An overview of modern supercars

The Countach was named for a Piedmontese expression that expressed shock and awe. That explosive sentiment was a perfect description for the radical, now-legendary 190-mph Countach. Marcello Gandini's striking design served notice, especially to Ferrari, that Lamborghini was a force to be reckoned with. Rather than pursuing a curvaceous styling route, the Countach was a striking, purposeful amalgam of cleverly integrated flat panels. The early Countach LP 400 models are highly valued today, as much for styling simplicity as performance. Beginning with a rear-mounted 4.0-liter 6-carburetor V12 engine, displacements rose to a Bosch K-Jetronic fuel-injected 5.2-liter iteration.

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Porsche's all-wheel-drive 959, first shown at the 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show, was created to compete in FIA Group B International racing. Two hundred examples were required, so some had to be sold for road use to help recoup development costs. Powered by an air-cooled 450-horsepower twin-turbocharged flat-6 engine with water-cooled DOHC 24-valve heads and titanium connecting rods, the 959 was a detuned version of a Porsche engine that won the 1981 24 Hours of Le Mans. With a 195 mph top speed and 3.6-second zero-to-60 time, it was one of the fastest supercars of its era.

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In 1987, the F40 exemplified what Ferrari had learned with its Formula One race cars. The engine was a 500-horsepower twin-turbocharged 32-valve V8 with a twin-disc clutch; the rack-and-pinion steering was not power-assisted. The 4-piston 13-inch brakes hauled the 2,680-pound F40 to a stop in seconds. Zero to 60 mph was 4.0 seconds, and its top speed was 203 mph. With its exotic Kevlar and composite body, its liberal use of aluminum alloy and its stunning, "race car for the road" styling, Ferrari's flagship was an instant collector's item at a time when exotic-car values were soaring.

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A monstrous 48-valve 5.7-liter V12 engine with nearly 500 horsepower seems an anachronism, but in 1991 — if you had the checkbook and the cojones — few cars compared. A mere $279,400 got you the supercar grandchild of the Lamborghini Countach, packing scissor doors, voluptuous out-of-this-world looks, an exhaust note that sounded like a pride of lions, and a top speed of 212 mph. The Diablo ("devil" in Italian) was always furiously quick, with unlimited power located inches from your ears. It was — and still is — one of motoring's biggest thrills.

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An Italian company, Bugatti S.p.A., revived the venerable Bugatti name from 1991 to 1996, offering a midengine 3.5-liter quad-turbocharged V12 that developed 553 horsepower. The EB110 could dash to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds on the way to a top speed of 213 mph. Lighter Super Sport versions with 603 horsepower were offered before the overextended company went bankrupt. Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher was one of several high-profile Bugatti EB110 owners. Designed by Marcello Gandini, the still stylish EB110, with its dramatic scissor doors and an Aerospatiale-built carbon-fiber chassis, is a collector's item today.

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The Jaguar XJ220 was developed in secret by Jim Randle, Jaguar's chief engineer, who wanted to create the ultimate supercar. When management learned about the project, Jaguar authorized the first prototype. The original concept car featured a V12 engine, but the production model used a twin-turbocharged 542-horsepower V8. Bonded-aluminum honeycomb body panels formed one of the most beautiful shapes to ever cover a chassis. Zero to 60 mph was achieved in 3.5 seconds; zero to 100 mph took just eight seconds. The XJ220 was the fastest production car of its time; its 212.3-mph record stood until Gordon Murray's McLaren F1 made a 240-mph run.

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Racing engineer Gordon Murray, McLaren Formula One team boss Ron Dennis and BMW Motorsport collaborated on the $1.1 million McLaren F1, the fastest production car available in the mid-1990s. Racing technology in the McLaren was rampant, starting with a center driving position and featuring ultralight aluminum and molded carbon-fiber sandwich construction. Scissor doors, a ground-effects under tray, vented and cross-drilled brakes, an amidships-located 6.0-liter BMW V12 engine with 627 horsepower to move just 2,840 pounds — the F1 had it all. Jonathan Palmer hit 231 mph in the McLaren in 1994 at Italy's Nardo track; Andy Wallace later raised that to 240.1 mph at Volkswagen's Wolfsburg, Germany, test track.

