21st century supercars
All the cars will take you from point A to B. Others will take you faster. Some cars will make you feel like you are flying. Others will literally fly. In the 21st century, nothing is left over and engineers stop at nothing. Most of the cars are just cars, but some have extraordinary features. These are called ‘supercars’.
The term ‘supercar’ is often used to specifically describe a very expensive, fast or powerful car, although most of them combine all of these attributes. The term itself did not become popular until the late 1960s and denoted cars with powerful V8 engines and rear-wheel drive. During this time, automakers strove to produce automobiles that were far superior in performance to their contemporary sports cars. Such cars are usually out of the world and are often perceived as unusual, which is more or less true.
The November 11, 1920 edition of the Times stated that “if you are interested in a super sports car, you cannot afford to ignore the claims of the Ensign 6.” Gone are those days and in their place now stands the latest Bugatti Veyron. Being the most expensive car and the second fastest, some believe it to be the best car ever. But there is certainly more to this fascinating world of these machines. Take the Lamborghini Reventon for example; Only 20 units were produced in 2008 and sold at an exorbitant price of €1 million. This car is exceptional because, not having much competition on the ground, it was raced with the Italian Tornado Jet! If that sounds surprising, then this one will make you scream: the Veyron was entered in a 2 mile drag race against a fighter jet and although the jet won, the difference in final time was less than 10 seconds!
Another amazing creation is the Pagani Zonda F, which is made entirely of carbon fiber. This makes him really strong and although he is being replaced by Pagani’s new standard bearer the ‘Huayra’, his legacy will live on. McLaren has a new player in town and few automakers are willing to mess with it. The mighty new McLaren MP412 can accelerate from 0-60mph in less than three seconds and comes with a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. This will take over from the legendary McLaren F1, which had to undergo major changes to be able to drive on normal roads.
Although things seem to be going well for the Germans, things are heating up in Maranello. The 2011 supercar; Novitec Ferrari Rosso 458 is in fashion. A lesser fuel hog due to its 4.5L V8 compared to McLaren’s V12, but with an output of 609 horsepower at 9100 rpm and a performance exhaust system, the same as the one used by the formula 1, it is definitely capable of producing more power. and even loyal McLaren consumers may change their minds. The problem now is whether the Ferrari Enzo will continue to carry the Ferrari flagship or if the Rosso is more in service. Only 399 examples of the Enzo were produced, and many wonder why they couldn’t have made it even by producing just one more.
Now, a lot of talk and less action will not get a roof on the building. Let’s get into action and translate it into power. Most normal cars have between 80 and 250 horsepower. That means the Bugatti Veyron is four times more powerful than the best in this category and about 12 times the worst! But there is an even bigger giant; the SSC Ultimate Aero! This is the fastest car in the world at 1183 horsepower and it does 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds! There is much debate as to whether Bugatti is faster, with Sweden’s Koegnissegg CCX, which currently sits in third, believed to sweep away the number one position in the future. Little has been heard of the Saleen S7 biturbo and while it currently sits in fourth place, the old adage goes that “even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit still.”
Well, as I said before, some cars will get you to a point, but others will get you faster. There is no more exhilarating experience than sitting behind the wheel of a supercar (although some are tricky at first). These are the kind of cars you don’t just turn on; you call it and it responds with a mighty roar, and everyone around you will know you didn’t just start a car; you started a supercar…