10 of the Most Awesome and Memorable Supercars of All Time

SUPERCARS SERIES: 1970s / 1980s / 1990s / 2000s / 2010s / 2020s

No matter how incredible its performance might seem at the time it was introduced, not every supercar is destined to be remembered. It takes a little something extra for a car to truly connect with enthusiasts and become part of the larger cultural conversation. Huge power and eye-watering speed are the currency spent for a car to get noticed, but staying power is something else entirely. Often, it relies on an X factor tied to the era in which it flourished and the ripples it made outside the rarefied air of automotive exotica.

Here are 10 of history's most memorable supercars, each of which can count on considerable clout to match their mechanical magnificence.

Lamborghini Countach

The Lamborghini Countach casts a very long shadow on the collective memories of both automotive enthusiasts and pop culture in general. It's hard to think of a car that embodied the spirit of outrageous style and eye-popping performance more than the original LP400 and its many derivatives, which echoed on past the '70s and into the '80s as the visual shorthand of choice any time a movie, TV show, video game, or advertisement needed to depict the concept of speed and excess in a single package.

Its enshrinement by collectors—despite all its quirks and flaws that make for an eventful driving experience from a modern perspective—as one of the most sought-after classic supercars solidifies its place in history.

Dome Zero

The Dome Zero is an intriguing example of a nearly forgotten supercar that was dragged out of obscurity by a video game series that is itself iconic. Thanks to the efforts of Gran Turismo, which added the car as a drivable "concept" in its fourth installation all the way back in 2005, an entire generation of fans were exposed to the "child's dream" of designer Minoru Hayashi. Although the real-life Dome did turn laps at Le Mans, it was its remarkable in-game top speed that enamored Gran Turismo fans, the vast majority of whom were seeing the unusually styled coupe for the very first time.

It's the only vehicle on this list that earns its spot based on the spotlight turning back in its direction decades after it was produced, helping the Dome Zero gain at least a little real-world recognition for what it tried to bring to the table as the original Japanese supercar at the end of the 1970s.

Porsche 959

By the time the '80s rolled around, automakers were looking to stuff their wares with as many high-tech features as possible—regardless of whether they had a full grasp of the execution of their electronic ideas. One of the few supercars to fully harness the potential of its builder's R&D budget was the Porsche 959, a vehicle that originally started out as a rally-focused ride and eventually hit the streets when the Group B class was scuttled.

Adjustable suspension, all-wheel drive, and an exotic body materials like Kevlar might be old hat today, but it was light-years ahead of the competition when the 959 arrived on the scene in the middle of the 1980s, complete with a twin-turbo, 200-mph top speed. This was the car that tempted millionaires—Bill Gates included—to taste the gray market and try all sorts of tricks to get this not-sold-stateside supercar into America legally.

Ferrari F40

Ferrari went in the other direction as compared to Porsche, with the F40 adopting a twin-turbo V-8 and a lightweight body design but very few other instances of tech wizardry in its pursuit of a similarly lofty top speed. What has kept the F40 alive in the hearts and minds of Ferrari fans all these years is precisely that restraint: Here's a car with no driver aids, no power brakes, and not even a hydraulic assist under the hood to help turn the wheels.

It relies entirely on a driver's full attention to keep it pointed away from the curb, making it a true driver's car in an era when supercars were getting heavier and more complicated with each passing year.

McLaren F1

Speaking of more complicated, the McLaren F1's reign at the top of the supercar standings was predicated for years on its ruthless swiping of the street-legal speed record from famous Italian and German fare due, in large part, to its pursuit of technological perfection.

With a finely tuned, BMW-sourced V-12 matched with incredible aerodynamics and extensive use of carbon fiber throughout, the F1 scorched past 240 mph and set a standard that few other supercars could reach over the course of the next 15 years. In doing so, the F1 became the Countach of the 1990s, only this time it didn't ask for nearly as many compromises from the lucky few who got to park one in their garage.

