Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupe
Soon after the automobile was invented and its basic layout defined, engineers began refining it for high-performance thrill seekers — improving design, adding power and improving handling. For decades a chasm separated the high-performance racers from the road-going runabouts. Then in the '50s and '60s racing technology and performance entered the everyday realm, and soon the most audacious Grand Touring sports cars morphed into the first supercars. Today's supercars represent an automaker's pinnacle of style, technology and performance, but still they pay homage to the trailblazing steeds that have gone before them. Although it's always tough to narrow the field, we've put together a list of the 10 most charismatic and influential sports cars ever to grace asphalt.
1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, aka "The Gullwing"
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL was initially conceived as a race car, the W 194, as are most great sports cars. The German automaker had no plans to produce a street-legal version, but Maximilian Hoffman, the official importer of Mercedes-Benz cars into America at the time, lobbied for a sports car that he could sell to his upscale clientele. The W 194 fit the bill perfectly, so Mercedes greenlighted production. Thus the 300 SL (or W 198) was born. While they might look cool, the 300 SL's signature "Gullwing" doors are not just for show. They are actually a practical solution to an engineering problem. To enhance stability, the 300 SL's tubular frame rises far up the sides of the vehicle, making it impossible to fit conventional doors. So the Stuttgart-based automaker devised an upward-opening door; hence the wing-like appearance. Another special feature is the six-cylinder engine's direct injection system. The first of its kind, the system helped the 300 SL's 3.0-liter straight six develop 215 horsepower. The SL offered fast and precise cornering, exceptional acceleration and enough torque to ensure good pulling power at any speed.
1965 Shelby AC Cobra Mark III
In 1963 retired race car driver Carroll Shelby dropped a Ford small-block overhead valve V8 engine under the hood of a British-designed A.C. Ace roadster and made history. He called the concoction the Shelby A.C. Cobra Mark I. To accommodate the large 4.3-liter engine, Shelby engineers strengthened the Ace's tubular chassis, flared the fenders to accommodate wider tires and installed four-wheel disc brakes. They also upgraded the transmission to a Borg-Warner four-speed manual and added a limited-slip differential. About 75 Mark I Cobras were built before Shelby started arming the roadster with an even larger 4.7-liter V8. He introduced the Mark II version in 1963, adding rack-and-pinion steering. Then the tall Texan teamed up with Ford in 1965 to create the Cobra Mark III, the most famous Cobra of all. Built on a stronger tube chassis and running on a coil-spring rear suspension, the Mark III was powered by a thunderous 427 cubic-inch (7.0-liter) Ford V8 that produced 425 horsepower in standard form and 485 in racing trim. The latter had a top speed close to 190 mph, which was unheard of back then. The Shelby A.C. Cobra built up an enviable competition record, including a win over the perceived "invincible" Scuderia Ferrari at the 1965 World Manufacturers Championship for GT cars. Today, it is one of the most sought after collector cars, fetching more than seven figures at auction and from private collectors.
1966 Lamborghini Miura
Displeased with the customer service at Ferrari, successful Italian industrialist and tractor manufacturer Ferruccio Lamborghini decided to build his own sports cars. At the Geneva Motor Show in 1966 he introduced what was arguably his greatest creation to date: The sleek and stunningly beautiful Miura, named after a breed of fighting bull. Designed by Marcello Gandini, who is famous for building aggressive, imaginative and futuristic looking sports cars, the Miura was the first modern supercar. It featured a 4.0-liter 345-horsepower V12 engine mounted amidships and transversely behind the seats, and could go more than 170 mph. Off the line it accelerated from zero to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds. Encouraged by the Miura's success, Lamborghini would launch an even more radical successor a few years later: the Countach, also styled by Gandini.
1986 Porsche 959
Twenty years after the launch of its seminal 911, Porsche wanted to see how far it could push the rear-engine architecture. The autobahn-ready version of the 959 was unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show in the fall of 1985. The styling was a forward-looking interpretation of the 911 with body panels made of composite materials. This kept the weight to less than 3,200 pounds in spite of the extra mass of the electronically controlled all-wheel-drive system, an unprecedented feature on a sports car of that period. The 959 was powered by a 2.85-liter 6-cylinder "boxer" engine with sequential turbochargers that developed close to 450 horsepower: enough for a 0-60 dash in 3.6 seconds and a peak velocity of 197 mph. The 959 inspired the subsequent evolution of the 911 Turbo and various all-wheel-drive applications. Less than 400 were built — all prized possessions nowadays.
