The Greatest Sports Cars of All-Time

Plymouth Superbird

The charm of the Superbird, the apogee of the muscle car era, is not that it broke records at 200 mph in NASCAR, back when NASCAR stock cars were still based on stock cars. It’s not in the sky-high wing or the crude aerodynamic nose cone. The charm is it was so impractical, so ugly, and so huge, many sat on dealer lots for years after its limited production run. Like Wile E. Coyote chasing Roadrunner off a cliff, the Superbird found the edge of what even the most muscle-headed Americans could handle and went over it. — Raphael Orlove

Ferrari Testarossa

A slab-sided retort to its predecessor, the curvaceous 512 BBi, the Testarossa was nearly 78 inches wide, dwarfing sports cars like the Porsche 911. “Cheese grater” side strakes cooled the rear-mounted engine, a 4.9-liter, flat-12 developing about 385 hp and 361 lb-ft of torque. The name referenced Ferrari’s 1957 World Sportscar Championship-winning 250 Testa Rossa, both cars distinguished by their red-painted cam covers. With a top speed of about 180 mph, it was the fastest of all the production street cars from Maranello. By 1992, it had evolved into the 512TR, taking a bow as the F512 M (for Modificata) in 1994, which ceased production in 1996. A total of 9,939 examples were produced, more than any other Ferrari model until that time. — Robert Ross

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII

To understand the Mitsubishi Evo, you need to look past its four World Rally Championship driver’s titles, 1996 through 1999. No, turn to 2006, a year after Mitsubishi pulled out of the WRC. The team reorganized as privateers, re-entered racing, and finished third in Sweden against all the factory teams. There have been better-funded rally programs, but there hasn’t been a better rally car since the Evo. Nothing is as well built, nothing is as good to drive. Rooted in the ’90s and perfected in the ’00s, the old Evo still hounds rally podiums years after it left production. — RO

Subaru Impreza WRX (second generation)

Everything about the WRX is wrong. It’s ugly. The engine is annoying, with two head gaskets to repair instead of one. The differentials are viscous couplings, not clutch packs like you get in an Evo. The doors are made of tissue paper. The dashboard is hard plastic. But once you’re sideways in this thing through deep snow, you get the magic. It just works. Other cars did the “homologation special” thing. Other cars did the “sporty four-door” thing. On the numbers, none have as powerful or long-lasting a legacy as the WRX. — RO

Porsche 930 Turbo

Porsche experimented with turbocharging its race cars in the ’70s with great success, and passed that on to the public with the original 911 Turbo. Dubbed “the Widowmaker,” Porsche quickly discovered the difference between what the general public could handle and what its professional race car drivers could wrestle to the finish line. This is the car that taught Porsche to make cars people wanted to buy, but not ones that sent those buyers backward into a telephone pole. This car didn’t invent going turbo, but it did invent that cultural concept. — RO

Pontiac GTO

Pontiac’s GTO was the creation of John Z. DeLorean, long before that maverick’s debacle with his snake-bitten Irish gullwing. History is on his side, crediting his brainchild—the 1964 GTO—with being the first purpose-built muscle car ever made. Any similarity to the Prancing Horse’s Gran Turismo Omologatois illusory: pure Detroit marketing at its ’60s-era best. Actually, Pontiac’s top performer earned an affectionate nickname—Goat—by admirers and detractors alike. The Pontiac GTO Judge option was offered for three model years beginning in 1969. Its big-block V8 engine developed 366 hp and 445 lb-ft of torque, putting the GTO Judge at the head of the Pontiac class to do street and dragstrip battle with the 426 ci Hemi-powered monsters from Mopar. — R.R.

