Acura Integra Type S
Evo UK|May 2024
It's not officially coming to the UK, which is a great shame because this close relation to the Civic Type R is every bit as brilliant in its own way
Acura Integra Type S

EFFORT AND REWARD ARE AT THE VERY HEART OF what most of us love about cars. Not just our own effort. The obsession with extracting the most from a car, or just making it flow with economical grace, one apex to the next in a wonderfully easy equilibrium, is a naval-gazing but endlessly diverting pursuit, sure. But, very often, feeling and harnessing the effort of the car itself is the reward. Hearing a momentary flare of wheelspin over a mid-corner bump just as the engine hits the sweet spot and the chassis is stretched right to the very limit... well, it's just bloody good fun. I think it can be boiled down to intensity. We want to be there, in that moment, orchestrating the car's effort and immersed in the intensity of it all.

Maybe that's why it's hard to fall under the spell of EVs. The soundtrack of a conventional car is like the heartbeat, ramping up and up as every other element of the car is stretched to the limit. It underpins the whole experience and without it everything is less vivid. Anyway, let's not turn this into an EV lament. The point is that this magical zone where a car is at full load, full noise and still hanging in there with accurate response and unbreakable control isn't dependent on power, engine placement, even which axle is driven. It's why a Peugeot 106 GTi can get you to similar places to, say, a Porsche 911, or an Impreza RB5 or a McLaren 750S. The experience is different but the thrill of the chase and the sense of awe as the car deploys its all under your instructions is basically what has fed this magazine for 25 years. Effort and reward.

Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av Evo UK.

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Denne historien er fra May 2024-utgaven av Evo UK.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA EVO UKSe alt
BMW M135 xDrive
Evo UK

BMW M135 xDrive

The M135 has lost an and gained chassis revisions and a restyle. Is it enough to make it a benchmark hot hatch?

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4 mins  |
January 2025
Audi S5
Evo UK

Audi S5

S5 by name, S4 by nature, is Audi's new mid-size petrol-powered saloon a step in the right direction?

time-read
4 mins  |
January 2025
Lamborghini Urus SE
Evo UK

Lamborghini Urus SE

Lambo's super-SUV gets a major mid-life overhaul, going hybrid in the process. Has it become any easier to like?

time-read
5 mins  |
January 2025
HALL evo OF FAME
Evo UK

HALL evo OF FAME

The evo Hall of Fame was established to recognise the great and the good of our corner of the universe. Prepare to welcome this year's inductees

time-read
10+ mins  |
January 2025
CIRCUIT DAY
Evo UK

CIRCUIT DAY

After three days of assessing their behaviour on the road, it's time to head to the Circuito de Navarra to find out how our nine contenders respond when their handling limits are explored

time-read
10+ mins  |
January 2025
EVO CAR OF THE YEAR 2024
Evo UK

EVO CAR OF THE YEAR 2024

Nine brilliant cars, from flyweight roadsters to bombastic supercars to a be-stickered estate(!), do battle on some of Europe's finest and most spectacular roads. Which will emerge victorious? Place your bets now.

time-read
10+ mins  |
January 2025
Porsche Panamera GTS
Evo UK

Porsche Panamera GTS

It lacks the raw power of its hybrid rivals, but does the new GTS’s more traditional approach give it its USP?

time-read
4 mins  |
January 2025
Alpine A290 GTS
Evo UK

Alpine A290 GTS

The new electric Renault 5 has won plenty of plaudits. Is the hotter Alpine version a car to win petrolheads' hearts too?

time-read
8 mins  |
January 2025
BEST BUYS BMW M CARS
Evo UK

BEST BUYS BMW M CARS

THE PERFORMANCE CAR LANDSCAPE WOULD HAVE looked very different over the last five decades without BMW. Its M division, founded in 1972, has produced some of the best driver’s cars ever to hit the road, and in the process has provided a stream of benchmark models for its rivals to chase. In recent years, stricter emissions regulations, downsizing and electrification have seen some of those rival cars falter, yet by and large BMW’s M machines have remained strong. In fact, some rank among the greatest the department has made think of the eCoty-winning M2 CS and M5 CS while others are the only options worth recommending in their respective segments. Price tags have risen with performance, however, putting those latest offerings out of reach for many, but the marque’s popularity means there are numerous earlier M models available on the second-hand market for far more attainable figures. Here are four of our favourites.

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9 mins  |
November 2024
TYRE 2024 TEST
Evo UK

TYRE 2024 TEST

Want to fit the very best tyres to your performance car? The annual evo Tyre Test identifies the cream of the current crop

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3 mins  |
November 2024