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The A-Z of dream cars
 The Brit car maker has shoehorned in a 6-litre V12 engine to create the Vantage RS 04 April 2008 Adrian Hearn and Vijay Pattni have compiled the ultimate list of the 26 sexiest cars in the world from the Aston Martin Vantage RS to the Pagani Zonda. View our A-Z of dream cars slide show A Make / model: Aston Martin Vantage RS The Aston Martin Vantage is normally the baby Aston. But the Brit car maker has shoehorned in a 6-litre V12 engine to create the Vantage RS – the fastest car the company has ever built. Runner-up: Alfa 8C Competizione The 4.7-litre, 450bhp Alfa 8C Competizione will be one of the world’s rarest supercars. Just 500 are to be built – and they’ve all been pre-ordered. B Make / model: Bentley Flying Spur The Bentley Flying Spur is a four-door version of the footballers’ favourite, the Bentley Continental GT. Despite being almost three tons, the Flying Spur still hits 62mph in less than five seconds. Runner-up: BMW M6 Some say it has a suspect rear design, but the BMW M6 is pretty from the front and has a 507bhp V10 engine which will hit 205mph when derestricted. C Make / model: Corvette Z06 The Corvette name is synonymous with big-engined, tyre smoking, asphalt-eaters. And the Corvette Z06 is no different with those 512 raging Detroit horses coming from a 7-litre V8 engine. Runner-up: Chrysler 300C SRT-8 Another Detroit muscle car, the 168mph Chrysler 300C is one of the most provocative cars on the road – and for £41,000, you’ll find it hard to bag a better-looking, faster four-door saloon for your money. D
The latest Dodge Viper makes the aforementioned Corvette look mild. While the ‘Vette has a 7-litre lump, the maddest-ever production Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR has a ludicrous 8.4-litre V10. Runner-up: Dodge Ram SRT-10 Another Dodge, but we had to include the Ram SRT-10. It’s a 6.5-metre twin cab pick-up truck, with an 8.3-litre V10 engine – meaning this 3.5-ton industrial vehicle will still hit 60mph in five seconds, even with a wardrobe on the back. E Make / model: Jaguar E-Type It may be more than 40 years old but the 3.8-litre V8-powered Jaguar E-Type has some serious style. Alongside the Aston Martin DB5, these two cars heralded one of the finest periods in British car design. Runner-up: Lotus Elise The Elise keeps Lotus founder Colin Chapman’s basic principles of sports car building alive – lightweight, fast cars which handle beautifully. F
You can’t have a dream car list without the Ferrari F40. Thanks to its super-light body and weight saving measures, the F40 was the first car to crack 200mph. While it’s not the fastest Ferrari anymore, it’s still regarded by many as the ultimate Prancing Horse. Runner-up: Ford GT40 Henry Ford tried to buy Ferrari in the Sixties, but Enzo Ferrari pulled out of the deal. A fuming Ford decided to build a car to beat the Le Mans’ dominating Ferraris – and the resulting GT40 won Le Mans four years running from 1966 to 1970. G
Surely a Volkswagen Golf can’t be faster than a Ferrari F40? It can. The W12-650 was a concept designed in just six weeks for a German car show. It didn’t handle too well, but who cares? It’s a 202mph Golf. Runner-up: Lamborghini Gallardo Coupe The Lamborghini Gallardo is a stunning-looking car and handles far better than the Golf W12-650. But it’s the runner-up purely because the crazy Veedub is a one-of-a-kind. H Make / model: Honda NSX Type-R A car developed by Formula One legend Ayrton Senna was always going to be a beauty. The Honda NSX Type-R was never officially sold in the UK, but you’ll still find them on Britain’s roads, thanks to their dynamic looks and brilliant handling. Runner-up: Hummer H1 It’s one of the ugliest cars on the road, drinks more than an 18th Century sailor and isn’t particularly fast. But there’s something about the Hummer H1 which brings out the excited child in us. I Make / model: Infiniti G37 Infiniti is to Nissan what Lexus is to Toyota – the premium side of a massive Japanese car maker. We love the design of this 2-door coupe, which offers an alternative to the more ubiquitous Mercedes. Runner-up: Invicta S1 The British-built Invicta S1 is designed to be two cars in one – a grand tourer and no-compromise