2022 MatoCar Performance Vehicle of the Year: The Contenders

Modern-day Lamborghini has a habit of milking the underpinnings of its series-production cars for all they're worth in the shape of rebodied and somewhat mechanically upgraded (to varying degrees) ultra-limited editions. If you're unfamiliar, see examples named Reventón, Centenario, and Veneno, for starters, and the most recently controversial and maligned Countach LPI 8004. So it's not terribly difficult to sometimes take a cynic's view that says the company relishes finding relatively easy ways to convince its richest clients to tap further into their hedge funds or throwaway crypto profits rather than developing truly new machines—you know, the type of series-production cars we might decades from now remember just as vividly as we do the revolutionary ones Lamborghini earned its reputation on in the first place. So we were thrilled to discover after a recent drive of the Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 that this offering occupies a different strand on the company's genetic spider graph.What Is the Essenza, Anyway?The Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 is indeed another limited toy for car-crazy moguls, and it carried a starting price of 2.2 million euros. "Carried," because Lamborghini already sold all 40 of them. For the record, U.S. buyers paid whatever the dollar-to-euro exchange rate was on the day of their transaction; at this moment, the price would be nearly $2.5 million if you could still get one from the factory.The "SC" in the Essenza's name stands for "Squadra Corsa," which is the Italian manufacturer's motorsport division. ("Essenza" translates to "Essence" in English.) Squadra Corsa is responsible for developing Lamborghini's GT3 race cars, as well as running the Super Trofeo one-make series that exclusively features Huracán Super Trofeo Evo race cars competing in 50-minute sprint races. Like those Huracáns, the Essenza SCV12 isn't street legal, making it a hugely expensive track-only car aimed at wealthy gentleman racers, track-driving enthusiasts, and gotta-have-everything collectors.Other than the car, the purchase price includes two years of storage at Squadra Corsa's facility in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy, with oversight from technicians and 24-hour-a-day video surveillance for owners to look in on their cars whenever desire or paranoia takes hold. One bright spot: Unlike Ferrari and its FXX-K, for example, Lamborghini will allow Essenza owners to take their cars home or wherever they desire, rather than making it such an ordeal owners just leave their cars at the factory.Squadra Corsa does organize and support several arrive-and-drive outings per year at circuits around the world; simply show up, and your baby is there, prepped and waiting to rip. The 2022 schedule features 11 dates between February and December, with stops at famous U.S. road courses including Laguna Seca and Watkins Glen, and contemporary Formula 1 venues Barcelona and Abu Dhabi. Essenza SCV12 owners also get track time during Lamborghini's annual Super Trofeo World Finals event, scheduled in 2022 for early November at Portugal's Portimão circuit. The World Finals entry and accommodations are included in the car's purchase price for three years; other events carry additional entry fees plus the cost of consumables such as tires, fuel, brakes, etc. Lamborghini offers participants driver coaching from its stable of pros, though all Essenza lapping sessions are conducted in a track-day format, without actual racing.Owners also pay extra for any private track time they wish for themselves; the bill depends on the scope of the program but typically falls in the $50,000-$100,00-plus range. Another bright spot: You'll write the check, but one call to Squadra Corsa's concierge yields a proposed itinerary within 48 hours, covering everything you want to do on- and off-track, plus track rental, car shipping (if necessary, including overseas), meals, and anything else you need.Notable Chassis ConstructionHere's where the Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 gets good: This car is a long way from simply being a rebodied and retuned production model. It's effectively a purpose-built race car, though it isn't homologated for competition in any actual racing series. But that was the point: to build a track car unrestricted by the typical performance-limiting rules that govern global GT racing.Lamborghini