The 30 Best Sports Cars of All Time

The 30 Best Sports Cars of All Time

30. LOTUS ELISE

The Elise is a featherweight amongst refrigerators. Coming in at 200lbs under a ton, the Elise is a modern vision of something very old and very British–a super light, agile, capable, minuscule sports with an emphasis on handling over acceleration. Conceived in 1994, the insectoid face we’ve all come to know–and cringe at knowing–came about in 2002. There are a litany of versions in addition to the two seat roadster Elise, such as the hard top Exige, the 111R, and the American-friendly California addition. The car may be a pain in the arse getting in and out of, but its very easy on the wallet compared to more popular exotics. The real compromise is the lack of cup holders, power windows, and all those other amenities non-enthusiasts think a car needs.

29. FORD GT

In the early 2000s Ford was beginning a “revival” of famous nameplates, most notably the Thunderbird and the Mustang. Among them was the Ford GT, an homage to the legendary GT40 race car which won four straight Le Mansvictories in the 1960s. The Ford GT appeared as a concept car in 2002, and after a tremendous amount of positive feedback, was produced in 2003 with help of Steve Saleen and company. The new GT may have looked nearly identical to the original, but beneath its super plastic-formed aluminum body panels were numerous new and unique features, such as a capless fueling door and a “ship-in-a-bottle” gas tank. Its mid-engine construction and gorgeous aeronautical interior layout made Ford’s supercar a genuine American alternative for refined palettes too insulted by the coarse Dodge Viper.

28. PAGANI ZONDA F

Named for an air current above Argentina, the Pagani Zonda is yet another delicious slice of car lust to come out of Italy. Less than 100 actual street cars have been produced since 1999, making the Zonda one of the most highly sought after supercars in the world. The mastermind behind these cars is an industrial-design fanatic, and as such many components of the Zonda have a minimalist beauty to them, such as leaving body panels in unfinished carbon-fiber, or leaving suspension and chassis components fully exposed, and the pieces of the instrumentation panel looks like jewels in some ornate setting. The Zonda F came in 2005 with extensive revisions over previous models, though it makes use of the same 7.3 L V12. It had an impressive 528bhp/ton power to weight ratio, helping the F Clubsport beat the Porsche Carrera GT around the Nurburging and become the fastest production car in the world around the infamous track. The Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, of course, owns the title at the moment.

27. DODGE VIPER SRT-10

The Viper is a completely American take on a supercar. It is loud, boisterous, and packs a monster V10 sitting way out front beneath a long perforated hood. It is unrefined, unfriendly, and unforgiving–and driving one you become convinced the car is crazy, and has every intent on killing you in dramatic viral-video-on-YouTube fashion. It also derives its inspiration from a classic sports car (another American sort of thing) which in this case is the Shelby AC Cobra, and two more American car icons Carrol Shelby and Lee Iaccoca get most of the credit for developing this beast back in 1992. Since its debut, horsepower numbers have steadily increased, eclipsing the 600HP mark before its untimely–and hopefully temporary–demise in 2008. But the formula has always remained the same: 10 cylinders, monster torque, six speed manual, no safety nets, no promises. We who are about do die salute you.

26. FERRARI 365 GTB/4 DAYTONA

The Ferrari 365 GTB/4 is better known by its nickname “Daytona,” commemorating Ferrari’s triple success in the Feburary 1967 24 Hours of Daytona. While Lamborghini had just released the mid-engine Miura, Ferrari produced the 365 as a traditional front-engined car, though its styling was definitely more like a Lamborghini. In its day, it was the best grand tourermoneycould buy, and time has scarcely retracted from that acclamation, with Sports Car International voting the 365 the top sports car of the 1970s.

25. PORSCHE BOXSTER

The Boxster represents the first Porsche based on a roadster design as standard instead of a hard top, and since its debut in 1997, has set the standard for handling prowess, balance, and performance on a budget. It has been voted to Car & Driver’s Top Ten list 9 times, and ranks as one of the best Porsches of all time. Its name is a portmanteau derived from the word “Boxer”–referring to car’s horizontally-opposed boxer engine –and “Roadster”–based on the fact that–it’s a roadster.

