Everyone loves a supercar. I bet even the most hard core environmentalists can't help but notice their hearts skipping a beat when they see a beautiful exotic car go past, engine roar drowning everything else within earshot. And for a car nut like me? Fuhgettaboutit.
First of all, let's define "supercar." For a automobile to be granted that title, it must first be a road car (not a race car), and then match at least 3 of the following 4 criteria:
(1) Very expensive: minimum US$120,000 in today's money. This is a measure of the car's exclusivity.
(2) Extremely fast: In the 1970s minimum 160mph, 1980s minimum 170mph, 1990s minimum 180mph and 2000-present minimum 190mph.
(3) Striking, if not beautiful, design: Self explanatory, I think.
(4) Iconic: If you say the name of the car and then the movie/TV show/celebrity follows, the car is iconic. But it doesn't work the other way around. Ex. Porsche 550 Spyder = James Dean, iconic. Ferrari 550 Maranello... Uh... Not iconic. Same applies to memorable posters and pinups.
For example, a 997 Porsche 911 Carrera has design and icon points, but it fails to meet the top speed limit of 190mph and is well below the $120,000 price minimum. That means it's just 2 out of 4, so it's not a supercar.
The 997 Porsche 911 Turbo, on the other hand, starts at $130,000 and has a top speed of 194mph. And since, like its Carrera sibling, makes the design and icon criteria, it's a definite supercar.
There are also three more rules I'll be using for the purpose of this list.
1. No tuner-specials (like the Ruf 911s or Brabus Benzes), either. These must be factory cars. But one-off special variants don't count, either. It's got to be something the public had access to, so if we are talking about a variant of a model (like the Aston Martin DBS is a variant of the DB9) we will set a minimum of 50 made.
2. A car must have been in production no earlier than in the 70s. The reason is simple: I'm not nearly knowledgeable enough to properly rate cars that were around long before I was born.
3. The car should have been in production for at least 5 years, or is out of production. This is partly a function of the car's "iconic-ness" - tough to tell if a car is iconic if it's a newly-launched model.
The last thing to remember is this: this list isn't about technical achievements, or value-for-money, or handling or any of those things. Its about how these cars make me FEEL. Ultimately, that's what makes supercars great - they way they speak to your heart, long before you'e aven drien them. This is a subjective list, and I urge anyone who reads this to comment on their own top 10.
So with that out of the way, here's my list!
1. 1966-72 Lamborghini Miura
SRP (new): $21,000 ($144,000, 2011 adjusted)
Engine: 3.9L NA V-12
Output: 350bhp/300lb-ft
0-60: 6.3sec
Top Speed: 163mph
About the car: One of the first mid-engined cars and perhaps the first ever mid-engined supercar, it's credited with setting the trend for Italian exotics to follow. But this classic almost never was - Lamborghini's engineering team (against founder Ferruccio Lamborghini's orders) created the Miura in their spare time. The engine placement allowed designer Marcello Gandini of Bertone the freedom to have that sleek, low nose and unmistakable silhouette. Not bad for a little extra credit work - the Miura became the fastest production car in the world.
My take: One of the most beautifully styled cars of all time, the Miura is breathtaking. Evil and sexy and macho and sleek and exotic and more - all at the same time. This is everything the supercar was meant to be.
Interesting fact: If you open the doors of the Miura and roll down the windows, the front silhouette resembles the head of a bull, with the doors as the horns.
2. 1968-76 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona
SRP (new): $19,500 ($126,000, 2011 adjusted)
Engine: 4.4L NA V-12
Output: 353bhp/319lb-ft
0-60: 5.4sec
Top Speed: 173mph
About the car: Coming out a little after Lamborghini's Miura, the Daytona seemed a little old-fashioned. Though the styling was sharper than traditional Ferraris, it wasn't as dramatic as the Lambo, and with the engine at the front, rather than the Miura's mid-ship design, it felt like Ferrari was lagging behind a bit. However, the Daytona had he last laugh - it trounced the Miura's speed record, and kept the title of "Fastest Car in the World" for a staggering 16 years, only giving way for yet another Ferrari, the 288 GTO.