sports car. Thanks to a 5-litre engine, the S1 will top 200mph. J Make / model: Jaguar XKR-S The Jaguar XKR-S is the car maker’s flagship coupe and fastest car since the crazy 220mph Jaguar XJ220 of the Nineties. Unveiled at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, the XKR-S is limited to a production run of just 200 cars. Runner-up: Jaguar XJ220 The Jaguar XJ220 was regarded as Britain’s greatest sports car, but then McLaren joined the game in 1994 with its 240mph F1. But 212mph from the Jag wasn’t bad bearing in mind it only had a 3.5-litre engine. K Make / model: Koenigsegg CCXR The Koenigsegg CCXR isn’t just frighteningly quick; it’s also green – running on environmentally-friendly biofuel. But we doubt you’ll get many miles to the gallon. Runner-up: Volkswagen Karmann Built between 1955 and 1974, the Volkswagen Karmann wasn’t as quick as the Koenigsegg (it only had 60bhp) and neither was it as provocative looking. But it was a seriously cool coupe. L
Just 20 Lamborghini Reventons will be built and they’ve all been pre-ordered. A car based on a fighter jet was always going to sell quickly – even at this price. Runner-up: Lancia Delta Integrale HF Lancia made some good cars, but none better than the Delta Integrale rally car. The top-end Evolution model would hit 60mph in 5.7 seconds and run out of puff at 140mph. And fully-kitted out, you got fire extinguishers. Cool. M Make / model: Maserati GranTursimo S Our friends in the Med really know about style, be it suits, handbags or cars. And with the GranTurismo S, Maserati has built one of the world’s most beautiful motors. Runner-up: Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is the rally benchmark. Now in its tenth generation, the Evo continues to get the pulses running with its breathtaking performance and can transport five people and their luggage with ease. View our A-Z of dream cars slide show N Make/model: Nissan GT-R Godzilla returns! The most anticipated sportscar of our times packs a twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre engine and four-wheel-drive. The stunning Nissan GT-R has already claimed the scalps of lesser sportscars, lapping the mighty Nurburgring faster than the Bugatti Veyron. Runner up: Noble M15 Built on an industrial estate in Leicestershire, the stunning Noble M15 is a more refined version of the hardcore Noble M12 – but is still capable of blowing your socks off. O Make/Model: Opel Kadett (Oliver) The second generation Opel Kadett was introduced in 1962 and was a small family car with a 1-litre engine – which found recent fame in BBC’s Top Gear when Richard Hammond bought a 1963 Kadett for the African challenge (nicknaming it “Oliver”). He loved it so much he imported it back over to Blighty. Runner up: Opel Monza Classic 1980s coupe built by the European arm of General Motors (Germany’s ‘Vauxhall’) – stunning. P
The most insane variant of the Porsche 911 family – the hardcore GT2 is a racing car barely-contained for the road, with a twin-turbocharged 3.6-litre engine, racing brakes, super-stiff sports suspension and a lightweight body – you wouldn’t want to get it angry… Runner up: Porsche 959 A technological marvel of its day, the Porsche 959 has a 450bhp 2.8-litre engine which propelled it from 0-60mph in just 3.7 seconds – making it a modern-day legend. Q (car)
‘Q’ cars are generally defined as discreet, understated – and devastatingly quick. The Labrador-lugging Audi RS6 gets one of the greatest engines of our times – a snarling, 5.2-litre V10 churning out 572bhp – making this the most powerful production Audi ever. Practical and powerful – a definitive ‘Q’ car. Runner up: Lotus Carlton The Lotus-tuned monster from Luton was the first super-saloon capable of everyday practicality and massive power – all rolled into one Carlton-sized package. The predecessor to the BMW M5. R Make/Model: Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe Go one better than Sir Alan Sugar and bag yourself a proper Roller – the ultra-exclusive Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe uses the hides of 17 bulls to deck out its luxurious interior. Make sure you don’t get fired though – some are going for over £100,000 over the starting price to jump the two-year waiting list. Runner up: Audi R8 