24. ACURA NSX

Development of the NSX began in 1984–six years before its actual release–when Honda enlisted the help of Italian design firm Pininfarina to design the HP-X (Honda Pininfarina Experimental). Originally, Honda’s plan was to create a car whose performance could exceed that of the Ferrari 328–and later, the 348–while exhibiting typical Honda reliability and build quality. Bodywork design was inspired by the 360-degree visibility within an F-16 cockpit, and the NS-X (New Sportscar Experimental) was the first production car to feature an all-aluminum chassis, suspension, body, and engine, responsible for saving more than 220kg. Enthusiasts were stunned by its low ride height, stunning lines, and cockpit-forward design, and today early production models are among the best used sports cars available on the market because–well–it’s a Honda, and for the most part, they are still reliable enough to enjoy everyday 18 years later.

23. ASTON MARTIN DB5

Ah, yes. Goldfinger, 007, and his DB5. Aston Martin had already made its reputation as one of a handful of proud British car companies who hand-built their cars, but the Bond films made Aston Martin glamorous. Aston was mostly concerned with style rather than outright performance, even though the DB5 would do 150 plus in 1961. Problem was, you weren’t always guaranteed it wouldn’t break. Another (potential) problem enthusiasts have noted is that while the DB5 is no doubt one of the greatest grand tourers of all time, it lacks the singleness of purpose expected from a sports car. So while its coolness is unquestioned, it can’t be higher than middle of the pack on a list like this.

22. AUDI R8

Based on the Lamborghini Gallardo, the Audi R8 has a longitudinally mounted mid-engine, Audi’s trademark “Quattro” AWD system, and the Porsche 911 Turbo’s number. Released in 2007, the R8 became an instant worldwide success, combining Italian curb appeal with Germanengineering. Critics proclaimed that it could potentially be the best all around sports car ever built, thanks in part to its everyday usability as well as its neutral handling, which makes the car simultaneously less impressive but more involving than other supercars like the Nissan GTR. The Audi rewards driver inputs, but manages to do so in such an evenhanded way that driving it can seem almost too easy. In the end, the one blot on its record was its diminutive 4.2L V8, but an available 5.2L FSI V10 model followed in 2009 which solidified the Audi in the “supercar” category without sacrificing its more endearing qualities–being easy on the eyes, and the ass, and the wallet (relatively speaking, of course).

21. LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH

In Italian, the word Countach means something like Wow! and just looking at the car you can see why. The Countach is responsible for pioneering and popularizing the chiseled, wedge-shaped, cabin-forward design that became so popular in supercars of the 1980s. Inspired by F1 technology, the Countach owed much of its performance credentials to its exceptionally wide wheels and tires, and its powerful mid-engine V12 helped it exceed 150 mph. Its price also exceeded 150–thousand dollars that is, making the Countach an attention grabber and pin-up magnet wherever it went. For a whole generation of car enthusiasts, this is the wet dream that stole their car virginity, not to mention their hearts.

20. CHEVROLET CORVETTE ZR1

The ZR1 name is itself the revival of a long history of souped up ‘Vettes, and this newest version is the most powerful Corvette ever. Using a supercharged version of the base-model LS9, this bow-tie bombshell produces 620 spleen-tingling horsepower, and hauls the carbon fiber and aluminum body around the Nurburgring faster than any other production car in the world to date. Now, we know Detroit has all the design credibility of a 9-year old cosmetology student with scissors, and the interior bears those marks painfully (and odorously, like melting glue), but the rest of the car is so good, it even made Jeremy Clarkson forget those little idiosyncratic flaws and declare the ZR1 the 2009 Performance Car of the Year. And coming from the most notorious critic of the American car, that is probably the biggest compliment that could possibly be paid to the job Chevy did on this car. It is certainly the best sports car statistically America has ever produced, and we doubt we will see its equal for quite some time.

19. LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO

Since its appearance in 2003 the Gallardo has become Lamborghini’s most popular model in its history, with more Gallardos on the streets than every other Lamborghini model combined. Like most of its predecessors, the car excelled in looks and sound and acceleration, but lagged behind in handling despite its all wheel drive set-up. However, after a major overhaul in 2009, the Gallardo became a world class sports car in addition to a sexy smooth Italian exotic. Upgrades included a larger, more powerful V10, a quicker shifting “E-gear” tranny, Reventon-inspired angular body work, launch control mechanisms, and lighter weight–allowing the new LP-560-4 to beat the Nissan GTR, the Ferrari F430 Scuderia, and Lamborghini’s own Murcielago around the Top Gear track.

18. MERCEDES BENZ SLR MCLAREN

The SLR was the love child of a partnership between two of the best names in the business, and still stands of one of the few successful national partnerships between Britain and Germany. Drawing from the legendary Mercedes 300SL Gullwing, the SLR had a front-mid-engine arrangement, which made it more of a grand tourer, but a grand tourer with a collegiate track and field background. It still wasn’t as nimble as a Murcielago around the track, but there are few cars that can match this car’s feral straight-line acceleration. Mercedes had hoped to sell 500 cars annually, but when production ceased in 2008, less than 600 cars had been made in six years.

