Holy crap! The number of crazy super cars introduced at the Geneva Motor Show this year that were both pants-wettingly absurd and wildly expensive is probably the greatest in history. I mean, there was the Bugatti Chiron, the Koenigsegg Regera, Aston Martin DB11, Lamborghini Centenario, Spyker C8 Preliator, Zenvo ST1/TS1, and few others that I can’t even begin to try and spell.
The gap between the haves and the expect to haves has never been wider, but then we can all enjoy the audaciousness of a 1,200-bhp hypercar without actually having to plunk down its million-dollar plus asking price, am I right? Considering all the crazy supercars that are seemingly flooding the market right now, which one—traditional marque or upstart— do you think is presently the top dog?
Image: Bugatti
Hooniverse Asks: Who Makes the Best Supercar Right Now?
By Robert Emslie
Mar 2, 2016
Kamil Kaluski 
Jeff Glucker
My vote goes to Koenigsegg.
I’m beyond biased so, yeah.
Do you divide supercars into different levels? Rough and ready is attractive, but it is a world away from the Bugatti above:
http://www.romansinternational.com/profiles/2319_Romans_International/cache/car_565_imported_4f7c31cceeef4_crop_693_525.jpg
I would buy a cottage in the British countryside just to drive the Noble!
Tim O’Dell.
http://i2.wp.com/hooniverse.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/fuel-leak.jpg?resize=640%2C308
It didn’t catch fire, though.
You can’t say we didn’t try:
http://i2.wp.com/hooniverse.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/fuel-leak.jpg?resize=720%2C444
I was pleasantly surprised (by this post) to learn that Spyker is still alive, so my vote goes to them.
I think @mdharrell:disqus will agree when I say the world needs more wacky Dutch carmakers with wacky ideas on how transmission should look and work.
http://roa.h-cdn.co/assets/16/09/768×384/gallery-1456853347-img-9506.JPG
Spyker don’t know if they are the best but are beautiful indeed, Donkervoort, maybe not as beautiful, is also Dutch!
Indeed, we even named our LeMons team in honor of the failed Saab-Spyker venture, shortening Spyker’s motto to “There’s no way.”
http://www.murileemartin.com/UG/LWA12/LWA12-UG-085.jpg
Was I a teenage boy again, and looking for drool-worthy posters for my wall, one would be an Angelina Jolie Tomb Raider movie poster. The other would be an Aventador.
Right Meowww the McLaren 570S is a hard supercar to beat @ $185k.
Can someone define the difference between a Supercar and a Hyper Car?
Is a ZR1 Vette or a Viper still considered a “Sports Car”?
I would say that both are sports, or maybe even supercars, as they are hypothetically attainable by normal people. I cannot picture myself, or anyone I know buying a konnissegg under any circumstances other then winning the powerball
I agrwe on Mclaren, because they pretend there is rationality about supercars. Funny.
Schmyper car?
http://www.imaginelifestyles.com/luxuryliving/wp-content/uploads/blog/files/u2/fake_lamborghini_confiscated.jpg
That poor eclipse
There are some fatally desirable racecars for the street as of 2016:
Dodge Viper ACR, Ford GT, Glickenhaus SCG003S, Porsche 911 GT3 RS
But more importantly, I’ve been promised active-aero high-art with a manual in the Pagani Huayra.
Donkervoort with their GTO lineup, hyper sport car performance with straight forwards technology. https://wetransferplusimages.s3.amazonaws.com/fb24_1454499274_190081_b0658b12b47322ede7eac66d1120_1280x800.jpg
Usual suspects taken… only 310hp, sub 3 sec to 60.
http://us.caterhamcars.com/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_full/public/gallery/caterham-seven-620-r-7_0.jpg?itok=mZQ5eW_1
Since @tiberiuswise:disqus stole my answer, I’m going to go with a 200 mph kitty cat that can get to 60 under 4s. Sure, it’s not a pure supercar…but damn it’s pretty.
http://o.aolcdn.com/dims-global/dims3/GLOB/legacy_thumbnail/750×422/quality/95/http://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/381/725/6/S3817256/slug/l/01-2017-jaguar-f-type-svr-geneva-1.jpg
http://www.autoblog.com/2016/03/01/2017-jaguar-f-type-svr-geneva-2016/
When did the ability to do 200 mph stop being a prerequisite for a supercar?
200 mph Ability = Supercar, ( therefore the Jag qualifies automatically.)
