Engineering:Supercar

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A supercar, also known as an exotic car, is a street-legal sports car with race track-like power, speed, and handling, plus a certain subjective cachet linked to pedigree and/or exclusivity.[1] The term 'supercar' is frequently used for the extreme fringe of powerful, low-bodied mid-engine luxury sportscars. A low-profile car may have limited ground clearance, but a handling-favorable center of gravity and a smaller frontal area than a front engined car. These characteristics can reduce supercars' aerodynamic drag, enabling higher top speeds. Since the 2000s,[citation needed] the term hypercar has come into use for the highest-performance supercars.[citation needed]

Supercars often serve as the flagship model within a vehicle manufacturer's sports car range and typically feature various performance-related technology derived from motorsports. Some examples include the Ferrari 458 Italia, Lamborghini Aventador, and McLaren 720S.

Automotive journalism typically reserves the predicate 'hypercar' for low (two- to low 4-figure) production-number cars, built over and above the marque's typical product line-up and carrying 21st century sales prices often exceeding a million euros, dollars, or pounds. Examples include the Porsche Carrera GT, Ford GT, and Ferrari F40/F50/Enzo lineage. Only a few car makers, like Bugatti and Koenigsegg, exclusively make hypercars.

History

Europe

The Lamborghini Miura, introduced in 1966 by the Italian manufacturer, is often said to be the first supercar.[2][3][4][5] By the 1970s and 1980s, the term was in regular use for such a car, if not precisely defined.[6][7] One interpretation up until the 1990s was to use it for mid-engine two-seat cars with at least eight cylinders (but typically a V12 engine), a power output of at least 400 bhp (298 kW) and a top speed of at least 180 mph (290 km/h).[1] Other interpretations state that "it must be very fast, with sporting handling to match", "it should be sleek and eye-catching" and its price should be "one in a rarefied atmosphere of its own";[8] exclusivity – in terms of limited production volumes, such as those of the most elite models made by Ferrari or Lamborghini – is also an essential characteristic for some using the term.[5] Some European manufacturers, such as McLaren, Pagani, and Koenigsegg, specialize in only producing supercars.[9][10][11][12][13]

Lamborghini Miura P400 S
Maserati MC20

North America

During the 1960s, the highest-performance versions of American muscle cars were referred to as supercars.[14][15]: 8  The description was sometimes spelled with a capital S.[16] Its use reflected the intense competition for primacy in that market segment between U.S. manufacturers, retroactively characterized as the "horsepower wars".[14]: 8  Already by 1965 the May issue of the American magazine Car Life included multiple references to supercars and "the supercar club",[17] and a 1968 issue of Car & Driver magazine describes a "Supercar street racer gang" market segment.[18] The "S/C" in the model name of the AMC S/C Rambler produced in 1969 as a street-legal racer is an abbreviation for "SuperCar".[19]

Since the decline of the muscle car in the 1970s, the word supercar has been more broadly internationalized, coming to mean an "exotic" car that has high performance;[14]: 5  interpretations of the term span from limited-production models produced by small manufacturers for performance enthusiasts to (less frequently) standard production cars modified for exceptional performance.[20]

The 1990s and 2000s saw a rise in American supercars with similar characteristics to their European counterparts.[21][22] Some American "Big Three" (i.e. General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford, the historic leaders of America's Detroit-based auto-industry) sports cars which have been referred to as supercars include contemporary Chevrolet Corvettes,[23][24] the Dodge Viper,[25][26] and the Ford GT.[27][28] Supercars made by smaller American manufacturers include the Saleen S7, SSC Ultimate Aero, SSC Tuatara, Hennessey Venom GT, and Hennessey Venom F5.[29][30][31][32][33]

2018 Ford GT
Corvette C8

East Asia

During the early 1990s, Japan began to gain global recognition for making high-performance sports cars; the automotive media described the lightweight, mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive, V6 Honda NSX produced from 1990 through 2005 as Japan's "first".[34][35][36] Matching contemporary European supercars in performance and features, the NSX was more reliable and user-friendly.[37][38]

