Supercar History - The Hypercar
 The
GTO's twin-turbo V8 endowed it with genuine 190mph
performance and a 0-60 time of under 5 seconds (the first road car to
achieve this since the 1965 AC Cobra). Racing materials and technology
played a large part in the make up of the GTO, as they did in the next
in the hypercar line the fascinating Porsche
959.
The 959 was a technological 'tour de force'. Its 6 speed
gearbox and 4-wheel drive powered the Porsche to 197mph with
acceleration to 60mph in 3.9sec - the first car under 4sec, breaking
the Cobra's 20 year old record. Ferrari took up the challenge of the
959 and on their 40th birthday, in 1987,
gave us the first road car genuinely capable of 200mph, the F40.
A true racer for the road, the F40 is most experts choice as the
greatest drivers car ever made. Top speed was 201mph with 60mph from
rest in 3.9sec and even more impressive 100mph from rest in 7.8sec
(beating the 959 by a second).
 The
80's signed off with four new members of the 150mph club, the 928S4
and 944 Turbo
from Porsche, the 190mph Zagato
from Aston Martin, while Ford came out with a junior-supercar for the
masses with the Sierra
RS Cosworth, offering incredible value for money at around £20k
(if you could afford the insurance!). Topping them all
 however,
was the awesome
Ruf CTR 'Yellowbird', the world's fastest car at a verified
213mph! 1989
saw the first Japanese supercars in the shape of the Nissan
300ZX, closely followed by the first incarnation of cult favourite
the Skyline GTR.
 1990
was a significant year, for it signaled the end of the reign of the
definitive supercar, the Lamborghini
Countach. All was not lost though as its successor, the 202mph Diablo,
would become one of the most awe inspiring experiences that you can
have on
four wheels! In a busy year we also saw the re-emergence of
TVR as a supercar force with the gorgeous Griffith roadster, Honda
also entered the fray with the superb handling and totally reliable NSX
- a car your great granny could drive and Chevrolet introduced the 180mph Corvette
ZR1. The biggest controversy of the year however, was the launch
of the Lotus
Carlton. We were greeted with Newspaper headlines predicting
armageddon at the hands of this 175mph five seater. It didn't happen!
 The
boom period of the 80's was now well and truly over, sky high supercar
prices were now settling down to a saner level - which was bad news
for speculators and the Jaguar
XJ220. Court cases ensued as people realized their £400,000
'investment' had turned into fools gold. It is a shame that this is
what such an exceptional car will be remembered for. On a lighter
note, the same year saw the
 re-birth of a famous name from the past
with the 1991 introduction of the
quad-turbo Bugatti
EB110, at the time the fastest car in the world at 218mph. America
finally gave us a rival to the Corvette with the beastly 8 litre Dodge
Viper offering 165mph and 0-60mph in under 5sec. However, the
performance goalposts were about to be moved once again, this time so
far that no-one else has yet reached them, because in 1993
came the fastest supercar of all time, the McLaren
F1.
 The McLaren's performance figures read like those of a Le
Mans car. 240mph, 0-60mph in 3.2sec and 0-100mph in just 6.3sec (this
would be a fast time to 60mph in a 'normal' sports car). Just 100 were
made and at £634,000 you can probably see why. But the F1's place in
history is secure. In the current climate of speed phobia and ever
tighter environmental restrictions we may never see its like again.
 If
1993 bought us the fastest ever car then 1994
may have bought us the best, the Ferrari
F355. The 355 was the complete car. Very fast, superb handling and
gorgeous Pininfarina bodywork - all in a package that could be used
every day. This year also saw the launch of two four-seater supercars,
both capable of breezing their occupants along at over 170mph in
leather lined luxury - the Ferrari
456, and the motorsport developed BMW
M5.
 The
Ferrari
F50 of 1995 was billed as a Grand
Prix car for the road. Offering 200mph+ performance, the F50 featured
what was in essence an early 90's Formula One engine from Alain
Prost's company car! In a busy period for Ferrari, we were also
greeted by their first front engined flagship since the Daytona, the 550
Maranello. Another first came from Lotus with the Esprit
finally gaining the V8 it had deserved for so long (even if it did
still sound like a 4 !). TVR followed up the Griffith's success with
the superfast Cerbera
(0-100mph in 9 seconds for just £40,000) and Porsche gave us the last
of the air cooled 911s, the brilliant 993
Turbo plus the wild Le Mans inspired GT2. 1996
saw Lotus going back to their roots with the classic Elise.
Endowed with a modestly powered engine, the Elise still managed
lively acceleration and superb handling thanks to it's overall light
weight. Porsche, meanwhile,
seemed to have lost
the plot! While no-one
can argue that their re-working of the 911, the 996,
was an excellent car it seemed to have turned from a seat of your
pants supercar into a softened up GT overnight. As
the millennium came to a close a new breed of rally bred supercar
started to emerge from Japan. The Subaru
Impreza Turbo led the way, going from cult hero to mainstream
bargain supercar in a few short years, followed by it's close rival
the technology laden Mitsubishi
Lancer Evo and second generation Nissan
Skyline GTR. The year 2000 bought us two very different
styles of supercar. The first was the minimalist approach, epitomized by the superlight Caterham
R500. A modest 230bhp, but in a body weighing little more than
1000lbs meant blistering acceleration. The R500 was joined by a
new family of
lightweight cars all powered by powerful motorbike engines offering
stunning acceleration through sequential bike gearboxes, the
definitive example being the awesome
Radical
Supersport.
 The second approach was the old fashioned
mega-power in a gorgeous low, wide body. The new Pagani
Zonda C12 S is a perfect example. Modern, detailed styling and a
powerful 540bhp V12 pushing the newcomer to a 215mph top speed. But
perhaps the ultimate came in the form of the new Porsche
996 Turbo. It may not have had the looks or driver involvement of
it's predecessors but it may well have been the fastest point to point
supercar ever created, and that it could be used as your everyday
transport was nothing short of amazing.
 As we look back on
40 years of supercar
advancement, the future looks surprisingly bright. With new, more
powerful models on the way from marques such as Ferrari with the Enzo, Porsche's
Carrera GT and
 Bugatti's 1000bhp Veyron, along with McLaren worrying efforts from the likes of
Koenigsegg and
B Engineering's Edonis, we can all be optimistic that the supercar will
still be with us in another 40 years to come!
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