How many sports cars are unveiled each year? It's a tricky question, Ferrari alone since 1939 has 150+ models to its name. It's little wonder then, in a crowded market, that some of the best European sports cars get forgotten.
Where to begin? Even the newest brands can make the mistake of replacing the great with mildly warmed over, less appealing cars, Ferrari a great example, with the less pretty 360 filling in for the gorgeous F355. But what about the lesser known brands? Carmakers, despite sterling efforts, just didn't make a big enough impact. Until recently, Alpine was best known for quirky '60s rally cars or the underrated Renault Alpine A610 GTA.
By and large sports cars are getting better, faster, and more usable, but not at the expense of forgetting past icons, names that deserve to at least be remembered, better still resurrected.
10 Ariel Atom 500 V8
Niche sports carmaker Ariel still produces the Atom, utilizing turbocharged Honda engines lifted from the Civic Type R, plenty for most gearheads, but it only has four-cylinders and a turbocharger. Want the ultimate driving machine with double the cylinders and a supercharged soundtrack? You need the limited edition 500 V8.
Literally welding two four-cylinder bike engines together and bolting on a blower created the most insane road-legal sports car on the planet. Revving to 11,500 rpm between shifts, delivering face-distorting acceleration thanks to a low 1200 lbs curb weight and 500 hp, the Atom 500 V8 is the equivalent of a F1 car with a jet engine bolted on. Ariel, if you're reading this, bring back the V8 option.
9 Leblanc Caroline GTR
Switzerland, more famously known for secret bank accounts, cuckoo clocks, and chocolate, as well as a hatred for sports cars, which makes the Leblanc Caroline GTRs existence all the more intriguing. Produced between 1999-2005, the Caroline GTR as well as being the proverbial home-grown elephant in the room was also a fully road-legal Le Mans racer.
Unsurprisingly, coming from Switzerland, prices were a little steep, $1.1 million bagging you a mid-engined racer capable of 212 mph. Think of Leblanc as Switzerland's answer to Lotus, super light tipping the scales at 1700 lbs powered by a tiny 2-liter turbocharged motor putting out 512 hp, turns out the Swiss don't hate cars afterall.
8 Marussia B2
Marussia's foray in to the world of supercars and F1 didn't quite go to plan by late 2015 the race team had closed, with road car production ceasing in 2014 the Moscow-based dream was over. Pity really, the B1 and revised B2 were genuine supercar contenders, the latter boasting space-age visuals backed up by a near 200 mph top speed.
Bankruptcy in 2014 spelled the end after 14 cars had been produced. The B2 powered by a mid-mounted Opel sourced V6 engines, smaller 2.8-liter turbocharged versions producing 420 hp with the option for larger naturally aspirated versions.
7 Morgan Aeromax
Hidden in plain sight, the Aeromax at first glance looks like any other Morgan built since the 1950s, it's only around the rear things take on a more modern feel with one of the best sculpted back ends of any sports car. Oddly for a brand steeped in traditional values, Morgan elected to limit production to just 100 cars.
It wasn't just a case of stunning looks, the Aeromax packed a serious punch in the form of BMW's M62 4.4-liter V8 producing 362 hp, resulting in an incredible 306 hp per ton power to weight ratio. On the inside, old-school visuals paired with modern tech makes this one Morgan with a foot firmly planted in the 21st century.
6 Peugeot RCZ
Like the Audi TT, Peugeot's RCZ first appeared in concept form during the Frankfurt Motor Show, wowing crowds not just for the way it looked with a Zagato inspired double blister roof, but more because Peugeot was more commonly associated with hot hatches.
Unlike the TT, which is still with us, Peugeot killed the RCZ off in its prime despite its popularity and scintillating performance. Powered by a range of engines, the most potent a 1.6-liter turbocharged variant sending 266 hp to the front wheels, with sixty coming up in 5.9-seconds.
5 Spyker Spyder C8
Netherlands-based Spyker are still in the business of producing retro-styled modern sports cars, but given the choice we'd like to see a return to the purer first generation C8 Spyder, later cars sporting wider and longer bodywork don't have the same wow factor.
First produced in 2000, with jaw-dropping looks inside and out, the C8 Spyder became an instant hit for its quirky design and strong performances. Powered by Audi 4.2-liter naturally aspirated V8s Kicking out in the region of 400 hp with early cars nudging 190 mph.
4 Light Car Company Rocket
Small, light and incredibly agile, LCC's rocket is perfect for a weekend blast along country back roads where its diminutive size makes stringing a series of bends together simplicity in itself. However, don't be fooled by the Rocket's retro appearances, or the tiny 1-liter engine stuck out back.
The brain child of Gordon Murray, the genius behind McLaren's F1, the Rocket closely related only on a smaller scale packs a formidable punch. Weighing just 850 lbs with 143 hp on tap delivers 60 mph in 4.7-seconds accompanied by the thrills of a small open-wheeled racer, pure genius that's sorely missed in modern cars.
3 Venturi 400 GT
Monégasque based Venturi Automotive founded in 1984 with GT market aspirations didn't quite deliver on its hopes, at its peak producing a handful of exotically styled mid-engined sports cars that most gearheads would easily mistake as a modified Ferrari. In an attempt to boost interest and sales, Venturi produced a hardcore version backed by a limited race series.
On track branded 400 Trophy, road-legal versions badged as GTs, the Venturi 400 little changed save for a handful of FIA mandated safety items. Under the rear deck, PSV designed 3-liter V6s augmented by twin turbochargers resulted in 395 hp, enough for a top speed of 180 mph.
2 Lotus Carlton
While not technically a sports car, the Lotus Carlton's ability to shock other road users puts it firmly on the list of cars we desperately want to see make a comeback. The problem here, neither Lotus nor former owners GM are in a position to invest heavily in a limited run of super sedans.
Blisteringly fast, Lotus tuned, tweaked and turbocharged Opel 3.6-liter engines kicked out 377 hp, in the right conditions powering the Vauxhall's executive sedan to sixty in 5.2-seconds. So fast that high ranking UK officials tried to ban its sale on the grounds of safety, in reality the Police couldn't keep up.
1 Lancia 037 Stradale
Lancia's sporting pedigree is not fairly represented by its current line up, the Ypsilon consigned to home market sales only is a terrible waste of the brand's name and reputation.
Looking back to the mid '80s, Group B rallying provided the motivation for one of Lancia's finest and least known sports cars, the 037 Stradale built in response to FA homologation regulations. The 037 used a mid-engined platform using equipped with Lancia's Lambredi in-line four-cylinder engines, in road use retaining its supercharger but detuned to just 205 hp, the 037 was one of the last true Lancia sports cars ever made.