In the 21st century, other Japanese makers produced supercars. From 2010 until 2012, Lexus marketed the Lexus LFA, a two-seat front-engine coupe powered by a 4.8 L (293 cu in) V10 engine producing 553 hp (412 kW; 561 PS).[39][40][41] The 2009–present Nissan GT-R has been described as a modern supercar that delivers everyday practicality.[42][43][44] It features a twin-turbo V6 producing between 473–710 hp (353–529 kW; 480–720 PS), with all-wheel-drive and a dual-clutch transmission.[45][46][47][48]

The second generation Honda NSX made from 2016 until 2022 used all-wheel drive, a hybrid powertrain (producing up to 602 hp (449 kW; 610 PS)), turbocharging, and a dual-clutch transmission.[49][50][51]

In recent years, China has also seen the emergence of a number of domestically produced supercars, most of which are new hybrid or electric vehicles, represented by the NIO EP9, Hongqi S9, Yangwang U9, Hyptec SSR, and Neta GT.[52]

1997 Honda NSX
2024 Nio EP9

Hypercar

Bugatti Veyron 16.4

Another term for high-performance sportscars is "hypercar", which is sometimes used to describe the highest-performing supercars.[53] An extension of "supercar", it too lacks a set definition. One offered by the automotive magazine, The Drive, is "a limited-production, top-of-the-line supercar";[54] prices can reach or exceed US$1 million, and already had by 2017.[54]

Some observers consider the tubular framed, first-ever production fuel-injection, world's fastest street-legal, 260 km/h (160 mph) 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL "Gullwing" as the first hypercar; others the revolutionary, mid-engined 1967 Lamborghini Miura;{{Citation needed|date=August 2025} [55] or 2005 Bugatti Veyron.[56]

With a shift towards electrification, many new hypercars use a hybrid drivetrain, a trend started in 2013 with the McLaren P1, Porsche 918 Spyder, and LaFerrari, then continued in 2016 with the Koenigsegg Regera, in 2017 with the Mercedes-AMG One, the McLaren Speedtail, and in 2025 the Corvette ZR1X.[57][58][59][60]

Some modern hypercars, such as the Pininfarina Battista, NIO EP9, Rimac Nevera, and Lotus Evija, have also gone full-electric.

Hypercars have also been used as a base for the Le Mans Hypercar class after rule changes came into effect from 2021.[61]

See also

  • List of sports car manufacturers
  • List of fastest production cars
  • Supercar Season

