Top 100 Cars Part 1: 100-51
Here it is, the ultimate countdown, my top 100 cars, My only rules is that the cars must be road-legal so no racers like the Lotus 49 or the Ferrari 330 P4, no modified cars like the Audi MTM TT Bimoto and be a proper production car so no one-offs like the Nissan R390 or concepts like the Joss JT1 or AC Mamba. There will be some surprises and upsets in this list, but then again, it is my opinion after all. So, let’s start the countdown 100-51
98. Mini Cooper S (1965-1967)- It’s a legend, but to be honest, I’ve never been a big fan of the Mini, I think being forced to Mini festivals and growing up round Mini fanatics embedded a distain for it, but I appreciate what it’s done for the motoring world.
97. Mazda 6 MPS (2006-2008)- A real Q car like the 620ti, you’d never know it had 4-wheel drive and could top 150 MPH.
96. De Tomaso Pantera (1970-1992)- What’s great about the Pantera is whilst it was unreliable, its actually easy to maintain thanks to it’s Ford engine plus, it’s still a very fast and exotic Italian supercar.
95. Citroen Xsara VTS (1998-2004)- Underrated coupe that’s handsome (to my eyes) and a rally legend as it catapulted Sebastian Loeb into the limelight during it's later years.
94. BMW M3 EVO (1996-1999)- Uprated E36 M3 with a bigger engine and the option of a sequential gearbox, so who said the E36 was soft?
93. Mercedes AMG-ONE (2021)- An amazing piece of engineering but the cost of the eventual engine rebuild is eye-watering.
92. Mercedes SL55 AMG (2002-2007)- all-arounder that’s only let down by electrics, looks good, sounds good, goes and stops great and has all the kit you could dream of.
91. Dauer 962 LM (1994-1997)- Porsche 962 converted for road use, was the fastest car until the Veyron cam round and won Le Mans 1994, even if it wasn’t in the spirit of the rules.
90. Jaguar XJR-15 (1991)- The other Jaguar supercar, it’s history is rather messy but it’s very fast and beautiful, that said it’s possibly the noisiest car to drive and as civilised as the racer it once was.
89. Mercedes CL65 AMG (2004-2006)- Truly excessive, a twin turbo V12 with 1000 Nm of Torque that can barely be put on to the road or through the bends without great care, but it has all the equipment and looks every bit as expensive as it actually is.
88. Ford Sportka (2004-2008)- It’s not the hottest hatch but it still looks funky, drives okay and has good equipment.
87. Dodge Challenger R/T (1970-1973)- The epitome of classic American cars, it even comes in a colour called ‘Sublime’.
86. Talbot Lotus Sunbeam (1975-1979)- Take a forgettable Chrysler Sunbeam and drop a 2.2 Lotus twin-cam and you get one of the fastest hot hatchbacks of the 20th century.
85. Ford Mondeo ST220 (2002-2006)- A great all-round package, fast, handsome and exclusivity on it’s side.
84. Westfield SEiGHT (1995-2010)- Truly a mad machine, a Caterham 7 style body with a 4.3 Litre Rover V8, it spits fire and accelerates as fast as an supercar but costs a fraction of the price.
83. Shelby Cobra (1967)- The shape that launched hundreds of replicas. But I’ll be honest, the original was the best. Widely known to be a handful but it’s a small price to pay for a truly legendary car.
82. Ariel Atom Supercharged (2004-2007)- Take an already fast Ariel Atom and stick a supercharger on the Honda Civic engine and you get a wonderfully simple machine that can live with the best supercars from a fraction of the cost and is fully road legal. Let's also not forget that Top Gear item as well.
81. Venturi Atlantique 300 (1997-2000)- An obscure French supercar with a twin turbo V6 that can live with the best supercars of the period.
80. Lotus Esprit V8 (1996-2003)- The Esprit gets serious, only issue is the gearbox, which is much more of a major issue than say dodgy switchgear, pity.
79. Lamborghini Countach LP400 (1974-1979)- This has to be one of the most beautiful cars ever made, but, this car’s faults are well catalogued, from no rear-visibility to a fume filled cabin.
78. Spyker C8 Spyder (2001-2011)- The Spyker legend reborn, it nails the bespoke look but isn’t really much of a driver’s car.
77. Honda NSX (1990-2005)- Is finally getting the recognition it deserved when new, moved on the supercar world and inspired the McLaren F1, and don’t forget that charismatic V6 engine.
76. Aston Martin V8 Vantage (1977-1989)- A brute of a car, 0-60 in 5.2 seconds made this the fastest accelerating car of it’s day and was actually usable unlike it’s rivals, it still didn’t really solve Aston’s financial woes but that’s beside the point.
74. McLaren 650s (2014-2017)- The successor to the MP4-12C is maybe not quite as pretty but is even more effective on the road, it’s great, but just doesn’t move me.