Mercedes 500E

The greatest modern Mercedes was built by Porsche. It had to be. The 500E of the early Nineties was so heavily modified, so much wider than stock, it wouldn’t fit on Mercedes’ assembly line. So off it went to Porsche … and back to Mercedes for paint … and back to a different Porsche factory for final assembly, including the burly 5.0-liter V8 out of the SL and a differential so big Porsche had to take out the back middle seat. Each car took 18 days to build. For the ultimate undercover performance sedan, it was worth it. — RO

Alpine A110

You don’t drive an A110; you wear it. This little bug-eyed French oddity was the first purpose-built rally car. Absolutely minute in person, it was a giant killer in its day. It clobbered 911s, won the first World Rally Championship, and set the stage for the Stratos. It did it all with just a 1.6-liter economy car engine tuned within an inch of its life. That’s because it’s so light, half the weight of a modern sports car. — RO

Shelby 289

In the frigid cold of the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans, Ferrari finished 1-2-3-5-6. Breaking that up was not a Ford GT40, but a Shelby 289 Cobra Daytona Coupe. It beat all of Ferrari’s GT cars and won the GT championship that year. It won the year after that, too. We think of the Cobra as a cartoon, not much more than a lightweight V8 crammed into whatever British chassis a Texan chicken farmer could get his hands on. Don’t. It was the last great front-engine GT car, and the finest hot rod America ever made. — RO

BMW M3 (E46)

At the turn of the Millennium, BMW came out with its third M3 and it seemed to only exacerbate the worst trends of car design. It was bigger, heavier, and stuffed with more technology than ever before. But there is something right about the E46 M3. It might have an old-school straight six engine, but it enjoys modern advancements like variable valve timing and barks through individual throttle bodies. It takes the best of the new and makes it work with the charm of the old. — RO

BMW 507

It’s funny that BMW didn’t come up with the idea for its most beautiful car. The 507 was envisioned by its American importer, Max Hoffman, who encouraged BMW to pull the big V8 out of its large and lumpy executive sedans and wrap it in a lithe sports car body. The classic BMW charm – stylish design around a sharp chassis and a bright engine – appeared first on the 507. A flop when it debuted hardly a decade after the end of WWII, the 507 wrote the recipe for the modern BMW as we know it. — RO

Bugatti EB110

There were no bad ideas in the revived Bugatti works in Modena. The ambitious team explored every avenue, including active suspension and carbon-on-carbon brakes with tech poached from F1 and the aerospace industry. The latter was ruled out in part because it would have cost as much as the rest of the car itself. What cutting-edge tech made it to production – a carbon chassis, four turbos, and all-wheel drive – was all the market could bear. And when that early Nineties boom economy collapsed, so did the company that built it. The EB110 was orphaned, decades ahead of its time. — RO

Ferrari 458

We love to celebrate firsts in the car world, brave forays into new tech and design. And we love to celebrate the lasts, final refinements of old ideas. We can easily forget to celebrate apices, the cars that perfected a formula. This is the Ferrari 458. It is not the last classic Ferrari, nor is it the first modern Ferrari. It is simply the finest distillation of Ferrari’s sports car concept. It is the perfect sweet spot, and finally old enough for us to appreciate its glamor as well as its speed. — RO

Citroën SM

Flawed and idiosyncratic, the SM is a vision of a streamlined future that should have caught on, like French nuclear power, or the TGV. A product of Citroën’s brief ownership of Maserati, the SM was ceaselessly complicated, with hydraulic suspension, hydraulic steering, hydraulic-swiveling headlights, and a V6 engine that tried to shake itself apart every time you turned on the air conditioning. It’s the most comfortable GT ever built, at least once you get used to the button instead of a brake pedal. — RO

Jaguar XJ220

Though it achieved a top speed of “only” 218 mph, the XJ220 was, for a brief time, the world’s fastest production car. While initially conceived to be a Group B car with all-wheel drive, and capable of competing with the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959, Ford’s acquisition of Jaguar in 1989 shifted priorities and production was turned over to TWR, builder of Jaguar’s XJR race cars. The initial V12 engine gave way to a 542 hp turbocharged V6. Quicker from 0 to 60 mph than both the Ferrari F40 and Lamborghini Diablo, the XJ220 set a new lap record for a production car at the Nürburgring. Limited production of the XJ220 began in 1992, with only 282 units made by the time manufacturing ended in 1994. — R.R.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage

