England’s EVO magazine is in my opinion, one of the world’s best enthusiast car magazines. The writing is generally good, the stories well conceived, they dig up good news and dirt, and the photography and graphics are compelling. Every so often, the editors put out a collection of tests and stories in book or “bookazine” form. This new one is a pure hardback cover book, focused strictly on the “fast and dangerous” stuff that we all grew up lusting over, those with lots of horsepower and big top speed numbers.
I was hooked by the first five cars…which reads like a list of my personal faves…the book opens with the original exotic supercar, the seminal Lamborghini Miura, and continues with the deTomaso Mangusta, Ferrari Daytona, Maserati Bora, deTomaso Pantera, Boxer, etc. blah, blah, and blah. It’s also chocked full of fresh meat including the latest McLarens and Aventadors and other wonderful craziness.
Both an upside and a down is that each cars only gets a two page spread, so the text, and in some cases the photography, is somewhat limited. What makes that good is that they pack a lot (100 Cars, Tried and Tested, claims the cover) into a compact space, and for a reasonable price. Plus they give you driving impressesions when possible and in most cases. The paper, printing, and binding are first class.
So if you want deep dive history on the development and life of each car referenced, this isn’t the place to get it, but if you want to enjoy your exotics a bite at a time, or give someone a gift full of eye candy, this book fights its weight and earns its price of admission.
Available from Amazon.com and distributed by Hachette Book Group, and a worthy addition to your coffee table.
Published October 6, 2015
by Mitchell Beazley and Evo
ISBN: 978-1784720506