Among the first contacts and published essays — written and on video — we counted, during the year 2018, more than 100 cars tested (!) — a hassle… but very rewarding.
But among so many cars tested, obviously some stood out. Whether for the engine, the performances, technology, the exceptional dynamics or sensations behind the wheel, or even for having surprised much more than expectations.
Time to put the challenge to Razão Automóvel “test drivers”, Diogo Teixeira, Guilherme Costa and Fernando Gomes. Among all those tested, which three stood out the most? Here are your choices:
Diogo Teixeira
Before talking about 2018, we have to go back to December 2017, because this year that just ended deserves that framework.
I closed 2017 with a golden key. The last car I drove was a 1955 Porsche 356 Outlaw, restored from A to Z by Sportclasse. It was with him that I took the most epic trip of my life: the last car I drove single and the first I drove after getting married, as he was waiting for me, serenely, at the door of the church.
Yes, my wife and I left the church in a Porsche 356 pre-A with a roll bar, locking differential, Bilstein suspensions and racing belts. A petrolhead wedding? Check!
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Porsche 911 Carrera T. One of the cars that marked me this year, a giant difference at all levels to that classic from 1955 that represents the beginnings of Porsche, the brand that celebrated 70 years in 2018.
In midsummer, I surrendered body and soul to the timeless lines of the 911 along Alentejo roads. The Porsche 911 Carrera T is far from being the most passionate, fast or exciting version of the 911, but it has details that make this proposal more special than the others.
I was just sorry not to test a version with a manual gearbox, no infotainment system and no rear seats, the purest of the Ts. Maybe in 2019?
Recently I was on track (hanging) with the new Porsche 911 (992) and visited the factory where it is being built in Zuffenhausen, Germany. Soon I'll be behind the wheel of the new Porsche 911 (992), something you can see on our YouTube channel.
Toyota Yaris GRMN. Born and raised on the Nürburgring, exclusive and the target of a lot of dedication. The best pocket-rocket of 2018? No doubt.
I drove the Toyota Yaris GRMN on circuit in the model presentation, until I literally left the brakes on fire. An experience without filters, accompanied by the team that actively participated in its development.
In Portugal I tested it and shared everything on our YouTube channel. I'm just sorry there isn't a copy in my garage.
Mazda MX-5 2.0 (184 hp). Proof that doing your homework well pays off.
An epic journey, with the right car. The Mazda MX-5 received all the changes that were necessary to “check” the defects pointed out by the specialized press and owners.
Depth adjustable steering wheel, a more rotary and powerful 2.0 engine , as well as other small details that allow us to continue to say that it is a must-have option in any petrolhead's garage, regardless of the size of the wallet: a real driver’s car.
I had the opportunity to drive it on one of the most iconic roads in the world, Transfagarassan, in Romania.
William Costa
It was a fantastic year in terms of launches and innovations in the automotive world. I lost count of the models I tested, but even so, there are always those that for one reason or another are etched in our memory. Unfortunately I can only choose three models.
That said, my list is not intended to highlight the best models I've tested, but rather the ones that most surprised or impressed me. And so different that they are from each other…
Ford Focus. It was one of my last tests of the year — that's why I still don't have a video on YouTube, just a first contact here on Razão Automóvel's website. The new Ford Focus is the most «normal» model on my list, but it deserves to be here for its qualities.
What Ford has achieved with the Focus is impressive to say the least. In terms of handling and comfort, it is at the top of the segment, even surpassing the Volkswagen Golf in the way it faces the road.
It's a shame that the design isn't a little more inspired — a factor that is always subjective — because in the other fields (price, equipment, comfort, space and engine) the Ford Focus is in line with the best in the segment.
Alpine A110. I tested more powerful, faster, more expensive and more exclusive models. But the Alpine A110, without being any of this, was stuck in my memory.
At a time when virtually all cars are more powerful but also heavier, the Alpine A110 reminds us that the essence of driving is not the speed we achieve on the straights, but the way we approach corners.
Superb chassis, very good reactions, in a model that asks to be driven.
Jaguar I-PACE. For me it was one of the revelations of the year. It has everything that is «trendy» nowadays, that is: SUV format, electric motorization and a symbol full of history at the front.
But the Jaguar I-Pace is more than that. It's a model that shows that driving pleasure and electric mobility don't have to be back-to-back. Plus it's spacious, well equipped and as for the lines… wow!
Fernando Gomes
How to choose between cars that are so different in price, performance, quality, etc…? As we look back over the past year, we end up remembering those who scored, not because they are objectively the best in their category, but because they provide a much more emotional experience — at various levels — beyond their function of transporting us from point A to point B.
Of all the vehicles I tested (I left out many more that I drove), the next three stood out for rising above their practical function, creating a link with the driver that promises to enrich each and every trip.
Suzuki Jimny. Definitely one of my picks for car of the year. Not because it's objectively better than potential competition, but because it's an antithesis to today's automotive landscape. Its purpose is clear, and it demonstrates it in all its aspects: from design to hardware.
Note: the video was with Guilherme at the wheel, but I had the opportunity to experience it firsthand during the presentation of the model.
Its off-road capabilities were as expected (while still surprising), but it was on the asphalt that surprised the most: refined and civilized q.b. As an everyday car, the Jimny fully convinces.
Renault Mégane R.S. A Type R is faster, an i30 N has a more passionate engine, a Golf GTI is more “solid”, but the first contact with the Mégane R.S. left a deep impression.
The chassis' ability to absorb all irregularities and even the sharpest depressions — those in which we feel the entire vertebrae pressing against each other —, its control and agility (4CONTROL), to which an interactive rear is added, everything always with absurd rhythms, it's an immersive, fun and genuinely rewarding experience. Better, just maybe with the manual box…
Honda Civic Sedan 1.5. Like? Not a Civic Type R? — this is so 2017… More seriously, against all expectations, the Civic, in its most familiar bodywork, turned out to be one of the cars I tested in 2018 that surprised me the most.
The combination of the 1.5 i-VTEC Turbo engine — powerful and always available —; with the six-speed manual gearbox — excellent feel, light, precise —; the very good chassis of the Civic and without forgetting the correct weight and feel of all the controls, originate a set practically unmatched in the segment. It makes you want to ask Honda for a little firmer suspension adjustment, the Type R seats, and call it… Type S. For petrolhead dads and moms, no doubt!
Read more about what happened in the automotive world in 2018:
- 2018 was like that. The news that “stopped” the automotive world
- 2018 was like that. Electric, sports and even SUV. The cars that stood out
- 2018 was like that. “In memoriam”. Say goodbye to these cars
- 2018 was like that. Are we closer to the car of the future?
2018 was like this... In the last week of the year, time for reflection. We remember the events, cars, technologies and experiences that marked the year in an effervescent car industry.