capable on the rough while tackling through the most challenging obstacles The Titan will throw at it. Besides, would a Vivid Star back out from a challenge? Definitely not.

With their assigned targets set, it's time for the reborn offroaders to give it their all, survive, and win. Roll the tapes!

Battered and bent but our wounded warriors showcased the stuff legends are made of.

Despite their differences, both the new Defender and the new Bronco have showcased their legendary offroad performance in their newest forms. Although not pretty, they were meant to drive dirty because offroading is what they're built for. Modern SUVs cannot go off-road but for them, they still got it and it's about time to give these reborn offroaders a huge respect for their hard work.

It's great to have them both in the line of duty in Horizon Mexico.

Land Rover Range Rover Sport III

The most capable Range Rover Sport has arrived and with prices starting at 84,530 Pounds plus additional cost, it's less expensive than the ultra-luxurious Range Rover. Made to tackle everything Mother Nature throws at it, it looks like the all-new Range Rover Sport is ready to make its first impression.

2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

Don't think of the Range Rover Sport as the athletic version of the Range Rover because they're both from a totally different league. While the ultra-expensive Range Rover is built to cater to elitists with grace and power, the Range Rover Sport is built to deliver the most dramatic performance everywhere.

Starting with the design, the all-new Range Rover Sport looks like an Evoque on steroids but thankfully, it's not as odd-looking as its superior because it's all in the name of subtlety with a chance of obviousness...until you opt-in for the Dynamic variant which features Satin Burnished Copper details, Matte Graphite lettering, and specially-made bumpers, making it half-subtle, half-obvious.

2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport interior

The new interior is broadly similar to the normal Range Rover, except for the specially-made steering wheel to differentiate it. As expected, the minimalist interior can spell bad news for speedo boys behind the wheel because of the touch screens some might find it challenging to poke the screen just like what they do with their smartphones. There's also a Cabin Air Purification Pro which keeps the interior away from mold and viruses alike, including the you-know-what, and the Pivi Pro with smartphone connectivity and Amazon Alexa. In terms of space, it's roomier than the previous Range Rover Sport despite the fact that it's offered as a five-seater as standard. Fair enough.

2023 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

Just like its upscale brother, the new Range Rover Sport is surprisingly livelier to drive and more comfortable than before, thanks to its MLA architecture, and it features the most sophisticated air suspension ever made. Called Dynamic Response Pro, it takes advantage of its sat-nav to read the road ahead and optimize it for better response. It even comes with All Wheel Steering and Terrain Response 2, which features a series of configurable programs suitable for almost every road condition.

Under the bonnet, the all-new Range Rover Sport features a powerhouse of six and eight-cylinder engines, both petrol, diesel, and PHEV for the first time. The most powerful of the range, the P530, features a BMW-sourced 4.4L V8 Twin Turbo engine that produces 530HP of power, 750Nm of torque, a 0-60mph time of 4.3 seconds, and an electronically-limited top speed of 150mph. There will be a fully electric variant coming soon.

As expected, the new Range Rover Sport possesses the most advanced driving aids offered in this luxury SUV such as Adaptive Cruise Control with Steering Assist, Power Assisted Doors, Clearisght Interior Rear View Mirror, 3D Surround Camera, and many others.

From the Arabian sands to the streets of London, it looks like the all-new Range Rover Sport showcased its true potential as one of the most dramatic luxury SUVs to drive. Despite its cheaper price tag, it managed to make its brother proud in every way, and looks like we are getting anxious to have one someday.

Photo: Jaguar Land Rover

Land Rover Defender II 130

Is it possible for a Land Rover Defender to spawn a much longer variant? Judging by the design of the latest generation of the legendary offroader, they can and this is the result.

2023 Land Rover Defender 130

2023 Land Rover Defender 130 interior

Priced at 73,200 Pounds plus additional costs, the first-ever Land Rover Defender 130 delivers the same capability as the normal Defender but with the added wheelbase to make things interesting for everyone around you.