did, however, pay big attention to safety, working with the FIA—the governing body of international motorsports—to develop the Essenza's safety technology beyond what GT rules require today. In that sense it's a bit of a rolling laboratory, a GT-style race car with a carbon-fiber monocoque chassis built to existing Le Mans Prototype safety standards. But where typical GT race cars use a steel roll cage, the SCV12's carbon cage is integrated within the monocoque structure, a solution you'll see down the road on actual racing-homologated GT contenders.Whereas the Essenza's carbon chassis is based on that of the Lamborghini Aventador, only the lower part of the monocoque is similar, the company says, with 60 percent of the chassis redesigned to hit the safety targets and comply with FIA standards. The front and rear frames, suspension, gearbox, and electronics were developed specifically for this car.What's It Like to Drive?Lamborghini let us behind the Essenza SCV12's Formula 1-style wheel for 16 laps of Las Vegas Motor Speedway's 1.1-mile road-course configuration. The nine-turn circuit is more club track than proper race course; most of it is taken in second or third gear, but the front straight allowed for an extra gear or two and speeds in the 140-mph ballpark before a reasonably challenging-to-nail heavy braking zone for the second gear Turn 1 lefthander. The venue, and the fact Lamborghini let us run whatever pace we wanted, was enough to demonstrate the Essenza's intriguing package of thrills combined with approachability for non-pro drivers.You get a kick out of the experience before you're even out of pit lane. Strapped into the five-point harness, the starting procedure is simple but fun, especially for motorsports enthusiasts: Flip on the master switch and briefly let the electronics boot up, then push the ignition button followed by the start button. Once the 6.5-liter V-12 thumps alive, hold the car on the brakes (left foot preferred), punch and hold the blue button on the steering wheel for neutral, and click the right-hand shift paddle once for first gear in the Xtrac-built six-speed sequential manual racing 'box. Foot off the brake, hit the throttle, and the automated clutch (there is no pedal) engages, and you're off.You bounce around as you trundle down pit lane, typical race-car behavior thanks to a limited-travel pushrod suspension that doesn't like painfully slow driving. The rear suspension is mounted straight to the gearbox, which serves as a stressed structural chassis element (common race-car architecture that's rare in production vehicles).Kill the pit-speed limiter by clicking a button on the wheel, and bam! The Essenza howls like only a naturally aspirated Italian V-12 does, noises exaggerated by the SCV12's unique and unrestricted Capristo exhaust system. The engine is the same as the Aventador's, but thanks to a less restrictive exhaust, a bespoke air-intake system that makes use of ram effect via the engine-feeding roof scoop, and a Motech motorsports ECU, it produces 820 hp at 8,500 rpm and 568 lb-ft at 6,000. That's a 60-hp and 37-lb-ft increase compared to the stonking Aventador SVJ road car. Gulp.But within a few laps, even once we turned the power all the way up—a mode switch on the wheel offers five settings beginning at 695 hp and ramping up in 25-hp increments with each click of the dial—the nuclear straight-line speed isn't what got us. Rather, with bespoke Pirelli slick tires and monster downforce from the aero package, the car's grip and handling have you shaking your head and giggling even on a slow track like the one we drove. For perspective, Lamborghini claims 2,645 pounds of downforce at 155 mph, with even more at higher speeds; that exceeds the downforce of a true GT3 race car. It's darn near almost enough to theoretically allow the car to drive upside down without falling off the ceiling, if the track allowed it.The LVMS road course didn't let us get near what the Essenza's aero and tire package can really do, but we still felt the massive grip, especially through a flat-out third-gear kink toward the end of the lap, and also in how late we could brake into Turn 1. (The steel brakes are by Brembo, with carbon-ceramics also available.) Braking-marker boards on the side of the front straight served as guides; Lamborghini pro drivers present during our test drive suggested braking at the third board from the end as we learned the car, and then suggested working