Audi step up to the supercar plate and knock the ball right out of the park – the R8 is one of the world’s most involving, rewarding, beautiful and brilliantly engineered cars ever. S Make/Model: Shelby Mustang GT500KR The 2007 model Shelby Mustang GT500KR pays ultimate homage to the 1960’s original – thanks to a 5.4-litre supercharged V8 churning out 540 horses – and the monster Mustang is also the new K.I.T.T. in the 2008 TV movie Knight Rider. Runner up: Mercedes SL63 AMG The SL63 AMG sports a 6.3-litre supercharged V8 engine and churns out 525bhp and 464lb/ft of pulling power – making it one of the most powerful Mercs in the world. T Make/Model: TVR Sagaris Fancy a bit of Blackpool muscle? The hairy-chested TVR Sagaris offers up a sportscar thrill like no other – thanks to a monster 4-litre straight-six engine delivering a 400bhp supercar punch. Runner up: Tesla Roadster Could this be the car to save the planet? The Tesla Roadster is the world’s first zero-emission sportscar and is based on the Lotus Elise – and is now coming to Europe. U
The world’s fastest production car is this – the American-built SSC Ultimate Aero – which uses a 6.2-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine to muscle the Bugatti Veyron off the top spot. And it reached this record-breaking speed with a 71-year-old behind the wheel. Runner up: Holden Special Vehicles Maloo R8 (Ute) Um…ok, not strictly “U”, but who can overlook the crazy Holden Maloo R8? This pick-up from down-under (they call them ‘Utes’) sports a 6-litre V8 which is sure to turn your world upside-down. V
It’s got 8-litres, 16 cylinders and 1,001bhp – and a record-breaking top speed. Oh yes, the Bugatti Veyron is the world’s most famous sportscar and is a truly astonishing piece of engineering. And it raced Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo too. Runner up: Vauxhall Monaro VXR The hardcore version of Luton’s loveable lout gets a 6-litre V8 and some serious bodywork, making it one of the cheapest – and best – V8 muscle cars. W
The German-built sportscar uses the engine from the BMW M5 – a 5-litre V8 engine packing 362bhp, mated to a lightweight body means old-school looks and new-school power. Runner up: Westfield Sport 2000S A glass-fibre bodied go-kart, the Westfield Sport 2000S sprints from 0-60mph in just 3.2 seconds – and weighs in at just 550kg. X
Take a 2-litre 220bhp engine, add it to a super-lightweight carbon-fibre body – and add some serious bravery. The Australian-built KTM X-Bow is built for speed, and with a bodyweight of just 700kgs, the bonkers X-Bow is more like a hardcore go-kart than a sportscar. Runner up: Ford Escort XR3i One of Essex’s greatest claims to fame – the mid-80s Escort XR3i packs a 1.6-litre engine with just over 100bhp, and was a classic hot-hatch. Y
Based on a Porsche 911, the ‘Yellowbird’ – nicknamed after its distinctive hue – was a limited production run sportscar, and smashed the Ferrari F40’s top speed of 201mph – topping out at 211mph, while smashing the 1989 production car lap record of the Nurburgring in Germany with a time of eight minutes 22 seconds. Runner up: Yukon Denali The preserve of premiership footballers and US rap stars makes it into the list. It’s massive; it’s got a V8 – and David Beckham used to own one. Z
One of the new boys in the supercar block, the Pagani Zonda is a true supercar – powered by a 7.3-litre Mercedes V12, the Zonda is one of the world’s fastest cars, and has won numerous admirers, including Top Gear’s Richard Hammond. Runner up: BMW Z4 M Coupe Superb looks, a monster engine lifted from the previous M3 – and bags of power oversteer make this one of the most exciting BMWs to roll off the Munich production line. View our A-Z of dream cars slide show What do you think about the A-Z of dream machines? Have your say on the Auto Trader Blog. |
Make / model: Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR 
Make / model: Ferrari F40 
Make / model: Volkswagen Golf W12-650 
Make / model: Lamborghini Reventon
Make/Model: Porsche 911 GT2
Make/Model: Audi RS6 Avant
Make/Model: SSC Ultimate Aero
Make/Model: Bugatti Veyron
Make/Model: Weismann GT
Make/Model: KTM X-Bow
Make/Model: RUF CTR Yellowbird
Make/Model: Pagani ZondaPage 1
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