NOT many people have the chance to get behind the wheel of two thoroughbred supercars in the same day but that’s what happened to yours truly during the recent SMMT driving event at Weatherby racecourse.
The annual get together for northern motoring hacks was arranged by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders with car makers showcasing their latest models.
And amongst the shiny sea of big names from the likes of Ford, Hyundai and KIA were motors from more exotic makers including Lotus and Maserati – so it seemed rude not to have a go.
First under starters orders was the Lotus Emira which has a supercharged 3.5 litre V6 Toyota engine putting out 360bhp, meaning 0 to 60 comes up in just over 4 seconds on the way to a top speed of 180 mph.
Now all that performance does not come cheap as you will have little change from £80k for the entry level car – a 400bhp version is also available for a few thousand pounds more.
A very quick blast down some Yorkshire A roads put a great big grin on my face but also required a lot of self control to avoid being up for the high jump and collecting points of the sort that don’t mean prizes. Pity this will be the last petrol powered new model from Lotus which is set to go all electric in the near future.
Next out of the paddock was the £109k plus Maserati Grecale Trofeo – a superb SUV Grand Tourer which also has a V6 engine but this time a twin turbo unit sourced from Ferrari with an even sweeter sound than the Lotus.
Here 530bhp is on tap meaning a faster 0 to 62 time of just 3.8 seconds and top speed limited to 177mph . . . with fuel consumption of between 16 and 30mpg!
It is blisteringly quick yet luxurious with every extra you can think of as standard as you waft along in comfort and relative quiet – apart from that glorious exhaust note which gets even better in sport mode.
From there it was back to reality and more humble motors which may not be quite as glorious, but are much easier to live with – especially in terms of fuel consumption and on the road price including the very impressive 2024 Suzuki Swift, which at £18k represents fantastic value for money and has just been voted Car of the Year by myself and fellow members of the Northern Group of Motoring Writers.
By Motoring Editor Steve Howarth