Britain has made many cars over the years and a lot of them have been loved worldwide. They have made many great cars, from big luxury sedans to low sleek supercars, however, most British cars have been made to be everyday cars for the everyday man.
However, Britain makes some very good drivers cars that are only driven by gearheads. Some of these cars are built by small companies on industrial estates whilst others were built in state-of-the-art factories. Here are ten British sports cars only gearheads drive.
10 Noble M400
The Noble M400 is a faster version of the M12 sports car. It packs a Garrett Twin-Turbo Ford Duratec V6 with 425hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. It is a very quick car, and it only weighs 1060 kg. The 0-60 is around 3.5 seconds, which at the time was faster than a Porsche Carrera GT. Flat out, it hits almost 190 mph which is supercar speed.
It's a proper British track car. The M400 is a car that isn't for the faint-hearted. It has no ABS, traction control, etc. It has no driving aids whatsoever, therefore, you have to be really skilled to get the best out of it.
9 Ariel Atom
The Ariel Atom is one of the most well-known track cars, and it is an absolute rocket. It's been around now for 21 years, and it's mostly kept the same design. However, engines have changed massively. It started with a Rover K-Series 1.4L 4-cylinder, but things quickly began to change. By 2003, the Atom featured a 300hp Supercharged Honda engine and in 2008, Ariel fitted a 500 hp 3.0L V8 to the car.
It's a stupidly fast car, mainly because it weighs nothing, and it has a powerful engine on board. It's probably the most agile car ever created, and it seats two people. What a practical car then hey? You can also get it in off-road format, which is known as the Nomad.
8 Lotus Exige 430
The Lotus Exige 430 is the most powerful Lotus Exige ever. It's very light, very aerodynamic, and it sounds crazy. Under the hood is a supercharged 3.5 Toyota Camry V6 with 430hp and 325 lb-ft of torque. The gearbox is very precise, and it needs a proper gearhead to get the best out of it.
It hits 60 in 3.2 seconds and flat out does a top speed of 180 mph. The handling is the main party piece though, as it features double-wishbone suspension and anti-roll bars at the rear. It is a proper go-kart and it feels so mechanical
7 Morgan 3-Wheeler
The Morgan 3-Wheeler is a car that for some does not make sense at all. Why would anybody want a three-wheeler? Well, Morgan has been making them for over 100 years, so clearly people like them. The Morgan 3-Wheeler was relaunched back in 2012, and it was powered by a 2.0L V-Twin motor pushing out 115hp.
It may have less power than a diesel VW Golf, but you have to remember that this car weighs only 550kg. This results in a 4.5 second 0-60 time and a top speed of 115 mph. This was eventually replaced by the EV3, which was an electric version of the 3-Wheeler. That too was pretty mad.
6 Ginetta Akula
This is a supercar that many have never heard of before, ever. The name "Akula" translates to Shark in Russian. The Ginetta Shark then must be pretty special in order to earn its name. Under the hood is a 6.0 V8 with 599hp, and it pushes out a sub-3 second 0-60 time and a top speed of 200 mph.
It is a blisteringly fast car, and it only weighs 1150kg. It's an absolute rocket, and it's made by a company that for decades has mostly made race cars. This is their flagship car, and could you imagine how well it performs on a track? Forget the GT3 RS, this is the one to have.
5 Caterham 620R
The Caterham 620R is an extremely quick track car, that in many cases is far too powerful even for the most experienced drivers. Here you have a car that weighs less than an ant, with 311hp and a 0-60 time of 2.79 seconds. Now, you may laugh at those figures and say that a grandad-style Lincoln Continental is more powerful. However, things get a bit different when you realize that this car pushes out 568hp per ton.
It has no driver aids either and the windscreen is an optional extra. This car is such a handful to drive mainly because it is so quick and so light. It's a wasp on wheels, fast, and something you don't want to mess with.
4 Ultima GTR
If you go to any race track in the UK for a track day, you are 100% certain to see a few Ultima GTR's. They are one of the most popular track day cars out there, mainly because they're brilliant at what they do. It, first of all, looks like a racing car with its cockpit-like design and crazy aerodynamics.
The GTR is a kit car, so no two cars are really the same. The fastest one though set a 0-60 time of 2.6 seconds, which is absolutely bonkers. It also only weighs 900kg, which is nothing. This meant that some of the most powerful cars pushed out 727hp per ton. A figure which is higher than a Bugatti Veyron, a Ferrari Enzo, and a Koenigsegg CCGT.
3 TVR Sagaris
The TVR Sagaris really was the best car the company had made, but it was also one of the worst at the same time. It had no driver aids, and the whole car was a pain to drive. Under the hood was a 4.0L inline-6 with 406hp and 349 lb-ft of torque. It hit 60 in 3.7 seconds and flat out would do 185 mph. However, this was not a car you would ever want to do a 3.7 second 0-60 time in or top speeds of 185 mph.
The Sagaris was an unsafe car. It required an experienced driver to drive it let alone get the best out of it. It is a widowmaker car, and one bad move in this could result in death.
2 BAC Mono
The BAC Mono is definitely a car for gearheads. It is just so impractical and expensive, why would it be purchased by any other type of person? Under the hood is a 2.5-liter Ford Duratec inline-4, which has been modified by Montune racing. It hits 60 in under 3 seconds and flat out does over 170 mph.
It is the closest-ever car you will get to a Formula 1 racer. Each car is tailored to the customer, with a never-ending options list. You can even get an F1-style made-to-measure seat and steering wheel. It only weighs 580kg, which gives it a power-to-weight ratio of 525hp per ton.
1 McLaren 600LT
McLaren is a very car enthusiast-driven brand, and one of their more track-oriented models is the 600LT. This is a car driven by many gearheads all across the world, and it is one of the most fun cars for the money. It's based on the 570S supercar, just more powerful and more aerodynamic. Under the hood is a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 with 592hp and 457 lb-ft of torque. The 0-60 time is 2.9 seconds with a top speed of over 200 mph.
It is a beautiful car, and it feels sensational to drive. Yes, it's not as rare as some of these other cars. Yes, there are people who only purchased this car to show off. But, a lot of McLaren owners are true gearheads who have purchased the car to take it on the track. The 600LT also sufferers from horrible depreciation, so no car investors are interested in it at all.