Supercar
A supercar, also known as an exotic car, is a type of
Supercars commonly serve as the flagship model within a vehicle manufacturer's line-up of sports cars and typically feature various performance-related technology derived from
In the United States, muscle cars were often referred to as "supercars" during the 1960s.
History
Europe
The
It is also claimed that the definition of a supercar has always been subjective and a matter of blind prejudice.[8]
United States
During the 1960s, cars that are now considered to be muscle cars were then referred to as supercars.[15][16]: 8 The term was sometimes spelled with a capital S.[17] In 1966 the sixties supercar became an official industry trend.[15]: 8 For example, the May 1965 issue of the American magazine Car Life includes multiple references to supercars and "the supercar club"[18] and a 1968 issue of Car & Driver magazine refers to "the Supercar street racer gang" market segment.[19] In the model name of the AMC S/C Rambler, the "S/C" is an abbreviation for "SuperCar".[20]
Since the decline of the muscle car in the 1970s, the word supercar came to mean a car that has high performance[15]: 5 interpretations of the term are for limited-production models produced by small manufacturers for enthusiasts, and, less so, standard-looking cars modified for increased performance.[21]
The 1990s and 2000s saw a rise in American supercars with similar characteristics to their European counterparts.[22][23] American sports cars which have risen to be referred to by the supercar name include the Chevrolet Corvette, Dodge Viper, and Ford GT.[24][25][26][27][28][29] Smaller American manufacturers have also made supercars, such as the Saleen S7, SSC Ultimate Aero, SSC Tuatara, Hennessey Venom GT, and Hennessey Venom F5.[30][31][32][33][34]
Japan
During the early 1990s, Japan began to gain global recognition for making high-performance sports cars, but the automotive media first recognized the Honda NSX produced from 1990 to 2005 as Japan's first supercar, with its lightweight mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive, V6 layout.[35][36][37] The NSX was praised for being more reliable and user-friendly than contemporary European supercars.[38][39]
In the 21st century, other Japanese brands also decided to make their own supercars. From 2010 to 2012, Lexus produced the Lexus LFA, a two-seat front-engine coupe powered by a 4.8 L (293 cu in) V10 engine producing 553 hp (412 kW; 561 PS).[40][41][42] The 2009–present Nissan GT-R has also been praised as a modern supercar with every day practicality.[43][44][45] It features a twin-turbo V6 producing between 473–710 hp (353–529 kW; 480–720 PS), and has been lauded for its acceleration and handling through its all-wheel-drive drivetrain and dual-clutch transmission.[46][47][48][49]
The second generation of the Honda NSX from 2016 to 2022 marked a change in approach for Honda, by using all-wheel drive, a hybrid powertrain producing up to 602 hp (449 kW; 610 PS), turbocharging and a dual-clutch transmission, elevating the NSX marque to contemporary supercar standards.[50][51][52]
Hypercar
A more recent term for high-performance sportscars is "hypercar", which is sometimes used to describe the highest performing supercars.[53] As per supercars, there is no set definition for what constitutes a hypercar. An attempt to define these is "a limited-production, top-of-the-line supercar with a price of around or more than US$1 million."[54]
Some people consider the 1993 McLaren F1 to be the first hypercar,[55] while others believe the 2005 Bugatti Veyron was the first hypercar.[56]
With a recent shift towards
Modern hypercars such as
Hypercars have also been used as a base for the Le Mans Hypercar class after rule changes come into effect from 2021.[60]
See also
- List of sports car manufacturers
- List of fastest production cars
- Supercar Season
References
- center of gravity, (favorable for handling), as well as less frontal area, reducing its aerodynamic drag, and thus enabling a higher top speed; and rear mid-mounting the engine further optimizes the handling, like in Formula One or Indy Cars, as well as having a very big engine in a very low car, while retaining good forward vision for the driver.
- ISBN 978-1538338933.
- ISBN 978-0760362921.
"the outlandish Lamborghini Miura, which is widely considered to be the first car to legitimately deserve the title
- ISBN 978-0760347959.
- ^ a b "Supercars". simoncars.co.uk. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
- ^ Marshall, Stuart (4 September 1975). "Rewards and frustrations of the super cars". The Times. London. p. 23.
- ^ "Business Roundup; From the Land of the VW, a $35,000 Supercar". The New York Times. 21 September 1975. p. F15.
- ^ a b "Matt Prior's tester's notes – defining a supercar". autocar.co.uk. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
- ^ Ward, Ian (1985), Secondhand Supercars, London Motor Show "Motorfair 1985" Official Catalogue
- ^ Root, Al. "Supercar Maker McLaren Wants to Beat Tesla's Roadster at Its Own Game". www.barrons.com. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "Rapid rise: What's next for supercar company McLaren Automotive?". The Globe and Mail. 12 February 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "The beginner's guide to Pagani". Top Gear. 23 September 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "Koenigsegg Founder Tells The Story Of His "Stupid Business Idea"". Motor Authority. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ Woodard, Collin (21 June 2016). "Christian von Koenigsegg Was a Frozen Chicken Tycoon Before He Built Supercars". Road & Track. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-595-30296-3.