There is an idea of an Aston Martin: equal parts luxurious and sporty, with a gorgeous interior, handsome design, and a roaring engine. But the cars rarely live up to that premise, in part because Aston has been near-broke for most of its life. The V8 Vantage of the Recession era is one of the few Astons that delivered on the company’s ideals. Don’t disregard it as a junior model. It’s a standout machine, more than can be said for any of the Bond cars. — RO

BMW 3.0 CSL

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, before BMW became a mass-luxury brand and was building the 1600 and 2002, they also developed the E9 series, which began as the 1968 2800 CS. The later 3.0 CS, introduced in 1971, has since become a top-tier BMW collectible, and from that car BMW developed a lightweight variant for the road called the 3.0 CSL. A homologation model for racing, with 180 hp and weighing nearly 500 pounds less than the standard 3.0 CS, its unusual aerodynamic accoutrements earned it the “Batmobile” moniker. Its collectability lies not just in its rarity and beauty, but for the place it holds in BMW Motorsport history, taking the European Touring Car championship in 1973, and every year from 1975 through 1979. — RR

Chevrolet Corvette C2

When GM released the Sting Ray in 1963, it was a shock. Complete with fuel injection, this was a world-class sports car that raced with success against Ferrari, Jaguar, and Aston Martin. Sadly, GM figured out that buyers loved the look but didn’t need the tech, dropping injection for simple carbs, turning the ‘Vette into more of a cruiser. The C2 was a glimpse at Corvette as it could have been. — RO

Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale

The most beautiful Alfa Romeo ever made? Quite possibly. Designed by Franco Scaglione, the 33 Stradale was a street-legal version of the Autodelta Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 race car, powered by a 230 hp, 2.0-liter V8 engine, tuned for competition and mounted midship. Its seductive body was short, light, and—at 39 inches, a tortuous one inch lower than Ford’s GT40. That such a diminutive car should command such attention today is testament to the genius of its designer. Only 18 examples were made from 1967 to 1969. More than just beautiful, the Stradale was built to perform, with a 162-mph top speed and the quickest time through the standing kilometer of any production car. — RR

Alfa Romeo 8C 2900

Unaffected by tastes and trends, Alfa Romeo’s 8C 2900 ranks as perhaps the greatest prewar sports car of all time. Made from 1935-1938, it was designed to win races, scoring numerous grand prix victories, including 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Mille Miglia, and the Targa Florio. Powered by Vittorio Jano’s 2.9-liter, straight 8-cylinder engine, it was one of the fastest cars of its day, averaging 132 mph over a 50-mile section of Autostrada during the 1938 Mille Miglia. Even as a bare chassis with Jano’s exquisite jewel of an engine, the Alfa’s 8C would be a masterpiece. Fitted with Carrozzeria Touring coachwork like the rare long-wheelbase Spider, it achieves nothing short of perfection. — RR

Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic

The automotive manifestation of both the Art Deco movement and film noir, the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic is arguably the most visually stunning car in the world, as well as the most coveted. Its engineering and output were notable for the period, the “S” and “C” designations for Surbaissé and Compresseur, terms that reflect the fact that the vehicle has been lowered and comes with a supercharger. Its 3.3-liter straight-eight engine delivers 197 hp and enables the car to have a top speed of more than 124 mph, but it’s the model’s gothic aesthetic that’s made it iconic.

Designed by Jean Bugatti, the aluminum-bodied Atlantic is instantly recognizable by its riveted and elevated seam serving as the exterior spine—a feature necessary with the Bugatti Aérolithe, the one-off that the Atlantic was inspired by. The Aérolithe’s coachwork was made from Elektron, the majority of which is highly flammable magnesium, so welding was out of the question, hence the rivets. The look was so dramatic that the rivets were retained for the Atlantic purely for dramatic effect, becoming its signature stylistic element.

