Named in honor of company founder Enzo Ferrari, this 200 mph Maranello supercar sports a mid-mounted, 6-liter V12 with 650 hp, advanced carbon-ceramic brakes, an F1-inspired 6-speed paddle shift transmission, and a production run of just 400.
Price Range: $1,000,000-$1,300,000
BUY: Still the ultimate in modern Ferrari performance and exclusivity. Getting rarer ever day as Darwin weeds out incompetent drivers
ADesigned by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the hand-built M1 was a mid-engined, twin-cam, six-cylinder built to compete in the Procar spec racing series. The M1 produced 277 hp and could reach 160 mph. Just 455 M1s were built, making them one of the rarest and most sought-after BMWs ever constructed.
Price Range: $100,000-$140,000
BUY: Exotic looks and BMW M-division performance. Too bad it doesn’t have a V12.
The all-wheel-drive, V8-powered R8 is Audi’s first foray into the supercar realm. With advanced construction techniques, Audi’s quattro sure-footedness, and stunning good looks, the 420-hp rocketship for the road turns heads wherever it goes.
Price Range: $110,000-$125,000
HOLD: Still in the Flavor of the Month Club. Extra points if you paid a bit more and didn’t get that silly stripe.
The V10-powered Carrera GT embodies all of Porsche’s technological innovations in a sleek, attractive, 600-hp package. With a carbon fiber chassis, dry-sump lubrication, inboard suspension and a slippery profile, the CGT rightfully bears the torch as the ultimate Porsche.
Price Range: $400,000-$450,000
HOLD: Still the modern halo car for Porschephiles. Not for the timid and especially not for the foolishly bold.
Introduced in 2001 as a successor to the Diablo, the Murcielago featured a 6.2-liter V12 putting out 571 hp through its 6-speed transmission. Later versions are powered by a 6.5-liter engine with 630 hp. With a height-adjustable rear wing, aerodynamic fold-away side mirrors, and active side vents that regulate airflow to the engine, the Murcielago is made for serious speed.
Price Range: $185,000-$230,000 ($335,000+ for ’07 LP640)
HOLD: Serious performance, Audi-added reliability, loads of street cred. Does what the Countach looked like it could do…
The third-generation Dodge Viper was heavily redesigned with sharp angular bodywork in 2003. The SRT-10’s engine was bumped to 505 cubic inches and power increased to 500 hp. Both engine and chassis were lighter, and weight was reduced by about 500 lb. Here are some Cobra-type performance figures… 0-60 in 3.9 seconds, 0-100 in 8.3 seconds, quarter-mile at 11.9 seconds and 121 mph, and top speed of 196 mph.
Price Range: $44,000-$51,000
SELL: Not yet at the bottom of the used car depreciation slope. Still character-challenged.
At 231 mph, the McLaren F1 was the fastest street-legal production car in the world from 1994 to 2005, the longest period the record has been held by any street-legal or production car. It is still the fastest naturally aspirated car in the world. The car features a 6.1-liter BMW V12 engine and it was an exercise in creating the ultimate road car. Only 107 were manufactured; 64 of those were street versions.
Price Range: $1,200,000-$2,000,000
BUY: Still the king of modern supercars. If you think you can’t afford it, you’re right
The first 996s were available as a coupe or cabriolet with either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive and a 3.4-liter flat-6 normally aspirated engine producing 300 hp. In 2000, Porsche debuted the 996 Turbo, equipped with four-wheel-drive and a 3.6-liter, twin-turbocharged and intercooled flat-6 producing 415 hp, making the car capable of 3.9 second 0 to 60 mph times. An "X50" upgrade package was available from the factory in 2002, increasing power to 444 hp.
Price Range: $55,000-$85,000
HOLD: Iconic, usable, blindingly fast, and still a safe bet.
The Continental GT (grand touring) coupe was first unveiled at the 2002 Paris Motor Show and made its U.S. debut in 2003. It’s a four-seat coupe with four-wheel drive. Its 552-hp, 6.0-liter W-12 engine has twin turbochargers and power is put into motion through a paddle-operated 6-speed sequential automatic gearbox. The “W” configuration makes this engine unusually compact. Bentley claims the Continental GT coupe’s top speed is over 190 mph and it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds.
Price Range: $100,000-$135,000
SELL: An aging status symbol that’s dropping in value. If you’re that conservative, you don’t need to go that fast.
Like the “regular” GT3, the RS uses an evolution of Porsche's race-bred flat-6 displacing 3.6 liters. It's a screamer with an 8,400-rpm redline and a power peak of 415 hp at 7,600 rpm. The RS boasts a close-ratio transmission and a single-mass flywheel. Porsche claims it will accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 4.2 seconds—one tenth of a second quicker than the GT3. Top speed is 193 mph. The GT3 RS weighs 44 pounds less than other GT3s, despite its bolted-in roll bar and wider rear fenders (the same ones used on the Carrera 4). The rear window and trunk are made of plastic, the front seats and adjustable rear wing are made of carbon fiber, and there's no rear seat.
Price Range: $145,000-$180,000
BUY: Porsche’s modern race car for the street. Just take some lessons first. Please.
Based on the Z07 styling exercise that evoked the original 507 and caused a sensation at the 1997 Tokyo Auto Show, the Z8 featured a 4.9-liter 32-valve 400-hp V8 and an all-aluminum chassis sourced from the M5. 5,703 Z8s were built, including 555 4.8-liter 375-hp Alpina versions in 2003.
Price Range: $75,000-$105,000
HOLD: A decent performer with good styling and a top that goes down. You’ll probably always have to explain it, just like the 507.
A cross between the production Modena 360 and the competition version from the Ferrari Challenge series, the lightweight Stradale uses a 425-hp version of the 360’s 3.6-liter V8 with five valves per cylinder, upgraded suspension and carbon-ceramic brakes, and an F1-style paddle shift transmission to make it a late-model wolf in sheep’s clothing for Ferrari enthusiasts.
Price Range: $85,000-$100,000
SELL: Great performance and great sounds, but moving downward in price with the regular 360. Let somebody else buy the next big service.
The last of the air-cooled Turbos, the 400-hp 993 was the first Porsche Turbo to feature twin turbochargers and intercoolers and a 6-speed all-wheel drive transaxle. Huge cross-drilled and ventilated disc brakes stopped it faster than it accelerated, halting from 124 mph in just 4.5 seconds. Its 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds and top speed of 192 mph made it one of the fastest production cars in the world at its release, second only to the 424-hp 993 Turbo S.
Price Range: $75,000-$85,000
SELL: Excellent performance, but now falling prey to depreciation. Still, if you’ve always wanted one…
Released in 2002 and modeled after the more pedestrian but still impressive 306-hp SL500, the SL55 AMG features 493-hp from its supercharged 24-valve 5.4-liter V8, making it capable of running from 0-60 in just 4.7 seconds. High-performance composite brakes with 8-piston calipers in front and Active Body Control suspension round out this luxurious supercar package.
Price Range: $80,000-$85,000
SELL: A spirited convertible now losing ground in terms of value. The AMG factor will always find a market
