What does it feel like to be a boss? You need to be talented and successful. You want to feel unique and different from the crowd—show everyone you're a car expert, impress people with your car, and show everyone that they're in the presence of greatness.
I'll assume that money is of no concern. Of course, the fact that someone is rich doesn't mean he wants to throw away his money. These cars need to have a constant high value. In addition, I'll pick mostly modern cars because you have to drive those cars on a daily basis. You cannot keep your fantastic sports car in a garage and feel like a boss driving smart. Otherwise, there's no point to buying a sports car. Legendary classic cars are nowadays more works of art than something you can drive regularly. They're not reliable and driving is different, much less pleasant, than with modern cars. And supercars are also not your everyday city-driving choice. Therefore, there will only be a few older cars, mostly from the '80s and the '90s.
25 Aston Martin One-77
Aston Martin is one of those special car companies. All of their cars have a distinguished style and fantastic performances. To celebrate the new millennia, a special car was in order. Aston Martin One-77 is an exclusive limited-production sports car. Only 77 cars were produced, hence the name. Aston Martin One-77 has a unique carbon-fiber monocoque chassis and a handcrafted aluminum body.
Under the hood is the 7.3-liter V12 engine with 750 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque.
Transmission is controlled with the six-speed automated manual gearbox taken from Aston Martin DB9. One-77 is capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, with a top speed of 221 mph or 356 km/h. Aston Martin One-77 is unique and looks fantastic, and his performance is amazing.
24 Lotus Elise
Lotus is mostly known for their sports cars and results on the racing track. Through history, though, they didn't have much success, especially financially, with road cars. The Elise was different, however. This car won many awards from car magazines and shows.
The Lotus Elise is incredibly light, agile, and fun to drive. The emphasis was on handling, not power or acceleration.
The Elise's looks were specific as well, with an insectoid face, two seats, an engine in the middle, and rear-wheel drive. This roadster still looks stunning, despite the fact it was conceived way back in 1994. The production of the Lotus Elise lasted until 2002. During that time, there were additions to this model. The Exige with a hard top, the 111R, and for the American market, the California. The only flaw is that the Elise isn't a very practical or comfortable car.
23 Nissan Skyline
Nissan has been producing cars with this name since 1957. But to feel like a boss, you need to buy the modern post-2012 version. This modern version presents a revolution for Nissan. Their cars were never successful on the racing track. Well, the Skyline had some success in touring car championships in the '90s, but this modern R34 was unstoppable in various GT and Endurance championships. It also singlehandedly made Nissan a cool brand. It even became a car of the Playstation Generation—and I mean this literally! The design was inspired by a ''Gran Turismo'' video game and ''Gundam,'' a Japanese anime series. Nissan also created a PlayStation Academy so that sim-racers around the world could compete and have a chance to become racing drivers. Along with the evolution of performance, Skyline embraced the modern IT age like no other.
22 Noble M15
With the M12, Lee Noble created a sports car with great looks and performance but not much practicality. However, the M15 presents a supercar that you can drive every day with many luxury options for this kind of a car. The fact that you can drive it daily and that it's practical are the reasons for having the Noble M15 on this list. The Noble M15 is an incredibly fast car. U
Under the hood is a three-liter twin-turbo engine capable of producing 455 horsepower with 455 lb/ft of torque, with a top speed of 185 mph and acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds.
The Noble M15 is also incredibly light, with a weight of only 1,200 kg. Handling is amazing, too, thanks to supreme cornering abilities and a space-frame chassis with an integral roll cage. With some nice equipment, like Satellite Navigation, and some space in the trunk, the Noble M15 is a fantastic sports car in every aspect.
