Beautiful, strong, fast

Sports cars have always been the essence of the automotive industry. Few of us can afford them, but they evoke emotion even as they pass us on the street. Their bodies are works of art, and under the hoods are powerful multi-cylinder engines, thanks to which these cars accelerate to “hundreds” in a few seconds. Below is a subjective selection of the most interesting models available on the market today.

Many of us love the adrenaline from fast driving. Not surprisingly, the first sports cars were built shortly after the new four-wheel combustion engine invention began to spread around the world.

The first sports car is considered Mercedes 60 hp since 1903. Next pioneers since 1910. Prince Henry Vauxhall 20 HP, built by LH Pomeroy, andAustro-Daimler, the work of Ferdinand Porsche. In the period before the Second World War, the Italians (Alfa Romeo, Maserati) and the British - Vauxhall, Austin, SS (later Jaguar) and Morris Garage (MG) specialized in the production of sports cars. In France, Ettore Bugatti worked, who did it so efficiently that the cars he produced - incl. The Type22, Type 13 or the beautiful eight-cylinder Type 57 SC dominated the world's most important races for a long time. Of course, German designers and manufacturers also contributed. Leading among them were BMW (like the neat 328) and Mercedes-Benz, for which Ferdinand Porsche designed one of the best and most powerful sports cars of the era, the SSK roadster, powered by a supercharged 7-litre engine. compressor (maximum power up to 300 hp and torque 680 Nm!).

It is worth noting two dates from the period immediately after World War II. In 1947, Enzo Ferrari founded a company for the production of supersports and racing cars (the first model was the Ferrari 125 S, with a 12-cylinder V-twin engine). In turn, in 1952, Lotus was created in the UK with a similar profile of activity. In the following decades, both manufacturers released many models that today have an absolute cult status.

The 60s were a turning point for sports cars. It was then that the world saw amazing models like the Jaguar E-type, Alfa Romeo Spider, MG B, Triumph Spitfire, Lotus Elan and in the US the first Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challengers, Pontiacs GTO or the Amazing AC Cobra hit the road. created by Carroll Shelby. Other important milestones were the creation of Lamborghini in Italy in 1963 (the first model was the 350 GT; the famous Miura in 1966) and the launch of the 911 by Porsche.

Porsche RS 911 GT2

Porsche is almost synonymous with a sports car. The characteristic and timeless silhouette of the 911 is associated even with people who have little knowledge of the automotive industry. Since its debut 51 years ago, more than 1 million copies of this model have been produced, and there are no signs that its glory will soon pass. A slender silhouette with a long bonnet with oval headlights, the amazing sound of a powerful boxer car placed at the rear, perfect handling are features of almost every Porsche 911. This year debuted a new version of the GT2 RS - the fastest and most powerful 911 in history. The car looks super-sporty and daring with a high-mounted rear spoiler in combat black and red. Driven by a 3,8-liter engine with 700 hp. and a torque of 750 Nm, the GT2 RS accelerates to 340 km/h, "hundred" is reached in just 2,8 seconds, and 200 km/h. after 8,3 s! With a sensational result of 6.47,3 m, it is currently the fastest production car on the Nordschleife of the famous Nürburgring. The engine, compared to the conventional 911 Turbo S, has incl. reinforced crank-piston system, more efficient intercoolers and larger turbochargers. The car weighs only 1470 kg (for example, the front hood is made of carbon fiber and the exhaust system is titanium), has a rear steering wheel system and ceramic brakes. The price is also from another fairy tale - PLN 1.

Alfa Romeo Julia Quadrifoglio

The Quadrifogli has been a symbol of Alfa sports models since 1923, when driver Hugo Sivocci first decided to ride a Targa Florio with a green four-leaf clover painted on the hood of his "RL". Last year, this symbol returned in a beautiful frame with the Giulia, the first Italian car in a very long time, created from scratch. This is the most powerful production Alfa in history - a 2,9-liter V-shaped six-cylinder engine with Ferrari genes, armed with two turbochargers, develops 510 hp. and allows you to accelerate to “hundreds” in 3,9 seconds. has excellent weight distribution (50:50). They give a lot of emotions while driving, and an unusually beautiful body line, decorated with spoilers, carbon elements, four exhaust tips and a diffuser, makes the car leave almost everyone in silent delight. Price: PLN 359 thousand.

Audi R8 V10 More

Now let's move to Germany. The first representative of this country is Audi. The most extreme car of this brand is the R8 V10 Plus (ten cylinders in V configuration, volume 5,2 l, power 610 hp, 56 Nm and 2,9 to 100 km/h). This is one of the best-sounding sports cars - the exhaust makes creepy sounds. It is also one of the few supercars that performs well enough in everyday use - it is equipped with modern equipment for driver comfort and support, and also always remains stable during dynamic driving. Price: from PLN 791 thousand.

