Bucket list supercars | Six of the Best
Okay, we could talk about this one forever. And we do. But right now, this is where we'd start...
Ferrari 430 Scuderia, 2008, 10k, £214,995
Putting together a bucket list of supercars is rather like putting together a bucket list for anything: it’s wildly subjective. Some cars are unequivocally legends in their lifetime. Some grow in status after the fact. Some you just love even if no one else does. As ever, we’ve tried to strike a balance here. Case in point: Ferrari. Obviously we might have included an icon here (especially given the F40’s second-to-none status) but we’ve gone 430 Scuderia. Why? Well, because it feels like a sweet spot: modern (and therefore usable); hugely fast (but not manic); pretty (not a slave to its aero like later cars would be); and naturally aspirated (just because). Also, it’s very rare and very expensive - but not nearly as ludicrous as some. Mostly though, we just love it.
McLaren 675LT, 2016, 1k, £249,995
It is a tribute to McLaren’s output in a much shorter space of time that it too has produced a number of cars that could justifiably take pride of place here. However, not unlike the 430 Scuderia, the 675LT still feels like one of those moments when everything came together in almost ideal proportions - even allowing for the half a dozen faster and more sophisticated options that have followed it. And we know its legacy is now set in concrete because (unlike some) used prices have remained stubbornly high. This one comes with a provenance kicker in the fact that it was supplied new to Daniel Ricciardo in a unique and very lovely spec, which is unassailably cool by any metric. But this is one McLaren that doesn't require any confetti. Two minutes behind the wheel tells you all you need to know.
Lexus LFA Nurburgring Edition, 2012, 14k, £860,000
While great supercars are absolutely about more than just Top Trumps stats, there’s a number associated with the Lexus LFA Nurburgring that says so much: 7:14.64. That’s a seriously fast Nordschleife lap time even today, let alone for a car from 2011 with an automated manual gearbox, Bridgestone RE070 tyres and just 354lb ft from that mesmeric V10. It remains one of the great Nurburgring achievements, and speaks to the LFA’s innate brilliance. The 50-unit special edition was only 10hp more powerful (570hp) than standard, with detailed but not OTT chassis and aero tweaks. As we move further away from that incredible lap record, so the LFA only looks even more extraordinary. This one has been used and enjoyed here since 2016, with the benefit of right-hand drive as a Singapore market car. It remains a landmark achievement.
Lamborghini Diablo 6.0 VT, 2001, £399,899
It seemed for a long while that the Diablo was due to appreciate: it was too legendary for anything else to happen. And its V12 predecessors had skyrocketed. Now the very best ones are bonafide classic exotics, and they don’t come much better than a 6.0. The last Diablos are now highly prized, with some Audi influence and expertise applied to the Sant’Agata wild child. The engine was made larger and more powerful, the chassis overhauled and the interior redone, making the car better to drive and nicer to be in - all without losing the madcap charm that made it so beloved in the first place. Little wonder they’re now the ones to have. This UK-supplied car is one of very few right-hand drive 6.0s (as well as, with a 2001 reg, being one of the last), and it looks to have been wonderfully well cared for. Which would explain the £400k asking price.
Porsche Carrera GT, 2006, 3k, £1.6m
The car voted by PHers last year as the greatest supercar launched since 1998, the Carrera GT is undoubtedly one of the best. As rivals pursued new technologies, Porsche took the opposite approach; the carbon tub and clutch were modern marvels, yes, but at its heart the CGT was a lightweight, mid-engined, rear-drive roadster, with a revvy engine providing enormous fun. It was engaging and exciting like the best Porsche sports cars, only with a 620hp, 5.7-litre V10 in the middle, connected to a superb six-speed manual. Two decades ago, nothing could match the Carrera GT for driver involvement and sheer thrill, which ensured it icon status before this one was even made. One of the very last (registered in June 2006), this GT Silver over Ascot Brown example has covered a mere 3,000 miles in all this time. If you’ve got lucky on the Euromillions this week, please remedy that.
Jaguar XJ220, 1992, 11k, £364,950
If it really must be an old-school legend or nothing, the XJ220 ticks all the boxes required for '90s supercar excess: dramatic styling, outrageous speed and extreme rarity are just the start. Having been maligned for so long as somehow less significant than its contemporaries, the model is now recognised as one of the late 20th century’s most exciting supercars. We get blasé about numbers now - imagine the impact of a 217mph Jaguar, with a Nurburgring lap record, more than 30 years ago. This Spa Silver car is believed to be one of just 69 RHD cars ever made, which makes it interesting; what makes it awesome is the fitment of leftover parts from the TWR Le Mans project, including bigger turbos, rose-jointed suspension and AP Racing brake. ‘Essentially a street-legal Le Mans car’, claims the ad. Yes, please.
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