Over the years, many good cars have been produced, whether that's because they offer advanced handling ability, speed, comfort, or usability. Few cars are truly great, the best of the best, cars that must be experienced first hand. Here are nine cars every gearhead should drive at least once, a bucket list for the petrol purist if you like.
For many people, a car is just a means of getting from A to B, certain modern cars could even be likened to white goods as they are emotionless but functional. For a gearhead, cars are not simply a tool, they are not just a utility item. Gearheads appreciate numerous things about the vehicles they drive, from the sound, the engagement, the design language, in addition to the more practical aspects. The cars on this list are not simply the fastest, but offer the best overall experience to those who get behind the wheel. Gearheads are arguably better drivers on average when compared with other motoring demographics.
As well as having a passion for cars as objects, gearheads have an understanding of the mechanics and technology behind the driving experience. They know whether the car is front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, they know the engine size and power output, they can even detect what fuel the car is powered by from the sound and smell. The following cars provide a truly visceral experience and are amongst the best ever made and developed for the spirited driver.
9 Porsche 911 GT3 991.2
Porsche produced the 991.2 GT3 between 2017 and 2019. The car is a massively competent ultimate driving machine, arguably one of the best ever produced and a must-drive for any true gearhead. The Porsche's rear housed a 4.0-liter, 493-hp engine capable of 0-60 mph in just 3.4 seconds when specified with the PDK automatic box, the manual is fractionally slower taking 3.9 seconds.
The car's top speed is just a whisker under 200 mph and the car really caters for those with a need for speed. In total 9,500 units were produced. Drivers seeking an even more raw experience could opt instead for the GT3 RS which is even more track focussed and completed a lap of the Nurburgring Nordschleife in 6:56.4, breaking the seven-minute barrier.
8 Honda NSX 1991-92
The NSX, released in 1991 was Honda's first attempt at building a supercar. A 3.0-liter V6 produced 270-hp and the car could complete 0-62 mph in 5.9 seconds, top speed was 168 mph. The NSX is arguably one of the greatest JDM cars ever made.
One fact that will appeal to Formula 1 fans is that the car's development was aided by legendary champion Ayrton Senna. The car really showcased what Honda was capable of technically.
7 1969 Dodge Charger R/T
The Dodge Charger R/T of 1969 represents possibly one of the greatest muscle cars ever produced, an icon from a golden age. Under the hood, a 440 cubic-inch V8 producing 375 hp could be found, this was coupled with a 4-speed transmission. The Charger is yet another car on this list produced for homoligation purposes, the "Charger 500" enhanced the Charger's aerodynamics and 392 examples were produced.
The car was capable of a 0-60 mph time of 6.1 seconds. Those looking to get their hands on a classic example could be making a wise investment, values have risen steadily over recent years.
6 Audi RS6 C7 2013-18
Perhaps one of the greatest all-rounders ever produced, the C7 RS6 had supercar performance coupled with load lugging ability. Under the hood was a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 capable of producing 552-hp. 0-62 mph sprint could be completed in just 3.9 seconds. The top speed was a limited 155 mph, in line with many German performance cars. In 2016 an RS6 Performance was released, this had 45 bhp extra and the 0-62 mph time dropped to 3.7 seconds. If buyers desired, the speed limiter could be raised to 189 mph, as long as carbon ceramic brakes were specified.
The car was genuinely practical too, cargo capacity was rated at 565 liters with the rear seats upright and 1,680 liters when folded.
5 Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 1999-02
The Skyline GT-R R34 was produced by Nissan between 1999 and 2002. Powered by a 2.6-liter straight six, the Skyline produced 325 bhp and was good for a top speed of 156 mph. 0-60 mph took 4.9 seconds.
One of the main selling points for the car was the fact it could rival supercars of the time for roughly a third of the price. The R34 gained a lot of notoriety from its inclusion in the Fast and Furious films and the Grand Turismo video games, making it an object of desire for many.
4 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R 2000
At launch in 2000, the Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R was the fastest factory produced Mustang ever. A 5.4-liter V8 produced 385 hp, and enabled the Cobra R to go from 0-60 mph in just 4.7 seconds. The engine developed 385 lbs ft of torque and the car had a top speed of 170 mph.
Being track focussed, several modifications had been made over the standard car, the brakes for example were produced by Brembo and were vented. Only one colour was produced, the striking Performance Red Clearcoat, in total around 300 cars were made.
3 Subaru Impreza WRX 22B 1998
The Subaru Impreza 22B is possibly one of the best versions of the Impreza ever produced. It is an exclusive model with just 399 models made, consequently values are consistently high as demand amongst collectors is strong.
The 22B had a 2.2 litre boxer engine that produced 280 hp. The model commemorated Subaru's 40th anniversary and was released in 1998. The Impreza of this era was a very accomplished rally competitor and gearheads can imagine they are Colin McRae during a drive in the 22B.
2 Renault Clio Williams 1993
Formula One fans in particular will appreciate this one. The Clio Williams was a hot hatch released primarily to enable homologation into the rally racing categories. In order to qualify, Renault had to produce 2500 road going versions.
This Clio was fitted with a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine producing 148 hp and a 0-60 mph time of 7.6 seconds. Top speed was 134 mph and a truly thrilling drive resulted when driving the car as its designers intended.
1 Chevrolet Corvette L88 1967-69
The L88 was designed specifically for track use, like many cars of the period, homologation was required and Chevrolet had to offer the car as a road going version in order to race competitively. The L88 came about as a result of General Motor's (GM) director of performance Zora Arkus-Duntov's desire to produce a race car. Whilst "ordinary" customers could buy the L88, this was actually discouraged by GM, and they downplayed the horsepower rating, suggesting it would output 435 hp when in reality it was more like 550 hp. They also stated the car could only run on high octane 103 gasoline and that it had very poor fuel economy.
If that was not enough to put of potential buyers, a substantial price increase over the standard car was applied. The majority of L88s went to race teams in the end and few were bought by private individuals.