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Built as a celebration of 50 years of Ferrari, the seductive F50 was offered from 1995 to 1997. Just 349 were made, so they became an instant collector's item. Based on an F1 racing motor, the F50's normally aspirated 4.7-liter V12 engine developed 513 horsepower. Adaptive damping, rose-jointed unequal-length A-arm independent suspension, unassisted rack-and-pinion steering and a sexy Pininfarina-designed body underscored that this was the best Ferrari in its day for serious — and wealthy — enthusiasts; 302 F50s were ordered. Zero to 60 was a quick 3.7 seconds; top speed was 194 mph.

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The ultrarare and audacious Pagani Zonda C12 is built in Modena, Italy, and named for a brisk Argentine wind (Argentine racing legend Juan Manuel Fangio had a hand in the early Zonda engineering work). Boasting a torrid 6-liter 394-horsepower AMG-built Mercedes-Benz V-12 engine, the shark-styled Zonda is distinguished by its custom, race-inspired carbon-fiber chassis and body panels, supported by a high-strength-steel space frame. The lightweight supercar — less than 3,000 pounds — features a close-ratio 6-speed gearbox and ventilated 4-piston Brembo brakes with drilled brake and clutch pedals. Custom-fitted Schedoni luggage encourages its wealthy owners to take long, high-speed trips.

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With its impossibly low silhouette, a bellowing 6.2-liter 580-horsepower V-12 engine and a whopping price tag, exclusivity is this Lambo's forte. Built in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy, the Murcielago — Spanish for "bat" — is named for a ferocious 19th-century fighting bull. Flip a scissor door, sit on the sill, fall into the driver's bucket, and then swing your legs into the footwell under the leather-wrapped wheel. An aluminum shift ball falls to hand. The Murcielago bolts to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, bests 100 mph in nine seconds and tops out at 205 mph.

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Introduced in Paris in 2002, the Enzo was already sold out, prompting Ferrari to announce an additional 50 cars, for a total of 399. A Pininfarina design, the Enzo sports an F1-style elevated nose. The underbody was shaped in a wind tunnel for maximum aerodynamic efficiency. Front wheel flaps, an adjustable spoiler and twin wind diffusers deliver variably increasing down force. The 6.0-liter V-12 engine develops 650 horsepower. The Enzo's top speed is 218 mph; zero to 60 mph is 3.6 seconds. With a high-tech carbon-fiber interior and composite chassis, the Enzo weighs less than 3,000 pounds.

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A rolling showcase for Mercedes-Benz, the SLR McLaren packs 600-plus horsepower, sprints to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds and tops out at more than 215 mph. Its amidships-mounted, supercharged V8 engine is matched to a 5-speed electronic AMG transmission that selects gears in nanoseconds. The SLR can stop on a pfennig, thanks to ceramic brake discs and a decklid-mounted air brake that pops up to increase drag. Scissor doors open vertically to a snug, leather-lined cockpit. The exhaust system empties into mufflers in the front fenders that then exit in front of the doors. As befitting a Benz, SLRs pack every imaginable safety feature.

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In 1994, Christian von Koenigsegg said he intended to produce the world's fastest car. That he was just 22 and had no real experience building exotic cars didn't matter. Ten years later, his 806-horsepower CCR, packing a twin-supercharged 4.7-liter V-8 engine, posted a 241.01-mph record run at Italy's Nardo test circuit, 1 mph faster than the record-holding McLaren F1. The latest Koenigsegg, the CCX, has the obligatory supercar specs — swivel doors, drop-dead looks, lightweight construction materials — and weighs just 2,600 pounds.