For starters, the styling and the interior are identical to today's Land Rover Defender. The boxy shape, the squarish headlights, and the ultra-high-tech gadgetry involved at the dashboard, but because this is the longest variant in the Defender family, the 130 is 340mm longer than the 110, meaning there's more space for passengers in the back. A longer wheelbase means longer legroom and this eight-seater nearly fits the bill. 

Still, like most three-row SUVs, getting to the third row is more of a drama, especially when the second-row seats are jammed with child seats, meaning you'll have to resort to using the rear to get in. There's your sweet spot gone and that's one minor weakness to the longest Defender variant in existence.

Under the hood, the 130 offers the same choice of petrol and diesel engines as the other variants, sans the V8 sadly, meaning the most powerful version you will find in the 130 at launch is the 3.0L petrol engine producing 400HP of power and 550Nm of torque. Mated to an 8-speed AT with low gear ratios suitable for offroading, it does 0-60mph in less than eight seconds and has a top speed of 119mph. 

Yes, the 0-60mph time got drastically rose due to the added weight caused by the extra wheelbase but because this is a Defender, it was built to tackle various roads, either on or off, on the tarmac, gravel, snow, whatever Mother Nature throws at it courtesy of its all-aluminum D7x architecture, monocoque body construction, offroad-focused suspension setup, Adaptive Dynamics with available Electronic Air Suspension, and the next-gen Terrain Response, not to mention the added offroad tech and safety tech involved.

Despite the ludicrous pricetag, it's surprisingly cheaper to own than the Range Rover, and the Defender 130 is proof that it has something that the Jeep Wrangler and the Ford Bronco doesn't; room for the whole family to take them to the countryside.

Photo: Jaguar Land Rover

Land Rover Range Rover V

Welcome to what is known to be the first Range Rover of the post-Brexit era. The fifth generation of the most luxurious and most capable SUV emerged from Britain. While it stays faithful to its predecessors, the all-new Range Rover is built to tackle the challenges of the new normal with various ways and means to get the 1% hooked on this luxury offroader. So, what's it all about the all-new Range Rover? Let's investigate.

Priced at 94,400 Pounds plus additional costs, the fifth-generation Range Rover is the first Range Rover of the post-Brexit era as most observers knew it. At first glance, most observers will think that the Range Rover of the post-Brexit era is going to be awful than its pre-Brexit predecessors but truth be told, looks like the post-Brexit Range Rover is still as pretty as its previous model, the last pre-Brexit Range Rover. Although the rear design is a bit of a letdown to some because it looks more like a Lynk & Co as expected.

In tune with the times, the new interior shows that the Range Rover has entered the era of minimalist interiors, which is bad news for speedo boys behind the wheel because of the touch screens some might find it challenging to poke the screen just like what they do with their smartphones. On the plus side, there is a button that adjusts the volume located below as well as the dials for the aircon positioned below the touch screen. Believe it or not, the new Range Rover's aircon features Cabin Air Purification Pro which keeps the interior away from mold and viruses alike, including the you-know-what.

If the touch screen is the least of your problems, the new Range Rover features Pivi Pro with smartphone connectivity and (gasp) Amazon Alexa. That's right. There is an Alexa in the new Range Rover and those who are sitting in its sweet spot should cover their ears right away because when the driver gets a date with Alexa, it's going to be noisy.

Speaking of space, the Range Rover, being a luxury SUV, is suitable for four, five, and seven passengers, and thanks to its new platform, it's roomier than the previous model. Opt-in for the long-wheelbase variant and the Range Rover is about as classy as its main rival, the Mercedes-Benz GLS. Although too expensive for family use, it's fit for escorting all kinds of wealthy clients, even the Royal Family. This is a high-value luxury offroader made to cater to the 1% like a true professional. Explain all this to Boss Madam.

