Opinion: The best bits in the last 25 years

An automobile is an amalgamation of aggregates. These consist of engines, gearboxes, steering systems, brakes, chassis, suspension systems, etc. So when we talk about the best cars, we actually mean the cars with the best set of aggregates.

So, 25 years on, what were some of the best bits? Let’s start with engines first, and first up has to be the Honda’s City VTEC. Even more rev-happy than the regular 1.5 Hyper 16, foot down, 3,500rpm-7,000 rpm was a ride that was just a laugh. Light, happy to rev, and always bursting with energy, the 1.5 VTEC is still a grin inducer par excellence. And proof of how good it is, is the fact that it’s still around. Honourable mentions: the 2.4 Accord engine, the 3.0 V6 and finally, the 3.5 V6 with 270hp. Then there was the super responsive 1.6 Ford Ikon, with its Roller-bearing Cam or Rocam engine; what a riot. Skoda and Audi’s five-valve per cylinder engine in the original Octavia RS was another great, a turbo that revved high and had a huge appetite for boost. I remember driving a 500hp Octy RS – dead till 3,500rpm, but just explosive after that. The greatest engine I’ve ever driven? That’s easy – any recent Ferrari V12. Known as the F140, the 65-degree V12 that powers cars like the F12 and the 812 Superfast is super smooth, sounds like a naturally aspirated Formula 1 car and revs like a banshee past 8,000rpm. Sure, electric cars make a lot of power, but the emotional connect and ‘feel’ here are at least ten times higher, if not more. Drive a fast electric and you soon forget about it. Not so here. Also, for sheer noise, response and its raw guttural blare, how can we forget Lambo’s Huracan V10? It was simply epic.

Moving on, the best steering on an affordable car – probably the Ikon again. Or the Palio 1.6 GTX. Those old hydraulic steering systems gave you a constant stream of feedback and never slacked off, so even that initial feel was right there. Delicious. Up the ladder, the E90 BMW 325i and early 330i also had phenomenal connect and feel. There was just no guesswork needed. What was the best affordable car to throw around? What really delivered that go-kart feel? Well, that has to be the first-gen Swift. That was the friendliest, most chuckable and fun car. Drive a good one today to know. And so was Ford’s Fiesta S and, after that, the new-gen Fiesta. Any version of Porsche’s Cayman is the sweetest-handling serious sports car. It isn’t always the sharpest tool in the box, but the manner in which it transitions just allows you to thoroughly enjoy your drive. BMW’s M3 and M4, especially the F82/83, are also pretty epic. Razor-sharp and superbly balanced, they remain some of the best BMWs. Finally, one car to do it all, probably Ferrari’s 458 – 9,000rpm V8, go-kart-on-steroids handling and superb lines. It even looks cool.