After a hiatus last year, for obvious reasons, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) test day was back at Millbrook Proving Ground on the 13th of July. The normally annual event brings a huge array of the latest models from some of the biggest manufacturers on the market, which included everything from McLaren and Bentley to Toyota and Mini. Usually a few of us fly down on the morning of the event and fly back in the evening, however due to the pandemic I decided to drive down instead. This meant I could get to Millbrook at the start of the event, so I managed to book slots on some of the more desirable cars.
Doors opened at 8am with driving starting at 9am, I arrived at 8:10 giving me plenty of time to register and book some slots. First stop was the Porsche stand, the GT4 would be mine at 9:40. Then to the McLaren stand to book a slot for the 720S Spider, a car I’ve been really excited to drive since it launched, midday would be my chance to find out if it lives up to the hype.
M4 Competition
9:00am came around quickly and the driving started, I was at the BMW stand as the clock ticked over, the grille of the G82 M4 Competition was staring at me, most manufacturers were running a first come first served policy, so if the car was on their stand, and sanitised, it was available to drive. After signing an indemnity form I took the M4 Competition to the alpine course, while the styling may have split opinions there’s no denying its a very capable car. Producing 510bhp from its twin turbo inline six, it has plenty of grunt. It was very stable even when pushing on through the very technical track. Compared to previous generation M4 CS I’d driven before the G82 was more composed and grown up, this could be put down to the conditions though as it was bone dry on the day but slightly damp when I drove the CS so traction was a slight issue, no issues with traction in the G82, holding the road impressively.
718 GT4
My time with the GT4 arrived, this was an accompanied drive, the only one of the day, and masked to comply with the regulations. A 414bhp mid-engined 4.0 mated to a manual gearbox and rear wheel drive, the perfect recipe for a sports car. A well balanced car, very nimble. It was nice to have a proper manual, it featured an auto-blip mode to rev-match on the downshifts. Gearing is very long however and due to the twisty nature of the track you only really needed 2nd gear, this is the only criticism of the GT4 its easy to place on the road, perfectly sized too, it makes you feel like part of the car. The engine sings too especially at the high end of the rev band. A car I’d love to have in my garage.
GR Yaris
The car everyone is talking about at the moment; the Homologation Special GR Yaris. 261bhp, 4WD and a totally redesigned body, it has the road presence of a rally car with the huge flared arches. Onto the alpine track I put it into Race mode, giving a 50-50 power split. Sticking your foot down it just gets up and goes, it takes corners in its stride too, although the backend stepped out a little bit on one occasion, which was easily corrected. It is relatively quiet but has some nice turbo whistles an dump valve noises. It deserves all the plaudits its received, a very fun car to blast around some nice roads.
Audi e-tron S
With 2030 fast approaching it seems like the perfect time to try out a fully electric car, Audi brought along a vast selection of their fully electric e-tron models, including the GT. My first fully electric driving experience was an e-tron S, I’ve driven a few hybrids that start in fully electric mode and still find it really weird when you press the start button to no noise, just the dashboard coming to life. The instant power could be very addictive, it doesn’t seem like you’re going as fast without any noise though. Getting to the corners the weight begins to show itself a bit more but it was manageable. A nice start to fully electric motoring for me. Between laps of the alpine circuit I spotted an Aston Martin Valkyrie ready to be loaded onto a trailer too, I really wasn’t expecting to see that.
Mini E S
Straight to another electric car, this time the Mini E S, this was my most surprising car of the day. Instant power whenever you wanted it, accompanied by a sci-fi whizzing noise. Unlike the e-tron, the Mini felt light on its wheels, taking the alpine track with ease. I’d have liked to drive the Mini GP to compare it to the E but every time I tried to get a shot there was already a queue in front of me. The Mini E was definitely a highlight of the day, gave me confidence that cars can still be great fun once full electrification takes place. The regenerative braking is very noticeable too, you only need one pedal really, as the car stops as soon as you come off the accelerator. On the way back to the steering pad, where all the cars were parked up, I saw another hypercar out testing, this time the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50, another car I never expected to see, Millbrook is a mad place.
Golf GTi Clubsport 45
Back to a traditional hot hatch, the Golf GTi Clubsport 45, the 45th anniversary of the original GTi. It keeps true to the original format, fast and practical. It packs a huge punch with almost 300bhp, it handled the alpine course with ease too, pointing it at a corner and it would tuck its nose in nicely. The 45 gets a few upgrades from a standard Clubsport including an titanium Akrapovic exhaust which sounded meaty, I expected lots of pops and bangs but to my surprise not a single one, it was a nice change to be honest. Overall a very grown up hot hatch.
Bugatti Baby II
One of the most unusual cars at the SMMT test day was the Bugatti Baby II from the Little Car Company, a three quarter scale fully electric replica of the Bugatti Type 35. It is a fully licensed Bugatti product too, with only 500 being made, coming in at an eye-watering £60k. It was a fun little car to take around a lap of the steering pad, I can now say I’ve driven a Bugatti.