17. FERRARI F430

The F430 replaced the Ferrari 360, and though its chassis is identical to its predecessor and its bodywork is no more slippery–it generates more downforce and is even harder to look at without an embarrassing biological side effect. It is the third quickest Ferrari ever made, behind the Enzo and the 599, and its preternatural handling makes it one of the best driving cars ever built. It is mid-engine (it’s getting a bit redundant this far into the list, I know) and features a nifty E-diff, which varies distribution of torque based on lateral acceleration and steering angle, an industry first, as well as Ferrari’s manettino steering wheel-mounted control nob, which allows the driver to select from five different settings–because apparently, just having a Ferrari isn’t enough. You need a Ferrari that’s a Transformer as well.

16. LAMBORGHINI MURCIELAGO

Okay, fun fact of the day: The Murcielago, like most Lamborghinis, is named after a very famous bull, which in this case, refers to a bull by the same name who survived 24 sword strokes in an 1879 bullfight in Cordoba, and showed such spirit that the fighter spared its life. Indeed a rare honor. Another fun fact: If you are a rich football player (of either sort) and think that having a Murcielago will make you cool, or that the permanent four-wheel drive system handed down from the Diablo will save you if when you get in over your head–think again! At best, this car will make you look like a very rich idiot. At worst, you look like a very rich deadidiot. Really, entire websites could be devoted to enshrining the remains of Murcielagos that have fallen into harm’s way or spontaneously burst into flames at the hands of their ignorant owners.

15. PORSCHE CARRERA GT

Generally speaking, one can always tell when they are looking at a Porsche. You just scan across the parking lot for a VW Beetle, then focus, and see if it looks like it’s been to the gym recently. So it may be that when you look at the Carrera, it doesn’t look like a Porsche at all. It’s all flat, and low, and super wide. It has two spinal cords running up its back, and a spoiler that rises up and down like an oversexed Evo. It’s very very expensive as well, coming in at more than $400,000 when it was released in 2004. But for all that, it is certainly a Porsche. Driving this car is like pressing your face against a television screen–putting you so close to the action your gateway neurons in your brain threaten to put you into shock just to provide some relief. But this isn’t the sort of thing you ever want relief from, nor want to get over. The Carrera isImmediacypersonified, and for most of us (all but 1200 or so of us to be precise) this fancy sort of linguistic symbolism is as close as we’ll ever get to that epiphany.

14. SHELBY AC COBRA

We all know this story. It’s sort of an archetypal one–take a small engine out of a small car and replace it with a big stonking V8, and Voila! performance paradise. That’s the long and short of the AC Cobra, with AC as a British racing car manufacturer and the V8 being the 427ci Ford V8, and the result was a car that made Britain implement national speed limits after Cobras were reportedly running at over 185 mph down the freeway. Carroll Shelby wanted to create a “Corvette-Beater,” and at 500lbs less than a Stingray the Cobra was just that, and the shape of automotive history was changed forever.

13. BMW M3

Here’s another archetypal story: Take a base model grocery getter and throw a more powerful engine at it, a bunch of suspension upgrades, make it look better, and drive faster around a track, slap a couple of dozen “M” badges on it and Voila! you have the M3. It’s very similar to the Muscle Car archetype, except this one can actually go around corners. The M3 has become to kids in the ’90s and 2000s what the Countach was to kids in the ’70s and ’80s–the wet dream of things to come when high school is over and the dough starts rolling in.

12. FERRARI F40

By the 1980s, the once prestigious and honored Ferrari name had fallen into disarray. Their cars were no longer the fastest, nor the best looking, and Formula 1 racing was no longer their lady. Enzo Ferrari was 90 years old, and as his final creative act, he produced the F40 to serve as his eulogy. And what a statement it turned out to be. The F40 is one of the purest driving machines ever built, and from 1987-1989 held the title as the fastest street legal production car in the world, and became the first car to break the 200 mph barrier. It was the only car capable of besting the venerable Porsche 959 during its lifetime, and it revived the association of Ferrari with words like “Prestige,” “Excellence,” and “Nah-nah-nah-nah-boo-boo-you-can’t-get-me.”

