Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Top Sports Cars of All Time

When it comes to cars, especially sports cars, you have your favorites and I have mine. The question of what constitutes the best is a hot button issue, especially among truly knowledgeable enthusiasts, because we all have a different set of criteria to work from.

The Sports Car
The best sports cars are defined by their driving and mechanical performance. As a group, they are "open, low built, fast motor cars". They are dedicated high performance machines and they take many forms, depending on the manufacturer and market. But the sports car is more than just a fast car. It hugs the road, shifts responsively, accelerates quickly and can break on a penny all the while being street legal. It is no wonder then, that we love them and we love to talk about them almost as much as we love to drive them. So while this list may not match yours, it does reference some of the best sports cars of all time.

10. Mercedes Benz 300SL Gull Wing

The first production car to use fuel injection and a testament to German engineering in 1954. 215 bph. Top speed 135 mph.

9. Jaguar E-Type
 
Produced in 1961-1964. 265 bph. Top speed 240 km/h. 0-60 in 7 seconds.

8. Chevrolet Stingray Corvette
 
The first American sports car and maybe the only American sports car. Produced in 1966. 425 bph. Top speed 245 km/h. 0-60 in 4.8 seconds.

7. Nissan Skyline


Banned from the streets of North America and some racing competitions in order to even the playing field. 480 bph. 0-60 in 3.3 seconds.

6. Ferrari Enzo
 
Introduced in 2002. 660 bph. Top speed 350 km/h. 0-60 3.3 seconds.

5. Lamborghini Miura
 
The car that popularised the mid engine design. Produced from 1967-1969. 350 bhp. Top speed 277 km/h.

4. Bugatti Veyron

A road worthy luxury grand tourer. Introduced in 2005. 1001 bhp. Top speed 407 km/h.

3. Ferrari 250 GTO

The best Ferrari of all time and the most beautiful car of all time. Produced from 1962-1963. 302 bhp. Top speed 280 km/h. 0-60 in 5.8 seconds.

2. McLaren FI

Possibly the greatest road going car of all time and the fastest naturally aspirated road car to this day. Produced from 1993-1998. A unique three-seat design with 627 bhp. Top speed 386 km/h. 0-60 in 3.2 seconds.

1. Porche 911

The 2010 Porche 911 is a 2 door, 2 seat sport coupe with rear engine and 435 bhp. Top speed 194 mph. 0-60 in 4 seconds.


This article was written by Tom Sangers on behalf of Romans International who are Aston Martin Dealers and Bentley Dealers based in the UK.