The soft option
@evomagazine
@evomagazine
READING JETHRO BOVINGDON’S LATEST COLUMN (evo 282), I was pleased to discover I’m not the only one who’s in favour of increased ride heights and chubby sidewalls to improve our performance cars.
Back in 1997 I sketched what I thought the still-secret Cayenne was going to be: a Boxster Concept Coupe Safari, naturally. Here we are 24 years later and my dream of a lifted sports car is here, with a Porsche shape – and a Singer price tag.
When I drive my own ND2 Miata (MX-5) RF, I vacillate wildly between ‘fixing’ the suspension, which would have the unwelcome effect of making it less useful on bad roads or accessing some driveways, or leaving it stock. But a third option really could exist: a Miata set-up akin to an Ariel Nomad. A Safari Targa perhaps?
While Jethro’s idea of an Audi A1 citycarver turned gravel hero would likely find more buyers, a rear-wheel-drive rally coupe like an Escort 1600 (or perhaps, more deliciously, an 037) as a road car makes a ton of sense to me. Bring on the Alpine A110 Sports X,