720S Spider
11:55 rolled round so I headed over to the McLaren, the 720S Spider was just arriving back with Sam Moores at the wheel, one of the best automotive photographers in the business. After a quick chat with Sam I stepped into the 720S, then a quick overview of what all the buttons did from the McLaren representative and he said “that’s it, enjoy”. Before even starting the car I noticed the brake pedal was very stiff, needing a decent amount of pressure to move it. This 720S was a spider so the roof was down before setting off. For a change the 720S was only available to drive on a road route. On the road heading to the exit gate of Millbrook I gave it a quick blast at half throttle, acceleration was stunning. Once out on the road flicked on the active control putting the powertrain and handling into sport mode, keeping the gearbox in manual too. The roads were very quiet and the first straight I found had no traffic so it was time to put the foot down. Wow, I can’t repeat what I said as there were a few expletives but it was blistering pace the car took off with. Onto the brakes and it gives you plenty of confidence that they will stop you almost as quickly as it accelerates and the rearview mirror is nothing but spoiler as the active aero comes into play. My first couple of pulls I found myself short shifting, I finally found the courage to get into the top end of the rev band, the power just kept building as you got higher in the range, with no let up as you go through the gears. The gearbox was seamless too, as soon as you pull the paddle the next gear is engaged, both up and down the box, downshifts were accompanied by a huge crackle every now and again, bringing a huge smile to my face. The car felt very low, almost as if you are sitting on the ground, visibility is great though, big windscreen and lack of roof mean you have a pretty much 360 degree view. The attention the 720S receives is amazing, I stopped for a few photos and a guy came over and spoke to me and took some photos, sitting at traffic lights you notice a lot of stares too. Everyone needs to have a go in a 720S, its the fastest car I have ever driven. I had to take a break from driving to recover from what I’d just experienced.
Bentley Continental GTC V8
Back to the alpine course, this time with a bit more refinement in the Bentley Continental GTC V8. As soon as you step into the car you notice how nice a place it is to sit, with quilted leather seats and trim, Breitling clock and various settings for the dashboard including a screen, clocks and an empty wooden panel to match the rest of the trim, each swivel round at the touch of a button. Pushing the starter button the refinement continued, the V8 purred into life. The Continental GTC is a grand tourer so the alpine route would maybe be a bit out of its comfort zone. I did put it into sport mode though, it definitely made the exhaust a bit louder and ride firmer. Its no slouch packing a 550bhp from the twin turbo V8. For a big car it handles remarkably when thrown at some twisties, and does so in comfort. When cornering hard the seat also hugs you, holding you in place perfectly, I didn’t expect the hug right enough so got a shock at first but it is a really nice feature. A great car to take on a road trip to the south of France and also be able to enjoy the mountain passes down there too.
Bentley Bentayga V8
When I got back to the Bentley stand I jumped straight into the Bentayga V8, running the same twin turbo V8 as the Continental GT I just stepped out of, straight into sport mode again. The interior is also very plush, total luxury. Even with more weight over the Continental GT the Bentayga didn’t feel that big, it seemed easy to place on the road. The pickup is also very quick for a big car, the huge torque figure probably does help, 770Nm. Amazingly capable car, also the car I got the most air in over the jump.
Megane RS300
The Renault Megane RS 300 was probably my favourite hot hatch of the day. Renault have a real knack for making a hot hatch, the first turn in felt so sharp, you just think about turning the wheel and the car is through the corner. This car featured a paddle shift gearbox with the paddles fixed to the steering column, rather than turning with the wheel, this took a little bit of time to get used to, the gearbox was quick though. The Megane made a good sound too, a growl you’d expect from a hot hatch, with a few pops and bangs added when shifting.
GT-R Nismo
The Nissan GT-R Nismo is one of those halo cars that has a special place in a lot of people’s hearts. The standard GT-R is not a subtle car but the Nismo adds a bigger spoiler, body kit and wheels, lots of carbon fibre. The Nismo is at home on the alpine route, it eats up the twists and turns with ease. It felt like it was on rails, seemed as if it would be very difficult to upset the car it really does give you confidence to push it to its limits. It has the familiar exhaust note too, a unique characteristic of the GT-R. One of my favourite cars of the day.
Alpine A110 Pure
One of the most popular cars on the day was the Alpine A110, there was always a queue waiting for one of the two cars to come back, I managed to get a run in one at the end of the day. The car I took was the stunningly spec’d deep purple paint with gold wheels, the very car Amy Shore took to Goodwood Festival of Speed the previous weekend, which was cool. Getting it up to the Alpine route you immediately notice how light the car is, you can place the car exactly where you want it. It also sounds really good. Like the Megane, the A110 also features a paddle shift gearbox with the static paddles. The A110 is definitely a proper drivers car, it would be fun on some Scottish B-roads. On the final trip back to the steering pad I saw another Aston Martin Valkyrie, a green one this time, it must’ve been the car shown at Goodwood.
Conclusion
The SMMT, as always, is a great opportunity to get some drive time in some amazing cars, on an iconic route at Millbrook. I drove a big selection of cars, my favourite of the day had to be the McLaren 720S Spider, I’d heard a lot about it since its launch and it didn’t disappoint, the mind warping acceleration was unbelievable. Maserati also brought the brand new MC20, it was only on display but was nice to have a look around it. A great day all round.
