2010s

Which decade can claim the greatest driver's cars? Which era best encapsulates the thrill of driving?

- JAMES TAYLOR

Our five-part series continues to trace the trajectory of the performance car, from the 1980s to the present day. Our aim: to find the absolute evo sweet spot, the era when all the stars aligned – technology, road conditions, running costs, car culture and of course, the cars themselves. This month, we've reached the 2010s, the decade that saw a new wave of turbocharging, the spread of paddleshift automatic gearboxes, and ever-expanding dimensions with kerb weights to match. Did that mean an end for pure driving fun?

'WHERE'S YOUSUF?' THE NIGHT IS DRAWING IN, AND SO IS the weather. Rain is blowing sideways across the North York Moors and lashing the White Horse Inn's windowpanes as we assemble on the eve of this penultimate Eras chapter. Tucked away in the car park are a pair of all-time great hot hatches, a featherweight mid-engined sports car, a high-tech all-wheel-drive heavyweight, and the 'control' car running through each Eras test: a Porsche 911 Carrera. And preparing to tuck in for the night inside the hotel are evo's Dickie Meaden, Sam Jenkins, Aston Parrott and I.

No sign so far of senior staff writer Yousuf Ashraf, however. Phone calls go straight to voicemail. WhatsApp ticks remain singular and grey. Just as we're considering sending out a search party, the windowpanes rattle once more, this time to the bassy burr of a twin-turbo flat-plane V8. A McLaren 650S Spider pulls into the car park, Yousuf at the wheel.