Ferrari F40
In many ways, the Ferrari F40 was the last true stripped out, balls-to-the-wall Ferrari with no other purpose than pulling as many g as possible and soiling your pants. With the weight of a hatchback (around 1100kg) and that beautiful 484 hp 2.9-litre twin turbo V8 engine, the F40 was ferociously fast. It was as simple as it gets compared to its competition at the time and has that pin up, poster car look that many supercars fail to achieve today.
Pininfarina developed the carbon fibre, aluminium and Kevlar body. Anything deemed unnecessary was thrown out, this included the carpet, audio system and even the door handles. The ferocious weight saving and high power output of the engine meant the F40 could get to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and have 100 mph done in 7.6.
It was built to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the company and was the last car Enzo Ferrari personally approved. Originally planned with a production run of 400, the Italian car company manufactured over 1,300 in total.
Lamborghini Miura
While the Lamborghini Miura might not be the first supercar ever produced, it is credited as the first production supercar with a rear mid-engine, two-seat layout. Not only can it be credited as the car that started the trend of modern mid-engine supercars, the Miura was also the fastest production road car on the market at the time of its creation.
The car was produced from 1966 until 1973 and its achievements are even more amazing when you consider the fact that the Lamborghini engineers designed the car in their spare time. This was because the company founder, Ferruccio Lamborghini preferred powerful yet sedate grand touring machines over the race car-derived machines produced by the likes of Ferrari.
The mid-engine layout gave the Miura exceptional handling balance, but also remarkably low noise compared to its competitors. The earliest model of the Miura (the P400) was produced with a 3.9 L V12 engine that was mounted transversely. It produced an incredible 345 hp, with the later P400SV producing 380 hp.
In total only 764 Miura’s were built, making it a true collector’s item. For some, this is possibly the ultimate Lamborghini ever produced.
Ferrari LaFerrari
The Ferrari LaFerrari, or just LaFerrari is meant to be the ultimate expression of what the car company is about, and we think they have delivered in spades. Compared to the old F40, LaFerrari is a technological masterpiece and is what modern day hypercars are all about.
A 6.2-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine generating 801 hp was combined with a lithium ion battery pack for a total of 963 hp. This means you’ll get from 0-62 mph in under three seconds, which means you’ll have enough time to stop off and get some new underwear along the way.
Only a tiny amount of cars can compete with the excellence of the LaFerrari, including the McLaren P1, the Porsche 918 and the new Bugatti Chiron. That is one hell of a claim to fame and we know the car will go down as one of the masterpieces of the motoring world.
Lamborghini Countach
Lamborghini’s have always been regarded as the ultimate poster car due to their extreme styling and distaste for practicality. While modern Lamborghini’s have competition from many other manufacturers, the 80’s and 90’s were where Lamborghini was the king of children’s bedroom walls.
The Lamborghini Countach was the poster child for the 70’s & 80’s and with just one look you can understand why. Starting out as what appeared to be a wedge of cheese, Lamborghini added all kinds of wings, vents, slits and angles to make one of the most iconic looking supercars of all time.
Lamborghini produced the Countach from 1974 until 1990, making it one of the Lamborghini’s longest-serving models. The Countach continued the mid-engined layout and popularized the “cab forward” design concept which pushes the passenger compartment forward to make room for a larger engine.
A number of different Countach models were produced, with all featuring a V12 engine with varying displacements. The fastest model was the 25th Anniversary Countach with a 5167 cc V12 that could do 0-100kn/h in 4.7 seconds and reach 295km/h.
Ferrari 250 GTO
Considered to be the ultimate classic, Ferrari’s 250 GTO is quite possibly the best looking car ever made to us at Garage Dreams. Many seem to agree with us as the car fetched upwards of €50 million a couple of years ago, making it the most expensive car ever sold. Only 39 were produced and the car made it to the top of Motor Trend Classic’s “Greatest Ferraris of All Time” list.
Produced from 1962 to 1964, the 250 GTO was powered by Ferrari’s Tipo 168/62 V12 engine the sculpted aluminium body benefited from extensive wind tunnel testing. Weighing only 950kg, and having that beautiful 300 hp 3.0-litre V12 engine meant that the GTO could have 60 mph done-and-dusted in just over 6 seconds.