our way down to braking between it and the second board. But after a few laps of feeling what the car was capable of and finding our confidence buoyed, we rocked the Essenza down the front straight past the third board, past the halfway point, and nearly all the way to the second marker before crushing the pedal.Holy Ferruccio, did it ever work. The brake pedal feels softer than you might expect in its first bit of travel then firms up significantly and provides outstanding modulation and control. There are no latency issues with the pedal, and that fact allowed us to bleed massive speed immediately, then remain easily in control as the back end wobbled before gripping back up through the middle of the braking zone. Finally, downshifts completed with a few satisfyingly solid clicks of the left-hand paddle, we trailed off the pedal at the turn-in point and the Essenza dug in, nailed the apex, and tracked out the other side with what we swear was a yawn. We're convinced we could have gone another 20 feet deeper into the braking zone—and we also weren't stupid enough to try it. But the fact we believe it after such a brief experience of the Essenza SCV12 says a lot about how much confidence the car inspires. We didn't bother recording lap times on this day, but Lamborghini told us the Essenza is some 3 to 4 seconds quicker than the Huracán GT3 race car around medium-to-high-speed tracks in the hands of pro drivers, despite it weighing a few hundred pounds more. We have little doubt this is accurate.Odds and EndsThe car's overall setup during our drive was tuned toward understeer just to keep things manageable for the amateur drivers Lamborghini invited to sample it, but there's a huge amount of adjustability in the Essenza. Even with this setup, we discovered we could rotate the chassis somewhat into the corners using the brakes and then confidently go to the power. One thing for drivers to keep in mind is that this is a heavier, long-wheelbase (114.4 inches) car compared to most racing models, so it's a bit more deliberate, relatively speaking, in its responses to inputs. Some people might even initially find it counterintuitive if they get into it with only the eye-catching power and torque specs in mind while expecting the knife-edge, snappy reactions of a car boasting a smaller footprint.With more time, we would have found a slightly more comfortable position for the steering wheel, which, just like the pedals, is easily and quickly adjustable to accommodate a range of driver sizes and preferences, and we disliked the screen mounted in the center of the roof above the dash. The latter is for displaying data to technicians after on-track sessions, but its location impedes your field of view somewhat when you try to look ahead through corners like you should always do. To its credit, Lamborghini says it has heard the same comment from some owners and is working on a better solution.Our biggest gripe, though, is we didn't have time to run another 50 laps. Not only for fun and to increase our speed and adapt ourselves more to what the car likes, but to also explore deeper into exactly what it can do when you make adjustments. Along with the power/engine map, the trick steering wheel (which we didn't mess with outside of the power settings) allows you to tune the differential, clutch, traction control, ABS, and power steering to your preferences depending on the circuit and the specific corners you're driving. There are also controls for brake bias, throttle behavior, and more. The total package makes for a mighty engaging and pure race car experience, even though this isn't technically a race car. Well, at least not a homologated one you'll ever see in true competition.In a way, then, you could call the Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 a car without a home, except Lamborghini and Squadra Corsa have created a community around it for the 40 owners who understood the vision and what the Essenza offers. But because of the car's limited numbers and track-only usability, there's a good chance you'll never see one in the wild, let alone running in anger. From that perspective, it's massively tempting to lump it in with those other rare, virtually one-off modern Lamborghinis that have come and gone and are now distant memories mentioned only occasionally by diehard hypercar nerds. And that's a shame, because after driving the Essenza SCV12 as it's made to be driven, we suspect we'll forever remember this one as being in an entirely different league.Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 BASE PRICE $2,488,357 (est) LAYOUT Mid-engine, RWD, 2-pass, 2-door coupe ENGINE 6.5L/820 hp @ 8,500, 568 lb-ft @ 6,000 DOHC 48-valve V-12 TRANSMISSION 6-speed sequential CURB WEIGHT 3,230 lb (est) WHEELBASE 114.4 in L x W x H NA 0-60 MPH 2.8 sec (est) EPA FUEL ECON NA EPA RANGE (COMB) NA ON SALE Sold out Show All