The allure and mystique of Bugatti’s Type 57 SC Atlantic has only increased since its debut in 1936, owed largely to the fact that only four examples were ever made and one of them, Jean Bugatti’s personal car, vanished right before the start of World War II and there’s still no trace of it. — Viju Mathew

Toyota 2000GT

Today, the Toyota 2000GT is regarded as one of the most significant—and beautiful—Japanese automobiles ever made. But when it came on the scene, Toyota’s 2000GT was an outlier—an unexpected offering from the marque whose cars, along with those of Honda and Nissan (Datsun here), were generally regarded by American buyers as disposable econoboxes. Penned by Toyota’s designer Satoru Nozaki, the jewel-like 2000 GT was unveiled at the 1965 Tokyo Motor Show, with only 351 examples being made from 1967 through 1970, about 60 of which came to the U.S. Each was hand-built under contract with Yamaha, whose own 2.0-liter, twin-cam inline-6 engine made 148 hp and reached a top speed of 137 mph, thanks in part to a low drag coefficient of only 0.28 Cd. — RR

Ford Mustang (first generation)

While the majority of sports cars were conceived on the premise of bringing trickle-down racecar technology to the road, Lee Iacocca had a different vision. Leveraging Ford’s compact Falcon platform, the ambitious executive sought to entice the youth market to the Blue Oval brand. The jaunty sports car did so in droves: While the carmaker hoped to move 100,000 Mustangs in a year, Ford ended up selling 22,000 units on the first day. The Pony Car’s runaway success launched a cultural movement that persists to this day, making the Ford Mustang as iconically American as apple pie. — Basem Wasef

Bugatti Type 35

Built from 1924 through 1931, the Bugatti Type 35 was one of the most successful racing cars ever, winning more than 1,000 races in a decade-long career as a frontline competition car. It was powered by versions of Ettore Bugatti’s jewel-like straight-eight engine that ranged in capacity from 1.1-liters to 2.3-liters, the latter of which produced 138hp in supercharged form. With its graceful horseshoe radiator, boat-tail body, and pert proportions, the Type 35, which could be ordered with lights and fenders and driven on the road, is the definitive vintage Bugatti. It was also the first car in the world fitted with cast alloy wheels. — Angus MacKenzie

Bizzarrini GT Strada 5300

Giotto Bizzarrini created the Iso Grifo A3/L (Lusso) and A3/C (Corsa) in 1963. Giorgetto Giugiaro, Bertone’s design star, penned both shapes, which express a fluid elegance equal to Jaguar’s iconic E-Type. Iso manufactured the Grifo, and Bizzarrini’s own company built the A3/C for Iso. It was a pure sports car developed to dominate the track, taking first in GT class at Le Mans in 1964 and 1965, nearing 190 mph on the Mulsanne Straight. Powered by a front-mid-mounted Chevrolet 327 ci V-8 engine—hence, the Bizzarrini 5300 (cc) designation—it applied lessons learned from Bizzarrini’s design for Ferrari’s 250 GTO. Bizzarrini and Iso parted ways, and the engineer subsequently built the Grifo A3/C under his own name as the Bizzarrini GT Strada 5300 and GT America 5300. A complicated genealogy suggests that approximately 115 examples of both were produced (in aluminum and fiberglass, respectively) between 1965 and early 1969. — RR

Bentley 4.5-Liter ‘Blower’

Bentley Motors founder W.O. Bentley was fundamentally opposed to power-boosting tactics like supercharging, which he insisted, “perverts [a car’s] design and corrupts its performance.” Challenging Bentley’s edict was a certain Sir Henry “Tim” Birkin, who slapped superchargers onto five of the brand’s race machines. While so-called “Blower” Bentleys went on to claim several speed records, they proved less effective in wheel-to-wheel competition. Nonetheless, Bentley’s remarkable streak of Le Mans wins in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930 elevated the mystique of the 4.5-liter Blower models, earning the scant 55 homologated examples mythical status among the cognoscenti. — BW

Aston Martin DB5

With 1,069 examples built from 1963-1965, the DB5 is at the top of the marque’s collector-car pyramid. Its shape defined the quintessential Aston Martin with a design born in Italy, not the UK. Its predecessor, the DB4, was created by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan, with a Superleggera body using lightweight aluminum panels formed over a delicate steel-tube skeleton. The coupe, today claimed by Aston Martin as “the most famous car in world,” may be nearly so, having starred in Goldfinger, thereafter regarded as 007’s transport of choice. Powered by Tadek Marek’s brilliant inline, six-cylinder 4.0-liter engine that delivered about 282 hp, and was good for a 148-mph top speed. Grand touring, after all, was its mission. — RR

