Here's to a Revised and EXPLIAINED Top Ten...

Alright, lets just think about it like this....

1) McLaren F1
2) Bugatti Veyron 16.4
3) FXX
4) Pagani Zonda F ClubSport
5) Koenigsegg CCX
6) F40
7) 250 GTO
8) Bugatti EB110
9) 365 GTB/4
10) Dauer 962


1) The McLaren F1 has yet to be surpased, though it jousts with the 16.4 for the top marque and name in automotives. It blends both raw speed and ecconomy together to a near perfection that has endured for over twelve years. Derived by Gordon Murry, the F1 has the renouned central driving position that has aided its legendary status as the worlds best car. Not only could you overtake Shumi, but you could do it while talking with your two closest mates. What other car has an engine bay lined with gold? It is a remarkable feet of engineering that has 'wowed' the world since its intorduction at the turn of the 90s. Few cars have won their LeMans debut, however McLaren never heard of this, as on its first time around LeMans - victory was won. Re-selling a shade under two decades later at still, a comanding $1,000,000, the Mclaren F1 remains unbeaten at the top of the top.

2) The Veyron 16.4 ... A close friend of mind is a business partner with Larry Ellison, and he got me a ride in the new Veyron. Ellison is the founder of Orical Software, and is close with the CEO of Qvale. He keeps close ties with many big-wigs in the auto industry. The drive was the most amazing thing I have ever experianced. You can not decribe the acceleration. You feel calm in the cockpit, and the speed doesnt seem real. For those of you who have flown Concorde, you will know what I mean. For the fact of its perfection in luxury, and its re-writing of all performance stats, the Veyron is a tale of rebirth that demands a top two position in F-Chat's Top Ten Supercars. It is the pinical of style and speed.
Named after GP winning driver Pierre Veyron, Bugatti set this cars bar very high even before conception. At the concepts release, Ferdinand Piëch weilded numbers as if it were Shindler's list. 400kph! 1001bhp! And not to be forgoten, he said that the design couldnt be changed. No engineers commited suicide that day, but Mr. Piëch was invited to less and less company dinners. At speeds of up too 248mph, the wing mirrors had to be re designed due to "inhibitting top speed." Its at the F1-like leval of arodynamics that your mirrors create loads of downforce and slow the project. Rumoured to have been two Audi V8's slapped side by side, Volkswagen independantly developed a W16 for this amazing car. Sleek two time design and a raised bonnet give the impression that "ze car zeems a bit lower to ze ground. A bit wider too." In person, this car is massive. The hulky exaust idle is muscle-car like, but resides a leval of sophistication, moreover unheard of. Needless to say though, it hasnt any of the luggage space as seen in the F1, but it doesnt have as little as an Ariel Atom either. With thick haunches, and racy uncovered venturi on the side-skirts - its as if a 360 and Phantom birthed an offspring and named him Veyron. Very impressive indeed. Bold, and a bit rauchous at speed. The seats cup your billionare bottom like a caviar spoon, and when your behind the wheel, it is easy to imagine that your the 'monster on the block.'

3) As far as track/racing cars go, the FXX is by far the peak of all mountian ranges stacked by such cars as the GT40, Mercedes CLKLM etc. With over 800bhp on tap, a driver is at the helm of the most advanced car ever to come off of a Ferrari production line. As limited as such production may be. Slaughtering all other track times at Firoano with an exception of the F1 cars, the FXX boasts one of the quickest shifting times this side of Monza. Though its competition capabilities have yet to be uncovered, we find that the FXX bears all the markings of a fully grown race car. It is bar none, the worlds premeir track day machine.

4) It has been but recently that the name of Pagani has grown from an obscure Lamborghini engineer, to a world renouned auto design firm. Throughout the lifespan of this Modena based coach company, we have seen such cars as the C12 and its stunning Roadster version. The most recent Zonda F Clubsport, deems Pagani as one of the best in the business. With one of the most amazing interiors in the industry and a body to match, never have the Italians wraped an AMG V12 in higher style. It is for mind-blowing speed and a cocoon of carbon-fiber and hand-stitched leather - that this car be in the top 5 of our list. For many of us who have been to Modena, and fewer who have bought a car at the factory, it is har to imagane buying a car in a more exclusive setting. At Pagani, thats what you get.