People blow up expensive cars with surprising frequency, for various reasons. Some are mad that the car exhibits problems, while others just blow up fancy rides to dunk on haters, exhibit wealth, or for no good reason. One artist who goes by the name "Shl0ms" just blew up a Lamborghini Huracan, and is now selling highly detailed videos of 888 of the supercar's remains as individual NFTs via auction. Pricing starts at 0.01 Ether, or roughly $26 apiece, per Fortune.Another 111 so-called "$CAR" NFTs exist, for a total of 999, but they're being held for the team behind the elaborately choreographed explosion, as well as the investor behind the whole project.At first blush, the whole thing feels like a cunning, slickly marketed missile aimed at the intersection of crypto, NFTs, and a host of other recently gold-rush-generating buzzwords. Maybe that's because many of us are conditioned to think of NFTs and crypto as some kind of bad-faith gold rush.The Exploding Lamborghini VideoA visit to Shl0m's Twitter account is a seeming immersion into the sort of pump-'n-dump hype machine you'd expect to find behind many other cryptocurrency or NFT opportunities of the moment.Though, a closer look a Shl0ms reveals that atmosphere comes from other Twitter users excitedly sharing news coverage of the Lamborghini explosion and feverishly pinning that exposure to perceived increases in the (yet-to-be-released) NFTs' value.We know you're probably here for the Lamborghini explosion, so here's that:When reached for comment via their website, the faceless artist insists it isn't a protest against crypto, as other outlets have reported, but rather a critique of short-term greed and hopefully an example of how digital currencies can be used for more than just "zero-sum wealth extraction."Still, Lamborghini the automaker did just partner with an artist to sell off five NFTs of a graphically-exploded Lamborghini being shot into space, so it does seem like this could be mocking that a little bit.NFT Auction Proceeds Will Fund More ArtMost of the proceeds of the sales, we're told, will fund future public art installations. Shl0ms views NFTs for their original purpose—minting a digital entity's singularity on the blockchain as proof of its originality—and wants to use the digital artwork's intersection with currency as a way to funnel value toward good. Therefore it makes sense, to some degree, that just as demolishing his Huracan is performative, the air of publicity from others feels like a performance in itself.If it leaves some observers with a scammy crypto scheme taste in their mouth, know that Shl0ms doesn't want you to think of their project that way, and hopes the buyers of the NFTs are looking to appreciate the creation and the future art it funds, rather than simply accruing value. It's not supposed to be taking advantage of anyone in particular, but rather of the broader financial movement of the moment to raise funds for further art projects.Blowing Up The CarThat blow-up was more complex than you'd imagine, with the artist mentioning how carefully charges needed to be placed to avoid obliterating the Huracan too much. We doubt, based on the video evidence above, that the Lambo was left in exactly 999 pieces post-'splosion, but hey, 999 feels like a nice, cool number, doesn't it?In all, Shl0ms and company spent about two weeks testing explosives and even blowing up another (presumably less interesting) car before turning their hired explosives expert (said to be "federally licensed") on the used Lamborghini. If you're salty about the lost car, Shl0ms says it was purchased for about a quarter of a million dollars and apparently had lots of miles on its odometer.Following the big boom, the artist collected the 999 pieces and took detailed, closeup, rotating 4K videos of each one. Those are what are being sold off as NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, inimitable digital properties on the blockchain. Again, the proceeds of the NFT auction taking place February 25 will go to funding artistic installations.