Lotus Elise

Lotus has earned a myriad of damning acronyms over the years (see: Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious), but the British brand averted image tarnishing when it equipped its pint-sized two-seater with a Toyota-sourced engine. The diminutive 1.8-liter four-cylinder might feel unremarkable in any other car, but in the sub-2,000-lb Elise it delivered sprightly acceleration, with later supercharged versions offering even more oomph. Lightweight construction became the Elise’s calling card thanks to a feathery chassis made of bonded aluminum. The virtuous circle of minimalism enabled nimble handling and revelatory steering feel, making the Elise a cult classic when it left the U.S. market in 2011. — BW

Dodge Viper

“Wouldn’t it be kind of cool if we had our own Cobra?” Chrysler president and Cobra owner Bob Lutz asked that fateful question in 1988. Lutz found willing accomplices in design chief Tom Gale and engineering boss Francois Castaing, and their Viper concept stole the 1989 Detroit Auto Show. The production version, developed in just 36 months for just $50 million, hewed closely to the concept, right down to the 8.0-liter, 400-hp V-10 under the hood that became its rumbling calling card. The Viper survived until 2017, that year’s TA Coupe version powered by an 8.4-liter V-10 that produced 645 hp and took it to 206 mph. — AM

BMW M3 (E30)

The BMW M3 remains a quintessential M-Car after nearly 40 years. Proof that bigger isn’t necessarily better, it was a pugnacious little brat of a car, powered by a 2.3-liter inline-4 engine and more fun to drive than just about any car made before or since. The first commercially viable M-Series, it was based on the ubiquitous—and excellent—E30 3 Series, built to meet the homologation quota of 5,000 roadgoing versions required to compete in the FIA Group A touring car class. Success came with multiple wins at the 24 Hours Nürburgring and the Spa 24 Hours, triumphing over much more powerful competitors. Made from 1987-1991, it remains a first-tier BMW collectible. — RR

Duesenberg SSJ

Founded in 1913, Duesenberg was acquired by Cord in 1926, who set about building the Duesenberg Model J to run in the same elite circle as Rolls-Royce and Bugatti. While not quite a sports car, it was powered by a formidable 420 ci straight-8 engine developing 265 hp and good for a top speed of about 91 mph. In its heyday, the Duesenberg was the most powerful, luxurious, and expensive American car available, with completed cars costing from $14,000 to $20,000. The Great Depression crashed everyone’s party, and Duesenberg declared bankruptcy in 1937, with about 445 Model J and 26 supercharged Model SJ examples built. One of only two 400 hp SSJ models with LaGrande coachwork sold in 2018 for $22 million. — RR

See Also

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Datsun 240Z

Call it the transistorized E-Type. The brainchild of Yutaka Katayama, Nissan’s president of US operations from 1965 through 1975, the 240Z combined the eye-appeal of the swoopy Jaguar coupe with bulletproof reliability and durability, as many of the components under its sophisticated skin, including its six-cylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission, were shared with more quotidian Datsuns. Katayama, universally known as “Mr. K,” had been convinced Americans would find this an irresistible formula, and fought to ensure the 240Z was a two-seat sports car and not the convertible grand tourer head office thought it should be. And he was right: Almost 142,000 were sold in the US from 1970 through 1973. — AM

BMW M1

A German supercar with an Italian flair, it was the first BMW to wear the Motorsports badge, setting the stage for generations of M cars to come. The M1 broke from every BMW tradition, and its impact was far greater than the production run of just 453 examples would suggest. Behind the driver and passenger was BMW’s 3.5-liter, twin-cam inline-6 engine with mechanical fuel injection and a 5-speed transmission. Making 273 hp in street tune, it was capable of about 165 mph. Styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro, founder of Italdesign, the M1 was developed to compete in Group 5 racing, primarily against Porsche’s nearly invincible 911. Without the capacity to build the car in house, BMW partnered with Lamborghini to develop the chassis and manufacture the cars. But Lamborghini’s financial woes caused BMW to bring the project back home. Meanwhile, changes in Group 5 rules relegated the M1 to Group 4 competition. — RR

