Which sucks.
And, I know what you're saying. Fight the system. Don't go quietly into that good night. You can't let The Man win. But it's too late, friends. The wind is out of my sails. I stand before you a shattered and broken man. Every ounce of will and perseverance drained from my body, leaving only the husk of a man that you see before you today. A hollow shell of his former self.
Also, from now on, I'm typing these damned things in MS Word and saving a new copy every two minutes. That way you don't have to be subjected to posts such as this in the future...
To sum up the gist of the now long-lost-blog-that-never-was, basically, even though I love the sixties, and it will always be my favourite decade of automobile production, in reality, the cars made today are much, much better. I debated the merits of favourite vs best, why they're not always one-and-the-same, and concluded that although my soft spot will always be for the sixties, the stuff being made today is a very close second. I also determined that I would not be able to narrow it down to 10 favourite cars, and once again decided to split the decade into two lists (and amended the decade to include 2010 and 2011, thus making my math appear slightly suspect, when in reality, it was completely intentional...)
And after all that, we got on with the list.
2004 Porsche Carrera GT
Porsche, for all it's proud history and racing heritage, had never really built a true supercar. Sure, the GT1 would definitely meet all the criteria to be considered one, but that was really just a race car with signal lights bolted on to meet homologation regulations. And they only made the very bare minimum 25 cars required for that. No, I'm talking about something that was absolutely bonkers, but still designed to actually be driven on public roads. Some of the 911 Turbos, and super-light GT2 and RS cars were close, but none were really crazy enough to merit true consideration. Which is where the Carrera GT comes in. Forget the rear engine nonsense, they finally went with the proven mid-engine layout. They also ditched their usual flat-6 engine for something with a little more grunt. By the time they finished wrapping some sexy body work around the frame, Porsche was without a supercar no more.
Layout: Mid Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 5.7 L V10
Horsepower: 612 bhp
Torque: 435 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 3042 lbs
Top Speed: 205 mph
Zero to Sixty: 3.8 seconds
Porsche, for all it's proud history and racing heritage, had never really built a true supercar. Sure, the GT1 would definitely meet all the criteria to be considered one, but that was really just a race car with signal lights bolted on to meet homologation regulations. And they only made the very bare minimum 25 cars required for that. No, I'm talking about something that was absolutely bonkers, but still designed to actually be driven on public roads. Some of the 911 Turbos, and super-light GT2 and RS cars were close, but none were really crazy enough to merit true consideration. Which is where the Carrera GT comes in. Forget the rear engine nonsense, they finally went with the proven mid-engine layout. They also ditched their usual flat-6 engine for something with a little more grunt. By the time they finished wrapping some sexy body work around the frame, Porsche was without a supercar no more.
Layout: Front Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 5.4 L V8
Horsepower: 617 bhp
Torque: 575 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 3898 lbs
Top Speed: 208 mph
Zero to Sixty: 3.2 seconds
Mercedes has quietly been making some of the most powerful cars on the road. Within their stable is the E 63 (518 bhp), the S 65 (608 bhp), the CL 65 (621 bhp), the SL 65 Black Series (661 bhp), and the SLS (563 bhp). All of those numbers are staggering, and yet, Mercedes isn't one of the first names that usually pops into a person's head when a discussion of the most powerful cars in the world comes up. Which is why they teamed with McLaren (whose only other car at the time was the phenomenal F1) to produce this: a balls-to-the-wall GT car. Fast, powerful, and with all the luxury that you'd expect from Mercedes. But this time, with enough flash to get noticed, and at least mentioned alongside the other supercars of it's ilk.
2002 Ferrari Enzo
Let's get this out of the way, right now. The Enzo is not a pretty car. At all. But it doesn't need to be. All it needs to do is go very, very fast. And it certainly does just that. Of course, it would have to, if it was going to be the company's posthumous tribute to the man whose blood, sweat and tears made the company what it is today. I mean, you can't just name any old Ferrari an Enzo. It has to be the best one ever built if it's going to carry the founder's name on it for all time. And if making it a little uglier results in a little more performance, then who am I to argue? Besides, it's not like Enzo Ferrari, the man, was particularly good looking either.
