Dodge Viper R/T10, 1995, 6k, £64,995
Give it some consideration, and there are actually a few more V10s for sale that might first be imagined. There’s not a Lamborghini in this list, for example. But some, of course, choose themselves, and there seemed no better place to kick off a celebration of all things ten cylinder than with perhaps the most famous of all: the Viper. For its near quarter century on sale, and across three generations, there was never a time when an 8.0-litre (or 8.3, remember) V10 felt even remotely sensible in an all-American hot rod. Which is why it became such a cult classic - over-engined doesn’t even begin to describe it. Its engine is at least 2.3-litres larger than anything else here. And that’s very cool. In the days of supercar annuals, when every Viper seemed to look just like this one, its stats - to say nothing of its incredible appearance - were almost unbelievable. This one has covered just 6,000 miles in 30 years, and has been in the UK for at least 20 of those. Hold on tight…
Porsche Carrera GT, 2004, 4k, £1,490,000
Nothing shows off the diversity of V10-powered cars quite like Viper and Carrera GT. No, really. While obviously both two-door, two-seat, rear-drive roadsters with ten cylinders, the Dodge was a proper blue collar hero, with its truck-sourced engine, basic interior and iffy build quality. The CGT, conceived from a stillborn Le Mans project and with its exquisite carbon construction, is an aristocrat through and through. Launched back in the glory days of the naturally aspirated supercar (think Enzo, Murcielago, Zonda), the CGT actually went unloved for a while and values dropped. The clutch was tricky, there were more of them than some rivals, and a financial crash a few years after launch all conspired against it. They were less than £300,000 at one point - now you can add a million to that, at least, for an example like this silver over terracotta 2004 car. But values now seem secure, with collectors very excited about the design, the driving experience, the manual - and that incredible engine. PH’s greatest supercar for very good reason.
BMW M5 Touring (E61), 2008, 103k, PH Auctions
The early ‘00s really were the heyday for the V10 in series production cars, with manufacturers keen to show off what they had learnt in contemporary motorsport. BMW leaned into that reality with gusto; its Sauber F1 partnership may not have really enjoyed much success on track, but its commitment to the engine configuration created some truly iconic M cars. The E60 and E61 M5, plus E63 M6, could never be described as perfect, but they were massively exciting thanks to a spectacular engine. Another V8 in an M5 wouldn’t have created the same mystique as the S85-powered cars; the rarity of the configuration means every V10 makes for an experience like nothing else. This PH Auctions car has had a fortune spent on it in recent years (and would probably appreciate similar treatment going forward), looks brilliant in Interlagos Blue, and has been with the owner for eight years. So expect plenty of bids alongside yours from Tuesday.
Audi R8 Spyder, 2011, 49k, £48,950
Of course, the wonderful thing about the M5 was that such a stupendously large engine could be massaged into a family car and made to seem halfway normal. The wonderful thing about the R8 Spyder - like most any drop-top supercar - is that the V10 experience is vividly foregrounded. More so if you’ve opted to buy the six-speed manual, which this 2011 example proudly features. While any R8 offers a rounded and fairly refined solution to secondhand roadster ownership, the presence of a clutch pedal inevitably means there is something hefty and do-it-yourself about the Spyder - more so when you’re interacting with the components of such a sinewy engine. But the pay-off, especially in this day and age, is felt everywhere, not least in the pinch-me soundtrack. It’s easily theatrical enough to make Phantom Black Pearl seem like a virtue.
VW Touareg V10, 2007, 176k, £3,795
Sublime, meet ridiculous. A purist could be forgiven for holding our feet to the fire when it comes to the Touareg earning a mention while the mighty Gallardo has apparently been found wanting - but the jumbo-towing V10 TDI, a model almost as unlikely as the W12-engined version that VW also chose to build - is an old favourite on PH, and here for the 4.9 litres of novelty value (not to mention as a salute to its passing). A history lesson is hardly necessary these days (a small child could tell you that ten cylinders is at least four more than any diesel Touareg could ever need), so it is enough to say that the combination was among Ferdinand Piëch’s more eccentric follies. Or perhaps another moment of dastardly, chin-stroking genius. Whichever you prefer, you can today buy a V10-powered family SUV for the equivalent of pocket change. And after taking your brave pill, obviously.
Lexus LFA, 2011, 6k, POA
Another favourite to see us home. In its own way, the LFA’s development rivalled the anything-is-possible vibe that characterised Piëch’s decision-making. Toyota had about as much divine right to make a supercar as Belgium has to make a Moon rocket. But (not unlike a lunar landing) the LFA showed what was possible if you brought the considerable resources and ingenuity of a large organisation to bear on one pie-in-the-sky project. The result was one for the ages, appreciated more in the aftermath than at launch, perhaps, but rightly lauded for the extraordinary engine that Toyota had chosen to install in the nose. It differs from the fun-loving Viper in many ways, yet both typify the thrill-seeking approach that makes the V10 loom large in the imagination.
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