Will choosing this year’s top 3 hidden gems reveal something about yourself? [Personally moving gems of 2024]

The vehicle weighs just 910 kg

I’ve liked all the Suzuki Swifts released so far, from the second generation onwards. They’re not particularly “sporty” but they drive well and the ride is not rough. Everyone has different preferences for exterior design, and some people may find the interior quality lacking, but the basic performance of running, stopping, and turning is well-built and doesn’t feel cheap. And yet, the price is reasonable and the fuel economy is good. It’s rare to find such a well-made compact car anywhere in the world.

The latest fifth-generation model debuted in 2023, but the test drive event was held in January 2024. So, in this column, I’ll be introducing the new Swift, which not only inherits the good points of its predecessor, but also astonished us with its lightweight design, with the entry-level model weighing just 910 kg! Even the top-of-the-line 4WD model weighs just 1,020 kg.

Thanks to this, the WLTC fuel economy is over 22km/L across the board, yet the lowest-priced version is priced at just over 1.7 million yen, and even the highest-grade 4WD is priced at just over 2.5 million yen, making it a very affordable option. This is also thanks to the lightweight design (lightweight = less material = cheaper), and it goes without saying that it has a low environmental impact, even when evaluated using the trendy life cycle assessment. I think this compact car proves once again that lightweight cars are good. It’s a source of pride for Japan.

Incredible carbon monocoque dry weight

The McLaren GTS is an improved version of the McLaren GT, but perhaps because the difference in appearance is small, it didn’t attract much attention. However, once you get in, you’ll notice the big improvements. Above all, the ride comfort has improved dramatically.

I often hear people say that the McLaren GT is the most comfortable car in the company’s current lineup. I personally thought that it was on par with the McLaren 750S in terms of comfort, but there were some weaknesses, such as the suspension’s somewhat vague start to move, and the momentary damping becoming weak when the suspension stroke reverses from extension to compression, or from compression to extension. These issues have been completely resolved in the GTS, and I feel that the quality of comfort has been further improved. This allows the car to smoothly absorb road undulations, allowing it to corner while maintaining a stable posture on any road surface.

As for the engine, you can enjoy the precise rotation of a V8, and the linearity of the power and response are also excellent. The engine sound, with its remarkable precision, is sensual for a V8, and the spaciousness of the luggage room, one of the GT’s selling points, is impressive. In particular, it’s great that you can fit a small bag behind the seat. The GTS also boasts a carbon monocoque and a light dry weight of 1,520 kg. Maybe I just have a weight fetish?

Equipped with a naturally aspirated V12 engine

What really confirmed my fetish for weight was the “GMA T.50,” a car built by my idol, Gordon Murray, for the first time in a long time. It’s equipped with a naturally aspirated V12 engine that can spin up to 11,000 rpm, yet its dry weight is only 997 kg! That’s the same as the Suzuki Swift. It’s beyond amazing, it’s nothing short of a miracle.

Of course, a carbon monocoque is used to achieve this, but the attention to detail in making all parts as light and compact as possible, and drilling light holes, etc., is astounding. In fact, the entire concept of the car is built on the premise of “lightness,” to the point that it would not be an exaggeration to say that the external dimensions of 4,352 mm in length and 1,850 mm in width were designed to reduce weight.

Of course, since it’s made by Gordon, there’s no such thing as “light, bad” and when you hear the “angelic voice” of the V12 engine, it’s so moving that it almost makes you faint. And the smoothness of its rotation and the agile pickup are so amazing that they seem to speak volumes about what a naturally aspirated engine is.

What’s more, the ride is incredibly comfortable, and the handling is incredibly precise, which is impressive. …But all of the above is based on my impressions of riding in the T.50 driven by Dario Franchitti, and I didn’t actually drive it myself. But the T.50 was such an amazing car that I could relate to every single one of those emotions.

So, I guess you could say this year was the year that it became clear that I have a lightweight fetish.

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Motor journalists have had the opportunity to come into contact with a wide variety of new models due to the nature of their work. In this section, they select hidden gems from among the cars they test drove in 2024. Jun Nishikawa, a member of the Japan Car of the Year selection committee, has selected cars that did not make it into the top 10…