11. MAZDA MIATA

No doubt there are two responses right now: those appalled by a Mazda-anything topping an F40 and those appalled that there is an extra 1 in front of its ranking. Well, to the first group, I submit to you the Miata most certainly belongs here, as it single-handedly saved the concept of the “British” sports car in the ’80s at a time when no one was making them, and became the best selling drop top of all time. It was cheap, reliable, and incredibly satisfying to drive, and cars like the Boxster, the SLK, the Z4, the S2000 all owe their very existence to the success of the unassuming Miata here. Now, as for the second group, I appeal to your baser instincts, and ask, “Have you ever lusted after a Miata?” If the answer is yes, I ask you, “Really?” The Miata was significant, and it is fun, but in a lower case ‘f’ sort of way, and in a way that’s way too responsible and way too legal. And honestly, nothing should break the top 10 of a list like this unless it is quite perverse and a bit immoral.

10. MERCEDES BENZ 300SL GULLWING

The 300SL represents the perfect mixture of form and function, and is a surviving testament to German engineering excellence in 1954 when this car stunned the world at the New York Auto Show. It is undeniably pretty, but in a restrained sort of way–very disciplined, very Prussian. It was the fastest car in its day, partially because it was also the first production car to use fuel injection, and partially because of its super light tubular frame, which made the use of those idiosyncratic ‘Gullwing’ doors necessary. By today’s standards, it is not the most brilliant car in the world to drive, but taking into account its effect on the future of automobiles, the SL certainly deserves to be at least this high on the list.

9. JAGUAR E-TYPE

When the E-Type hit the streets, Enzo Ferrari declared it was the most beautiful car ever built. But to really grasp the car’s true nature within the context of the 1960s, you have to consult, nay, yield to your inner Freudian, and accept the fact that this is also the most phallic car ever produced. Sort of a horizontal expression of man’s intentions. Because without that slightly dirty connotation, the E-Type’s charm is completely lost. This Jag was Britain’s rebellious yet groovy “Yawp” from the rooftops of the world, and signaled their dramatic cultural revival from the darkness of post-World War reconstruction. Like many things British, though, the Jag was exceptionally endearing because (and in spite of) its gratuitous mechanical shortcomings, and anyone who has one knows what I’m talking about, and does not need me to remind them about the steering. Or the headlights. Or the brakes. Or the overheating issues…

8. CHEVROLET STINGRAY CORVETTE

This was the first, and in many ways, still the only real American sports car, and in the 1960s, the Stingray was everything red, white, and blue all rolled into one. It was loud, showy, and shamelessly self-aggrandizing. It was muscle bound, torquey, and was about as refined as a bowl of chili cheese fries. One of the truly remarkable things about the car, though, was its small block V8, which managed to give a small car all the performance of a larger engine in a compact package. The car was still no star in the corners, but that’s okay. Route 66 doesn’t have many corners, nor does a one-finger salute, and those were the two things the Stingray was made for.

7. NISSAN SKYLINE

A car of, by, and for the Playstation Generation. That’s what the Skyline is. It was so extreme it was banned from the very streets of North America, and it was so dominant on the racing circuit, it was banned from certain competitions just to give other racers a chance. And the newest model, the R35 GTR, is simply the craziest most insanely capable version yet. It’s entirely programmable, from its engine to its four wheel drive, and it gives the driver more readouts than could be humanly possible to even care about. On the outside, the Skyline is almost in disguise, keeping the monster inside under wraps until that red light or that twisty mountain road comes up, and then a quick downshift and a whistle from the blow-off valve herald the release of “Godzilla” from its mundane trappings. It’s all very dramatic to be sure. But the Skyline appeals to people who are used to shifting gears with their index fingers and driving with their thumbs, and in non-numerical terms, the Skyline is rather plain. It has all the personality of a can opener, and the curb appeal of an Edmund Spenser poem–sure its beautiful, and undoubtedly significant, but you have to know something about British Literature to appreciate it. All those without a Masters in Tuning and Ricing need not apply.

6. FERRARI ENZO

If the F40 car was Enzo’s greatest going away present, the great must the Enzo Ferrari be if it was deemed worthy enough to bear its founder’s name? For the layman driver, this is about as close as you will ever get to the Formula 1 experience in a road car. The engine is, again, in the middle, a V12 with 660HP and a top speed of 220mph, making the performance as insane as the flamboyant body design. It’s not exactly pretty, per se, but rather so weird as to be exotic looking, much the same way the Countach wooed us way back when. The instant you see it, you see the money it’s rolling over as well, and you notice the guy in the driver seat isn’t you, and the whole fatal attraction begins. There were only 400 of these ever made, but the number of actual surviving units decreases seemingly on a monthly basis. Unlike the Murcielago, there is in fact a shrine dedicated to Enzo deaths (all of them untimely) which reminds us all of how important it is to keep rich celebrities out of these cars. But we aren’t likely to preserve many of them without being movie stars or pro athletes ourselves. Oh, damn you Catch-22!