21 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
There's a saying that goes, "Everyone must drive an Alfa Romeo at least once in his or her life." Almost all of their cars are fantastic looking and usually a pleasure to drive, but they aren't always reliable. The Romeo 8C Competizione is probably the best-looking car Alfa Romeo ever produced. Inspired by the Tipo 33 Stradale and the Giulia, it was presented in 2006 at the Paris Motor Show. The Competizione was designed in cooperation with Maserati. It's interesting that Alfa's new carbon-fiber body was installed on an old steel Maserati chassis. The V8 engine is also one of the results of that cooperation. It produces 450 horsepower and 346.7 ft-lbs of torque, with a maximum speed of 181 mph or 291.23 kph. The Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione accelerates from 0 to 60 in 4.1 seconds and from 0 to 100 in 9.3 seconds.
20 Ferrari 488
The 488 model is the most powerful GT car Ferrari ever made. You could say it's Ferrari's ultimate racing and everyday streetcar. Its predecessor, the 458, was incredibly successful on racing tracks around the world, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice and many GT championship titles. People from Ferrari combined that racing experience and the updated electronics and vehicle control systems to give people an ultimate driving experience.
Under the hood is 3,902 cc 32-valve V8 Turbo Petrol engine. The Ferrari 488 has an impressive 660 horses and an acceleration of 3.1 seconds from 0 to 100 mph.
Its transmission is controlled by a seven-speed automatic gearbox. This gearbox has Variable Torque Management that helps the driver to smoothly floor the throttle and still have total control. All these, plus electronic controls, make the 488's power instantly available and controllable.
19 De Tomaso Pantera
I'm cheating a little. This list should consist of cars that you can buy for everyday use and impress people with your spectacular-looking and fantastic-to-drive sports car. However, the Pantera isn't a great option for practicality and reliability. Moreover, it can be an annoying and expensive car to own. It does look amazing, though, especially a version from the '70s. In addition, driving it is simply fantastic. Well, at least, for me, it was. You see, I had an opportunity to drive a De Tomaso Pantera GTS from '73. And from that experience, I can tell you that getting this car isn't a rational choice.
This particular vehicle has a V8 engine with a five-speed manual gearbox and a maximum speed of 255.9 kph / 159.0 mph.
You'll immensely enjoy driving this car, but it's expensive to maintain, not practical, and will probably kill you fairly quickly. For the enjoyment it brings, I still recommend it, though!
18 Ford GT
At the beginning of 2000, Ford started to revive its old GT and muscle cars. In 2002, it was the legendary Ford GT's turn. It was an homage to the GT40 model, a racing legend that dominated the Le Mans and the Endurance championships in the '60s. It's important to say that I'm not talking about the New Ford GT. That's a supercar and therefore not for our list. For this GT40, production started in 2003, and its looks very much resembled the old Ford GT Mark II. People from Ford used high-tech methods to preserve the classic feel. The exterior is created from an all-aluminum space frame to emphasize the power and minimize weight. The Ford GT has a mid-engine Supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 with 390 horsepower. Its interior has a vintage Ford GT vibe with analog gauges and Azdel SuperLite Composite matte-black material.
17 Acura NSX
Back in 1984, Honda hired the famous Italian design team Pininfarina. That's why the model's name is "Honda Pininfarina Experimental" or "HP-X." The Acura NXS entered the car market six years later. Recently it was revealed that Ayrton Senna was involved in the Acura's development. The design of the New Sportscar Experimental was inspired by 360-degree visibility inside an F-16 fighter jet cockpit. It was a first car made completely out of aluminum. Honda claims that the Acura is lighter by around 220 kg because of that.
Under the hood is a 3.0-liter V6 that produces 270 hp and 210 lbs.-ft. of torque.
Handling is great, and its low ride height gives an incredible grip. This is one of the best used cars you can buy today. Of course, recently, a new Acura was introduced, but it possesses no charm of the original.
16 Audi R8
The Audi R8 is based on the Lamborghini Gallardo (Audi owns Lamborghini) and it has the famous Audi Quattro AWD system. The Audi R8 presents a fantastic blend of Italian design and German engineering.
This year, the Audi R8 comes with a 5.2-liter V-10 engine that's offered in two states of tune. The Plus One has 610 horsepower and torque of 413 lb-ft.