Running on the new MLA-Flex architecture, the new Range Rover is surprisingly livelier to drive and more comfortable than the previous Range Rover and it features the most sophisticated air suspension ever made. Called Dynamic Response Pro, it takes advantage of its sat-nav to read the road ahead and optimize it for better response. It even comes with All Wheel Steering and Terrain Response 2, which features a series of configurable programs suitable for almost every road condition. Most observers say that the all-new Range Rover puts on-road performance its top priority and as a matter of fact, they're right. It feels nice to drive on the road but when taken off-road, it's still classic Range Rover stuff, thank goodness.

Under the bonnet, the all-new Range Rover features a powerhouse of six and eight-cylinder engines, both petrol, diesel, and PHEV for the first time. The most powerful of the range, the P530, features a brand new 4.4L V8 Twin Turbo engine which replaces the old model's 5.0L Supercharged V8 engine, which is a bit of a shame for most loyalists. This new engine produces 530HP of power, 750Nm of torque, and can tow as much as 3,500kg. A PHEV and fully electric Range Rover will join the lineup later on.

Because it's now powered by the EVA 2.0, the all-new Range Rover possesses the most advanced driving aids offered in this luxury SUV such as Adaptive Cruise Control with Steering Assist, Power Assisted Doors, Clearisght Interior Rear View Mirror, 3D Surround Camera, and many others.

Despite the odd-looking rearview, the all-new Range Rover is taking shape to become the best Range Rover ever made, although it might seem rough to get some attention from the motoring world. After all, this is the first all-new Range Rover to emerge from the post-Brexit era and amid the naysaying, the new model is still the alpha of the luxury car market and looks like the 1% are on the roll now, signing their checks and getting their hands on this all-new Range Rover.

Photo: Jaguar Land Rover

Forza Horizon 4 - Velar

The Range Rover Velar is a rather unusual member of the Range Rover family that some people suggest that it's more road-oriented than being a real Range Rover. Having won this car from the recent Horizon Winter Playlist, I had my dibs on this unusual Range Rover addition.

So, what's it all about this Range Rover Velar? 

Named after a dummy company responsible for the pre-production testing of the first-ever Range Rover, the Velar uses the same underpinnings as the Jaguar F-Pace and it slots above the Evoque. Under the hood,  the Velar offers almost the same choice of petrol and diesel engines as its close relative, the Jaguar F-Pace, with the most powerful in the range for the time being is the one with the Supercharged 3.0L V6 petrol engine producing 380HP of power and 450Nm of torque. To retain the same Range Rover capability as its relatives, the Velar comes with  the available Terrain Response 2 and All Terrain Progress Control, It even comes with Intelligent Driveline Dynamics, which uses artificial intelligence to determine torque distribution, traction, and dynamics while being connected to its Dynamic Stability Control system, Torque Vectoring System and the Active Locking Rear Differential.

It's obvious that a certain someone said that the Velar doesn't behave like a proper Range Rover because first, it's not good on the track. Second, spacing's not big enough for big dogs from Canada. Third, not as agile as a horse. And fourth; you'd better be off with an F-150 Raptor instead. Reminds you of something, huh? 

Anyway, the Velar is quite the dark horse of the Range Rover lineup because while it's not as good as its big brother, the real Range Rover, it's good offroad only when you want to and on the road, it behaves like its F-Pace equivalent. Not bad but perhaps it can do better like most crossovers should in the name of being all-rounders. Yes, it's road-focused but it's almost a Range Rover full stop and you can spend the rest of the week exploring other places with this dark horse.

In the spirit of translating theories into actions, I flew first-class to LEGO Valley where I took the Velar for a little demonstration while up against other SUVs in an all-out torture to see which SUV stands tall. Let's get this party started, shall we?

That was a real torture but I can't believe the Velar survived the act.

The Velar may definitely not the best SUV to keep if you're in a mood for trekking outer worlds but for the fun of it, it's not really a bad crossover full stop.

Wish I want to conclude this impression but because of a certain someone, I had a brainwave because with its main rivals in the roster, I think the Velar wants to take on a real experiment, something that reminds me of a certain TV show I just saw with these three crossover pitting each other with disastrous results.

