RE: £75k supercars | Six of the Best
Discussion
360 looks lovely a friend has one and it's a nice bit of kit.The mac is super value but parts prices are eye watering but no doubt would be the fastest.Audi R8 ageing very well looks every bit of a bonafide supercar to me and probably easiest to live with day to day.The lotus strong money I expect excellent on track but sadly the engine noise doesn't match the looks but a very rare beast.
coolchris said:
360 looks lovely a friend has one and it's a nice bit of kit.The mac is super value but parts prices are eye watering but no doubt would be the fastest.Audi R8 ageing very well looks every bit of a bonafide supercar to me and probably easiest to live with day to day..
In most respects the R8 is the "sensible" choice. The thing that kills it is the lack of luggage space - even a weekend away would be a challenge 2 up.Good choice of subject matter for an article, thank you. You always get the dicks weighing in over definitions of supercar, but the concept of something desirable should be obvious to all. This is a good list, to the extent that I found myself thinking about 360s again. My rule is never go back, but they're a hugely enjoyable car. Loved every minute in mine.
this is the first time one of these lists has come out and I have actually driven some of the cars on the list. F360 drove a manual one and did not like it (I will give you context shortly), I found the offset pedals annoying and the romantic open gate gear box to actually be annoying. The Gallardo I also drove, one I had a go in was egear and I found it very underwhelming.
On thbe same day (track day) I drove a Nissan GTR which I loved just felt well more "fun". But the Nissan is not a super car but the 360 and the gallardo are even if they are not as fast as the GTR they are still super where as it is not.
Also I never liked the 360 looks and have felt Ferrari get the looks right every second gen so 328, 355, 430 etc but again its just an opinion.
The others on the list Mclaren is a super car, is the lotus and the 'vette not sure but they are cars I thik you could own an they would make you smile. The Audi hmmm never driven one I suspect its really very good an the do make a great noise but perhaps to be a super car (at the time of production) you have to only make superior cars so a 300sl would be a super car but a 600sl today would not.
I great list and I enjoyed reading...would still love a GTR
On thbe same day (track day) I drove a Nissan GTR which I loved just felt well more "fun". But the Nissan is not a super car but the 360 and the gallardo are even if they are not as fast as the GTR they are still super where as it is not.
Also I never liked the 360 looks and have felt Ferrari get the looks right every second gen so 328, 355, 430 etc but again its just an opinion.
The others on the list Mclaren is a super car, is the lotus and the 'vette not sure but they are cars I thik you could own an they would make you smile. The Audi hmmm never driven one I suspect its really very good an the do make a great noise but perhaps to be a super car (at the time of production) you have to only make superior cars so a 300sl would be a super car but a 600sl today would not.
I great list and I enjoyed reading...would still love a GTR
AlmostUseful said:
Excellent reasoning there, well done.
Indeed. A GT3 is lovely, but it’s IMO, not a supercar. Driven a 997 briefly and liked it but it did feel like ‘just’ a 911 with a boob job 
I’m sure a better driver would find its upper limits, and I know the historical roots of the powerplant, and how exotic it is. But it will always be a 911, a bloody good one, but still. You don’t agree?
In the same way the C5, for me isn’t, whilst Lotus is. Why no NSX in this company I wonder?
ddom said:
Indeed. A GT3 is lovely, but it’s IMO, not a supercar. Driven a 997 briefly and liked it but it did feel like ‘just’ a 911 with a boob job I’m sure a better driver would find its upper limits, and I know the historical roots of the powerplant, and how exotic it is. But it will always be a 911, a bloody good one, but still.
You don’t agree?
In the same way the C5, for me isn’t, whilst Lotus is. Why no NSX in this company I wonder?
I'll admit that I wasn't wowed by the magic of the GT3 at first, despite some exciting passenger laps at Brands in a 996 GT3 RS years ago, or driving a gen 1 997 GT3. I’m sure a better driver would find its upper limits, and I know the historical roots of the powerplant, and how exotic it is. But it will always be a 911, a bloody good one, but still. You don’t agree?