Layout: Mid Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 6.0 L V12
Horsepower: 651 bhp
Torque: 485 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 3020 lbs
Top Speed: 220 mph
Zero to Sixty: 3.2 seconds
Let's get this out of the way, right now. The Enzo is not a pretty car. At all. But it doesn't need to be. All it needs to do is go very, very fast. And it certainly does just that. Of course, it would have to, if it was going to be the company's posthumous tribute to the man whose blood, sweat and tears made the company what it is today. I mean, you can't just name any old Ferrari an Enzo. It has to be the best one ever built if it's going to carry the founder's name on it for all time. And if making it a little uglier results in a little more performance, then who am I to argue? Besides, it's not like Enzo Ferrari, the man, was particularly good looking either.
2006 Koenigsegg CCX
Ah the Swedes. If they can design a cheap bookshelf that I can put together using just the provided Allen key, and only have three pieces left over when I'm done assembling it, why can't they build a supercar as well? The short answer to that is that they can, and they did. In fact, for a brief time (6 months) prior to the arrival of the Bugatti Veyron, the CCR held the record of world's fastest production car, which had previously been dominated for over a decade by the McLaren F1. But even more impressive than that is the unofficial record that the CCX holds for the world's fastest speeding ticket (allegedly 242 mph in a 70 mph zone in May of 2003). That's the sort of thing worth getting framed and hung on your wall.
Layout: Mid Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 4.7 L V8
Horsepower: 806 bhp
Torque: 678 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 2601 lbs
Top Speed: 245 mph
Zero to Sixty: 3.2 seconds
Ah the Swedes. If they can design a cheap bookshelf that I can put together using just the provided Allen key, and only have three pieces left over when I'm done assembling it, why can't they build a supercar as well? The short answer to that is that they can, and they did. In fact, for a brief time (6 months) prior to the arrival of the Bugatti Veyron, the CCR held the record of world's fastest production car, which had previously been dominated for over a decade by the McLaren F1. But even more impressive than that is the unofficial record that the CCX holds for the world's fastest speeding ticket (allegedly 242 mph in a 70 mph zone in May of 2003). That's the sort of thing worth getting framed and hung on your wall.
2006 Ascari A10
Layout: Mid Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine:4.9 L V8
Horsepower: 625 bhp
Torque: 413 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 2822 lbs
Top Speed: 215 mph
Zero to Sixty: 2.8 seconds
Ascari is fairly new, and largely unheard of in the eyes of the general public. But their efforts so far have been more than enough to get me to stand up and take notice. The KZ1 was very good looking, and none-too-shabby in the performance department, and it's successor, the A10, is a legitimate supercar. Plus, I just know that at least one of my readers will love the fact that it's the brain-child of a Dutch millionaire (even if the engine is from BMW, and the company is based out of England). Need more convincing? Look at every car on this list. Every one of them (yes, even the Veyron*). This car had a faster lap time on the Top Gear Test Track than all of them.
*Yes, the Super Sport did eventually post a faster lap time, but I prefer the original Veyron to the Super Sport version, and that's the one on this list, and that's the one that was a full second slower around the track in Dunsfold.
2005 Ford GT
Layout: Mid Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 5.4 L V8
Horsepower: 550 bhp
Torque: 500 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 3485 lbs
Top Speed: 205 mph
Zero to Sixty: 3.3 seconds
This car was the centerpiece of my debate about the sixties versus today. The GT looks very similar to the GT-40 of old, it's more powerful and even more importantly, street legal. It's undoubtedly more comfortable, and livable, and drivable, and reliable (although Jeremy Clarkson had nothing but problems with his). So why is the GT-40 one of my favourite cars ever made, and the GT barely made the top five of a list that doesn't even cover an entire decade? Well, you'll simply have to believe me when I assure you that I made a very good case, and came to a Pulitzer-worthy conclusion that even the most simple of men could understand on the matter. Unfortunately, that post was lost for all time, and you'll just have to accept this inconclusive re-hash, that leaves those important questions completely unanswered.
2006 Lamborghini Murciélago LP 640
Layout: Mid Engine, All Wheel Drive
Engine: 6.5 L V12
Horsepower: 631 bhp
Torque: 487 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 3638 lbs
Top Speed: 211 mph
Zero to Sixty: 3.3 seconds
It's hard to say that the Murcielago is 'toned-down' and keep a straight face - it's still pretty crazy looking - but really, when compared to the Diablo and the Countach, it's practically subtle. This was the first all-new model created by the company after Audi took over ownership of the struggling company in 1998, and although not quite as in-your-face (in terms of styling) as the company's previous aforementioned flagship cars, this Lamborghini is anything but tame by comparison.