Check that out very soon because the Velar is ready for a real test. A test that is worth checking out!

Land Rover Defender II

The Land Rover Defender is known to be a living legend in the offroading world because of its legendary reputation that traces back to Series I. From conquering all directions of the world, the Defender truly is a legendary icon that deserves no explanation. After almost a century, Land Rover laid the legendary Defender to rest and in its wake, it has been reincarnated into a brand new Defender. The one that promises to carry on the legacy of the legend while incorporating cutting-edge technology to get through the wind of the times.

2020 Land Rover Defender

Starting at 43,625 Pounds, the reborn Defender comes with two different body styles; the three-door 90 and the five-door 110 which is longer than the first one I mentioned. Whichever style you choose, you will be glad to witness the modern take of the legendary offroader who is revered the world over.

2020 Land Rover Defender

Before checking out, let's observe the design. Weirdly, the new Defender shares nothing in common with the old Defender because while the Defenders of the past are square but tough, the 21st-century Defender is like an old Discovery LR3/LR4, and when you park between them, it's hard to tell the difference. Sounds odd but this is how the new Defender rolls.

2020 Land Rover Defender interior

2020 Land Rover Defender interior

The new interior is pretty much the same story as the exterior because while the old Defender is mostly driver-focused, the new model is pretty much disturbing for purists. After all, it's been festooned with lots of toys to mingle around on the dashboard, which is nice for Gen Z offroad enthusiasts but its highest level of fancy living really ruins the Defender's character in a pinch if you know what I mean. Despite that, it's still as roomy as any SUV in the market today and in the 110 variant, it's family-friendly as well because of the choice of five, six, or 5+2 seats. Very nice but the purists aren't very happy about it.

2020 Land Rover Defender

If the new look disappoints purists of the original Defender, is the new model still as tough as the legend itself? As a matter of fact, it is. Armed with the all-aluminum D7x architecture, monocoque body construction, offroad-focused suspension setup, Adaptive Dynamics with available Electronic Air Suspension, and the next-gen Terrain Response, the new Defender really works and feels just like the original and despite its posh look, it can still tackle all directions of the earth just like the original.

The new model offers a wide range of Ingenium petrol and diesel engines with a PHEV to follow later but the most powerful offering at launch comes with the 3.0L petrol engine producing 400HP of power and 550Nm of torque. Mated to an 8-speed AT with low gear ratios suitable for offroading, it does 0-60mph in around six seconds and has a top speed of 119mph. Slow but the new Defender doesn't care because going anywhere is what this new model's born for and it's not afraid to take on risky shortcuts in case of heavy traffic ahead.

Because this is the most technologically advanced Defender ever made, it features a wide array of features not only on the road but off the road as well, meaning this new model has all the eyes it needs to study the conditions carefully and use whatever means necessary to get through any path safely and confident. Those offroad tech and safety techs really put the new Defender a class apart from the competition.

So, what can I say about the new Defender? It may not look the same as the original but with all of the tech, the performance, the comfort, and the legendary Defender reputation carried over, this is by no means the greatest offroader at the turn of the decade and if you are willing to get your hands on one, do so now because the new Defender is worth the envy of anyone wishing they want to drive one someday. Why wait?

Photo: Jaguar Land Rover

Second Generation Range Rover Evoque

From the beginning, the Range Rover Evoque is the baby Range Rover that does almost all the things that its big brother can do and despite being smaller than the Range Rover, the Evoque is surprisingly great on and off the road. In its second generation, the all-new Evoque picks up where the previous one left off by delivering more style, more tech, more performance, and more Evoque for those looking for a fashionable crossover that is not afraid to get its pretty face dirty.

2020 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

At first glance, the new Evoque is almost the same as the previous model it replaces but everything around it are all new inside and out. Starting at 31,395 Pounds plus on road costs and now available as a five-door only, the new Evoque continues the same recipe that the old Evoque possess, making it an all-round fashion icon that not only works in the posh towns of London, Paris, and Tokyo, but also on the dirties places on earth. It's like Queer Eye meets Extreme Job but there's nothing too extreme about the new Evoque of course.

