Flying under the radar
We Brits love supporting the underdog, and in the world of supercars, there is no shortage of them. Crazy styling, ludicrous top speed claims, unpronounceable names… they’re all here. Sit back and enjoy a wild ride through the supercars that are proud not to be a Ferrari or Lamborghini.
SSC Tuatara
A little-known supercar called the SSC Tuatara made headlines back in 2020 after allegedly breaking the production car speed record on a closed road in Nevada. Its two-way average of 316mph makes even a Bugatti Chiron look slow. However, the validity has repeatedly been questioned by experts, not least due to a disparity between the official video and GPS speed readouts.
In another speed run for the £1m, 1,750hp Tuatura a few months later, it averaged almost 283mph.
ADR 630 Shooting Grand
The ADR 630 Shooting Grand pays homage to the original Austro Daimler ‘Bergmeister’ of 1931. No, we hadn’t heard of it either. Headline stats for this sleek plug-in hybrid are 1,215hp and 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds, plus an electric-only range of 155 miles.
Icona Vulcano
The Icona Vulcano isn’t made from volcanic ash and powered by molten lava, but it could top 220mph. The one-off Italian supercar is powered by a 6.2-litre supercharged engine sourced from the Corvette ZR1.
DomeDome Zero
The Dome Zero was a hero of the 1978 Geneva Motor Show. Sadly, it was destined for little more than a life in the Gran Turismo video game.
6/53 SLIDES © Panther
Panther 6
The Panther 6 is straight out of the 1970s guide to building a supercar. Longer than a football pitch and complete with six wheels.
Nissan R390 GT1
Only two road-going R390s were ever built, so this Nissan is as rare as it is stunning. Power was sourced from a twin-turbocharged V8.
Ascari KZ1
The Ascari KZ1’s 5.0-litre V8 engine was sourced from the BMW M5 and helped to give it a top speed of around 200mph.
Volkswagen W12
Giorgetto Giugiaro’s brief was simple: build a mid-engined car to accommodate a W12 engine and VW’s four-wheel-drive system. The result was stunning.
Lotec Sirius
Lotec claimed the 1,200hp engine in the Sirius supercar was enough to give it a top speed of 248mph. You cannot be Sirius?
Bristol Fighter
OK, so you’ve probably heard of the Bristol Fighter, a uniquely British take on the supercar formula.
Tramontana
The Tramontana is unlikely to feature on many bedroom walls, but with a choice of V10 and V12 powertrains, and styling inspired by the world of F1, it ticks many supercar boxes.
Trion Nemesis
This thing ticks even more supercar boxes. It looks great, has a brilliant name and pumps out some 2,000hp. Still want that Chiron?
Yamaha OX99-11
Yamaha’s role in producing the achingly good looking Toyota 2000GT is largely forgotten. The OX99-11 of 1992 was its attempt at making a supercar. We think it still looks fantastic even today.
Arrinera Hussarya
The difficult to pronounce – not to mention spell – Arrinera Hussarya is Poland’s first attempt at making a supercar. Not a bad debut.
Zenvo ST1
Fans of Top Gear will remember the Zenvo ST1 as the Danish supercar that caught fire on the Top Gear test track. Can anyone smell bacon?
Keating Supercars TKR
Ladies and gentlemen, here’s your Top Trumps winner. Top speed: 260.1mph. 0-60mph: 2.0 seconds. Engine: 7.0-litre V8. Horsepower: 2,002.
Keating Supercars Bolt
The Keating Supercars Bolt arrived in a blaze of glory in 2013, with bold claims about a 340mph top speed. Usain, eat your heart out.
TranStar Racing Dagger GT
When we first prepared this gallery, TranStar Racing was looking for backers to make the 2,000hp, 315mph Dagger GT a reality. It’s still looking.
Panoz Abruzzi
The Panoz Abruzzi looks like a cast-off from the decidedly average League of Extraordinary Gentlemen film. It would look better underwater…
Hulme CanAm Spyder
Hardcore, you know the score. No roof, no airbags, no windscreen, no ABS and no traction control. The Hulme CanAm isn’t a car for the faint-hearted.
Beck LM 800
With a full tank of fuel and a driver, the Swiss-built Beck LM 800 weighs a mere 900kg. That’s a truly remarkable figure for a 650hp supercar.
Bentley Hunaudieres
The Bentley Hunaudieres was unveiled at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show and bears a passing resemblance to a certain Bugatti hypercar.
