Hypercars are a rare breed and that’s what their owners crave along with justifying the sky-high price-tags too. When supercars are too common and passé, its these limited-edition cars that offer more power, more extreme engineering, and exclusivity to match.
These cars are built in limited numbers, mostly handmade and push the envelope in terms of sheer performance. Hypercars and supercars differ when talking performance, exclusivity, technology, price, so we’re not talking subtle. The hypercar is more an elite subset of supercar. They often exceed 800 hp, achieve top speeds above 220 mph, and have acceleration times (e.g., 0–60 mph) under 3 seconds. The Bugatti Chiron, photographed above, is a good example of that.
Hypercars often set benchmarks for innovation, like the Koenigsegg Jesko’s advanced transmission or the Pininfarina Battista’s electric powertrain, which we’ve written about in these pages in the past. Then there’s price comparison, for what is truly an exclusive purchase – typically starting at USD $1 million for hypercars, and often drifting past USD $3-5 million, even higher than that.
But, are hypercars an excessive indulgence when supercars are already too fast? Plus are they too compromised, and too extreme to be driven on the road? Let us see what the latest and the most awaited hypercars have to offer.
Limited Edition Ferrari F80
When Ferrari makes a limited edition hypercar, the world sits up and takes notice while the F80 is basically a LeMans racer with a tax disc. It is the most powerful car to come out from the hallowed gates in Maranello with a stratospheric 1184bhp courtesy a controversial 6-cylinder engine albeit being heavily electrified by no less than three motors.
The design is clinical and drips with menace courtesy an aerodynamics inspired styling where function takes the lead. It is fast, streamlined and brutally laced with lightweight engineering and comes with the best that Ferrari can throw at it. Only 799 of these red missiles would be made but even at $4 million they are all sold out. As you would expect.
Hypercars vs. Supercars: Bugatti Tourbillon Price
The iconic W16 has been laid to rest but in place is the svelte and wonderful Tourbillion with a heady combination of a naturally aspirated V16 and a trio of electric motors. On its own the engine develops near 1000bhp but again there is the onslaught of electrification which further ramps up the power output to 1775bhp. That’s a simply surreal number which will mean that thus Bugatti will do 276mph and a 0-62 mph time of 2 seconds.
The outlandish power comes paired with an elegant but jaw dropping design thanks to the traditional Bugatti design language. The name is also inspired by Swiss watchmaking and the interior is also a work of art. At $4.08 million, it is one of the most expensive cars in the world but again the 250 examples will not be hard to sell.
Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale: Only 33 Made
Underneath it may be an MC20 but the beautiful 33 Stradale is a homage to one the most iconic Alfas ever. The result is a beguiling but correct modern day interpretation of a classic supercar. The proportions are gorgeous and dotted with stunning attentional to detail but the rather interesting bit is the ability to choose a conventional but sonorous gas powertrain or an electric one.
It is fast with a 0–62mph time of 3.0 seconds but it is even more elusive with only 33 examples ever being made and that means it is even rarer than its predecessor.
McLaren W1 Price: $2.1 Million Each
The successor to the fabled P1 comes in with hybrid power but the brutal ode to aerodynamics is what sets this hypercar apart from its peers. It weighs 1399kg and gets an all new V8 powertrain which works in tandem with a powerful electric motor. This is not a plug-in hybrid but the combined 1259bhp output is ferocious and the performance claims support that with a 0-62 mph time of 2.7 seconds.
However, not just raw speed as the engine will rev to 9200rpm as well and will have a proper soundtrack too. Only 399 will be made and costing $2.1 million each.
Top image by Mark Keast
Somnath Chatterjee grew up around cars and most of his childhood was spent obsessing over supercars. Years later he decided to start writing about them and hasn’t looked back since. While he has had his fair share of cars, the world of automobiles never ceases to amaze him. Travelling all over the world to drive them along with sharing that experience is what ultimately keeps him going. He hopes to drive a Ferrari 288 GTO someday because, well, do you really need a reason?