2020 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

2020 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque interior

As mentioned, the styling looks more of an updated version of the original Evoque almost a decade ago whereas the rear view is reminiscent of its relative, the Range Rover Velar and despite its familiar looking design, it remains a headturner and I think they are wise to retain such looks for the second generation. On the inside, the new Evoque borrowed some ideas from the Velar and once you look on the dashboard, they're all digital inside and out, especially the steering wheel! With all screens and no buttons, except for the push engine start, the new dashboard can really scare speedo boys away and pave way to a gentleman type of driver who wish to get back to his fancy flat driving one of these. It really works like an office desk on wheels and office desk aside, it now packs more room in the back compared to the previous model thanks to its new architecture lurking underneath the new Evoque.

2020 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

In addition to added space at the back, this new platform means the new Evoque is livelier to drive and stiffer than the previous model, not to mention the addition of the most sophisticated suspension setup known to Land Rover, meaning the new model really packs some improvement on and offroad after receiving numerous feedback from existing Evoque drivers. In addition, the new Evoque comes with the Terrain Response 2 which can automatically adapt through different road surfaces with confidence and with numerous all-terrain and safety technologies as well as the first-ever ClearSight Ground View, this is becoming the most technologically advanced Evoque ever made and with that, there's no point of arguing that it's got the bravado and the intelligence to tackle just almost everything nature throws at.

Under the bonnet, the new Evoque is offered with a choice of a 2.0L diesel and 2.0L petrol, all come with a 48-volt mild hybrid system for slightly better efficiency compared to the previous model. Since this is made in a country that is about to leave the EU soon, most Europeans would rather shy away from the diesel and go for the petrol version for the time being but if they believe the new Evoque deserved better than the current offerings, there will be entry-level versions as well as the first ever Evoque Plug-in Hybrid heading its way soon so fingers crossed, people.

The new Evoque may look the same as the old one but its becoming the best Evoque ever made thanks to its improved tech capable of handling through all ends of the earth with pride and prestige as what the old model did. This is something everyone will feel jealous for and despite the luxury car pricing, there's no stopping them from getting the most technologically advanced Evoque ever made. All comers welcome.

Photo: Jaguar Land Rover

Forza Horizon 4: Defend and Conquer

Forza Horizon 4 is one of the few games that pay tribute to Land Rover's 70th anniversary and this Defender, a descendant of legendary Land Rover offroaders in the past, is the icing in the cake that celebrates the best of Britain's legendary utility vehicle maker known for go-anywhere offroaders like this to their luxury offerings such as the Range Rover.



The Defender is Land Rover's legendary masterpiece that helped shaped the name into the offroad specialist we know today and for almost seventy years, this tough, go-anywhere legend keeps writing its own stories even when Land Rover stopped making one in the UK a few years ago. As a descendant of the first Land Rovers in history, the Defender is long remembered for its toughness, ruggedness, strength, and capability that can't be matched by other offroad legends.



It's an honor for the producers to make the Land Rover Defender one of the cover cars of Forza Horizon 4 apart from the downforce-hungry McLaren Senna hypercar because both these cars are role models of what made Britain great and as Britain is on the brink of exiting the European Union in the springtime, rest assured that the cars made by the Brits for the Brits will be long remembered by their neighbors and it's hard to miss these machines when Britain closed its doors to all of Europe because of the Brexit stuff.

As a matter of fact, that gives me an idea. Because Forza Horizon 4 pays tribute to Land Rover's 70th anniversary, I want to give the Defender a very special task to show that it's made to go "above and beyond."





Me and the Defender are taking on The Gauntlet, which is the longest Cross Country race in-game, and due to its length, it's difficult to film such a feat with the capture feature of my Xbox One because it is limited to 10 minutes to record it, so what I do is tune the Defender to the max so I can film its glory at ease, well sort of. Anyway, after numerous doublethink, it's time to roll the clip to see what the Defender is made for even if it's tweaked to the highest degree.