In the same way the C5, for me isn’t, whilst Lotus is. Why no NSX in this company I wonder?
Given the choice, I bought the gen 1 997 Turbo instead, which was an incredible 'supercar'. Over the years, the turbo was always the iconic Porsche supercar (leaving aside the 959 which was a very rare beast), and I just couldn't choose a GT3 over the turbo, which felt so much more special and powerful and looked fantastic.
My first trip to the Nurburgring in the turbo, 4 years into ownership, really was a revelation. It's the home of the GT3 and the sound of them blasting round the circuit was intoxicating music.
The Turbo also really changed my perspective on the GT3. The Turbo has so much power; great for eating other 'supercars', but not really usable on the UK road. The Turbo has a sweet flat six, but it's just so muted unless you're pushing it. The Turbo has incredible AWD, which counters most driver numptery. The GT3 is a fire-breathing monster by comparison, which feels so much more visceral, alive and direct, and needs so much more driver awareness and competence.
Is it a 'supercar'? Of course it is, though it's not an obvious one perhaps. Its iconic status is more confined to the cognoscenti and track community perhaps than a red Ferrari.
Does it 'just' feel like a 911? It does feel and look like other 911s, but it's so much more too.
FN2TypeR said:
Ferrari 360 all day long for me. I actively want one, and could just, just about afford to buy and properly maintain one, but given everything that is going on at the moment I dare not. Knowing my luck I'd buy it on the Saturday and get called to the initial consultation meeting at work on the Monday.
One day though, for sure!
I could have written this post. :thumbsup:One day though, for sure!
PhantomPH said:
FN2TypeR said:
Ferrari 360 all day long for me. I actively want one, and could just, just about afford to buy and properly maintain one, but given everything that is going on at the moment I dare not. Knowing my luck I'd buy it on the Saturday and get called to the initial consultation meeting at work on the Monday.
One day though, for sure!
I could have written this post. :thumbsup:One day though, for sure!
A good manual 360 is a special car to own and drive, razor sharp and surprisingly capable despite its age. I owned one for a couple of years and loved every minute. My current manual 430 is better in every way (including looks to my eyes) but not so much better that you would feel short changed with a 360. The only other one of these I have driven is a V8 R8 which was stunningly capable and fast enough. If you are not too much of a supercar brand snob then this will definitely not disappoint.
fastraxx said:
PhantomPH said:
FN2TypeR said:
Ferrari 360 all day long for me. I actively want one, and could just, just about afford to buy and properly maintain one, but given everything that is going on at the moment I dare not. Knowing my luck I'd buy it on the Saturday and get called to the initial consultation meeting at work on the Monday.
One day though, for sure!
I could have written this post. :thumbsup:One day though, for sure!
It would be a second car, but no, I wouldn't be afraid to use it; life is too short to have something like that sitting around unused IMO! I live in Aberdeen and commute to Montrose which is a 98 mile round trip, perhaps a bit longer if I take the fun route home; it'd be a nice Friday car for such a journey
Skrambles said:
I'll admit that I wasn't wowed by the magic of the GT3 at first, despite some exciting passenger laps at Brands in a 996 GT3 RS years ago, or driving a gen 1 997 GT3.
Given the choice, I bought the gen 1 997 Turbo instead, which was an incredible 'supercar'. Over the years, the turbo was always the iconic Porsche supercar (leaving aside the 959 which was a very rare beast), and I just couldn't choose a GT3 over the turbo, which felt so much more special and powerful and looked fantastic.
My first trip to the Nurburgring in the turbo, 4 years into ownership, really was a revelation. It's the home of the GT3 and the sound of them blasting round the circuit was intoxicating music.
The Turbo also really changed my perspective on the GT3. The Turbo has so much power; great for eating other 'supercars', but not really usable on the UK road. The Turbo has a sweet flat six, but it's just so muted unless you're pushing it. The Turbo has incredible AWD, which counters most driver numptery. The GT3 is a fire-breathing monster by comparison, which feels so much more visceral, alive and direct, and needs so much more driver awareness and competence.
