FROM ASTON MARTIN TO PORSCHE: THE A-Z OF SUPERCARS

Has the time come to splash out on that supercar you have always dreamed of? Or perhaps, you are a long-time collector of high-performance sports cars, looking for your next acquisition. When you start car shopping in this niche, there are a few leading brands to choose from.

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Each one has its market-leading models – both new and vintage – to tempt every enthusiast. Every brand comes with a history, which is closely linked to the design features of the cars themselves.

As is the case with many of the world’s specialized markets, from electronics and musical instruments, to haute couture clothing and fine wines, everybody has their brand when it comes to supercars. Each brand has its merits, and you may test drive them all and love them, but ultimately, only one stands out, feels right, and seems to fit you like a glove.

Even if you own several, you will probably have one or two that you favor most. The question is: how do you find your brand of supercar? The answer is usually something undefinable; it simply feels right when you get into the driver’s seat of a particular make and model. It often appears as if the car chooses you, not vice versa.

Supercars: Everybody has their favourite brand

All that being said, and setting aside these romantic notions for just a moment, it is worth doing a bit of research before you start test-driving supercars. In a highly competitive market, each brand has its own history, and its own selection of beautiful, high-performance sports cars. It is a good idea to look into their stories and highlights as you plan your next purchase.

With that in mind, we present a brief introduction to the world’s top luxury sportscar brands. We have arranged them alphabetically so as not to suggest any particular order of precedence. Here are the essential facts you need to know about supercars, from Aston Martin to Porsche.

Aston Martin

Aston Martin Lagonda stands out as a distinctly British brand in the global supercar market. Founded in 1913, the company has produced iconic sports cars that have been associated with speed and high living for more than a century. Its link with the James Bond film franchise has certainly helped to enhance its prestige and mystique.

Its continued popularity is not only due to the speed of its supercars or its role in the 007 mythos, however. It is a beloved brand because it consistently produces advanced, luxury cars filled with features that car enthusiasts love.

Among the current favorites in the Aston Martin stable is the Vantage. Introduced in 2018, the Vantage is inspired by the design of the Vulcan – a track-only model – and the DB10, a custom model used in the Bond film Spectre. There are currently seven variants of the model, using either V8 or V12 engines, and capable of accelerating from 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds. Other popular models include the DB11, the Vanquish, the DB9 and the DBS.

Bugatti

Despite its Italian-sounding name, Bugatti was originally a German brand. It then became a French one when its home region of Alsace was incorporated into the borders of France after the First World War. The brand has folded and been revived more than once during its long history. It is famous for its exceptional concept cars, as well as its standard production models.

Always respected for the sheer beauty of their design, Bugatti cars were revered race contenders before the company moved into the luxury road car market. Its most popular models include the Chiron, the Veyron, Divo, Volide and La Voiture Noire. Most of Bugatti’s models are capable of going smoothly from 0-60 in under three seconds. Aside from their incredible performance, they are simply beautiful.

Ferrari

Ferrari is arguably the best-known brand of supercar in the world, the ultimate symbol of speed, wealth and luxury even among those who know next to nothing about sports cars. In 1939, Enzo Ferrari, a racing driver who had a lengthy association with seminal Italian car brand Alfa Romeo, broke away to form his own company.

His enterprise first supplied parts to other racecar manufacturers, and finally began building its own cars in 1940. The brand grew from strength to strength in both the race car and road car markets, until Ferrari ultimately became the international icon it is today.

Although the company has produced scores of road car models, it began its life in the race car market and has always incorporated racing technology into its luxury sports cars. Popular models include the 458, the 488, the Roma and the Enzo.

Named after the company’s founder, the Enzo truly reflects l’ingegnere’s passion for racing technology, incorporating several elements borrowed from the brand Formula 1 racing models, such as its carbon fiber body, automated-shift manual transmission, and ceramic composite disc brakes.

Koenigsegg

From Ängelholm, Sweden, comes the newest brand on this list. Founded in 1994, Koenigsegg only produced its first street-legal luxury sports car in 2002. The CC8S held the record for the world’s most powerful production engine and also featured a wealth of unique chassis designs, such as Koenigsegg’s distinctive dihedral synchro-helix actuation doors.

Koenigsegg cars hold several records for shortest acceleration times. In September 2011, its Agera RS broke the world record, going from 0-300km/h in 14.53 seconds. Four years later, the company topped that record with the One:1, which reached the same speed in only 11.92 seconds. These cars are the pinnacle of Swedish design and engineering. Popular models include the Jesko, Gemera and Agera RS.

Lamborghini

Lamborghini is perhaps Ferrari’s main competitor. In fact, its founder, Ferrucio Lamborghini, decided to establish the company in order to improve upon the weaknesses he saw in Ferraris. He aimed to streamline the design of luxury sportscars. He felt that Ferraris still carried too many features that were reminiscent of the brand’s racing origins, being too noisy and having poorly built interiors.

His brand was intended to balance racetrack performance with road car comfort and luxury. Nearly six decades since then, the brand is among the world’s most famous car brands, and is currently owned by the Volkswagen Group. Its iconic models include the Diablo, the Countach, Aventador and Huracan.

McLaren

McLaren Automotive was formed in 1985 and released its first road car, the F1, in 1992. The F1 is widely considered to be the greatest car ever created, a masterpiece of design and engineering, built for speed, style and performance. A brand that was originally closely associated with racing, McLaren’s road car designs are marked by many motorsport-inspired innovations. The F1 was followed by the P1, Senna and Speedtail.

Pagani

Among Italy’s supercar brands, Pagani is the youngest, having been launched in 1992. Horacio Pagani, the company’s founder, managed Lamborghini’s composites department for several years. When he broke away to form his own company, he continued to work with his old employer on several different projects before turning his attention to his own designs in the late 1980s.

Pagani Huayra R

Its debut model, originally named the F1, was launched to great acclaim in 1999 under the name Zonda C12. Several other variants of the Zonda have followed since. In 2011, a new model, the Huayra, was added to the Pagani stable. Pagani is known for being a stylish brand with radical design elements – quick and aggressive in shape and performance. These are the perfect cars for younger motorists entering the supercar market.

Porsche

If Ferrari is the most famous supercar brand, Porsche must certainly rank a close second. This German company has a colorful and controversial history that encompasses the design of the most successful car design ever (the Volkswagen Beetle) and the production of tanks and other combat vehicles during the Second World War.

After the war, after a fair amount of restructuring and repositioning, Porsche AG focused on the production of luxury sports cars, such as the classic 911 series. The 911’s rear-engine layout is the key secret to its superior handling. This design decision also made way for further attractive design features, such as more legroom up front, and a lowered hood for better visibility. The GT3 models are high-performance variants of the 911 used primarily as racing cars.

There you have it: a brief introduction to the top brands in the world of sports cars. These basic facts and origins stories will give you an idea about the features and unique spirit of each brand, perhaps giving you an idea of what cars you may want to try, but the real test comes when you get behind the wheel. Plan a test drive and take the next step towards finding the supercar of your dreams.