Lamborghini Diablo
The Lamborghini Diablo was the epitome of a supercar and cemented the idea that the designers at Lamborghini were just plain bonkers. It was the first Lamborghini capable of attaining a top speed in excess of 200 mph (320km/h) and was pinned up on every child’s bedroom wall in the 90’s.
Lamborghini took the concept of the mental Countach and refined it, making it feel more modern, usable and just better all round. While the Diablo might have been more refined than the Countach, there is still no doubting that it was an old-school Lambo with unforgiving handling and woeful build quality.
Depending on the model, the Diablo either came with a 5.7 L or a 6.0 L V12 with power figures close to 600hp. Interestingly, Lamborghini borrowed the headlights from a Nissan 300ZX for the facelifted Diablo models from 1998.
Ferrari Enzo
While the Enzo is probably one of the ugliest Ferrari’s of all time, it is mechanically sensational. Powered by a 6.0-litre V12 engine, the Enzo screamed its way to 60 mph in a little over 3 seconds and could get to 100 mph in 6.6 seconds. The monstrous engine was the first of a new generation for the Italian supercar manufacturer and was based on the design of the V8 found in Maserati’s Quattroporte.
It wasn’t just the engine that was a marvel. The carbon-fibre body helped keep the weight down to around 1,250kg and Ferrari borrowed much of its Forumla One tech and crammed it into the Enzo. F1 style electrohydraulic shifting and carbon composite brakes made the Enzo feel like a true F1 car for the road. The Enzo also had the benefit of active aerodynamics, which was not allowed in Formula One at the time.
It may not be a looker, but the overall package makes it one of the greatest Ferrari’s and cars ever built. Lapping the Nürburgring in 7:25 is also a winner in my book as well.
Lamborghini Veneno
The Veneno is culmination of all things that make Lamborghini what it is. You could say it’s the masque’s most extreme, ballsy car and only four were produced (five including the prototype), with three being sold to customers. Lamborghini based the Veneno off the Aventador to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary and it was the most expensive production car at the time of launch, with a price of US$4,500,000.
It featured a revised 6.5 L V12 from the Aventador that produced an impressive 740 hp. The car was electronically limited to a top speed of 220 mph (354km/h) and could do 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds. While other hypercars like the P1 and LaFerrari have similar performance figures, there is something about the look of the Veneno that just makes it the most insane rendition of a hypercar.
Due to enormous demand, Lamborghini produced a roadster version of the Veneno, for which the production was increased to a total of 9 units.
Ferrari 288 GTO
Definitely less well known than some of the other Ferrari’s on this list, the Ferrari 288 GTO is no lesser car. Intended as a Group B racecar, the 288 GTO was left without a home when the racing series was cancelled. It found its way onto the road where it became the fastest car on the road from 1984-1986, only being bested by the mighty Porsche 959.
It was a exotic homologation of the Ferrari 308 GTB and featured a 3-litre V8 400 hp engine. At the time it was blisteringly quick with a 0-60 mph time of around 5 seconds and a top speed of 189 mph. Apart from being the fastest car at the time, it was also the first street-legal production car to reach 186 mph (300km/hr)
Only 272 cars were made making it one of the rarer Ferrari’s ever produced. The classic looks and the sublime performance make the 288 GTO one of the all time greats, even if nobody remembers it.
Lamborghini Aventador
As the successor to the Murciélago, the Lamborghini Aventador had a lot to live up to. The Aventador is Lamborghini’s current flagship car and gave birth to the insane Veneno and Centenario hypercars. While the Aventador upholds the fire breathing, mental legacy of its forebears, the car manages to be more usable and accessible too.
The Aventador comes with a 6.5 L V12 engine that makes it one of the last in a dying breed of big engined supercars. Since its launch in 2011 we’ve had a number of models including the return of the SuperVeloce models with around 750 hp. Depending on the model, the 0-60 mph time is around 2.8 to 2.9 seconds and the top speed is in excess of 350 km/h (217 mph).
The Aventador keeps the Lamborghini tradition of being named after a fighting bull. Aventador was a bull that fought particularly valiantly in the bull ring of Zaragoza. We think the Aventador is worthy of the name and is the culmination of years of development from the Italian automaker.