BMW M6 competition

The M badge on a BMW is a guarantee of an extraordinary driving experience. Over the years, the group's court tuners from Munich have made sporty BMWs the dream of many four-wheel enthusiasts around the world. The top version of the emka at the moment is the M6 ​​Competition model. If we have an amount of at least 673 thousand PLN, we can become the owner of a car that ideally combines two natures - a comfortable, fast Gran Turismo and an extreme sportsman. The power of this "monster" is 600 hp, the maximum torque of 700 Nm is available from 1500 rpm, which, in principle, immediately, accelerates in 4 seconds to 100 km/h, and the maximum speed is up to 305 km/h. The car is powered by a 4,4 V8 biturbo engine that can rev up to 7400 rpm in i mode, turning the M6 ​​into a thoroughbred racing car that is not easy to tame.

Mercedes-AMG GT R

The equivalent of BEMO "emka" in Mercedes is the abbreviation AMG. The newest and strongest work of the Mercedes sports division is the GT R. Auto with its so-called grill, referring to the famous 300 SL. An extremely slim, streamlined yet muscular silhouette, which clearly distinguishes this car from other cars with a star on the hood, adorned with respectable air intakes and a large spoiler, makes the AMG GT R one of the most beautiful sports cars. in history. It's also a bacchanalia of the latest technology, led by an innovative four-wheel steering system, thanks to which this racing car demonstrates phenomenal driving performance. The engine is also a real champion - a 4-liter two-cylinder V-eight with a capacity of 585 hp. and 700 Nm of maximum torque allows you to reach "hundreds" in 3,6 seconds. Price: from PLN 778.

Aston Martin Vantage

True, our list should have included the excellent DB11, but the British brand upped the ante with their latest premiere. Since the 50s, the name Vantage has meant the most powerful versions of Aston - the favorite cars of the famous agent James Bond. Interestingly, the engine of this car is the work of Mercedes-AMG engineers. The unit “twisted” by the British develops 510 hp, and its maximum torque is 685 Nm. Thanks to this, we can accelerate the Vantage to 314 km / h, the first "hundred" in 3,6 seconds. The engine was moved all the way in and down to get the perfect weight distribution (50:50). This is the first model from the British manufacturer with an electronic differential (E-Diff), which, depending on the needs, can go from full lock to maximum opening in milliseconds. The new Aston has a very modern and extremely streamlined shape, accentuated by a powerful grille, diffuser and narrow headlights. Prices start from 154 thousand. Euro.

Nissan GT-R

There are many excellent sports models among the brands of Japanese manufacturers, but the Nissan GT-R is for sure. The GT-R doesn't compromise. It's raw, vicious, not very comfortable, heavy, but at the same time it offers phenomenal performance, excellent traction received as well. thanks to the 4x4 drive, which means that driving is a lot of fun. It's true that it costs at least half a million zlotys, but it's not a sky-high price because the popular Godzilla can easily compete with much more expensive supercars (acceleration under 3 seconds). The GT-Ra is powered by a turbocharged V6. 3,8 liter gasoline engine, 570 hp and a maximum torque of 637 Nm. Only four of Nissan's most specialized engineers are certified to assemble this unit by hand.

Ferrari 812 Superfast

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Ferrari, it introduced the 812 Superfast. The name is most appropriate, as the front 6,5-liter V12 engine has an output of 800 hp. and “spins” up to 8500 rpm, and at 7 thousand revolutions, we have a maximum torque of 718 Nm. The beautiful GT, which is of course best seen in Ferrari's signature blood red hues, can hit 340 km/h, with the first 2,9 displayed on the dial in less than 12 seconds. rear through a dual-clutch gearbox. The exterior design is all about aerodynamics, and although the car is beautiful, it doesn't look quite as phenomenal as the big brother LaFerrari, which has a V1014 driven by an electric motor, which gives a total power of 1 hp. . Price: PLN 115.

Lamborghini Aventador S

Legend has it that the first Lambo was created because Enzo Ferrari insulted tractor manufacturer Ferruccio Lamborghini. The rivalry between the two Italian companies continues to this day and results in such wonderful cars as the wild and ultra-fast Aventador S. 1,5 km/h. accelerates in 6,5 seconds, top speed 12 km/h. The S version added a four-wheel steering system (when speed increases, the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the front wheels), which provides greater driving stability. An interesting option is the driving mode, in which we can freely adjust the parameters of the car. And those doors that open obliquely ...

