Which sports car or racing team is best? Opinions will always be divided prompting rivalries between carmakers and owners alike.
Global carmakers face competition from both overseas and domestic brands competing for the same customers with personal preference often the deciding factor. Perceived image goes a long way with gearheads, Mustangs sounds better than Camaros to some, while others will disagree.
One thing is for sure, rivalry among carmakers is good news for owners, as we get newer, better, and faster cars with more options.
10 Henry Ford II Vs Enzo Ferrari - Ford Might Beats Ferrari Ego
Founder Enzo Ferrari had little interest in road cars, building them purely to fund his racing teams, something that very nearly bankrupted the company. Seeing the opportunity to purchase the famous Italian Brand, Ford entered negotiations to buy Ferrari, with Enzo ultimately using the negotiations to sell at a higher price to Fiat.
Just three years passed before Ford managed to take on and beat Ferrari at Le Mans, taking a historic 1-2-3 victory in 1966 with Carroll Shelby's GT40 program coming to fruition. Ford would be the only American car to win Le Mans, taking victories in 1966-1969 severely deflating Ferrari's ego in the process.
9 Holden Vs Ford - I'd Rather Push A Holden Than Drive A Ford
In the land down under, just one question matters when it comes to racing, Ford or Holden? Both brands having huge following leading to often alcohol-fuelled "friendly" rivalry. No more so than the V8 Supercars Bathurst 1000 event regularly attracting 200,000 visitors eager to see homegrown Holden Commodores taking the victory.
Ending one of the longest-running rivalries in car history, GM announced the end of Holden production in 2020, the name itself due to be retired the following year.
8 Ferruccio Lamborghini Vs Enzo Ferrari - Italian Egos Go To War
Poor reliability claims would lead Enzo Ferrari to brand future rival Ferruccio Lamborghini just a "tractor mechanic." Separated by less than 20 km these two Italian supercar makers have been rivals ever since with Automobili Lamborghini founded in 1963, with the first model rolling off the production line one year later.
Almost 60 years have passed since the first Lamborghini road car launched, with the company marginally outselling Ferrari in terms of road car sales. Clear winners here are the customers, with more performance and choice.
7 Jaguar Vs Aston Martin - Clash Of The British GT's
Under the ownership of Ford Motor Company, both Jaguar and Aston Martin produced high-performance GT cars often chasing the same customers. Aston Martin launched the DB7 while Jaguar offered similar performance with their XKR8 at a lower price, stealing potential sales. Managing two in-house premium brands would lead to a stunted product line-up and often shared platforms harming the brands.
With both brands under new ownership freeing designers from previous constraints, Jaguar launched their long-awaited F-Type while Aston Martin produces the largest product range in its history.
6 Mitsubishi Evo VIII Vs Subaru - Battle Of The Rally Stars
Both designed with WRC competition in mind, both offering four-door practicality and supercar humbling acceleration. In terms of racing success, Mitsubishi takes the crown with four consecutive WRC titles to Subaru's three. Arguably popularity goes to Subaru, with the Impreza remaining in production today.
Depending on the exact model and spec both cars offer similar performance with 2-liter turbocharged engines developing 260+hp producing sub-six second 0-60mph times. Value for money performance these rally stars are hard to ignore.
5 Chevrolet Camaro Vs Ford Mustang - US Icons Go Head To Head
Icons of motoring history, both can claim track success, movie success, and more importantly big powerful American V8 engines. Which is better? Only personal choice can answer this one. Sadly along the way both Ford and Chevrolet have rolled out a few duds, 70s Mustang IIs can join the 80s Iron Duke Camaros on the list of cars to forget.
Purely on 2020 models, the Mustang wins on paper with more power (760hp v 650hp), although the extra weight makes a difference with Chevrolet's Camaro fractionally quicker to 62mph. Delving deeper reveals both are equally matched on performance, but the Camaro really scores on the value being $20k cheaper.
4 Volkswagen Golf GTi Vs Peugeot 205 GTi - Birth Of The Hot Hatch
Fast, fun, and affordable are what hot hatches are all about, without sacrificing practicality or reliability. VW initially had the hot hatch market to itself building a loyal customer base while main rivals Peugeot worked on its more powerful 205GTi behind closed doors. Earlier to market VW had the handling edge, Peugeot though had more power and speed.
Volkswagen can rightly claim to be the first mass-produced hot hatch with their 1975 Golf GTi, Peugeot followed nine years later with their faster more refined 205GTi. Which is best comes down to personal taste, both providing practicality with sporty performance.
3 Bentley Vs Rolls-Royce - BMW Takes On VW In Luxury SUV
Once under the same ownership, both Bentley and Rolls-Royce occupy the luxury car segment with each taking a slightly different approach. Previously both brands produced identical models with minor badge cosmetics the only external differences with Bentley products tweaked for sportier handling.
Under new ownership, both brands continue to launch new models, where once again product lines are on course to compete with one another. Bentley with their Bentayga offering similar performance and luxury to Rolls-Royces Cullinan.
2 Bugatti Vs Koenigsegg - Race To Be The Fastest (Again)
Holding the record for the fastest production car, Bugatti's Chiron clocked 304.7mph raises the game over rival Koenigsegg, who is already planning something special. Expecting to complete production later this year, Koenigsegg's Jesko with 1281hp on tap should be faster with simulations indicating 330mph should be possible.
Until Koenigsegg reaches 330mph in the real world, Chiron is the fastest production car covering 136 meters every second at its record 304mph top speed.
1 BMW Vs Mercedes - German Premium Brand Rivals
Depending on criteria, both Mercedes and BMW could claim to be the best, with offerings from both companies in all the key market segments. Quality, performance, and refinement are key areas German carmakers are well known for, making either brand a good choice.
One area where it is possible to identify which is best, 2019 sales figures show Mercedes held a small advantage over rival BMW.