The search for a perfect car is really a search for the perfect feeling, and there is nothing like the feeling of sitting behind the wheel of a supercar. Here are the world’s best supercars.
These vehicles are the highest performance sports cars and luxury automobiles in the world, bearing their classification proudly since it was first coined in 1920 for the Ensign 6.
Although recognizing a supercar is always easy, defining the term is slightly harder. Sports cars like the Porsche 918 Spyder or the Ferrari LeFerrari are obvious members of the class, but smaller manufacturers can still produce supercars as long as they’re designed purely for performance and land on the high end of the spectrum.
Gumpert Apollo IE
The 2018 model of the classic Gumpert Apollo is being touted as a turning point in the line, newly dubbed the Apollo Intensa Emozione or the Apollo IE. The chassis has been streamlined with a teardrop-shaped housing and reinforced with a carbon fiber spine that allows the supercar to withstand upwards of 2900 pounds in downforce, and the entire vehicle is stylized to draw eyes on the road.
This year’s offering from Gumpert uses a naturally aspirated 6.3-liter V12 engine that revs to 9,000 rpm and charts at 780 horsepower, making it a serious contender for the road’s most powerful supercar in 2018. It’s been stylized to imitate a shark, equipped with a distinct sharp nose and sharp side fins that allow the IE to reach a maximum safe speed of 210 mph.
The Apollo IE is an extremely exclusive vehicle with only 10 units planned for production in 2018. For that reason, fuel efficiency specs haven’t come out yet.
The building blocks of the IE were style and power, but it’s a relatively safe vehicle despite the speeds at which it moves. Every component of the vehicle has been designed for structural stability at high speeds. Additionally, this year’s model was built using a lightweight carbon composite material with high impact crash structures.
Lamborghini Aventador S Coupe
Lamborghini has been a contributor to the supercar class almost since the beginning, and 2018 is no exception. This year’s Aventador joins various historic vehicles in a hallowed position in Lamborghini S-class, and it has been updated to fit the title. The front end has been updated with finned aerodynamics that increase capacity for frontal downforce by 130 percent, and the new hexagonal exhaust pipes have been speculated as the year’s most revolutionary.
The Aventador S Coupe uses a V12 multipoint injection engine that displaces 400 cubic inches of force per stroke and wields a hefty 730 horsepower. The magnetically augmented suspension is improved from past models to modify its own behavior and halt undesirable spins or rolls and aid in driver safety. In keeping with most supercars’ low fuel efficiencies, the Aventador gets 10 miles per gallon in the city and 17 on the highway.
This year’s safety updates include collapsible areas in the rear and front of the vehicle designed to crumple in case of a collision. These specific regions absorb the majority of the force being imparted and protect the driver. The Aventador S Coupe offers driver, passenger, and side airbags as well as knee airbags offered in some countries.
Bugatti Chiron
The Bugatti Chiron, first introduced in 2016, has quickly become a standout in the supercar class. Although Bugatti’s previous supercar, the Veyron, was considered a powerful vehicle, the Chiron manages to outstrip its predecessor with a streamlined but not sharp body that makes the aesthetics reminiscent of an older muscle car in a field of cars shaped like blades.
The powerful eight-liter engine has a lofty 16 cylinders and pulls ahead of its competition with specs that boggle the mind. The Chiron can manage nearly 1,500 horsepower at full throttle but that also drains the engine dry in as fast as seven minutes, cycling enough fuel to fill a child’s swimming pool every few seconds. Bugatti fitted this supercar with specially designed tires that make it expertly maneuverable even at high speeds.
For the time being, Bugatti is keeping the 2018 model’s fuel performance specs secretive. The 2017 model was at nine miles per gallon in the city and 14 on the highway, so somewhere in that region is expected.
The Chiron’s body has been updated with aluminum crash structures that make it extremely safe even on the open road. Bugatti even claims that they’ve been able to crash-test the same vehicle multiple times without totaling it.
Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII
When you discuss supercars, the first question is speed, the second is luxury. Rolls-Royce has transcended even their own limits with the Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII, which manages to be the most luxurious in an extensive list of luxurious vehicles.
