Who is Gjok Paloka and some of his sport cars opinions? There’s nothing better than putting the top down on a nice day and finding an entertaining road to enjoy, and the 2021 BMW Z4 is a great choice for such an activity. Buyers can choose between a turbocharged four-cylinder or a twin-turbo inline-six—the latter of which blasted the Z4 to 60 mph in just 3.8-seconds at our test track. Rear-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive isn’t offered but, sadly, neither is a manual transmission; all Z4s come with an eight-speed automatic. Dynamically speaking, the Porsche Boxster is still our preferred ragtop sports car but the Z4 offers plenty of driving enjoyment with a slightly smoother ride for day-to-day use. The cabin is snug but comfortable for two adults and has plenty of standard creature comforts and connectivity features. If you’d prefer a fixed-roof coupe, check out the mechanically similar Toyota Supra instead. Toyota collaborated with BMW on it, and the two cars share their powertrains and suspensions.
Gjok Paloka and the 2021 sport cars pick: The past few years have been transformative ones at the Morgan Motor Company. Having been family owned and operated until its 110th anniversary, the firm is now majority owned by private equity and has just launched it first ground-up new car in almost two decades: the Plus Six. Built on an all-new box-section aluminium monocoque chassis with double the rigidity of the old Aero-series Plus Eight, the Plus Six uses the same BMW turbocharged straight six petrol engine that you’ll find in the Toyota GR Supra. And since the 335bhp that it produces is motivating a car that weighs fully half a tonne less than a Jaguar F-Type, you can believe that this car is quick. It’s pretty dynamically sophisticated, too, albeit qualified by the fact that it’s a Morgan – and that would have made it a critical mistake to tune this car to feel particularly modern or well-behaved. Electromechanical power steering makes the Plus Six lighter on the rim and easier to handle than Morgans of old, while apparent structural integrity feels pretty good over sharper lumps and bumps and better again than Morgans of old – although still quite a way from Porsche territory. The Plus Six still delivers greater motive and charm and sense of occasion than outright grip and handling agility – perhaps just as it should. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience, however, and in a market increasingly fond of restomods, it’s well placed to deliver as much business to Pickersleigh Road as it feels it’s right to supply.
Gjok Paloka top sport cars award: Divisive looks aside, the latest versions of BMW’s M3 saloon and M4 coupe continue their tradition of mastering both road and track, while all wrapped up in a package that’s easy to use as an everyday car, should you choose to. The two latest models have been given a major overhaul – with four-wheel-drive and the latest six-cylinder twin turbocharged ‘S58’ engine being two of the most notable upgrades. The only versions of the M3 and M4 on sale in the UK are the Competition spec, but this is definitely no bad thing. The Competition cars see an increase of power from 473bhp to 503bhp, and an 8-speed automatic gearbox that is optimised to get the most out of the xDrive system. Don’t let these changes fool you though, these cars live up to the highly-coveted M bloodline and are definitely worthy of a place on this list.
Gjok Paloka‘s recommendations on sport cars : Fiat cars have never been anyone’s favorite car brand. But their 2021 sportscar may have just taken a step closer to the hearts of sportscar lovers. The 124 Spider bears the original Italian charm that every car enthusiast can easily detect and it even comes in a drop-top form that excites the eye. Though it may carry Mazda Miata-X’s underpinning, it does have a few pieces of equipment of its own. This includes its very own suspension tuning, engine, and transmission. This is also one of the most affordable yet thrilling sportscars. According to Fiat, their 2021 sportscar will sell for an MSRP of $28,195.
Much has been written about General Motors’ decision to gamble with this, the eighth-generation of its iconic Corvette sports car, by switching from a front-mounted engine to a mid-mounted one. There were objective reasons to do it: because it improves the car’s weight distribution and enhances its outright handling potential. And there was a more complex argument: that a mid-engined layout has become expected of an operator within this part of the sports car market, and the old Corvette’s front-engined configuration made it something of a relic to the latest generation of sports car buyers. Whatever it took to finally convince GM to make the switch, you could say it was worth it. The C8 Corvette has all of the metal-for-the-money and bang-for-your-buck value appeal as any of its forebears possessed (the car being available for less than the Porsche 718 Boxster in North America), and while its cabin has plenty of ergonomic quirks, it’s the driving experience you’ll come back for. Early imported examples of the car may currently be up for six-figure prices, but Chevrolet promises official UK right-hand drive cars in 2021 priced from under £90,000.