Jaguar XJ220

The Jaguar XJ220 could have been celebrated on the same level as the F1, but the story behind the supercar's tortured path to production is very nearly as memorable as its performance and eye-catching design. Intended to walk a similar 12-cylinder path as the McLaren, married with the 4WD acumen of the 959 (and produced in partnership with longtime racing partners TWR), the XJ220 instead ended up slicing its cylinder count and drive wheels in half.

Still incredibly quick at just under 220 mph, the XJ220 represented Jaguar's final exotic before it was subsumed into the economic chaos of the decade, where a string of revolving corporate masters kept it from reaching similar heights ever again.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4

The Bugatti Veyron, and its successors the Chiron and Super Sport, rewrote the book on what the world could expect from a supercar—and introduced the term "hypercar" into the lexicon at the same time. Everything about the Veyron was larger than life: the size of its 16-cylinder engine, the fact that it relied on four turbos to generate over 1,000 hp, and the extreme cost of its replacement tires. This all translated into an equally enormous top speed.

With 250-mph capability, the Bugatti firmly established itself as the big dog of the 2000s and became the standard against which any of its rivals would be inevitably measured as soon as they were announced.

Koenigsegg CCR

Koenigsegg is the feel-good supercar story of its time, a car company willed into being by the sheer force of personality of its founder, Christian von Koenigsegg, and the pride of the Swedish government willing to back the quixotic dream of putting a Scandinavian-designed vehicle at the apex of a market traditionally dominated by countries with deeper automotive heritage.

Photo: Getty Images

The CCR was the car that caused everyone to take Koenigsegg seriously and proved that this wasn't yet another fly-by-night boutique brand but rather an intensive engineering effort that planned to stick around for decades, perfecting its quest to push past 240 mph. It's certainly saying something when it required the vast resources of the Volkswagen Group to steal the top-speed crown.

Photo: Getty Images

Ford GT

It's rare for a retro design to crack the supercar stratosphere, but Ford certainly knew what it was doing when it resurrected the look of its original Le Mans-winning GT40 race car, knocked a couple of letters off the name due to copyright concerns, and sold it as the ultra-powerful Ford GT. This mid-engine, 550-hp machine was completely unexpected from Detroit at the time, and neither GM nor Chrysler managed to respond with a similarly wild street machine of their own, giving the Blue Oval unlimited bragging rights throughout the 2000s.

It's also the first production car from Ford to officially push past the 200-mph mark, and it spawned an even faster successor roughly 10 years after it first appeared on the scene.

Rimac Nevera

Electrification has completely changed the game for today's supercars, and although hybrids and plug-ins were popular in the 2010s, models like the current Rimac Nevera point toward the future of the world's fastest automobiles.

Featuring close to 2,000 hp, and with four electric motors that can be individually controlled for the ultimate in traction and performance, the Nevera is a rocket that knocks on the door of 260 mph in street trim. Not bad for a car that burns no gas and relies entirely on a massive battery to bring the (silent) thunder to the track.

Most Memorable Supercars of All = Time

• Lamborghini Countach
• Dome Zero
• Porsche 959
• Ferrari F40
• McLaren F1
• Jaguar XJ220
• Bugatti Veyron 16.4
• Koenigsegg CCR
• Ford GT
• Rimac Nevera

Porsche 959 Engine

Porsche 959 Interior

Ferrari F40 Engine

Ferrari F40 Interior

Ferrari F40 Side View

Jaguar XJ220

Jaguar XJ220

Jaguar XJ220

McLaren F1 Cabin

McLaren F1 Engine

Ultra-Rare McLaren F1 GTR Longtail Front

Ultra-Rare McLaren F1 GTR Longtail Rear

Bugatti Veyron W-16 Engine

Bugatti Veyron Interior

Ford GT Heritage Edition Wearing Gulf Livery

Ford GT EcoBoost Engine

Ford GT NASCAR Driver Brad Keselowski

Rimac Nevera Rear

Rimac Nevera Interior

Rimac Nevera Butterfly Doors