5) When two Sweedish lovers have a romantic night out, their idea of protection is a Volvo. The CCX is no volvo. With a raw look into the world of sleek speed and streemline styling, the CCX is founded on land still stuck in the middle ages. It is an ultra-rare supercar of amazing capability. The CCX is brought to us by the same folks who invented Ikea, and at close to $1,000,000 its no bargan lamp-shade. Koenigsegg must mean ''limited edition." How do you take a V8 and make it go 250 mph? Call it a Koenigsegg.

6) Ferrari's 40th anivesary gave us this amazing peice of automotive solice. Founded from two Ferrari 288 Evoluziones, we musnt forget this car was Ferrari's first 200mph supercar. Raw does not describe it. I have been around countless F40s and a close friend owns an F40 LM. The interior is about as comfortable as a sink and the sound is like Mingus on acid. Beauty. You can almost see the weaving of the carbon firber through the single layer of RossoCorsa paint that adornes the racing inspired shell of this timeless design. What will sustain as one of the perfect designs in auto conception, the F40 stands as an icon throughout time as one of the very first modern supercars.

7) How can you turn down Borrani wheels? Part of the lure of the GTO is its exclusivity; only 39 were built ( 32 250 GTOs with the series 1 body, 3 330 GTOs with the series 1 body, 3 250 GTOs with the series 2 body, 1 250 GTO with LMB bodywork ) The 250 GTO won the GT class and was 2nd overall, against the new prototypes class... ... on it's first outing at Le Mans.These amazing cars hold a beauty that is tough to overstate. The emotional value and historical value of this car in the eyes of Tifosi is unlimited. The fact is - we all love this car. One GTO sold in the 90's for $15,000,000.

8) The EB110 represents a style where style lacked. Early 90's supercars were sort of the ''Wive's Without Make-up" club. Pretty, but odd looking when in daylight. Bugatti was havaing a rough financial time that had lasted for quite a few years. The company was handed around like a doobie. Bugatti has been owned by Hispano-Suiza (1963), Snecma took over in 1968, later acquiring Messier. The two were merged to form Messier-Bugatti in 1977. In 1987 Romano Artioli, acquired Bugatti and established Bugatti Automobili SpA.
Through his holding company, ACBN Holdings S.A. of Luxembourg, Romano Artioli purchased the Lotus car company from General Motors. This combined two of the most renouned names in the business. At this time, the EB110 GT was presented by Paolo Stanzani and Marcello Gandini. The EB110 had a 'living room style with razor-blade looks and none of the bleeding,' as told by an italian journalist. It is one of the few early 90's supercars that you wear, as well as drive. Think of it as a Prada track-suit.

9) Daytona. Not called that for nothing, the formaly known 365 GTB/4 is the car Ferrari used to bounce back after our humiliating consecutive losses at Le Mans.

10) Exclusivity bears significant merrit when it comes to exotic cars. Few 250mph cars have ever been created road legaly. The 962 powers to 60mph in 2.6 seconds. Delighting fans at its release at Sarthe, the very next day, the race version of this car won the 1994 24 Hours of Le Mans for Porsche. The Dauer sold for over a cool 850K in the mis nineties, and no buyer has regreted the purchase.This is one of the most literal translations of "made to order." It holds many high-tech ementities though still holding an over ten year old design when new. More known to us from F1 cars and more recently the Enzo, you choose gear ratios via little knobs on the steering wheel and its hydrolic systems also had computer aided monitering. Very advanced for its time, the Dauer 962 represents to a lesser extent, the relationship we see today between the Enzo and the FXX. Track to Street, and few cars do it better.


A Top Ten contest for Supercars? How do you do it? It seems like it is all a matter of preferance. Do you like the 333SP over the new Birdcadge? Was the F40 too brash? Why isnt the XJ220 on the list? Well, before you ask and wonder these questions, I will ask you... What is it that makes a Supercar? Exclusivity, high price, fast speed, raw power. And how many cars have these requirments? Too many! Drawing up a Top Ten for supercars is like trying to clasify the roundest circle. The bottom line in that case is very close to that of this one. Do you like the red one or the yellow one?





FORZA FERRARI
-Jon




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