Even though it is hard to turn a profit on exotic cars, regular brands like to strut their stuff and have status cars to bring popularity to their marque. Building these cars also brings a trickle-down effect to more ordinary cars a few cycles later.
Even cars such as the Viper are coming back to run some more races, and we are glad to see them reappear. Some of these cars are electric-powered and or hybrid drive. These things are amazing, but you better be well off financially before you purchase one. We like the fact that one brand which is at present known for selling inexpensive cars is building a mid-engined exotic competition car, but to keep costs down used a regular style body shell.
10 Renault Trezor
This is a sleek GT car that was first shown at different auto shows in 2016 and is slightly delayed into production due to the economic situation of 2020, but it is starting to be produced at this writing. While it's 365 H.P. is nothing outstanding, the lightweight, futuristic interior and luminescent gauge display are very appealing.
The car has a carbon-fiber body mounted to a steel frame. Despite the large size, the car tips the scales at 3500LBS. It's an autonomous electric vehicle and price is rumored to be around $320,000 USD. The car also has regenerative braking.
9 Nissan GT-R Nismo
This is the most expensive GT-R ever and the retail price is said to be starting at $210,000. With 600 H.P. from its lightweight V6 coupled to a dual-clutch 6-speed transmission and all-wheel-drive, this is a road racer's dream.
It has a custom formed titanium exhaust the airfoil and spoiler are fully functional for downforce and made of carbon fiber. The car has full floating brake rotors, active suspension, and forged aluminum wheels. The switch set-up are designed to provide ease of use while underway at high speeds.
8 Lancia Stratos HF
This is a lightweight Group 4 car that weighs just over 2700 LBS with a 4.3 Ferarri V8 making 540 H.P. The car is based on a shortened Ferrari chassis and is very effective. Pininfarina removed 170+ pounds from the Ferarri, despite using a full integral roll cage.
The battery is made from lithium-ion technology, not lead-acid, and uses a carbon fiber mounting box to shave weight. The standard Ferrari differential is removed and a Drexler made unit is installed to handle the high torque and lighten the sprung weight. The car is a tight fit inside as it's more a race car than a streetcar. Price is $618,000.
7 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Supersport
This concept car is not only a racer it's all a high-efficiency hybrid electric/gas engine that also uses lean-burn technology to extend fuel range and fuel economy. The 2.4-liter engine is tuned for over 950 H.P. The car has The car shares most of its mechanical parts with the TS050 racecar.
Both cars are set up for LeMans Hybrid class racing. Interestingly enough the turbo set-up is two twin turbos and not a single turbo as is the case for most 4-cylinder engines. The price for one of these is more than most people will ever make combined.
6 Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye
This is the road racer suspension set-up for the Drag Race Demon. The engine is limited to 797 H.P. and not 840 as is the drag racer. It has an active suspension and has large sway bars, 6 point harnesses. The supercharged 6.2 engine is specially designed to run with the belt-driven twin-screw supercharger.
Despite the fact that it is tuned for road racing it still runs 10-second quarter miles. The car comes standard with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The price is a relatively reasonable cost of just under $77,000, which isn't too terrible for a full-on road race car.
5 Hyundai RM19 With Veloster Body
This is a true mid-engined race car using a Veloster body using a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine restricted to 350 H.P. for longevity, running through a paddle-shift 6-speed transmission. The rear-wheel-drive car does have a fully appointed passenger car interior and also is fitted with a roll cage. The flared fenders give the car a wide-body look and cover the 240 front and 305 rear sized tires quite nicely.
This is a fully road legal and warranted car in the way a Hellcat is to Dodge. Actual production has stalled due to the downturn in the first quarter of 2020, but it will soon be for sale in limited numbers. Cost is supposed to be around $100,000, but Hyundai is tight-lipped about it.
4 Ford GT
Starting at over half a million dollars this is a full-on exotic mid-engined terror. Power comes from a 3.5 V6 EcoBoost turbo drivetrain that started as a series of truck engines but tuned to over 650 H.P. and runs through a dual-clutch 7-speed transmission.
The car has extensive use of carbon fiber that keeps its weight down to just over 3,000lbs, and Ford starts the asking price at half a million dollars. Only 500 of these are produced per year. It has double wishbone suspension and active dampening as well as full floating brake rotors.
3 Ford Shelby Mustang Cobra GT 500
The Shelby 500 is designed to compete with the Hellcat. This is the only Mustang that comes with a 7-speed Tremac transmission because it makes 760 H.P. It has active suspension and a fully independent suspension on both axles.
The 500 series is the only Mustang that has 3 different electric assist modes for the power steering. The price is around $75,000 and it has optional handling packages and interior packages if the standard 500 isn't enough.
2 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Corvette as a sub-brand is moving back into racing as a subset. The Z06 is the first of different track pack cars coming from Chevrolet. Unlike other models, this one comes with a short-stroke high r.p.m. flat plane 32 Valve V8. The power goes up from standard 485 from the 6.2 to a healthy 650+ for the Z06 model.
The engine is said to be a 5.5-liter powerplant. What is interesting about this particular Z06 is that it will not use a supercharged engine from the ZL1 series, but instead it depends on high R.P.M. up to 8500+, and will use a flat-plane crank.
1 Dodge Viper GTS ACR
This 8.4L v10 beauty is stalled for the moment until things smooth out in the economy. Chrysler says it will start at $130,000 and be optioned out to $160,000. They will only release spy photo renderings of the car. It is supposed to use a carbon-fiber body shell mounted on a steel-reinforced frame.
Interestingly, other sources claim that a medium displacement aluminum V8 engine with DOHC cams will be offered and it will come in naturally aspirated and optional supercharged versions.
Maybe, they will do all of the above. The last versions which stopped production in 2017 had a cast-iron V10 rated at 647 H.P. and the car weighed just 3100 LBS., so this version should be even better.