Mid-engined sports cars for driving enthusiasts are an increasingly rare breed, so it’s unusual to see the launch of an entirely new model sticking its head above the constantly updated mainstream. Perhaps that’s why, like a rebooted comic book film, this French manufacturer chose to develop a modern interpretation of a classic car that was already established in its own right. Either way, the sensation of an almost total lack of mass, engaging handling and a rally-car aping engine note combine to make the Alpine A110 a huge success right off the bat, and a well-deserving winner here.
The previous Ford Fiesta ST is one of our favourite cars at Parkers and this generation even won our prestigious Car of the Year award in 2019 for the improvements it made over an already accomplished hot hatch. It’s back and up for the award again despite some scarily good hot hatches arriving this year – and that’s without any changes. Yes, the Fiesta ST really is that good. Fears over the smaller three-cylinder engine were completely unfounded, while the addition of a limited slip differential brings a ferocious rate of turn in. Plus it still cocks a wheel and rotates around you in a corner like the old one. Simply brilliant stuff.
Like the last Cayman GT4, this newer 718 version gains a large six-cylinder engine from the 911. What makes that more exciting this time around is the fact the standard 718 Cayman makes do with a droning four-pot, so the exotic nature of the GT4’s powerplant is even more stark in comparison. It’s also brilliant to drive, offering huge levels of grip and precision from the front wheels, and a surprisingly approachable rear axle with plenty of feedback when you plant the throttle mid-corner. It sounds incredible and responds to your every input as if telepathic. Plus, the standard manual gearbox is the most satisfying of its type on sale today.