Chrysler ME412
Oh, Chrysler, this is a stunning looking creation. It also packed a 850hp punch, courtesy of an AMG-sourced 6.0-litre V12.
Ford GT90
Readers of a certain age will remember the Ford GT90 as a pretty handy Top Trumps card. It remains one of Ford’s best ever creations.
Jaguar XJ13
The Jaguar XJ13 was intended to go racing at Le Mans, but the development took too long. By the time it was ready, it was already obsolete.
Vector W2
It’s not difficult to imagine a Vector W2 appearing in an episode of Miami Vice. Probably driven by an alligator. Or something.
Isdera Commendatore 112i
If you detect a hint of Porsche in the front-end styling, that’s because the Commendatore was the work of former Porsche designer, Eberhard Schulz.
Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
Was this Alfa Romeo’s first genuine supercar? Who cares, we could look at the 33 Stradale all day.
SSC Ultimate Aero XT
The Shelby SuperCars Ultimate Aero XT had a claimed top speed of 273mph and a 9,200rpm redline.
Cizeta V16T
The music composer, Giorgio ‘Together in Electric Dreams’ Moroder was involved in the development of this Gandini-designed supercar.
Arash AF10
The AF10 was the first car to be designed under the Arash name. Only one car was ever produced and it had a claimed top speed of 205mph.
Maybach Exelero
German tyre company Fulda commissioned the one-off Maybach Exelero to demonstrate a new range of super-wide tyres. As you do.
Monteverdi Hai 450 SS
Peter Monteverdi built the Hai 450 SS to go head-to-head with the likes of Lamborghini and Ferrari. Sadly, a huge price tag meant it never got beyond the prototype stage.
Kodiak F1
How many Serbian-German supercars can you name? Well, in case the question comes up during the next pub quiz, this is the Kodiak F1.
Gigliato Aerosa
Unveiled at the 1997 Geneva Motor Show, the Mustang-powered Aerosa was destined to be a joint venture between Lamborghini and Gigliato.
Shayton Equilibrium
‘The hypercar of the 21st century’ is how Shayton introduces its Equilibrium supercar. The technical details are currently missing from the firm’s website…
Argyll GT
The Scottish-built Argyll GT was a proper ‘bitsa’ of a supercar, featuring a Renault 30 engine, Morris Marina door handles and a Triumph Dolomite steering wheel.
Farbio GTS 350
The Farbio GTS 350 was a development of the earlier Farboud GTS, powered by a supercharged V6 engine. It later became the Ginetta F400.
Tushek Renovatio T500
Looking for Slovenia’s first supercar? You’ve come to the right place, because this is the Tushek Renovatio T500. Catchy name, right?
Vencer Sarthe
At launch, the Dutch-built Vencer Sarthe cost an eye-watering £250,000. For that, you got a 6.3-litre V8 engine and a 210mph top speed.
Trident Iceni Magna
If you’re prepared to shun the lure of a V12 petrol engine, how about a 6.6-litre turbodiesel? In standard form, the Iceni produces 950lb ft of torque.
Mega Track
We can’t help but love the Mega Track. It sent 394hp from its V12 engine to all four wheels and, crucially, featured adjustable ride height up to 13 inches.
Covini C6W
What is it about obscure supercars and six wheels? We reckon the bosses of these fledging supercar firms grew up watching Thunderbirds.
Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus SCG 003
Surely winning the prize for the longest name in the whole of supercardom, the Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus SCG 003 was launched in 2015 and designed by a former Pininfarina employee.
W Motors Lykan Hypersport
The first supercar to be produced in the Middle East, the Lebanese Lykan Hypersport featured in Furious 7 as well as a number of video games.
Rimac Concept One
Despite sounding like a ladies’ shaving cream, the Rimac Concept One is a Croatian electric supercar with a 0-62mph time of 2.8 seconds. Thanks to a certain Richard Hammond, it’s not the obscure supercar it once was… and Rimac has subsequently become a genuine top-tier company, even now partnering with Bugatti.
Capstone Turbine CMT-380
The Capstone Turbine CMT-380 was an electric hybrid capable of running on either diesel or biodiesel. The claimed range was up to 500 miles.
Velozzi Supercar
The Velozzi Supercar is a development of the CMT-380 prototype, with a range of 1,000 miles. Top speed is a claimed 225mph.
Vector W8
A generation of petrolheads grew up in awe of the 6.0-litre V8 Vector W8. It was a development of the aforementioned W2 and featured 5,000 aircraft-spec rivets.
Keyword: 52 supercars you’ve probably never heard of