My take: I'll be honest, the styling did little to wow me, but you can't deny that the proportions of this car are just elegant. Something about it seems to give it that air of superiority. It didn't resemble any Ferrari before or since, but that may just have added to the charm of the Daytona.
Interesting fact: The Daytona won the November 1971 Cannonball Run, a road race from New York to Los Angeles. It was piloted by American racer Dan Gurney and Car & Driver writer/racer Brock Yates, and averaged 80mph throughout the nearly 36-hour run.
3. 2004-11 Aston Martin DBS
SRP (new): $265,000 ($276,000 2011 adjusted)
Engine: 6.0L NA V-12
Output: 510bhp/490lb-ft
0-60: 4.3sec
Top Speed: 191mph
About the car: Though Aston Martin considers the DBS to be a completely separate model from the DB9, they aren't fooling anyone - it's simply a DB9 with a V12. It always felt like the DB9 was being held back purposely to avoid stepping on the shoes of the Vanquish, but after the Vanquish was discontinued, the DB9 finally gets a chance to shine. Being a Bond car in its own right (in Casino Royale) helped its cause, but its the performance that sets it apart from its siblings, as well as its 8:04 Nurburgring time, fastest among all Astons.
My take: The DB9 perhaps the most beautiful car in the world and one of the most beautiful ever made, and while the extra vents and bulges and add-ons don't do the elegant design any favors, this is still a very pretty car. And if I ever had one, the James Bond theme would be playing in the stereo on perpetual loop.
Interesting fact: The DBS also made an appearance in The Quantum of Solace, the Bond film after Casino Royale. But it was drowned within the first few minutes of the film. From then on, James Bond drives a Volvo S40 and a Ford Edge. Not at all because Ford had sold its Aston Martin shares and wanted to display its other models... (sheesh).
4. 1984-85 Ferrari 288 GTO
SRP (new): $83,400 ($180,000 2011 adjusted)
Engine: 2.4L Twin-Turbo Flat-6
Output: 400bhp/366lb-ft
0-60: 5.0sec
Top Speed: 190mph
About the car: Only the second car to bear the famous GTO name, the 288 GTO had a lot to live up to. And that it did - in 1984, no car had ever eclipsed the 180mph barrier, but the 288 GTO blitzed that mark, hitting 190mph. Despite being based on an existing car (the 308 GTB), this car was one of the precursors to the hypercar, and that alone justifies its position on this list.
My take: One of the best looking Ferraris of all time is also one of the best performing. That wasn't always the case, but the boys of Maranello got it right with this one.
Ineresting fact: The 288 GTO was originally meant as a homologation special, to be raced in Group B Rallying, but the series never pushed through due to a lack of competitors. The only other entrant - the Porsche 959.
5. 1974-90 Lamborghini Countach
SRP (new): $52,000 ($246,000, 2011 adjusted)
Engine: 4.0L NA V-12
Output: 375bhp/266lb-ft
0-60: 6.8sec
Top Speed: 180mph
About the car: This is the ultimate car pinup of the 70s and 80s, maybe of all time. The scissor doors became a Lamboghini styling trademark used to this day. The Countach went through 5 iterations during its 16-year reign, culminating in the 25th Anniversary edition, which commemorated the founding of Lamborghini the car maker in 1963. This version had a 5.2L V-12 that produced 455bhp and hit 190mph.
My take: The Countach got crazier and crazier styling over the years including big rear wings and more scoops and vents which mimicked the 80's fashions of larger hair, larger shoulder pads, and more garish makeup. It was, by most accounts, an impossible car to drive and live with, but it helped define not one, but two decades, and how many cars ever get to say that?
Interesting fact: The scissor doors were used not just as a styling statement, but because the car was so wide, engineers thought that it would be impossible to swing open the doors had they been of the conventional type.