kia sorento Full OverviewAs a midsize crossover with three rows of seats, Sorento teeters on the precipice of brilliance and irrelevance. Some may find its in-betweener form factor ideal (it's really more of a full-time two-row with part-time third-row perches); others that something more decided—like Kia's smaller smaller, two-row Sportage or larger, three-row Telluride—would better fit their needs. Over the many months and more than 23,000 miles we spent with the 2021 Kia Sorento SX in our long-term review fleet, we decided that, here, segment-splitting works. Better than simply being functional, the Sorento gives lots more to like than not.Minimal TarnishLet's get the negatives out of the way. First and foremost is the dual-clutch transmission's low speed behavior, a gripe we've had with the Sorento since our first drive. When pulling away or creeping forward, particularly on an incline, it can stutter, leading to hesitant, jerky departures.Despite that evaluation, we'll qualify it as minor annoyance. We call it out mostly for drivers accustomed to traditional automatics. If that's you, you'll notice that the Sorento's dual-clutch doesn't let you depart in a consistent and immediate way. You'll also likely be able to overlook it. And after first gear, shifts are nearly invisible, perceptible audibly more than any other way.Relatedly, turning off the engine start/stop system became routine. It restarts too slowly, which combines with the transmission's fumbles to make smooth getaways impossible. We preferred sacrificing a little bit of fuel (and taking the emissions hit) for the sake of drivability.Fuel Efficiency and MaintenanceRegarding fuel, in 23,033 miles we averaged 22.8 mpg, not quite meeting the EPA's 24 mpg combined economy rating, but not missing it by much either. Regardless, its commendable, given MT drivers' eager right ankles, and that we had a bulky tent fixed to the Sorento's roof rails for well over 4,000 miles. Additionally, we bested the EPA's 425-mile range estimate several times, at one point draining 471 miles out of the tank.Two stops for scheduled service totaled $354.18, making the Sorento more expensive to maintain than similar long-term SUVs we've had in our fleet. And it would have cost even more had we bought the $300 advanced fuel system cleaning service proposed at the second visit. We spent less than $350 each on our 2017 Mazda CX-5 and CX-9, anda different Kia, our 2020 Telluride, was a bargain at $120 spent over a similar number of miles.Nevertheless, the Sorento remained reliable during its stay. The only thing resembling an unexpected issue was a subtle yet persistent creaking noise that began emanating from the headliner as the odometer neared 20,000 miles.A Serious Glow UpOn to the good stuff. We never got over the Sorento's crisp, angular styling. It's incomparably improved over the previous Sorento, and to our eye one of the better-looking vehicles in its segment, especially in our test vehicle's Crystal Beige hue.The cabin also convinced us with its functionality and ease of use. We appreciated Kia's preference—which seems to be changing—for unfussy physical knobs and switches, but the capacitive buttons mixed in worked as intended, too. Settling in was eased by the little bins on the center console, and getting out facilitated by the easy-pull door handles—Kia thought through the details, including those stylish geometric air vents. We have no gripes about our $42,190 SX-trim Sorento's 10.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, although a driver-information display larger than 4.2 inches would've been nice. Maybe it'll arrive in the mid-cycle update.Whether the second and third rows were upright or folded, the Sorento readily adapted to the situation. Its wide-opening rear doors made access a breeze, as did the super-simple folding operation of the second-row captain's chairs. Drivers who plan to frequently pack their SUV to capacity should probably size up, but with ventilation and USB ports the Sorento's far-back seats produced few complaints. Our crossover's enormous panoramic moonroof was a favorite feature for riders-along. Folding the rear seats opened up a great deal of cargo space, making it easy for this writer to toss in his mountain bike.Then there was actually driving the Sorento. During its evaluation at our 2021 SUV of the Year contest one judge called it "the feel-good hit of the competition," a sentiment that held true through our long-term test. With sensitive steering and nimble reflexes, the Sorento had that oft-praised attribute of feeling