- ISBN 978-0873492621. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
The term muscle car wasn't heard much hack when these vehicles were first hitting the market. In those days, the enthusiast magazines favored the term supercar.
- ^ Severson, Aaron (27 July 2009). "Super-iority: Defining the Supercar and Muscle Car". ateupwithmotor.com. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
what we now think of as muscle cars were more commonly called "Supercars," often (though not always) spelled with a capital S.
- ^ "Rambler Scrambler". Car Life. 16: 33–36. 1969. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ^ "Rambler Scrambler". Car and Driver. 14: 84. 1968.
- ISBN 978-0-7603-0615-4. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ISBN 978-0-7603-2565-0.
- ^ "2009-2010 Supercar Showdown!". Car and Driver. 1 March 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "Tested: 1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1". Car and Driver. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ Edward, Kyle. "2023 Corvette Z06 Is America's Supercar Hero". Forbes. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Elevates the American Supercar". media.gm.com. 26 October 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ Kennedy, George (18 May 2022). "Dodge Viper: America's Exotic Car". US News. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ Snavely, Brent. "Dodge Viper supercar being killed off -- again". USA TODAY. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ Ross, Robert (10 January 2022). "Car of the Week: A 2005 Ford GT, the First Modern American Supercar, Is Heading to Auction". Robb Report. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ DeBord, Matthew. "The Ford GT sets a new standard for American supercars". Business Insider. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ Anderson, Gregory (1 August 2007). "Feature: The Saleen Solution". Robb Report. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ Charlton, Alistair (2 January 2023). "The SSC Ultimate Aero Is The Underrated American Supercar Everyone Forgot Existed". SlashGear. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ McC, James; less (25 May 2022). "SSC Tuatara Sets New Production Car Speed Record of 295 MPH". Newsweek. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ Reyes, Alvin (3 May 2022). "Why You'll Hardly Find Any Hennessey Venom GTs On The Road". SlashGear. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ Silvestro, Brian (18 August 2022). "The Venom F5 Roadster Is a Drop-Top Hennessey Says Can Eclipse 300 MPH". Road & Track. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "Acura Marks 30 Years Since Debut of Iconic NSX Supercar". Honda Newsroom. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ Irimia, Silvian (11 December 2022). "The Honda NSX Broke and Changed the Automotive Industry Forever - Find Out How It Did It". autoevolution. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "Tested: 1994 Acura NSX Is a Fighter Jet for the Road". Car and Driver. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "1990-2005 Acura NSX: Supercar Sunday". Motor1.com. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "Icon Review: Honda NSX Mk1 (1990 - 2005)". Auto Express. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "2012 Lexus LFA First Drive". Car and Driver. 20 October 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ Hood, Bryan (7 October 2022). "How the Lexus LFA Became a Legend—10 Years After It Was Discontinued". Robb Report. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "Tested: 2012 Lexus LFA". Car and Driver. 26 March 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "Nissan Skyline to GT-R: The Evolution of a Supercar". Nissan USA. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ Hogan, Malcolm. "Malcolm Hogan: Living with the Nissan GT-R supercar". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "Godzilla by the Numbers: 2009-2017 Nissan GT-R". MotorTrend. 23 March 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "2009 Nissan GT-R First Drive". Car and Driver. 1 December 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ Tsui, Chris (6 December 2022). "The Nissan R35 GT-R Turns 15 Today. Here's a Look Back at Our Supercar Teenager". The Drive. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "Is the new Nissan GT-R still a supercar bargain?". Top Gear. 26 May 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ Gnaticov, Cristian (12 April 2023). "2024 Nissan GT-R Nismo T-Spec: Aging Supercar Icon Arrives in New York To Make a Point". autoevolution. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ Lyon, Peter. "Honda's New NSX Supercar Is Just As Groundbreaking As The First Generation Of 1990". Forbes. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "End of an era: Acura concludes production of handmade NSX supercar". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "Honda NSX review". Auto Express. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "What's A Supercar? The Debate Rages On". youtube.com. The Drive. 27 February 2014. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ^ Constantine, Chris (26 December 2017). "The Best and Worst Hypercars of 2017". thedrive.com. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
- ^ "McLaren F1 – The First Hypercar?". thehypercars.com. 6 July 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ^ "The Bugatti Veyron: The original hypercar". cnet.com/. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ^ "Top Gear mag's greatest cars – hypercars". Top Gear. 7 December 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
- ^ "Holy Trinity Of Hypercars Is Up For Auction". motor1.com. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ^ "First hypercar 'holy trinity' boasted by RM Sotheby's". classiccars.com. 17 April 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ^ Attwood, James (20 March 2021). "Le Mans 2021: How new hypercar rules are shaking up the grid". Autocar. UK. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
External links
- Media related to Supercars at Wikimedia Commons