Bugatti Chiron

This is a real one whose performance will amaze you. It is the most powerful, fastest and most expensive in the world. The driver of the Chiron receives two keys as standard - unlocks speeds above 380 km / h, and the car reaches up to 420 km / h! it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 2,5 seconds and reaches 4 km/h in another 200 seconds. Sixteen-cylinder in-line mid-engine develops 1500 hp. and maximum torque of 1600 Nm in the range of 2000-6000 rpm. To ensure such characteristics, the stylists had to work hard on the design of the body - huge air intakes pump 60 3 tons into the engine. liters of air per minute, but at the same time, the radiator grille and the large “fin” stretching along the car are a clever reference to the history of the brand. Chiron, which is worth more than 400 million euros, just recently broke the record for acceleration to 41,96 km / h. and deceleration to zero. The whole test took only 5 seconds. It turned out, however, that it has an equal rival - the Swedish supercar KoenigseggAger RS ​​did the same XNUMX seconds faster in three weeks (we wrote about it in the January issue of MT).

Ford GT

With this car, Ford effectively and successfully alluded to the legendary GT40, which took the entire podium in the famous Le Mans race 50 years ago. Eternal, beautiful, slender, but very predatory body line does not allow you to take your eyes off this car. The GT was powered by a barely 3,5-liter twin-supercharged V-656, which, however, squeezed 745 hp. many elements are made of carbon) catapult to “hundreds” in 1385 seconds and accelerate to 3 km / h. Excellent grip is provided by elements of active aerodynamics - incl. Automatically adjustable spoiler with Gurney bar adjusts vertically when braking. However, to become the owner of a Ford GT, you not only need to have a huge amount of PLN 348 million, but also to convince the manufacturer that we will take care of it properly and that we will not lock it in the garage as an investment, we will only really drive it. .

Ford Mustang

This car is a legend, the quintessential American automotive industry, especially in the limited edition Shelby GT350. Under the hood ominously gurgles a classic 5,2-liter naturally aspirated V-twin engine with 533 hp. The maximum torque is 582 Nm and is directed to the rear. Due to the fact that the angle between the connecting rods reaches 180 degrees, the engine easily spins up to 8250 rpm, the car is incredibly frisky, and the motorcycle gang inspires awe. Feels great on a winding road, it is an emotional car in all respects - also with a muscular, but neat body, in many ways referring to its famous progenitor.

Dodge Charger

Speaking of American "athletes", let's dedicate a few words to the eternal competitors of the Mustang. The buyer of the most powerful Dodg Charger SRT Hellcat, like the owner of the Chiron, receives two keys - only with the help of red we can use all the possibilities of this car. And they are amazing: 717 hp. and 881 Nm catapult this huge (more than 5 m long) and heavy (more than 2 tons) sports limousine up to 100 km/h. in 3,7 seconds The engine is a real classic - with a huge compressor, it has eight V-shaped cylinders and a displacement of 6,2 liters. For this, excellent suspension, brakes, a lightning-fast 8-speed ZF gearbox and the price of "only" PLN 558.

Corvette Grand Sport

Another American classic. The new Corvette, as usual, looks phenomenal. With a low but very wide body, stylish ribs and a quad central exhaust, this model is predatory in its genes. Under the hood is an 8-liter naturally aspirated V6,2 engine with 486 hp. and a maximum torque of 630 Nm. "Hundred" we will see on the counter in 4,2 seconds, and the maximum speed is 290 km / h.

Eco racing cars

There are many indications that the sports cars described above, under the hoods of which powerful gasoline engines play a beautiful tune, may be the last generation of this type of vehicle. The future of sports cars, like all others, will be permanent under the sign of ecology. At the forefront of these changes are vehicles such as the new hybrid Honda NSX or the all-electric American Tesla Model S.

The NSX powers a V6 bi-turbo petrol engine and three additional electric motors – one between the gearbox and combustion engine and two more at the front wheels, giving the Honda above-average 4×4 efficiency. The total power of the system is 581 hp. The light and rigid body is made of aluminum, composites, ABS and carbon fiber. Acceleration - 2,9 s.

Tesla, in turn, is a powerful sports limousine with beautiful classic lines and phenomenal performance. Even the weakest model can reach speeds of up to 100 km / h. in 4,2 seconds, while the top-of-the-line P100D proudly holds the title of the fastest production car in the world, reaching 60 miles per hour (about 96 km/h) in 2,5 seconds. That's a LaFerrari-level result. or Chiron, but, unlike them, Tesla can simply be bought at a car dealership. The acceleration effect remains even more significant, as maximum torque is available immediately without any delay. And everything happens in silence, without noise from the engine compartment.

But is this really an advantage in the case of sports cars?