Ferrari F430 v Lamborghini Gallardo v McLaren 650S v Audi R8 V10 – car pictures of the week
We test four sub-£100k mid-engined supercars in the latest issue of evo – here are some of our favourite shots
The Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Gallardo, McLaren 650S and Audi R8 V10 each represented the pinnacle of mid-engined supercars at a certain point in time. Now, they offer something even more exciting – a route into bonafide supercar ownership for less than £100k (in the case of the Audi, a whole lot less…).
In issue 320 of evo, we test all four to find out exactly what you get for your money, and how their driving experiences stack up today. You can read the full feature by picking up a copy of the magazine in-store or online via the evo shop.
Our four contenders each come from different points in supercar history. The F430 is the oldest of the group – we can scarcely believe it launched two decades ago – with the Gallardo LP560-4 and R8 V10 arriving towards the end of the analogue era in 2008/9. McLaren’s 650S, meanwhile, is by far the most advanced and complex of the bunch.
Our man Richard Meaden begins behind the wheel of the Ferrari. ‘Insert the ignition key (remember those) give it a twist and squeeze the brake pedal. Then push the shiny red button on the steering wheel and the starter chirrups momentarily before the naturally-aspirated 483bhp V8 fires into life. It’s a raucous thing, a frenetic flare of revs rapidly settling into a deep open-piped idle as streams of vapour spew from the quad tailpipes. God, I love supercar start-up rituals.’
Picking a winner from such an eclectic group isn’t easy. Each offers a unique aura and a defined set of attributes, meaning that you probably know which one you want to own already. Nevertheless, one car did come out on top – you can read the full verdict by picking up your copy of evo 320 in-store or online.