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Matt Prior's tester's notes – defining a supercar". https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/anything-goes/matt-priors-testers-notes-defining-supercar. 
  2. ↑ Mason, Paul (2018). Italian Supercars: Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati. Rosen Publishing Group. p. 4. ISBN 978-1538338933. https://books.google.com/books?id=FdxoDwAAQBAJ. 
  3. ↑ Wasef, Basem (2018). Speed Read Supercar: The History, Technology and Design Behind the World's Most Exciting Cars. Motorbooks. ISBN 978-0760362921. https://books.google.com/books?id=d6tqDwAAQBAJ. ""the outlandish Lamborghini Miura, which is widely considered to be the first car to legitimately deserve the title" 
  4. ↑ Codling, Stuart (2015). Lamborghini Supercars 50 Years: From the Groundbreaking Miura to Today's Hypercars – Foreword by Fabio Lamborghini. Motorbooks. p. 4. ISBN 978-0760347959. https://books.google.com/books?id=kYK-CQAAQBAJ. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Supercars". http://www.simoncars.co.uk/racing/supercar.html. 
  6. ↑ Marshall, Stuart (4 September 1975). "Rewards and frustrations of the super cars". The Times (London): p. 23. 
  7. ↑ "Business Roundup; From the Land of the VW, a $35,000 Supercar". The New York Times: p. F15. 21 September 1975. 
  8. ↑ Ward, Ian (1985), Secondhand Supercars, London Motor Show "Motorfair 1985" Official Catalogue 
  9. ↑ Root, Al. "Supercar Maker McLaren Wants to Beat Tesla's Roadster at Its Own Game". https://www.barrons.com/articles/mclaren-tesla-roadster-electric-vehicles-51575923514. 
  10. ↑ "Rapid rise: What's next for supercar company McLaren Automotive?" (in en-CA). The Globe and Mail. 2019-02-12. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/drive/technology/article-rapid-rise-whats-next-for-supercar-company-mclaren-automotive/. 
  11. ↑ "The beginner's guide to Pagani". Top Gear. 2022-09-23. https://www.topgear.com/car-news/top-gear-advice/beginners-guide-pagani. 
  12. ↑ "Koenigsegg Founder Tells The Story Of His "Stupid Business Idea"". Motor Authority. 26 August 2015. https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1099739_koenigsegg-founder-tells-the-history-of-his-stupid-business-idea. 
  13. ↑ Woodard, Collin (2016-06-21). "Christian von Koenigsegg Was a Frozen Chicken Tycoon Before He Built Supercars". Road & Track. https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/videos/a29667/how-christian-von-koenigsegg-built-company/. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Harless, Robert (2004). Horsepower War: Our Way of Life. iUniverse. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-595-30296-3. https://books.google.com/books?id=1smsFpLmtIoC. 
  15. ↑ Gunnell, John (2001). Standard Guide to American Muscle Cars: A Supercar Source Book, 1960–2000. Krause. ISBN 978-0873492621. https://books.google.com/books?id=_g3CKLbpgHUC&q=Original+muscle+cars+were+called+supercars. Retrieved 16 January 2018. "The term muscle car wasn't heard much hack when these vehicles were first hitting the market. In those days, the enthusiast magazines favored the term supercar." 
  16. ↑ Severson, Aaron (27 July 2009). "Super-iority: Defining the Supercar and Muscle Car". https://ateupwithmotor.com/terms-technology-definitions/supercar-muscle-car/. "what we now think of as muscle cars were more commonly called "Supercars," often (though not always) spelled with a capital S." 
  17. ↑ "Rambler Scrambler". Car Life 16: 33–36. 1969. https://books.google.com/books?id=UvY6AAAAMAAJ&q=Supercar+Rambler+Scrambler. Retrieved 11 September 2014. 
  18. ↑ "Rambler Scrambler". Car and Driver 14: 84. 1968. 
  19. ↑ Lyons, Dan; Scott, Jason (2004). Muscle Car Milestones. MotorBooks/MBI. p. 89. ISBN 978-0-7603-0615-4. https://books.google.com/books?id=eQK68tbpAVIC&q=the+SC+stood+for+SuperCar&pg=PA89. Retrieved 11 September 2014. 
  20. ↑ Cheetham, Craig (2006). Supercars. MotorBooks/MBI. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-7603-2565-0. https://books.google.com/books?id=PDaDC1BAKZQC&q=Supercar+Cheetham. 