6. 2003-08 Ford GT
SRP (new): $150,000 ($181,000 2011 adjusted)
Engine: 5.4L Supercharged V-8
Output: 550bhp/500lb-ft
0-60: 3.6sec
Top Speed: 205mph
About the car: The Ford GT is Ford's first supercar since... the GT40 of the 60s. Meant to be the flagship in Ford's revival project of its "heritage" names, such as the Mustang and Thunderbird, the GT doesn't hide its retro-ness. The shape is basically a larger version of the original, and even the holes in the bucket seats are lifted from the GT40. But the new GT's performance is extremely modern - and pushing on hypercar territory.
My take: How awesome does this car look? It's not pretty, or elegant, or even particularly sleek. But it's awesome. And with enough speed to shame almost anything else on the road, it's got awesome performance to match it's awesome looks.
Interesting fact: Ford couldn't call this car a GT40, because it doesn't own the GT40 name. A company called Safir Spares bought the rights to the name from Safir Engineering, which is a British company that assembled the GT40 during its heyday.
7. 1994-99 Ferrari F355
SRP (new): $130,000 ($195,000 2011 adjusted)
Engine: 3.5L NA V-8
Output: 380bhp/268lb-ft
0-60: 4.6sec
Top Speed: 183mph
About the car: One of the most beautiful Ferraris ever, the 355 was a quantum leap forward from its predecessor, the 348. Among other technological advancements, it had 5 valves per cylinder (unlike 4 in the 348), electronically controlled suspension, and one of the first ever F1-style paddleshift transmissions ever fitted to a road car. The F355 was the car that transformed Ferrari's "entry-level" car from a fancy cruiser into a serious performance machine.
My take: Three Ferraris in the top 10? It was a tough call, and the hardest one to make, but I couldn't find anything to beat it (and I really tried). You could actually have put the 360 Modena (which had sweetest engine note this side of an F1 car) or the F430 (considered to be one of the greatest driver's cars ever) here instead. Each one didn't just update the old car but outright destroyed it. But the F355 is the model that made Ferrari's "cheapest" car become something special in its own right.
Interesting fact: The F355 spawned one of the best racing simulations ever, The Ferrari F355 Challenge, by Sega. It was a hardcore sim for a hardcore race-gamer. It was best experienced in the arcades, with the 3-screen display.
8. 1997 Lotus Esprit V8
SRP (new): $79,325 ($110,000 2011 adjusted)
Engine: 3.8L Twin-Turbo V-8
Output: 350bhp/295lb-ft
0-60: 4.4sec
Top Speed: 178mph
About the car: The Esprit had one of the longest production runs in the history of supercars, from 1976 to 2004. That's 28 years! In that span, it changed many, many times, but it never strayed from Colin Chapman's motto: "Simplify, and add lightness." But with this variant, lotus kept the lightness while adding V-8 power, an amazing combination.
My take: The Esprit technically didn't qualify as a supercar - it's $10,000 short of the $120k mark, and 2mph short of the 180mph mark. But it came so close, and as a certified Bond car (1977's The Spy Who Loved Me) with a Giorgetto Giugiaro shape, it sneaks its way into the list. Hey, it's my list!
Interesting fact: Though the Esprit was originally designed by Giugaiaro, the 80s and 90s models had styling tweaks made by Peter Stevens (who would later work on the McLaren F1) and Julian Thompson, both in-house Lotus designers. The tweaks were minor and mostly softened the angles and corners, but the profile stayed quite true to the original.
9. 2010-Present Porsche 911 GT2 RS
SRP (new): $245,950
Engine: 3.6L Twin-Turbo Flat-6
Output: 611bhp/516lb-ft
0-60: 3.5sec
Top Speed: 205mph
About the car: How fast is the GT2 RS? It's sied for the fastest ever Porsche, at 205mph - equaling the Carrera GT hypercar. But it's more powerful (611bhp vs. 605bhp) and faster to 60mph from a standing start (3.5sec vs. 3.9sec). There are reports that the GT2 RS went by the code name "727" during production - referring to the 7:27 Nurburgring lap time set by the Nissan GT-R. The aim of the the GT2 RS was to beat that time, and it did, with a 7:19 time (Nissan has since posted a 7:24 time with the GT-R on a damp track).