The twin-turbocharged 6.7-liter V12 engine is capable of producing 563 horsepower. It uses an automatic gearbox to keep the engine under 2500 rpm when the Phantom VIII is being driven casually, but it can break those limits to go from 0 to 60 in 5.1 seconds. The slightly less powerful engine is compensated by heightened fuel efficiency, boasting 12 miles per gallon in the city and 19 on the highway.
As usual, the area where Rolls-Royce exceeds expectations is in driver comfort. This vehicle costs around $450,000, but additional options like a rear window that tints constantly to the color of a sunset demand even more money from the discerning consumer.
Ford GT
After being brought back for the 2017 model year, Ford’s GT model also found its way into the 2018 lineup as a top supercar.
The 2018 Ford GT is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 Ford EcoBoost engine. Don’t let the size of the engine fool you, though, as the 2018 GT boasts an impressive overall power output of 647 horsepower. This power is further amplified by the GT’s lightweight body, which features carbon fiber panels and an aluminum frame. The 2018 Ford GT is designed from front to back for aerodynamics, a fact which is reflected in its superb steering and handling. The new GT can get up to 11 mpg in the city and 18 mpg on the highway.
Unlike some supercar manufacturers, Ford has taken a very spartan approach to the GT. The car’s interior lacks the advanced entertainment features you’d find on Ford cars and trucks that are intended more for practical daily driving use. Even so, the 2018 Ford GT still offers a touchscreen infotainment system that can connect to a smartphone for entertainment purposes. Safety features on this supercar include anti-lock brakes, traction control, and stability control.
The 2018 Ford GT stacks up fairly well in comparison to other supercars, though there are a couple of caveats. Unlike Rolls-Royce and Mercedes, Ford has chosen to keep the design of its supercar based purely on speed and performance. While the Bugatti Chiron dwarfs the GT in terms of performance, it also costs several times more. In terms of providing extremely high performance at a price that is more accessible, though, the GT is difficult to beat.
Honda NSX
The 2018 Honda NSX, sold in North America under the Acura brand name, is an interesting intersection of extreme power with more modern vehicle technology. Like the Ford GT, the 2018 NSX is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine. The NSX, however, also includes three electric motors that provide additional power to the wheels. Combined, the gas-powered engine and the three electric motors give the NSX a total power output of 574 horsepower and a fuel economy of 21 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway.
In the area of entertainment features, the Honda NSX has received some criticism for being too basic. The NSX uses the same touchscreen controller found in the Honda Jazz and is regarded as having a somewhat cheap-feeling interior. On safety features, though, the verdict is a bit better. The 2018 Honda NSX offers a standard rear-view camera, traction control, and an advanced braking system that makes the car’s power easier for the driver to control.
The 2018 Honda NSX may have received some criticism for its lack of luxury, but the fact is that it’s still an amazing machine capable of remarkable road and track performance. The NSX also represents the lower end of the supercar price spectrum. In terms of value for a supercar, the NSX is a difficult vehicle to compete with. In terms of driver convenience and add-ons, though, the NSX isn’t quite up to par with competitive supercars.
Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6
This newest offering from Mercedes is still in the concept stage, but it’s expected to arrive near the end of 2018. Unlike most of the other supercars on this list, the Vision has been designed as a fusion between an older show-car and a newer convertible. This car sees the past and the future blending to create a pristine luxury supercar as the Vision has a lengthy hood and high-quality wood trim in the interior pair with gull-wing doors.
Despite this supercar’s theoretical nature, the performance specs have already been disclosed. Mercedes Benz plans a four-motor all-electric system charting at 738 horsepower. Despite being the only electric car on this list, it’s a car with a significant amount of power under the hood, advertised as being able to reach 62 miles per hour in four seconds. From a full charge, this supercar is advertised with a range of over 200 miles. Additionally, Mercedes’ tests with the engine and the EPA have confirmed that a five-minute charge adds 62 miles of range.
The interior of the Vision is fitted with up-to-date entertainment features like seat massagers that automatically adjust after analyzing the driver’s body with scanners in the seats — giving additional value in a field where many cars are designed solely around speed.
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