2006 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
Layout: Front Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 6.0 L V12
Horsepower: 611 bhp
Torque: 448 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 3722 lbs
Top Speed: 205 mph
Zero to Sixty: 3.4 seconds
Speaking of subtle, it's third on a list of the things that I love most about this Ferrari. I mean, it doesn't look like a family car or anything, but it's still not aggressive enough in appearance to make you think that it's actually the most powerful and indeed fastest car that Ferrari currently makes. I know that a 12-year-old Travis would kick me in the shins and shake his head with disgust at the very notion of it, but as I get older, it becomes more and more clear to me: there's something to be said for subtlety. Oh, and in case you're wondering, the first and second things that I like most about this car are the engine and the engine (in that order).
2006 Pagani Zonda F Roadster
Layout: Mid Engine, Rear Wheel Drive
Engine: 7.3 L V12
Horsepower: 650 bhp
Torque: 575 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 2822 lbs
Top Speed: 215 mph
Zero to Sixty: 3.5 seconds
Pagani gets it. They really do. It's not about having the very best performance. It's not about having the most functionality. It's about making the 12-year-old boy that lives inside every one of us, wet himself at the very sight of it. It's about the pure lunacy of it all. Sure, some cars accelerate faster, and some cars have a higher top speed, and that makes them supercars in their own right. But the Zonda is the very essence of what a supercar should be. It's the Webster's definition. Just look at the interior. They could have gotten rid of all that stuff, or at least used more practical switches and knobs. But they didn't. They understand that the little things matter. That 60kg of less weight might make it go 2.5% faster, but it also makes it 30% less desirable. And in a supercar, desirability matters. Why? Because most guys that pay over a million dollars for a car will never actually push the car to it's very limits on a race track, but they will be smiling from ear-to-ear and happy to have paid every penny because of it, when they have to flip a switch straight out of a WWII bomber plane just to turn on the hazard lights.
2005 Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4
Layout: Mid Engine, All Wheel Drive
Engine: 8.0L W16
Horsepower: 987 bhp
Torque: 922 ft lbs
Curb Weight: 4162 lbs
Top Speed: 253 mph
Zero to Sixty: 2.5 seconds
Bugatti gets it too. Just be the very best. And although it's all very mechanical and precise as compared to the Zonda, which is carefree and full of soul, it's still the greatest achievement in automotive engineering ever. And that can't be ignored. Sure, it's a bit too heavy to be considered quick, but nothing is faster. And more importantly, nothing goes as fast with less drama. Sure, you can strap a rocket to a pair of roller skates and do 300 mph, but the whole time you'll be flying along, the very bolts seemingly shaking loose beneath you, not wondering if you might die - no, that's a foregone conclusion - but rather when you will die, and in what manner. And supposedly a lot of cars are like that too. Sure, plenty have been made that are capable of breaking the illustrious 200 mph barrier that separates supercars from mere mortals, but most of them feel more like the rocket-powered roller skates if they actually do so. From all accounts, however, the Veyron is different. It feels more like a Bullet Train. Gliding on electromagnets, and riding like it's on rails, nary a care in the world. And that's the difference between carving a wedge out of carbon fibre and strapping 1000 horse power to it, keeping it running just long enough to technically claim the top speed world record for a day, and engineering the most impressive car to ever set a rubber foot on this planet.
Honourable Mentions:
2005 Ferrari F430 Spider
2005 Saleen S7 Twin Turbo
2005 TVR Sagaris
Good call on the Veyron.
ReplyDeleteHow do gull-wing doors (I think that is what they are called) and doors that open up, how do they factor into your rating? Is it a positive or a negative? Considering you seem to appreciate subtlety, I'm guessing it is the latter.
Based on styling, top speed and horsepower. It seems like the 2006 Koenigsegg CCX should be higher on the list, at least in 4th.
I know you're a big Veyron fan, Sneep, but I doubt I'm as much so. It's an impressive car, no doubt, but I don't even know if it would crack my Top 10 All-Time favourite cars list.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty indifferent to Gull Wings (not all doors that open up are Gull Wing, by the way). Not every thing needs to be subtle for me to like it, but at the same time, I feel that the novelty of Gull Wings would wear off after about a week.
I do like the Koenigsegg, but 7 is about right. Not every thing comes down to flat out performance in terms of why I like a car. Although it's pretty sexy too...