SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP

McLaren's finest faces off Corvette's nat-asp swansong as the Brits and the Americans square up... in a Spanish playground. Expect fireworks

- JETHRO BOVINGDON

There’s an intensity to the McLaren 750S that’s irresistible. It has so many fantastic ingredients – from the clever hydraulically cross linked dampers to the stunning driving position that places you right at the head of its arrowlike silhouette – but above all it’s the outrageous urgency of the experience that lives long in the memory. Every drive ends with the same thought: “How can this be legal?” Followed quickly by, “Thank God it is”.

So, I’m excited to experience the 750S at full flight again on the Circuito de Navarra. But, rather shockingly, I’m even more excited about the Corvette Z06 configured with the extreme, track focused Z07 package. The spec sheet is mouthwatering all on its own, but the stated inspiration behind this car has tipped me over the edge. I hold the Ferrari 458 Speciale as something truly sacred. A perfect storm of high revving V8, sublime poise and scintillating response. Peak Ferrari – which pretty much means peak car, full stop. The team behind the Z06 agree and it was their muse for this amazing project. Only they wanted to go beyond even the Speciale...

Just like the Ferrari, the Z06 has a normally aspirated flat plane crank V8. Only it’s bigger (5.5 litres vs 4.5), produces more power (670bhp vs 597bhp) and murders it for torque (460lb ft vs 398lb ft). The LT6 Gemini engine is handbuilt and swims against the tide of turbocharged engines. It was developed with lessons learned directly from a stripped down Ferrari engine bought on eBay and delivered from Poland to Detroit. Yes, really. Its very existence warms our souls. And it’s just one element of a car that is dripping with intent and the engineering right stuff.