  21. ↑ "2009-2010 Supercar Showdown!". Car and Driver. 2009-03-01. https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison-test/a15144147/corvette-zr1-vs-sl65-amg-black-series-murcielago-lp640-viper-srt10-comparison-test/. 
  22. ↑ "Tested: 1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1". Car and Driver. 2020-07-15. https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15141952/1990-chevrolet-corvette-zr-1-archived-test-review/. 
  23. ↑ Edward, Kyle. "2023 Corvette Z06 Is America's Supercar Hero". Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kyleedward/2022/10/26/2023-corvette-z06-is-americas-supercar-hero/. 
  24. ↑ "2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Elevates the American Supercar". media.gm.com (Press release). 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  25. ↑ Kennedy, George (May 18, 2022). "Dodge Viper: America's Exotic Car". US News. https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/features/dodge-viper-profile. 
  26. ↑ Snavely, Brent. "Dodge Viper supercar being killed off -- again". USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2016/06/21/dodge-viper-supercar-being-killed-off----again/86200822/. 
  27. ↑ Ross, Robert (2022-01-10). "Car of the Week: A 2005 Ford GT, the First Modern American Supercar, Is Heading to Auction". Robb Report. https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/gooding-and-company-2005-ford-gt-online-auction-1234656758/. 
  28. ↑ DeBord, Matthew. "The Ford GT sets a new standard for American supercars". Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/ford-gt-review-pictures-2017-6. 
  29. ↑ Anderson, Gregory (2007-08-01). "Feature: The Saleen Solution". Robb Report. https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/feature-the-saleen-solution-239048/. 
  30. ↑ Charlton, Alistair (2023-01-02). "The SSC Ultimate Aero Is The Underrated American Supercar Everyone Forgot Existed". SlashGear. https://www.slashgear.com/1153561/the-ssc-ultimate-aero-is-the-underrated-american-supercar-everyone-forgot-existed/. 
  31. ↑ McC, James; less (2022-05-25). "SSC Tuatara Sets New Production Car Speed Record of 295 MPH". Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/ssc-tuatara-sets-new-production-car-speed-record-295-mph-1710080. 
  32. ↑ Reyes, Alvin (2022-05-03). "Why You'll Hardly Find Any Hennessey Venom GTs On The Road". SlashGear. https://www.slashgear.com/851087/why-youll-hardly-find-any-hennessey-venom-gts-on-the-road/. 
  33. ↑ Silvestro, Brian (2022-08-18). "The Venom F5 Roadster Is a Drop-Top Hennessey Says Can Eclipse 300 MPH". Road & Track. https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a40930355/hennessey-venom-f5-roadster/. 
  34. ↑ "Acura Marks 30 Years Since Debut of Iconic NSX Supercar". Honda Newsroom (Press release). 2019-02-06. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  35. ↑ Irimia, Silvian (2022-12-11). "The Honda NSX Broke and Changed the Automotive Industry Forever - Find Out How It Did It". https://www.autoevolution.com/news/honda-nsx-broke-and-changed-the-automotive-industry-forever-find-out-how-honda-did-it-206083.html. 
  36. ↑ "Tested: 1994 Acura NSX Is a Fighter Jet for the Road". Car and Driver. 2020-06-30. https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15141577/1994-acura-nsx-archived-test-review/. 
  37. ↑ "1990-2005 Acura NSX: Supercar Sunday". https://www.motor1.com/features/381331/acura-nsx-supercar-sunday/. 
  38. ↑ "Icon Review: Honda NSX Mk1 (1990 - 2005)". Auto Express. https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/honda/nsx/354912/icon-review-honda-nsx-mk1-1990-2005. 
  39. ↑ "2012 Lexus LFA First Drive". Car and Driver. 2009-10-20. https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a16580655/2012-lexus-lfa-review/. 
  40. ↑ Hood, Bryan (2022-10-07). "How the Lexus LFA Became a Legend—10 Years After It Was Discontinued". Robb Report. https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/lexus-lfa-review-guide-1234756555/. 
