|THE DEN|
Supercars have become faster than ever. Sub 3 seconds to 62 mph don’t seem like a benchmark that will stay for a long time. Cars are becoming more aerodynamic, more powerful and better looking (sometimes I disagree to this) by the day. What hasn’t changed is from where it all started, the iconic cars that were posters on our wall are still icons even today. So, let’s talk about the top 5 cars that began a revolution in motoring, that toppled the first domino which let to the designs of the supercars of today.
Ferrari F40
Launched in the 1990s the Ferrari F40 was instantly a hit and for all the right reasons. People knew that if they spent a fortune on this car, they’ll make much more in return. This proper race-car for the roads will give you thrills for a lifetime.
At the time of its launch, the automobile had a sticker price of $399,150. In the quarter-mile, it reached a top speed of 122 mph. It sped up to 197 mph. A Ferrari F40 is unlike any other contemporary exotic car; it has far more character than a modern exotic car.
The F40 resembles a race car that veered off the track at the end of pit lane. It droops its nose to push air out of the way. It has enough air scoops on its Kevlar body to inhale a flock of sheep. There are no puny spoilers here, just a wing suited for a Formula 1 car sprouting from the rear deck.
The V-8 engine of the F 40 is a DOHC 32-valve twin- turbocharged and inter-cooled unit. This 2936 cc V8 engine will keep you on your toes the whole time you're driving. With 478 horsepower at 7000 rpm and 424 pound-feet of torque, this madman of a motor was more than capable of winning any drag race. All of this power is coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission that provides a fantastic driving experience.
At the time, only a few supercars felt as quick as the F40. This was also due to how quickly the turbos cranked up the power, giving the F40's acceleration an intensity that took your breath away every time. Ferrari claimed a 4.1-second time from zero to sixty miles per hour.
The car got a pretty basic interior with race car seats, little to no comfort features and also got no rear seats; of course! What this car definitely brought to the table was an experience, making it an icon. An experience of being in a car that everyone hangs posters of, an experience of owning the dream of millions of people.
Bugatti Veyron
Being in the top 5 supercars of all time was obvious for this car, the Bugatti Veyron is a physics defying beast that changed motoring the day it was launched. This car with its million dollar price tag was the fastest car in the world, that makes it credible enough. Right?
Driving a Bugatti Veyron is like having a 14.6-foot-long open wallet with money spilling out all over the place. Each car takes five weeks to complete. The Veyron features 12 radiators, including the heater core. Driving this car can be more than a head turner, drivers approach from behind, tailgating before veering into one of the Veyron's rear-three-quarter blind spots, snapping shots with their cellphones.
In just 2.5 seconds, you'll be doing 60 mph. It travels 371 feet per second at top speed of 253 mph and will empty its 26.4- gallon tank in 19 minutes. If you can't get 93 octane or higher fuel, your dealer will have to detune the engine to produce lesser power.
For starters, it despises curbs, speed bumps, and dead animals, which it scoops up as if it were performing community duty. It has the turning radius of 39.3 feet. Because there isn't a 12-volt outlet, you'll need a battery-powered radar detector instead of your phone. The carbon-fiber sport seats are also manually adjustable. They must be adjusted by the dealer in order to raise or lower their height.
The Veyron is a two-seater, all-wheel-drive coupe with a quad- turbocharged 64-valve W-16 engine. The car generates 1001 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 922 pound-feet of torque, making it the most powerful vehicle available right out of the factory. A 7-speed automated transmission puts these unfathomable figures on the road, and it does it admirably.
The car’s interior is something that must also be talked about, with leather and the finest materials on every surface that you touch. The car feels a million bucks on the inside as well as the outside.
Lamborghini Countach
Everyone knows this is a bad boy's vehicle. People with any sense back off a couple paces when you emerge from the depths of its cockpit and place two feet on the ground. The car's design was almost too futuristic for its day, earning it a spot on our list of the top five most iconic supercars.
