Britain is one of the key countries involved in motorsport. They've produced legends such as Lewis Hamilton, Jackie Stewart, Richard Attwood, and Colin McRae. Following this, Britain has decided to infuse their racing pedigree into the cars they make. Some of the best drivers cars have emerged from this tiny island in the Atlantic Ocean, and have become all time-automotive legends.
Here are some of the best drivers cars ever made in Britain, all of which challenged the world and showed just how powerful the nation can be. These sports cars are not only loved in Britain, they're loved all over the world.
10 Aston Martin DBS V12
The Gentleman's supercar is one of the best cars ever to star in the James Bond franchise and was famously seen in the 2006 film James Bond Casino Royale. The DBS is a masterpiece and it has effortless acceleration. Powered by a 510hp 5.9 liter V12, this car will send you shooting to 60 in 4.3 seconds topping out at 191 mph.
The 6-speed automatic is a good car, but if you want the proper driving experience then you must try the 6-speed manual. The stiffer suspension made this car feel more sporty whilst still being comfortable on long journeys, and the noise was sublime. One of the all-time great Aston Martin cars.
9 Mini Cooper JCW GP
The standard Mini is one of the best-handling front-wheel-drive cars ever made, so you can expect the hotter JCW GP version to be even better. The original JCW GP was launched in 2006 in the R53 generation and featured a supercharged 1.6-liter engine pushing out 215 hp. The R56 GP was launched in 2013 and featured a 214hp 1.6 turbo engine. The latest one though is an absolute cracker. Under the hood of the 2020, Mini JCW GP is a 301hp 2.0 turbo B48 BMW engine.
The JCW GP is an absolute go-cart. Powerful engines, small bodies, and low-weight. These cars munch up the corners like its breakfast and can easily hunt down many sports cars. It's a properly good car and the perfect car to take around twisty roads. If only all hot-hatches were built like this.
8 McLaren Senna
If you're going to name a car after the best F1 driver in the world, then it has to be beyond perfection. The Senna is a no-mucking-about supercar from McLaren (a company with many secrets). It's designed to be fast and functional as aerodynamic as possible. The bumper has a gap in it to let air pass through to give the car more downforce and the nose is made to be extremely slippery at high speeds resulting in less drag. The spoiler is revolutionary as it's in a "hanging" position, meaning it can easily adjust throughout driving.
The Senna is heavily based on the 720s, so it shares the same 4.0 V8 but this time it produces a phenomenal 789HP and hit 60 in 2.8 seconds topping out at 211mph. This car was made just to be fast around a racetrack although McLaren themselves have not put it around the Nürburgring yet.
7 Jaguar E-Type
Enzo Ferrari once said that the E-Type Jaguar was "the most beautiful car ever made." Made between 1961 and 1975 it could be had with two inline-6 engines and a v12 across three generations. The E-Type was based on the consecutive three-time LeMans winning Jaguar D-Type, so it had an exceptional racing pedigree. The E-type drove as well as it looked.
These cars had between 246-272 bhp depending on the engine. The 265hp (246 USA spec) inline-6 model is regarded as the best engine for the E-type since it was extremely balanced and was related to the Jaguar D-Type LeMans car. The V12 was more of a GT softer engine. The Eagle Speedster restoration is one of the coolest British cars ever made.
6 Aston Martin Vulcan
The Vulcan is an absolutely savage car. Under the hood lays a naturally aspirated 7.0 V12 kicking out a monumental 820 BHP. It will easily do a sub 3 second 0-60 time and flat out it will suppress the golden 200mph mark. This car is a track-only supercar, meaning you can't drive to the shops in it. It has to be a proper driver's car then as it costs over $2.5 million and only 25 were made.
This car is so weight-conservative that reverse gear was never fitted. The body is made of carbon fiber and the car itself weighs in at 1350kg. It's a deadly supercar and the looks are just as menacing as the performance.
5 McLaren P1
It may use Prius technology but its two worlds apart performance-wise. The engine is a 3.8 liter twin-turbo V8 found in most other McLaren models (12C,650s,570s, etc) and produces 727 bhp. The engine is mounted to a 177hp electric motor meaning both engines combined to produce a staggering 903hp.
If you see Clarkson's review of the P1 he describes it as the "widowmaker" meaning this car is brutal. This car will hit 60 in 2.8 seconds before topping out at a limited 217mph. Many owners have crashed their P1s because it is just too hot to handle. Check out these wicked pictures on Instagram of the P1.
4 Jaguar XJR15
Did you even know this car existed? The XJR-15 is the best supercar Jaguar has ever created, far superior to the XJ220. It's based on the LeMans winning XJR-9 making it a proper race car for the road. It was the first car to be fully made of carbon fiber and it features a 6.0 naturally-aspirated V12 pushing out 450hp.
The gearbox on this car will separate the good drivers and the phenomenal drivers. It's a 6-speed non-synchronized gearbox (5 speed synchronized was an option) which means you have to rev match this car in order to change gears. If you don't rev-match, the gearbox and clutch will break meaning you would probably have to apply for bankruptcy considering how expensive and rare the parts for this car are.
3 Jaguar F-Type
The F-Type is a snarling beast with engine choices that would sure deafen you (except if it's the measly 4-cylinder). This car is a properly good sports car and there are many reasons to buy one. The V8 models were proper muscle cars, the V6 was the potty one and the 4 cylinder was the cheap one. It's a brilliant driver's car that loves to kick its back end out around corners.
Horsepower ranges from 300hp to 570hp and the fastest SVR model can top out at over 200mph. The F-Type is a fun car to drive and is a perfect alternative to cars like the Corvette or 911.
2 Lotus Exige Series 3
The Lotus Exige is a phenomenal car. The first two series included 4-cylinder engines from Rover and Toyota. However, the third generation is powered by the same engine used in a best-selling family sedan car. Yep, a Camry 3.5 V6 - but this one's been supercharged. Power ranges from 345hp to 424 hp and 0-60 ranges from 3.9 seconds to 3.2 seconds. This all varies upon the model.
What makes the Exige so good is that its light and low. The top-spec 430 model only weighs 1056kg meaning it goes like a ballistic nuclear missile. The Exige is made for the track and provides a thrilling driving experience. Many Lotus cars have been legendary over the years, including the Exige's sibling; the Elise, which was one of the best British cars of the 1990s.
1 McLaren F1
It would be blasphemy if this car never appeared on this list. What an absolute driving machine this car is. It's powered by a crazy 6.1 liter BMW V12 engine which produced 618 BHP and sent this car flying to 60 in 3.2 seconds before topping out way over 240mph. It is a proper Formula One car for the road, which explains why Lewis Hamilton has one.
The F1 is an engineering masterpiece, with cars now surpassing $15 million. It's a brutal car with no driver aids and it takes a properly good driver to push this thing. Both Elon Musk and Rowan Atkinson crashed their cars mainly because the F1 was just too hot to handle. A legendary car and by far the greatest McLaren ever made.