The editorial car selection

Published on 22/10/2021 à 15:00

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Audi R8 RWD

Will you take some power boost?

If you dream of a sports car with the face of a supercar and a dream engine, the Audi R8 ticks all the boxes with its elitist plastic and its fabulous naturally aspirated V10. The RWD version, pure propulsion, still forms the entry level of the beautiful German. And for the 2022 model year, it becomes more powerful: its 5.2 liter unit goes from 540 to 570 hp, while the maximum torque climbs to 550 Nm. Enough to reduce the 0 to 100 km/h in 3”7 and reach 329 km/h at peak, i.e. 79 km/h more than the maximum speed of the future Alpine A110 of the National Gendarmerie. In France, the base price of this new R8 RWD should be around 150 euros… before penalty.

Ford Focus ST

Restyling for lack of RS version

Fans of compact sports cars are familiar with the Ford Focus RS, the first iteration of which dates back to the time when the oval brand shone in WRC with Colin McRae. In its third version marketed until 2018, it even benefited from a tasty all-wheel drive, capable of transforming it into a real drift machine, in addition to a 4-cylinder turbo pushed to 350 hp. Unfortunately, CO quotas₂ and anti-pollution standards, more drastic than ever in Europe, pushed Ford to abandon developing a 4^e generation. We must therefore make do with the “single traction” ST version, which has just gone through the restyling box. It still develops 280 hp and offers the choice between a manual or a 7-speed automatic transmission.

Alpines 110

26, here are the Gendarmes

If you commit a serious speeding violation on a French motorway next year, you will have a high “chance” of noticing in your rear-view mirrors a Alpine A110 chasing you, siren blaring. The National Gendarmerie has just placed an order for 26 copies of theAlpine A110 to renew its fleet of rapid intervention vehicles. Last year, it had already ordered 17 Seat Leon Cupras of 300 hp to replace its aging ones. Renault Third generation Megane RS. The Ministry of the Interior is thus making the bold choice of a real sports car, exactly like in the good old days of the 1970s when 10 Alpine A110s of the first generation crisscrossed the country's highways.