Porsche 959

The 959 was Porsche’s first true supercar, initially developed in the early 1980s for Porsche to compete in the Group B rally series. Its turbocharged 2.9-liter flat-6 engine evolved from the 962 racecar, water-cooled to handle the heat from nearly 450 hp. It featured all-wheel drive, via computer control, ABS brakes, self-leveling suspension, and a basket-handle rear spoiler that may be the coolest styling signature of the 959. Porsche is reputed to have lost $300,000 on each car, which sold for about $225,000 when new. Introduced in 1985, production was delayed through late 1987, with 292 Komfort and 29 lighter-weight Sport versions eventually built through 1988. A few examples were constructed in 1992-1993. — RR

Pagani Zonda

The Pagani Zonda came out of nowhere in 1999 and roared onto the covers of enthusiast auto magazines around the world. It wasn’t just the way the Zonda looked. Or that it was powered by a Mercedes-Benz V-12 engine. What made the Zonda stand out was the way it drove and the way it was built. In terms of performance, it was the real hypercar deal; explosively fast yet possessed of a remarkably accomplished chassis. Yet it was also an exquisite work of art, the design of every part, right down to the $30,000-worth of titanium bolts with the Pagani logo etched onto them, the singular vision of founder Horacio Pagani. — AM

Lexus LFA

Toyota’s CEO Akio Toyoda wanted a supercar to rival the usual suspects from Italy and Germany. The front-mid mounted engine was co-developed with Yamaha and derived from Toyota Racing’s V-10. A high-revving 4.8-liter V-10 that made 553 hp and shifted through a rear-mounted, six-speed automated manual transmission, the LFA could achieve a top speed of 203 mph. Weighing about 3,263 lbs, the materials list reads like a periodic table, with aluminum, titanium and magnesium sharing the parts count with plentiful carbon-fiber reinforced plastic. Only 500 units were produced between 2010 and 2012, with 436 “regular” examples and 64 “Nürburgring Package” models made. The proverbial flash-in-the pan—a one-hit-wonder—it came and went before its impact even had a chance to sink in. And to date, there has been no Lexus successor to fill its shoes. — RR

Audi R8

When Audi entered the supercar game in 2008, the carmaker’s lineup lacked luster. Drawing on past motorsports glories from the rally world to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Ingolstadt brand launched the mid-engine, all-wheel-drive R8 as a sort of thinking enthusiast’s alternative to spicier Italian sports cars. While it didn’t hurt that the Teutonic two-seater shared its platform with the Lamborghini Gallardo, the R8 proved its mettle through the dual-pronged approach of Hollywood notoriety thanks to a starring role in Iron Man, and the on-track success stories of competition models like the R8 GT3 endurance racer. — BW

Lancia Stratos

Unquestionably the most stylish rally car ever made, this edgy, wedgy mid-engine coupe, powered by a transverse-mounted 2.4-liter Ferrari Dino V-6 that produced 190 hp, was shaped by Lamborghini Miura and Countach designer Marcello Gandini while he was working at Bertone. The brainchild of Lancia’s sporting director Cesare Fiorio, the car’s engine and chassis hardware was honed by Nicola Materazzi, who would later go on to engineer the Ferrari F40. The Stratos’ performance matched its style: It won the World Rally Championship three years running from 1974, twice in the hands of Sandro Munari, and once with Swede Björn Waldegård behind the wheel. Just 492 were produced. — AM

Nissan Skyline GT-R

The Nissan Skyline GT-R has a long history as the Japanese automaker’s premier sports car. The first series, made from 1969-1972, was a successful touring car, followed in 1973 by a second-generation model made for just one year. It would be 16 years before the GT-R resurfaced, in 1989. That car earned the nickname “Godzilla” from the Australian motoring press, claiming repeated victories in touring car championships at home and abroad. The final evolution of the Skyline GT-R was the fifth-generation model, called the R34, made from 1995-2002. Made only in right-hand drive and non-compliant with U.S. DOT or EPA standards, the Skyline could never be had on our shores when new. — RR