The only transmission choice, however, is a seven-speed dual-clutch that sends its power through the Quattro all-wheel-drive system. Its body is also lighter thanks to some carbon-fiber parts. Inside there's a Virtual Cockpit from Audi TT with a changed position. Handling is also sharp and very easy thanks to all the electronics. Therefore, with the Audi R8, you get fantastic performance and looks with the practicality and handling of a TT model.
15 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
The Corvette is one of the most successful sports cars in history. Since the '60s, it's dominated the GT and Endurance championships around the world. I picked the Corvette ZR1 because the newest version is the most powerful Corvette ever made. It was presented to the public in 2009. It was a supercharged version of the base LS9 and Z06 models. Instead of usual plastic, the body was full of carbon fiber. Furthermore, a polycarbonate window allows everyone to see the engine, and the vehicle has the largest wheels ever put on a Corvette. Of course, the design is still something an average kid would make. Still, it was impressive enough for Jeremy Clarkson to name it 2009 Car of the Year. This year, a new version is coming, and it finally has an impressive design and a Lotus-designed V8 supercharged 6.2-liter engine with 750 horsepower under the hood.
14 Lamborghini Miura
The Lamborghini Miura is the forefather of all fantastic Lamborghini models that came after it. It's also the first V12, mid-engine, and two-seat production sports car. When it was introduced, it was the fastest production car in the world. The engineering of this car has stood the test of time better than any, even better than the Audi-made Lamborghini. The Bertone bodywork is also still holding fantastically well. The Miura's driving and handling are superb with its incredible aerodynamics on a flattened body. The engine is a 12-cylinders, 4-stroke, mid-mounted one.
The Miura's top speed is 280 kph, and its acceleration from 0 to 100 kph is achieved in 6.7 seconds.
However, the transition is only available as a five-speed manual. The Miura also has Girling disc brakes surrounding hydraulically operated wishbones. The model P400 SV from 1971 is the best looking, without the small eyelashes on its headlights.
13 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
The Mercedes-Benz SLR Mclaren is a result of unusual German and British cooperation. Mercedes-Benz and McLaren Automotive revealed this fabulous car in 2003 at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking. This car is obviously inspired by a classic and one of the most beautiful cars ever: the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing. The SLR Mclaren is mostly a grand tourer with a front-mid engine. Under the hood is a 24-valve V8 petrol engine that produces 641 horsepower and torque measuring 605 lb-ft. The transmission is handled by a five-speed automatic gearbox. The SLR McLaren's top speed is 209 mph or 336.3 kph, and it accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. The handling isn't as great as those in similar cars, though, and there aren't many electronics and helpful driving features, but the SLR Mclaren is hellishly fast.
12 BMW M3 GTR
The BMW M3 GTR had a limited production run of road-ready versions because this car was really prepared for the Le Mans 24 Hours race. To meet the regulation, BMW had to produce at least one road version. Sadly, Porsche complained, rules were changed, and this drove BMW away from GT competitions. But there's something positive in that. I haven't driven all the BMWs in existence, but I find it hard to believe that there's a better BMW to drive than this one. I'll subjectively say that this is the best-looking BMW as well. Under the hood is a four-liter V8 engine that delivers 444 horses and maximum of 7,500 rpm with torque power of 467.76 nm / 345 ft lbs on 5,500 rpm. You can find a similar engine on the E46. The gearbox is a Hewland 6-Speed Manual w/Triple-Disc Carbon-Fiber Clutch.
11 Porsche 918 Spyder
The 918 Spyder presents the first hybrid supercar for Porsche. It has some similarities with the Carrera GT. However, the Porsche 918 Spyder is more focused on the sporting aspect and functions much better as an everyday car, with an emphasis on everyday suitability and small consumption through the use of an electric motor yet providing fantastic performance. Both are based on a carbon-fiber monocoque chassis.
The engine is from the LMP2 and the ALMS racing versions. It's a V8 with 580 horses powering the rear wheels.