Production began in late 1973, never exceeding the factory's 120-car-per-year capacity, and has been halted only by the factory's recurring bankruptcies. This car became a classic long after production ceased. Its futuristic design appealed to everyone. Lamborghini was admired for what they had done, a work of art.
It takes only 5.4 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph, and 13.5 seconds to complete the quarter-mile at 107 mph. There are no two ways about it: the automobile is fast. The top speed is 160 mph, which appears low due to the lack of knowledge about aerodynamics at the time the automobile was designed.
The interiors don’t seem too extra for its time but the car came with signature Lamborghini doors and a leather wrapped dashboard with a clean and elegant layout.
A $100,000 premium was paid for this mid-engine, rear-wheel- drive car, which was powered by an aluminium block V12 engine. The automobile produced 348 horsepower at 7500 rpm and 319 pound-feet of torque.
When Lamborghini unveiled the Countach prototype at the Geneva Salon in 1971, it was a startlingly low, aggressively sculpted superwedge propelled by an unusual V-12 engine. The car continues to astonish everyone who sees it fifty years later.
Shelby Cobra
The Shelby Cobra wasn’t a normal sports car from 1965. This was a creation by the master craftsman himself, Carroll Shelby. The car cost about $6000 when new and now specimens have sold for over $6 Million.
The Shelby Cobra took 14.5 seconds to reach 100 mph and then came to a complete halt. Until something better came along, it served as a sort of high water mark in terms of performance for cars that are widely available. It was the best-performing production automobile of its time, and it was a true trend- setter.
The 1965 Shelby Cobra 427 is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, two-passenger, two-door coupe. The spectacular sports car is equipped with a 16-valve V-8 engine that produces 485 horsepower at 6500 rpm and 480 pound-feet of peak torque. The engine was connected to a 4-speed manual transmission, and the 0-60 mph time was 4.3 seconds.
The interiors were basic but with side pipe exhausts and finely crafted leather seats, a speedometer where the needle struggled to keep up with a car made it a special place to be in. The car made its driver feel special and the open top design gives you a wind-in-the-hair feel like no other car!
It all started in 1961, shortly after Carroll Shelby decided to retire from racing after many years. The Cobra was designed to stand out, with one light cluster at the apex of each fender and a circular indication below. When a Cobra is prepared for night racing, up to four additional light clusters are mounted to the nose for greater illumination of the road ahead.
The Shelby Cobra with its racing stripes, the beautiful spoke wheels and the design like no other. The Cobra is truly an icon.
McLaren F1
The Mclaren F1 needs no introduction, probably the most iconic car ever to be made. With a flowing body line and a powerful engine like it was straight from an F1 car, the F1 really lived up to its name. It made the public road a track for all the F1 drivers.
The McLaren F1 was the company's first road-going production car, debuting in May 1992. Gordon Murray, the technical director of McLaren's Formula One, first sketched the F1 as a three-seater supercar in the late 1980s.
The F1 was not only powerful and swift, but it was also the fastest production car in the world. It held the record from 1992 to 2005, when Bugatti unveiled the insane Veyron. The GTR, which was essentially a regular F1 with aerodynamic upgrades, won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in its first year on the circuit.
It's been 25 years since the F1 was first introduced, and it's already regarded as a classic. The F1 is one of the few multi- million-dollar supercars created in the 1990s, and it usually changes hands for millions of dollars. The supercar's gullwing doors, opening side panels, and swoopy waistline gave it a Transformers-like appearance.
The F1's three-seat arrangement was arguably the most amazing feature. The driver's seat was in the centre, flanked by two passenger seats that were located a few inches to the rear. The steering wheel and instrument panel were symmetrically placed in the middle of the dashboard. The pedals were naturally placed in the centre of the cockpit, giving space for passengers on the left and right.
The 550-horsepower V-12 is paired to a six-speed transverse manual transmission with an AP carbon triple-plate clutch and a Torsen limited-slip differential. It took just 3.2 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph, and 6.3 ticks to reach 100 mph.
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