Is it a 'supercar'? Of course it is, though it's not an obvious one perhaps. Its iconic status is more confined to the cognoscenti and track community perhaps than a red Ferrari.
Does it 'just' feel like a 911? It does feel and look like other 911s, but it's so much more too.
Good post. But I have to say no modern road going 911 is a supercar in my eyes. Things like the 360, Pantera, F1 even the R8 (maybe) were not ‘tuned and braced’ GT’s. As special as all 911’s are it’s the useability of them which makes them so popular. I think there has to be an intangible ‘something’ which sets a car apart. 959 for example, definitely a supercar for me. Given the choice, I bought the gen 1 997 Turbo instead, which was an incredible 'supercar'. Over the years, the turbo was always the iconic Porsche supercar (leaving aside the 959 which was a very rare beast), and I just couldn't choose a GT3 over the turbo, which felt so much more special and powerful and looked fantastic.
My first trip to the Nurburgring in the turbo, 4 years into ownership, really was a revelation. It's the home of the GT3 and the sound of them blasting round the circuit was intoxicating music.
The Turbo also really changed my perspective on the GT3. The Turbo has so much power; great for eating other 'supercars', but not really usable on the UK road. The Turbo has a sweet flat six, but it's just so muted unless you're pushing it. The Turbo has incredible AWD, which counters most driver numptery. The GT3 is a fire-breathing monster by comparison, which feels so much more visceral, alive and direct, and needs so much more driver awareness and competence.
Is it a 'supercar'? Of course it is, though it's not an obvious one perhaps. Its iconic status is more confined to the cognoscenti and track community perhaps than a red Ferrari.
Does it 'just' feel like a 911? It does feel and look like other 911s, but it's so much more too.
AlmostUseful said:
997.1 GT3’s are comfortably below £75k, would they count? Probably no less special than a 360 and certainly not an Esprit or a V8 R8.
I’d take a GT3 over any of those listed I think.
I'm not sure half that list count as supercars, and I don't personally think any 911 is a supercar either. Just not special enough.I’d take a GT3 over any of those listed I think.
Does a V12 Vantage count as a supercar?
Manual box, 6.0 n/a V12, 190+ mph and sub 5sec 0-60 seems to tick a lot of boxes. Also seems to pass the intangible ‘exotica’ brand test (cf Audi vs Lambo).
On the other side, it’s based on more humble underpinnings and will get the inevitable “it’s just two V6 Duratecs bolted together” criticism.
Either way, my money would go here:
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10531685
It’s even in Mako Blue, the same colour as the original GT prototype
Manual box, 6.0 n/a V12, 190+ mph and sub 5sec 0-60 seems to tick a lot of boxes. Also seems to pass the intangible ‘exotica’ brand test (cf Audi vs Lambo).
On the other side, it’s based on more humble underpinnings and will get the inevitable “it’s just two V6 Duratecs bolted together” criticism.
Either way, my money would go here:
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10531685
It’s even in Mako Blue, the same colour as the original GT prototype
AdamV12AMR said:
Does a V12 Vantage count as a supercar?
Manual box, 6.0 n/a V12, 190+ mph and sub 5sec 0-60 seems to tick a lot of boxes. Also seems to pass the intangible ‘exotica’ brand test (cf Audi vs Lambo).
On the other side, it’s based on more humble underpinnings and will get the inevitable “it’s just two V6 Duratecs bolted together” criticism.
Either way, my money would go here:
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10531685
It’s even in Mako Blue, the same colour as the original GT prototype
I love it but just doesn’t get the pulse racing as much as a tubi’d 360 or even lamboManual box, 6.0 n/a V12, 190+ mph and sub 5sec 0-60 seems to tick a lot of boxes. Also seems to pass the intangible ‘exotica’ brand test (cf Audi vs Lambo).
On the other side, it’s based on more humble underpinnings and will get the inevitable “it’s just two V6 Duratecs bolted together” criticism.
Either way, my money would go here:
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10531685
It’s even in Mako Blue, the same colour as the original GT prototype
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