5. LAMBORGHINI MIURA

Up until the Miura, almost every sports car had been front engine/rear drive. And though De Tomaso had produced a mid-engine car already, the Miura popularized the idea, and became the trend setter for an entirely new age inhigh performance cars. By today’s standards, the Miura is a beast, just as tall and wide and long as a 599, but its dimensions house its little secret. You see, mid-engine cars weren’t always, and sometimes, still aren’t, very pretty to look at. Something about the proportions of a cabin-forward design just isn’t as intuitively pleasing to the eye as the aesthetic of a traditional FR car. Look at the Enzo, the Ford GT, the Audi R8, the Countach, the Carrera GT, and the Murcielago: they are all attractive, and exotic, and moving, but they aren’t exactly what we would call pretty. But the Miura, the Miura is pretty, and it is still one of the most significant cars ever produced.

4. BUGATTI VEYRON

What can be said about this car that hasn’t been said thousands of times, and sometimes even cleverly? The Veyron brushes shoulders with the all-time greats not because of what it does, but how it does it. Top speed crowns are momentary honors inevitably passed on to the next generation. Already, the SSC Ultimate Aero and others have surpassed its 253mph top speed, but none have managed to improve on the ease with which the Veyron achieves its stupendous mark. It is composed at any speed, and it isn’t a stripped down street legal race car either, but includes all the amenities deserving of a 1.2 million dollar car. The Veyron has done what many said couldn’t, or even shouldn’t, be done–make a road worthy luxury grand-tourer capable of breaking the speed limit nearly four times over without getting too excited.

3. FERRARI 250 GTO

You are looking not only at the best Ferrari of all time, but in some minds, the best sports car of all time period. Certainly, the former assertion would seem enough evidence to grant the latter. And certainly, this car is well deserving of its title as the Most Beautiful Car ever built, as its FR proportions are definitely easier on the eyes than any modern MR car. So why is it sitting here at number 3? Because an all-time list must take into account the breadth of a car’s effect, and while in its day, and in its place, the journalistic community could make a good case for placing it at number one, an all time list shouldn’t be dominated by a car that needs such an explanation. Both in terms of ground breaking performance and overarching effect on the population at large, the 250 GTO just doesn’t stack up against the final two cars on our list.

2. MCLAREN F1

The McLaren F1 is still quite possibly the greatest road going car of all time. It may have abdicated its top speed crown of 240.1mph, but it did so without the help of forced induction, making it the fastest Naturally Aspirated road car to this day. The F1 has a unique three seat design, with the driver’s seat positioned in the middle, making entry and exit a bit of a pain, but it optimizes the driving experience, which is the F1’s most brilliant trait. There are few cars that can rival the F1’s ability to combine street car with race car, and still fewer do so in such a mature but still sexy exterior. But while the F1 excels in the performance category, its effect is mostly aspirational, inspiring future high-end exotics and our own lowly middle class visions of grandeur. Getting an F1 is like applying for public office: you need money, charisma, and clout, and even then, there aren’t always enough spots to go around. To an enthusiast, the F1 may be number 1, but in the whole scheme of things, it’s simply too exclusive.

1. PORSCHE 911

It’s hard to believe that the top of this list could be occupied by a car with any ties to the VW Beetle, but alas, it is, and deservedly so. The 911 is the second oldest nameplate in continuous production (behind the Corvette) and it is the oldest living example of the air (now liquid) cooled longitudinally mounted rear engine technology pioneered by Porsche’s founder. Physics dictates that putting the engine in the rear of the car is quite possibly the worst place to put it as it causes the car to violently oversteer into corners and makes stability an issue. Nonetheless, the story of the 911 is one of engineers progressively tweaking a car to succeed in spite of itself. When it comes to owning a supercar you can actually drive every day, the 911 is still the best game in town. The car exudes quality, restraint, and German car love and our own car lust. And it’s a car you can see on the street, and a car it’s okay to dream of owning, because used models are always available in a wide range of prices. It is fast, exotic, expensive, and delivers the sort of unadulterated joy of driving one could only expect from the best sports car ever made. And that is why the 911 rocks.