73. Mercedes SL500 (1989-2002)- Whilst it was massively overpriced, the SL500 still looks good today, is built to a very high standard and is more efficient than the SL600.
72. Monteverdi Hai 450 SS (1970)- A swiss supercar powered by a Chrysler engine, had it actually been produced in any true numbers it would have been the fastest supercar of the 70s.
71. Ford Mustang Fastback (1967-1969)- THE classic Mustang if you ask me, you'll likely recognise it as the Bullit Mustang which is part of the appeal, it's effortlessly cool but you wouldn't want to drive it like Steve McQueen did.
70. Toyota Hilux (2006-2016)- The eponymous invincible pick-up truck, enough said.
69. Cadillac CTS-V (2005-2008)- America got serious with this one, designed to be driven hard at all the best European racetracks and all for a reasonable price, this or an Audi S4? I’ll take the Cadillac.
68. Pontiac Firebird SD-455 (1973)- Another classic American muscle car, except this was the biggest one yet, 7.3 litres, 375 BHP, 0-60 in 5.3 seconds and 153 MPH, and that iconic firebird on the bonnet, one last hurrah before the Oil Crisis killed off these iconic cars.
67. RUF R Turbo (2001-2005) What happens when you take a 911 Turbo to the extreme? You get one of these, 520 BHP and can top 212 MPH.
66. Bentley Continental T (1996-2003)- This to me is what Bentley’s are all about, presence, imposing and squared off. Dynamically it is not worth the near £250,000 it was worth new, but it still looks just as expensive now as it did then.
65. Volvo C70 (1997-2006)- One of the most elegant cars ever made, especially in orange, not dynamically great but oh so nice to behold.
64. Hennessey Venom F5 (2023-2024)- My personal favourite of the current crop of hypercars. Its got the basics of power, aerodynamics and looks but would you really be able to use any more than 400/500 BHP on even a dry road?
63. Lamborghini Centenario (2016-2017)- It may not be revolutionary, but it is most certainly striking and is just as fast as the hybrid hypercars of the era. It’s just a very nice car.
62. Land Rover Discovery 3 (2004-2016)- The only Land Rover I would ever own, not as agricultural or as poorly equipped as a soviet gulag as the Defender or bought as a statement by wannabe influencers. It fits nicely in between, has all the off-road capabilities and yet is spacious and pleasant to in.
61. Renault Clio V6 (2003-2005)- Renault did have some wacky ideas during this period, cars like the Laguna II & Avantime but the Clio V6 was one of the maddest, following the 5 Turbo’s legacy, but sticking a 3 litre V6 with 255 BHP in a swollen Clio body.
60. Saleen S7 (2000-2018)- The S7 is one of those forgotten supercars, but it’s got a long racing pedigree, bespoke interior and can top 230 MPH, it’s America’s McLaren F1.
59. McLaren P1 (2013-2016)- Choosing between this, the 918 and LaFerrari is a tough one, but I think the P1 is one of the cleverest cars out there, all-electric, petrol & hybrid modes, there’s not much this can’t do.
58. Ferrari LaFerrari (2013-2016)- If the P1 & 918 use electric technology to move the supercar forwards, then the LaFerrari uses it to get the most out of it’s V12 engine and it has the KERS energy recovery system and active aerodynamics, only issue is you couldn’t just slap your £1,000,000 and buy it, no, Ferrari had to choose you.
57. Maserati Bora (1974-1978)- One of the first attempts at a usable supercar, Citroen’s input whilst slowing the Bora down made it age better than it’s fellow Italian supercar rivals and you could actually use that racing derived 310 BHP V8, smart thinking.
56. Bowler Wildcat (2003)- The only good use for a Defender, swap in a TVR Griffith’s 5 litre V8 and some composite body and you have a Dakar ready off-roader that can out run a Ferrari F355 or an Aston martin DB7 Vantage.
55. Koenigsegg Agera (2011-2014)- Brutally fast and great to behold with a nice interior and those dihedral doors but like the Venom F5, you or I would be afraid to truly unleash this Swedish beast.
54. Marcos LM500 (1994-1997)- A unique alternative to the TVR Griffith. It has the same engine and similar performance but has racing pedigree. Only issue is finding one of these.
53. Audi R8 (2007-2015)- Picking up the baton from the Honda NSX, the Audi has two brilliant engines in the RS4 V8 and Gallardo V10, eye-catching looks and all the real-world usability a driver could ask for. It’s a complete package if just lacking a bit of X-factor, it’s maybe a little too perfect?
52. Volkswagen Golf GTI mk1 (1976-1983)- The first true hot hatchback has all the right elements: good performance, discreet looks and plenty of appeal, it wasn’t technically the first as the Lotus Sunbeam came a year earlier, but it was the Golf that truly got the ball rolling.
51. Lotus Exige Cup 240 (2006)- If the already extreme Exige S, wasn’t enough then how about this race ready Cup version. More power and in bright orange it’s the perfect track day tool for any occasion.
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