smaller than it is. Undulating pavement could set the ride afloat slightly, but the Sorento's overall handling verve made it enjoyable to pilot.Despite the aforementioned dual-clutch fumbles, the turbocharged 2.5-liter I-4 always delivered solid acceleration. We evaluated other Sorento powertrain options in parallel with our long-termer, and came away convinced that this turbo mill is the one to get even if it's not supremely refined or efficient. The all-wheel drive system behind it seemed unbothered by the few dirt roads we traversed.Over the many, many highway miles we covered—throughout California, and to Oregon, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico—the Sorento's driver aids rarely faltered. The adaptive cruise control was responsive and consistent, aided by solid lane-keep assist which would take the lead in staying centered even in surprisingly tight curves.Good as GoldOn the 2021 Sorento's arrival, we found ourselves thinking about Kia's midsize crossover in an unusual way: Surprised to realize we were giving even a modicum of mental energy to a Sorento in the first place. Prior iterations never warranted much consideration, let alone actual affection. But now that our Sorento is gone, we find our thoughts cast in another unexpected direction—we miss it. Not only did it prove itself as the best Sorento ever, but as a worthy competitor to crossovers bordering it on either side of the size spectrum. It could be a while yet before a similarly multitalented SUV joins our long-term fleet.Looks good! More details?For More on our 2021 Kia Sorento:The Kia Sorento joins our long-term fleetMicrochips aren't the only thing in short supply these daysA trip to the trackWhat we learned over 4,000 miles of camping in our SorentoTech that works, and tech that doesn'tWhich Sorento engine is best?Up the Creek2021 Kia Sorento SX AWD Specifications DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD ENGINE TYPE Turbocharged direct-injected DOHC 24-valve I-4, alum block/head VALVETRAIN DOHC, 4 valves/cyl DISPLACEMENT 2,497 cc/152.4 cu in COMPRESSION RATIO 10.5:1 POWER (SAE NET) 281 hp @ 5,800 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 311 lb-ft @ 1,700 rpm REDLINE 6,500 rpm WEIGHT TO POWER 14.5 lb/hp TRANSMISSION 8-speed twin-clutch auto AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO N/A SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar STEERING RATIO 13.7:1 TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 2.6 BRAKES, F; R 12.8-in vented disc; 12.0-in vented disc WHEELS 8.5 x 20-in cast aluminum TIRES 255/45R20 105V Continental CrossContact LX Sport (M+S) DIMENSIONS WHEELBASE 110.8 in TRACK, F/R 64.5/64.8 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 189.0 x 74.8 x 66.7 in GROUND CLEARANCE 6.9 in APPRCH/DEPART ANGLE 16.8/22.1 deg TURNING CIRCLE 37.9 ft CURB WEIGHT 4,084 lb WEIGHT DIST, F/R 57/43% TOWING CAPACITY 3,500 lb SEATING CAPACITY 6 HEADROOM, F/M/R 40.3/39.1/36.8 in LEGROOM, F/M/R 41.4/41.7/29.6 in SHOULDER ROOM, F/M/R 59.1/58.1/53.0 in CARGO VOLUME, BEH F/M/R 75.5/38.5-45.0/12.6 cu ft ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 2.4 sec 0-40 3.6 0-50 4.8 0-60 6.4 0-70 8.1 0-80 10.3 0-90 12.9 0-100 16.0 PASSING, 45-65 MPH 3.1 QUARTER MILE 14.8 sec @ 96.5 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 117 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.84 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 26.6 sec @ 0.66 g (avg) TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 1,600 rpm CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE $40,965 PRICE AS TESTED $42,190 AIRBAGS 6: Dual front, front side, f/m/r curtain BASIC WARRANTY 5 yrs/60,000 miles POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 10 yrs/100,000 miles ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 5 yrs/60,000 miles FUEL CAPACITY 17.7 gal EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 21/28/24 mpg EPA RANGE, COMB 425 mi RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded regular ON SALE Now Our Car SERVICE LIFE 12 mo / 23,033 mi BASE PRICE $40,965 OPTIONS Cross bars ($360); Auto-dimming mirror with HomeLink ($350); Carpeted floor mats ($210); Cargo cover ($190); Carpeted cargo mat ($115) PRICE AS TESTED $42,190 AVG FUEL ECON 22.8 mpg PROBLEM AREAS None TOTAL FUEL COST $4,585 MAINTENANCE COST $354.18 (2- inspection, oil change, tire rotation; in-cabin air filter) NORMAL-WEAR COST $0 3-YEAR RESIDUAL VALUE* $36,700 (87%) RECALLS Replace high-pressure fuel pipe *IntelliChoice data; assumes 42,000 miles at the end of 3-years Show All