2018 Ford Mustang GT-
It’s still a Mustang. With the exception of the bastardized Pinto that became the Mustang II, Ford’s pony car hasn’t strayed from the original blend of herbs and spices that made it a hit in 1965. Now we're getting into the meat of the 21st century and the 2018 Ford Mustang continues to offer a V-8, rear-wheel drive, two doors, and a manual transmission. It still looks the business too, even though the 2018 may look a little beady eyed.
The EcoBoost 2.3-litre lump retains the same max power output of 233kW but gets another 41Nm of torque. This has been wrought from the engine using an overboost code refined from the Focus RS.
The really big news, though, is in the gearboxes. Both the V8 and the turbo-four can now be specced with a 10-speed auto ’box – a relative of the 10-speeder fitted in the all-conquering F-150 Raptor. This allows both engines, but especially the smaller unit, to remain smack in the middle of peak performance. There is also a six-speed manual option on both cars that’s been reworked to handle the extra torque.
On the V8 cars, it now includes a twin-disc clutch and dual-mass flywheel. Both help smooth the clutch action. Ford looked at, but resisted, the idea to add auto rev-matching to the manual. It isn’t ruling it out for later models.
2018 Nissan GT-R-
The 2018 Nissan GT-R is a world-beating supercar with less drama than morning toast—it's disarming how calm 100 mph feels.
This year, the twin-turbo, all-wheel-drive 2018 GT-R is closer to a performance bargain (at least in relative terms) this year thanks to the addition of a new GT-R Pure trim level that pushes the price of entry down to about $100,000.
Overall, the GT-R rates 7.4 out of 10 on our scale. It’s not very practical and luxury isn’t one of its virtues, but you probably already knew that.
GT-R rethinks the way the driver receives information. Multiple, easily accessed screens give the driver immediate feedback to key performance parameters. The result is engaging, informative, and effective.The 2018 GT-R carries over some of last year’s big updates like a 20 horsepower bump, revised styling, and a more refined powertrain. The new GT-R Pure trim level pushes the supercar’s base price to a hair over $100,000, about $10,000 less than the carried-over GT-R Premium. Apple CarPlay is now standard on both versions of the GT-R and a black interior trim package is newly available.
Both share a handbuilt 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-6 that cranks out 565 horsepower and 467 pound-feet of torque that vaults the two-door to 60 mph in just 2.7 seconds. A 6-speed dual-clutch transmission shuttles power to all four wheels, providing the GT-R with astounding grip. An adjustable suspension can tighten things up to almost brutal levels for track use, but a comfort mode makes the GT-R fairly tolerable around town. Selecting R mode transforms the GT-R by tightening up its reflexes. Brembo six-piston front and four-piston rear brakes bring things to a halt time after time with no drama.
For enthusiasts, driving a GT-R is a bucket-list item. Its drama-free demeanor is best experienced at triple-digit speeds on a winding road course, where it hugs the pavement in a way unmatched by few cars short of a Formula One racer.