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Porsche's midengine Carrera GT was unveiled at the 2001 Paris Motor Show. In 2004, Porsche announced a production version with very few changes. The Carrera GT's rigid carbon-fiber-reinforced chassis tub cradles a 5.7-liter 605-horsepower 40-valve V-10 engine. The 6-speed manual transaxle is mounted behind and below the engine. The Carrera GT's statistics are within fractions of the Ferrari Enzo's. Zero to 60 mph takes 3.5 seconds; zero to 100 mph is 6.8 seconds; a standing-start quarter-mile requires 11.2 seconds. Top speed is 205 mph. The underbody and rear wing were designed to provide down force at high speeds.

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Named for the Le Mans-winning Bugatti race driver Pierre Veyron, the midengine Veyron EB 16.4 is powered by an 8.0-liter 1,001-horsepower W16-cylinder engine equipped with four turbochargers. Zero to 60 mph takes just 2.46 seconds, and the 1,200-horsepower Veyron Super Sport version has been clocked at a top speed of 267.8 mph. With all that speed, the car must be stopped carefully. A special toggle key lowers the suspension, closes the front air diffusers and retracts the rear spoiler. Enormous cross-drilled carbon-fiber brakes ensure the Veyron can slow repeatedly from high speeds and can stop from 250 mph in less than 10 seconds.

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A contemporary re-creation of the Ford GT40 race car, the Ford GT is built around an aluminum space frame. Its sleek alloy shell resembles the GT40 of the 1960s, but it is roomier, more roadworthy and quicker than the original. The GT streaks from zero to 60 mph in just over three seconds and has a 200-mph top speed. Race-inspired cross-drilled Brembo disc brakes haul the GT down from 70 mph to zero in only 153 feet. Just 44 inches high, the modern GT retains the GT40's distinctive styling cues, and the rumble of its 500-horsepower supercharged V8 engine is music.

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The 750-horsepower Saleen S7 Twin Turbo was the most powerful production car available in the United States until the 2007 Bugatti Veyron. The 41-inch-high, 7-liter supercoupe could dash to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds, faster than most drivers could think to shift. On the road, despite hair-trigger steering and competition-bred suspension, the S7 was surprisingly easy to handle. The Saleen sprinted to 100 mph and back to zero in 10.9 seconds, eclipsing the famous 427 Cobra record of 12.3 seconds.

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Jerod Shelby (no relation to the late Carroll Shelby) produced a supercar, set a new production-car speed record on the road, certified it for U.S. emissions and then announced it. The Ultimate Aero SSC's supercharged 6.3-liter aluminum V8 engine develops 1,046 horsepower and has an estimated top speed of 273 mph. Zero to 60 mph is just 2.78 seconds. The Aero weighs less than a Corvette, and that's including a navigation system, a back-up camera, a 10-speaker stereo/CD system and a usable trunk.

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The $2 million Reventon — named for a famous Spanish fighting bull, per Lamborghini tradition — first appeared at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. It was billed as the fastest, most expensive Lamborghini to date and was essentially a LP640 Murcielago with seductive, razor-edged carbon-fiber coachwork. The Reventon's 6.5-liter V12 engine was normally aspirated, and the ultralightweight car had a top speed of 210 mph. Just 20 were sold. A roadster version offered in 2009, limited to 15 copies, was powered by the 6.5-liter 630-horsepower V12 also used in the Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce.

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Introduced at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, the radical, midengine hybrid 918 sports roadster will begin production in September. Powered by a 4.6-liter 580-horsepower V8 engine and two electric motors developing 243 horsepower, it's equipped with a 7-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission. Porsche claims a 3.0-second zero-to-60 time; top speed is 202 mph. A 6-kilowatt-hour liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery is located behind the passenger compartment. Regenerative braking and the plug-in feature comprise the charging system. Three hybrid modes use combinations of gas engine and battery power, depending upon whether economical operation or high performance is desired. Porsche plans a limited production run of 918 cars.

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Ken Gross is a distinguished automotive historian and journalist and a member of the Selection Committee of thePebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.