You know what? If they update the Xbox One to increase the recording limit by another five minutes, I wouldn't have to pause the game when the recording ends and then unpause it for part two. Still, despite video issues, the Defender accomplished The Gauntlet and we won. Just.



The Defender is one of the key offroaders in Land Rover's 70th-year history and its legendary offroad capability has been shared with numerous offerings such as the Discovery and the Range Rover. The Defender might be gone but its legacy lives on and rest assured, there's no substitute for the legend itself. That is the bottom line.

Goodbye, everybody!

Forza Motorsport 7: Stars at 70

The year 2018 will be remembered as three car companies celebrating their 70th anniversary this year; Land Rover, Lotus, and Porsche, and today, we shall see which one will be the shining star for the next seven decades and to do that, I found a venue that fits to the timeline of these carmakers; Silverstone.







Ah, Silverstone. Born in 1948 from the remnants of an RAF airfield, this track hosted their first grand prix in 1950 and it was forever known as a battleground for the British Grand Prix for many years and beyond. This venue makes it the perfect battleground for three of the most iconic carmakers celebrating their 70th birthday this year. Representing Land Rover is the Range Rover Sport SVR, then for Lotus, it's the Exige S, and for Porsche, the 911 GT3 RS.







Before pitting these three for a one-lap shootout, I took some sighting laps to get to know these machines. Starting on the SVR, Land Rover managed to transform the Range Rover Sport into something else no SUV has ever done before. Known to be one of the fastest SUVs to lap round the Nurburgring, it sets the bar for SUVs everywhere and despite its weight, the raw power of its supercharged V8 and its sporty dynamics mean that this SUV is not afraid to take on corners and upon driving this machine several times, I'm already familiar with its behavior.

The Exige S has gone through several upgrades but rest assured, this hardcore V6-powered track toy remains something that shouldn't be underlooked. It may have defined the philosophy of what a Lotus should be, value aerodynamics over performance, but despite the added supercharged V6 engine on the middle, the Exige remains what a Lotus should be, to be fast elsewhere on the track. A long time ago, I tested it against a hardcore Mustang somewhere and I was amazed that it managed to outrun a GT350 in a rather close margin. This Exige became one of my favorite Lotuses to drive in the game ever since I laid my hands on one.

The 911 GT3 RS is the result of what happens when you give supercar levels to a sportscar that is so brilliant everywhere. Taking a break from all that yelling and exploding things, driving the 911 GT3 RS is all about getting yourselves back at where you're good at, driving the stuff you love and by being as old-school as an 80's superhero show and as hardcore as an extreme track toy, it's becoming the best 911 ever made for purists elsewhere, despite the gearbox woes. You can really clear your mind with everything that doesn't involve driving and enjoy it until you are satisfied.

So, now that I'm familiar with these machines, these representatives are ready to find out which carmaker feels great after 70 years and since Silverstone was been with us for 70 years now, this will be a shootout to remember so let's grab some beer and nachos because it's time for these stars at 70 to show the world what they can do. Roll the tape.



After all three cars showcasing the best that their makers can do, here are the results:

SVR - 2:40.165
Exige - 2:33.704
991 GT3 RS - 2:21.353

Which means, the best carmaker that feels good after 70 years is none other than...Porsche!







Like the city of Rome, Silverstone wasn't built on a day and the same goes for these cars because they took several man hours trying to perfect these machines before emerging them on the roads and tracks at the hands of their potential owners. Land Rover perfected at the art of going places while Lotus remains sticking to the simple recipe that impresses the owners over their lightness principles and Porsche catered different kinds of customers with their offerings inspired by the sportiness of the 911.

Sharing same ages, their differences are what made these carmakers great. So here's for another seventy good years of perfecting such machines for such purposes. You deserve this year to shine, gentlemen.