  41. ↑ "Tested: 2012 Lexus LFA". Car and Driver. 2010-03-26. https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15127600/2012-lexus-lfa-instrumented-test/. 
  42. ↑ "Nissan Skyline to GT-R: The Evolution of a Supercar". Nissan USA. https://www.nissanusa.com/experience-nissan/news-and-events/evolution-from-skyline-to-gt-r.html. 
  43. ↑ Hogan, Malcolm. "Malcolm Hogan: Living with the Nissan GT-R supercar". The Florida Times-Union. https://www.jacksonville.com/story/lifestyle/auto-guide/2015/03/06/malcolm-hogan-living-nissan-gt-r-supercar/15653572007/. 
  44. ↑ "Godzilla by the Numbers: 2009-2017 Nissan GT-R". MotorTrend. 2016-03-23. https://www.motortrend.com/news/godzilla-numbers-2009-2017-nissan-gt-r/. 
  45. ↑ "2009 Nissan GT-R First Drive". Car and Driver. 2007-12-01. https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a17012264/2009-nissan-gt-r-first-drive-review/. 
  46. ↑ Tsui, Chris (2022-12-06). "The Nissan R35 GT-R Turns 15 Today. Here's a Look Back at Our Supercar Teenager". The Drive. https://www.thedrive.com/news/the-nissan-r35-gt-r-turns-15-today-heres-a-look-back-at-our-supercar-teenager. 
  47. ↑ "Is the new Nissan GT-R still a supercar bargain?". Top Gear. 2016-05-26. https://www.topgear.com/car-news/supercars/new-nissan-gt-r-still-supercar-bargain. 
  48. ↑ Gnaticov, Cristian (2023-04-12). "2024 Nissan GT-R Nismo T-Spec: Aging Supercar Icon Arrives in New York To Make a Point". autoevolution. https://www.autoevolution.com/news/2024-nissan-gt-r-nismo-t-spec-the-aging-supercar-shows-up-in-new-york-to-make-a-point-213354.html. 
  49. ↑ Lyon, Peter. "Honda's New NSX Supercar Is Just As Groundbreaking As The First Generation Of 1990". Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterlyon/2016/09/28/hondas-new-nsx-is-just-as-groundbreaking-as-the-first-generation-of-1990/. 
  50. ↑ "End of an era: Acura concludes production of handmade NSX supercar". The Columbus Dispatch. https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/automotive/2022/11/17/buyers-tour-plant-put-finishing-touches-on-their-own-nsx-supercar/69524414007/. 
  51. ↑ "Honda NSX review". Auto Express. https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/honda/nsx. 
  52. ↑ "An Era of Performance and Innovation: Top 4 Chinese Electric Supercars". TodayAutoNews. 23 September 2024. https://www.todayautonews.com/hybrid-chinese-supercar.html. 
  53. ↑ "What's A Supercar? The Debate Rages On". The Drive. 27 February 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qjJ6pvkypM. 
  54. ↑ 54.0 54.1 Constantine, Chris (26 December 2017). "The Best and Worst Hypercars of 2017". http://www.thedrive.com/sheetmetal/17103/the-best-and-worst-hypercars-of-2017. 
  55. ↑ "McLaren F1 – The First Hypercar?". 6 July 2018. http://thehypercars.com/index.php/2018/07/06/feature-the-first-hypercar/. 
  56. ↑ "The Bugatti Veyron: The original hypercar". https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/videos/the-bugatti-veyron-the-original-hypercar/. 
  57. ↑ "Top Gear mag's greatest cars – hypercars". 7 December 2017. https://www.topgear.com/car-news/supercars/top-gear-mags-greatest-cars-hypercars. 
  58. ↑ "Holy Trinity Of Hypercars Is Up For Auction" (in en-gb). https://uk.motor1.com/news/142477/hybrid-supercar-trio-auction/. 
  59. ↑ "First hypercar 'holy trinity' boasted by RM Sotheby's". 17 April 2017. https://journal.classiccars.com/2017/04/17/first-hypercar-holy-trinity-boasted-rm-sothebys/. 
  60. ↑ "1250-HP Chevy Corvette ZR1X Debuts as the Pinnacle of American Engineering" (in en-US). Car and Driver. 2025-06-17. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a65079561/2026-chevrolet-corvette-zr1x-revealed/. 
  61. ↑ Attwood, James (20 March 2021). "Le Mans 2021: How new hypercar rules are shaking up the grid". Autocar (UK). https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motorsport-news/le-mans-2021-how-new-hypercar-rules-are-shaking-grid. 



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