The wheels have additional electrical engines that send 116 horsepower to the front and 129 horsepower to rear wheels. This is a unique all-wheel-drive concept. To help you control this power, Porsche developed Torque Vectoring Plus and Electric Porsche Traction Management systems. Spyder's platform also became the basis for Le Mans-winning 919 prototypes.
10 BMW Z8
The BMW Z8 is an iconic car despite being relatively new. This roadster for the new millennium appeared in the beginning of 2000. The best version of this car would be the Alpina version from 2002. The Alpina is a small tuning company from Bavaria. BMW often partners with Alpina, which creates a special version of their famous stock cars.
Under the hood of the Alpina Z8 Roadster is a 4.8-liter V8 engine that produces 375 horsepower.
That power is controlled via an automatic transmission with the Alpina Switch-Tronic gearshifts addition. This switch allows you to shift gears whether or not you want to touch the gears. The Alpina also offers alloy wheels and a hard-top metallic roof. There are also some unique Alpina touches inside. This enhanced BMW Z8 is a powerful but also incredibly stylish and unique car.
9 Jaguar F-Type
I think this is most stylish and powerful Jaguar sports car you can buy. Jaguar finally created a spiritual successor to the E-Type. This new model debuted in 2014 with three engines on offer. Most powerful is the supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 that produces 495 horsepower. It has an eight-speed automatic gearbox and a rear-wheel drive. A year later, a sort of a coupe version with high-performance R trim was introduced. The supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 engine is boosted to 550 horsepower. A six-speed manual gearbox was also introduced with base and S trims options. Like every R-type, the Jaguar F-type became an all-wheel drive. This year there was an update with an engine that produced 575 horsepower. The only shortcomings are tied to comfort, but it's a two-seat sports car, so that's to be expected.
8 TVR Sagaris
In 2005, TVR released a Sagaris that, at first glance, looks more like a prototype than a sports car. The TVR Sagaris was built with an intent to satisfy LMS series regulations. So, it's some kind of a homologation special. The Sagaris body is very bulky, and it has a strange Perspex spoiler. But despite the unusual looks that I personally like, this is a powerful sports car. The TVR took the mighty 400-horsepower Straight Six engine from the Tuscan S. With a very light carbon-fiber body, they got the Sagaris an incredible performance. The TVR Sagaris has a top speed of 185 mph or 297.7 kph and acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. The transmission is controlled through a six-speed, manual gearbox. TVR isn't known for great cars, but I think the Sagaris is an exception.
7 Spyker C8
This very unusual and beautiful car comes from Holland. Victor Muller was a lead designer of the Spyker C8. It was an attempt to relaunch the Spyker brand that existed in Holland until 1925, when the original company went bankrupt. The C8 Spyker saw its debut in Birmingham in 2000. At first, its handling wasn't great, and its aerodynamics were simply average. However, with a second generation release known as the "Aileron," it became an awesome car. Aileron had longer chassis, doors, and different wheels and was also a lot more high tech and comfortable inside.
Under the hood is the 4.2-liter V8 engine from Audi. Its gearbox is a stylish ZF six-speed automatic.
The handling is better, as a result, but you can still expect a little stiffness and robust driving. Its looks are impressive and full of glorious details. However, its price isn't very affordable compared to similar cars.
6 Dodge Viper
The Dodge Viper is an American icon. I would call it a sports car more than a muscle car. The second version produced from 1996-2002 is fantastic to drive, powerful, and with a touch of Carroll Shelby's engineering. Almost everything on the Dodge improved from the original—from performance and handling to a better body structure. Inside, surprisingly, everything worked properly from the door handles to the radio. Of course, the Dodge Viper is still a little nutty, so expect to be annoyed with poor heat insulations and crazy-hot side skirts.
Under the hood, you can expect a huge 8.0-liter V10 engine.
This engine is capable of producing 420 horsepower and 490 lb-ft of torque. I believe that the 2002 version is practical enough to drive on a daily basis and cool enough to make you feel like a boss when you own it.