Lamborghini Miura

With its transverse-mounted V-12 engine, the Miura was the first production two-seat, mid-engined sports car, a skunkworks project by Lamborghini’s engineering team of Dallara, Stanzini, and Wallace, three twenty-somethings whose creation permanently altered the course of the sportscar. Equally revolutionary was the body, designed by 28-year-old Marcello Gandini of Bertone. The Miura had a good run, beginning with the 1966 P400, followed by the P400 S, and finally the P400 SV, made through 1973. Altogether, about 764 examples were built, and now each surviving one is a historic treasure among Italian classics. In 1970, Road & Track achieved a top speed of 168 mph in a Miura, faster than any car the magazine had ever tested. — RR

Ford GT40 MkII

“OK, then, we’ll kick his ass.” Henry Ford II was not happy when, in 1963, Enzo Ferrari pulled out of a deal to sell his company to Ford at the last minute. That comment spawned the development of the mid-engine GT40. Designed by Gene Bordinat in Ford’s advanced styling studio and developed in the UK by Lola race car designer Eric Broadley, the GT40 debuted in 1964 with a 4.7-liter V-8. But it wasn’t until 1966 and the MkII version, developed in the US under Carroll Shelby and fitted with a 7.0-liter V-8, that Enzo felt Henry’s boot in his backside, most famously with the MkII’s 1-2-3 finish in the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hour. — AM

Mazda Miata

Though its styling is more akin to a postmodern jelly bean than a conventional roadster, the first-generation Mazda Miata drew inspiration from the 1960s-era Lotus Elan. The MX-5 embodied the lightweight construction and driver-focused priorities embraced by postwar British sportscar manufacturers like Austin-Healey, MG, and Triumph, but departed from the formula by delivering bulletproof reliability and oil-free driveways. The MX-5’s reputation among enthusiasts has earned it the tongue-in-cheek M.I.A.T.A. acronym, short for Miata Is Always The Answer. But perhaps the most telling indicator of the two-seater’s sportscar credibility is the fact that the seemingly innocuous ragtop is the most-raced car in the world, claiming over 4,000 members in the SCCA’s Spec Miata class. — BW

Acura NSX (first generation)

The NSX is a cult classic that feels thoroughly modern today, its cab-forward design right out of the modern supercar designer’s handbook. Introduced in 1989 and put into production by 1991, Honda’s NSX was marketed in North America as an Acura, and was years ahead of its time with the first all-aluminum unit-body, chassis subframes, and suspension of any production car. It inspired Gordon Murray—who had an NSX daily driver—throughout the development of his McLaren F1. The rear mid-mounted 3.2-liter V6 engine developed 290 hp, perfectly adequate to propel 3,153 pounds. Few hand-built cars—then or now—emulate the precision of the NSX’s manufacture, offering its owner the possibility of enjoying a perfectly delightful, neurosis-free driving experience on a daily basis. — RR

Ferrari 250 GTO

The Ferrari 250 GTO is the undisputed G.O.A.T. of money-no-objects sports cars. Graced with an improbable combination of gobsmacking curves and an almost unbeatable track record spanning several decades, the GTO was conceived as a homologated, roadgoing version of the FIA’s touring car class—hence, the Gran Turismo Omologato descriptor. While it may not be the only Ferrari to combine race provenance and a Colombo-designed V12 with a drop-dead gorgeous body, the 250 GTO has matured into a quintessential symbol of desire thanks to one critical factor: scarcity. With only 36 examples ever made, this Ferrari commands top dollar and maximum respect. — BW

Jaguar E-Type

During its launch at the 1961 Geneva Auto Show, Enzo Ferrari reputedly remarked that Jaguar’s E-Type was “the most beautiful car in the world.” In the ensuing 65 years, few cars have eclipsed Malcom Sayer’s design for the XK-E. It was fast too, topping 150 mph with a 3.8-liter, inline-6 engine that developed 265 hp, which by 1965, was enlarged to 4.2 liters. The first series coupe and convertible, made through 1967, featured covered headlamps and are the most collectible E-Types. Series 2 cars, built through 1971, made concessions to U.S. safety regulations, and the Series 3 cars, available as a convertible and an ungainly 2+2, were powered by a 5.3-liter V12 engine. Production ended in 1974 with more than 72,500 examples built. — RR

