Must-try, 20-year-old supercars | Six of the Best
Remember 2006 as the best of times? That's because it was...
Aston Martin Vanquish S, 2006, 16k, £89,995
‘You ever think about how all the good s*** is gone,’ laments Richie in FX’s hit series, The Bear. Now, he was talking about restaurants (amongst other things), but he might very well have been discussing supercars. They are faster and cleverer than ever, of course. But not necessarily better in every way that matters. Or not the old school ways that would likely appeal to Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s irascible, fortysomething character. But 20 years ago? You couldn’t move for chest hair. Case in point: the original Vanquish. Last model to be hand-built at Newport Pagnell. Callum-designed. Driven by Brosnan. By the time the S arrived, the naturally aspirated V12 was developing 520hp. Imperfect? For sure. A modern classic? God, yeah.
Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, 2006, 33k, POA
Probably it’s fair to say that after ten years of Huracan - a chip off the block if there ever was one - memory of the Gallardo has faded somewhat. Not least because its successor continued with the 5.2-litre odd-firing V10, and was eventually decreed better to drive. But let’s not forget that the Gallardo also qualified as a hero during its own decade-long lunchtime, and was easily the best car (and biggest selling) Lamborghini until the Aventador launched. Moreover, it still looks unarguably and indisputably fabulous, and without resorting to the stuck-on aero addenda that marked out later versions of the Huracan. A Spyder like this one, in Gallio Taurus, will still look the part in 2056. And sound it, too.
Porsche 911 Turbo, 2006, 85k, PH Auctions
Is the 911 Turbo really a supercar? By the time the 997 appeared, we’d argue it was. The model famously ironed out some of the kinks in the preceding 996, yet the first generation also retained the famous Mezger unit - and while the facelifted model would be the one to introduce the new PDK automatic, the presence of the 480hp, 3.6-litre flat-six (traceable to the engine used in the GT1), is a significant feather in the cap of the 20-year-old flagship. This one, which has hoovered up the miles commensurate with its long-striding reputation, goes up for auction this Sunday. Less extravagant than some, but that’s by design. Push on the accelerator and you’ll know where the money has been spent.
Ferrari F430, 2007, 38k, £69,999
Make of modern-day Ferrari what you will. But remember that it is attempting to navigate tricky waters, while being asked to go in four directions at once. Two decades ago, its mission statement was much simpler: take the previous mid-engined, V8-powered supercar and make it better. While the F430 was mostly an update of the 360, it did feature the first run-out of the 4.3-litre F136 co-developed with Maserati. From this naturally aspirated masterpiece, the F430 coaxed 490hp at 8,500rpm. Later versions would output more, but perhaps none is better suited to road driving than the original - and the sound of it arriving at its redline will give your goosebumps goosebumps. Here’s one for less than £70k that’s hardly missed a beat. Bargain.
Dodge Viper SRT-10, 2006, 7k, £87,495
Nothing quite says glory era quite like a pair of huge capacity V10s. These days it is a virtually defunct configuration, yet was all the rage (relatively speaking) two decades ago. Porsche dusted the cobwebs off its Le Mans unit for the epic Carrera GT, BMW made an estate that sounded like a Formula 1 car, and of course the Gallardo was everything hoped for from a baby Lambo - and probably a little more. But the Viper was the V10 that outlived them all, famously with 8.0-litres to begin with and then 8.3 - plus 500hp - by the time of this second generation. With just 7,000 miles from new and the best colour combo, this SRT-10 is basically a box-fresh example of the all-American hero. And if new supercars seem a bit too easy, there’s surely nothing better…
Ford GT, 2006, 21k, £374,950
Finally, if asking price is really of no consequence, you could throw financial caution to the wind and buy a Ford GT. Like much else on this list, you would be doing so primarily for two reasons: the way the car looks, and the way its 5.4-litre supercharged V8 sounds. Although with due respect to the latter, it is the former that still astonishes today. The GT wasn’t simply an homage to the GT40; it upscaled its proportions to create something close to road-going perfection. There is nowhere you can stand, no angle you can peer at it from, where the Ford’s short-lived supercar doesn’t look sensational. Which is handy, because the GT is famously hard to live with. And no doubt very costly to run. But if you’re intent on harking back to the used-to-be, there is no better Time Machine.
For those the non dual clutch auto 'box would be a bit off putting, but at least the Porsche has a smoother torque converter 'box.
But then again, for whoat would be a weekend / occasional use car, would it matter?
I'm an old fart, so I'll always appreciate articles like this for sure. Plus modern day has taught us that cars were much better back then as well I think, and I'd much rather drive something from 20 years ago versus now for definite.
When I had the 200SX and then the Cerbera back then, neither had any form of traction control or stability control etc in them, and "you" were in charge of the driving for example. Happy days.
Some odd choices in there as well, Dodge Viper is a strange one yet there's no Audi R8?
....at this point I'll say I'm playing devil's advocate, but these are opinions oft put forward, even from memory, on Harris and Co at least once....
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