My take: I've never been a huge 911 fan, but have always liked the GT3 RS, and this is basically a GT3 RS with a turbo! Though the 911 GT2 RS technically just came out last year, it's a 997, which was launched in 2005. This car is on the verge of hypercar territory, held back mostly by the fact that its a souped up 911 (and souped-up supercars don't count as hypercars).
Interesting fact: Oddly enough, the GT2 RS is NOT the fastest accelerating Porsche currently in production. That distinction belongs to the 911 Turbo S, which does 0-60 in just 3.1 seconds - 0.3sec faster that the GT2 RS. This is probably due to the Turbo S' 4WD system (being able to deliver all the power to the ground) and the PDK transmission, to the GT2 RS' RWD configuration and manual gearbox.
10. 1978-81 BMW M1
SRP (new): $110,000 ($388,000 2011 adjusted)
Engine: 3.5L NA Inline-6
Output: 277bhp/243lb-ft
0-60: 6.2sec
Top Speed: 162mph
About the car: BMW's first and only mid-engined car and its first and only supercar, the M1 was the first project of the BMW's fabled M-Division. Though a homologation special for the FIA-Sanctioned M1 Procar Series, the car was lauded by the automotive press for having both great handling and a great ride. The twin roundels on the back are a design triumph, and this may be the best German-Italian collaboration since, well, never mind...
My take: Yes, this is partly as a result of my BMW bias. But more importantly, this is genesis for the M cars, which I absolutely love. Just for that, this car deserves a spot on this list.
Interesting fact: The car was fitted with BMW's own straight-six engine (codenamed M88/1), but everything else was made by Lamborghini, and the body was sculpted by Giorgetto Giugiaro.
Honorable Mentions:
2001-10 Lamborghini Murcielago
SRP (new): $270,000 ($340,000 2011 adjusted)
Engine: 6.2L NA V-12
Output: 577bhp/479lb-ft
0-60: 3.8sec
Top Speed: 210mph
My take: Thankfully, Audi didn't try to tame this raging bull. It was loud, brash, and fast - a worthy successor to the Diablo. The LP 670-4 SV is pretty damn near hypercar status, too.
1999-05 Ferrari 360 Modena
SRP (new): $140,000 ($187,000 2011 adjusted)
Engine: 3.6L NA V-8
Output: 395bhp/275lb-ft
0-60: 4.3sec
Top Speed: 189mph
2004-09 Ferrari F430
SRP (new): $171,000 ($203,000 2011 adjusted)
Engine: 4.3L NA V-8
Output: 483bhp/470lb-ft
0-60: 3.9sec
Top Speed: 198mph
My take: Either the 360 or the 430 could have slotted into the #8 slot in place of the F355. The 360 may have had the better noise, but the 430 was more of a driver's car.
1990-05 Honda NSX
SRP (new): $60,000 ($104,000 2011 adjusted)
Engine: 3.0L NA V-6
Output: 270bhp/210lb-ft
0-60: 5.6sec
Top Speed: 168mph
My take: Like the Esprit, doesn't quite fit the supercar description. But Gordon Murray said it best: "The moment I drove the NSX, all the benchmark cars—Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini—I had been using as references in the development of my car [the McLaren F1] vanished from my mind."
1984-1996 Ferrari Testarossa
SRP (new): $181,000 ($391,000, 2011 adjusted)
Engine: 4.9L NA Flat-12
Output: 390bhp/354lb-ft
0-60: 5.2sec
Top Speed: 180mph
About the car: If the Countach was the ultimate pinup, then the Testarrossa was the movie star - or more appropriately, TV star. It's popularity was boosted by its recurring role in the TV show "Miami Vice" as Sonny Crockett's car. It also was the feature car of the very popular video game "Outrun," by Sega.
5 Cars to look out for in the next list:
Ferrari 458 Italia
Mercedes Benz SLS AMG
Lamborghini Aventador
McLaren MP4-12C
Aston Martin Virage
Watch out for the next top 10 list, my top 10 favorite hypercars!
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