Lamborghini Countach

If the Lamborghini’s Miura created a shockwave, the Countach was a cataclysmic event that permanently reordered the strata of the supercar landscape. Before the Miura even ceased production, wedge shapes had become a sensation, with Gandini leading the charge—his Alfa Romeo Carabo and Lancia Stratos Zero show cars prefiguring his most famous design of all. The Lamborghini LP500 prototype was unveiled in 1971, and by 1974, production of the LP400 began. Called Countach, it used a V12 engine mounted lengthwise behind the driver, enlarged from 4.0 to 5.2 liters through a production run of five models. Altogether, about 1,982 examples were built through 1990. It was the first production car to feature scissor doors, synonymous today with every hypercar. — RR

Porsche 911

While Porsche’s 1973 911 Carrera RS 2.7 steals the limelight in the early-911 pageant, all of the pre-impact bumper cars, made from 1964 to 1973, represent the purest vision of F.A. Porsche, grandson of the company founder and architect of the original 911. The air-cooled, flat-6 engine grew from 2.0 to 2.7 liters over the first decade, and its placement aft of the rear axle gave the 911 a reputation for being as nimble as it was as a mercurially tail-happy. The formula has endured, though the new 911 is cooled by water, infinitely more powerful and enormous by comparison. This is why, in the end, the original design has so many enduring fans. To drive one is to remind oneself that there is, indeed, a substitute for cubic inches. — RR

McLaren F1

Probably the most coveted automobile made within the past 50 years, the McLaren F1 is also the most fastidiously engineered car of the 20th century. Gordon Murray and Peter Stevens realized a three-seat Formula One racer for the road; a car delivering speed, finesse and safety in a package that looks as modern today as it did when Murray envisioned it in 1988. Sixty-five of the 106 examples produced between 1992 and 1998 were road-going versions and the rest were made for competition in various states of tune and trim. The McLaren’s carbon-fiber monocoque chassis—the first in a road car—was powered by a mid-mounted BMW 6.1-liter V12 engine that made 627 hp, and with a 240 mph-plus top speed, it was for many years the world’s fastest production car. It’s also one of the most highly valued, today commanding $20-40 million, depending on model and condition. — RR

Ferrari F40

Enzo Ferrari’s very last supercar is the ultimate Prancing Horse of its era. Designed to compete in Group B rallying, and against competition threatened by Porsche’s upcoming 959, Ferrari began the F40 program in 1984 to build a successor to the Ferrari 288 GTO. Though the rally series was shut down, Ferrari continued development, debuting the car in 1987—the company’s 40th anniversary year. Pininfarina’s Leonardo Fioravanti designed the body, which was made by Scaglietti and composed of Kevlar, carbon-fiber and aluminum panels covering a tubular spaceframe chassis. Under the rear clamshell was a 2.9-liter, twin-turbocharged, fuel-injected V8 engine, mounted longitudinally and producing 478 hp, that achieved a top speed of 199 mph—certainly impressive for the day. Although 400 examples were initially planned, demand far outstripped original projections, and a total of 1,315 F40s were ultimately produced by the time production ended in 1991. — RR

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL

Whether this Mercedes-Benz is the greatest post-war sports car could be debated by Porschephiles and Ferraristi, but it’s a fact that the 300 SL is the blue-chip bellwether in the collector car market. Made from 1954-1963, they remain remarkably modern—and drivable—by today’s standards. With 1,400 and 1,858 made of the “Gullwing” Coupé and Roadster respectively, they are rare, yet sufficiently plentiful to satisfy demand. Derived from Mercedes’ W194 grand prix car, the road-going 300 SL was created at the urging of U.S. Mercedes importer Max Hoffman for American customers. The 3.0-liter inline-6 engine ed by mechanical fuel injection was good for 163 mph, making it the fastest production car of its time. The coupé’s gullwing doors have since become the ultimate flourish for a true supercar. — RR