Or what is the new limit ? 220mph?
Guess that makes the Hellcat Charger a supercar, at 204 MPH? Not sure if I would classify it as one otherwise…maybe 10 years ago, or even 5…but it otherwise doesn’t have the handling prowess or prestige to be a true supercar (and this is coming from a Dodge owner/fan)
Yes, like the, (distantly related), AMG Hammer.
And the, (also related), Dodge Viper.
How important is prestige? No-one knew what a Lamborghini was when they brought out the Miura, or Pagani, the Zonda. Or Koeniggsegg, their first car.
You make a point. Though I suppose this brings up the topic of the different classes of supercars…especially when you bring into account things such as how common a certain vehicle is, what aspects make it a supercar, etc…
The only reason I said that is because the F-Type is more of a sports car that has a variant that gets into supercar territory at 200 mph.
My supercar threshold is the contemporary Porsche Turbo. Now with extra confusion since the ‘regular’ Carrera (which used to itself be a special trim) is turbocharged. By that standard, the SVR is a left-field but not that unreasonable choice to keep the ass-engined slot-car honest.
And the AMG Hammer is a variant of a 200E.
Much to my own surprise, I have an honest answer to this. The Palatov D2 is street-legal, which I find admirable.
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YfBUyV6ongo/maxresdefault.jpg
And he has such a good website with the most detailed blog http://www.palatov.com/
mdharrel and JayP inspired me to share. Through the magic of reddit I learned about the poor Americans Ariel Atom. The DF Goblin. Designed to use donor parts from a Chevrolet Cobalt it seems like it wouldn’t be difficult to have a 500+hp turbocharged ecotec monster for under $25k.
Rezvani Beast – based on the Ariel Atom…
http://www.topgear.com/sites/default/files/styles/fit_1960x1102/public/images/news-article/carousel/2015/11/76072553c146b0c9384750b4b75f3178/rezvanibeastx-1.jpg?itok=DTQf_vIq
Way to out of my price range… But I’m sure I could bodge come fibreglass together and make shape like that on the Goblin.
The Lishidedidong Urban Supercar.
http://www.carnewschina.com/2015/03/10/the-lishidedidong-urban-supercar-ev-is-not-a-lamborghini-in-china/
Now I want to go back and change my own answer.
I challenge you to say the manufacturer name 5 times fast.
If I owned one I’d spend my time behind the wheel singing the name to the tune of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.”
Sadly, I get kind of hung up on the ever rising prices to go with the ever rising wage gap. As far as I’m concerned, the Lamborghini Countach is the platonic ideal of supercar – considering it listed for about $100k brand new, that translates to about $300k today, which’ll only get you a nicely equipped Huracan these days. but certainly not an Aventador, nevermind the current crop of million-plus hypercars.
http://images.mcn.bauercdn.com/PageFiles/526255/540×360/H2_web1.JPG
So I’m going to give a shout-out to superbikes. A $28k motorcycle would be a financial stretch for me (nevermind the skill required to not kill myself), but if we’re going to talk about vehicles that break the law if you so much as sneeze, that’s much more attainable than a car that costs significantly more than my condo,
This has always been so, or at least since the Vincent Rapide. But having this much performance in terms of acceleration can be hard to live with and drives home the fact that vehicles like these, both cars and bikes are not for normal, extended daily use.
My experience of running a Kawasaki ZZR1100 as a courier bike after years on a GSX 750 pretty quickly convinced me that actually using a big fraction of the potential on offer on any sort of regular basis would result in loss of license or life or both. After three weeks I went back to the 750, and then into a slow, safe car. As all cars are after experience of big bikes.
To be fair, except for it being a little rough on the highway, I’m still pretty content with an ancient, under stressed 250. Just, if we’re talking about stupid, unusable performance, I prefer the more egalitarian version.
You guys make me happy.
There’s a huge crop of over-the-top hypercars (or whatever) out right now, and lesser audiences would be in some fanboy pissing match between Konnigsegg and Bugatti. The piles of bikes and Se7en-ish vehicles you’re bringing up represent the true aspirational vehicle for someone who actually wants to go fast on a track. Plus, they’re just awesome to behold.
Okay, but as someone who nominated one of the Se7en-ish vehicles I wish to state for the record that I believe my entire racing career stands as testimony to my lack of a desire to go fast on a track.
And for any doubters, actual proof isn’t hard to find. 🙂
The hell is wrong with me? Obviously Roadkill makes the best supercars.