A flagship car is the pinnacle of the manufacturer. The masterpiece. It shows off what they really can do and it's the apple of their eyes. A flagship car holds the weight of the company in terms of its values, morals, and principles, it shows who a car company is and what they stand for. Flagship models are the most luxurious cars in their lineup, and sometimes even the fastest and most powerful model.
A flagship car is also the pride of a nation showing what that country can do. Over the years there have been some spectacular flagship cars that have boasted many features from the companies who make them.
10 Lamborghini Diablo
In 1991 Lamborghini launched its replacement for the much-loved Countach, the Diablo. It was a menacing Italian car with Diablo meaning devil in Spanish. It took the same formula the Countach used of being an outlandish V12 supercar, but what Lamborghini did this time was to make it driveable. It was no longer stupidly hard to drive.
The Diablo is very much a 1990s icon. It started out quite raw but like a fine wine, it matured over time, especially when Audi bought Lamborghini. It is nowadays a very expensive car but it is wholly worth it.
9 Ferrari F50
When you're making a birthday present for yourself you want it to not only be the best you've done but the best in the world. The F50 was the pinnacle of Ferrari in the 1990s. It was said to use technology based on what could be found in their F1 car. The F50 was powered by a 4.7L V12 engine that produced 512hp and 347 lb-ft of torque, enough to get it from 0 to 60 in 3.8 seconds and onwards to a top speed of 202 mph.
The F50 was a wild child being a lot more hardcore than the previous F40. It was one of the fastest cars of the 1990s. It was a hardcore car and an ultimate birthday present to Ferrari.
8 Mercedes S600
The S600 is a car that screams presence and power. Nothing like a big V12 Mercedes limo is there? First introduced as the 600 SEL in the W140 variant, production of the V12 S-Class came to an end in 2020 when the previous W222 model's production ended. The S600 is the car everyone wants, it's a perfect car for celebrities, world leaders, and other people of influence.
The S600 is a perfect car to buy used as new it cost over $150,000. The S600 is a comfortable cruiser made for mainly sitting in the back and letting a chauffeur drive. This car has always been bursting with the latest technology making it one of the most advanced cars on sale.
7 Rolls-Royce Phantom 8
The Rolls-Royce Phantom 8 really is one of the most luxurious cars of the last decade. It sets new boundaries for luxury with its swanky design. It's powered by a new huge 563HP 6.75 liter V12 pushing this monster to 60 in just over 5 seconds. This thing is crazy and Rolls-Royce takes true pride in building it, and that's obvious as each car takes 2 to 6 months to complete.
Each Phantom is unique to its own customer. No two are the same whatsoever. If you can't find a single color out of the 40,000 shades available from Rolls-Royce that satisfy you, don't worry, as they can paint your Phantom in any color for an extra cost.
6 Lexus LFA
This is a legendary flagship car that was only made to prove a point by Toyota. It was a car to rival the likes of Lamborghini or Ferrari but in a much more special way. Toyota had spent 10 years developing this car making it beyond perfection. It's powered by a handbuilt 4.8 liter 563hp 354 lb-ft torque V10 pushing it to 60 in 3.6 seconds with a top speed of 203 mph.
The LFA was a unique car with a very high pitched Formula-1 style V10 engine sound. Toyota took a huge loss on every single car they made, however, they only made it to show what the craftsmen of their luxury Lexus brand could do. The project cost remains a secret.
5 Toyota Century
The Century is an awesome luxury car sadly not sold in the USA. The Century is the Rolls-Royce of Japan, it's a large luxury car used by the President and Emperor of Japan. The current model holds a similar powertrain to the Lexus LS600H being a 5.0 V8 and a 165kW electric motor. However, the previous model used the signature 1GZ V12.
It is an extremely luxurious car reserved for the elite of Japan. Prices start at $180,000+ (19,600,000 Yen). Production of the Century is limited to only 50 units per month and it is almost entirely hand-built. The Century is completely different from any Toyota having no Toyota branding on it whatsoever. If you thought Lexus was special, then you need to check out a Century.
4 Lexus LS600h
The LS600h has been the pinnacle of Lexus for years now. It is a brilliantly built car that was actually gifted to the Prince of Monaco at his wedding in Landaulet in 2011. The LS600H is a very discrete car compared to its German and American rivals. It does carry less presence however, it is far better built with most people calling the 5.0 V8 it uses "bulletproof."
The LS600H is a very quiet car too. It's not made to be a performance car with its CVT gearbox. These cars are pretty cheap now second hand and the LS600H build quality is far superior to most new German luxury cars sold today.
3 Lamborghini Aventador
The successor to the Murcielago, Lamborghini managed to hit the nail on the head with this one. A completely new 6.5 liter V12 was crafted for this car as the previous V12 engine layout had been used for almost 50 years. It was designed to look like a stealth fighter with the start/stop button being housed under an iconic fighter-jet style starter lid. This is now iconic on all modern Lamborghinis.
The Aventador is a seriously quick car. The base 700 model comes with 690hp and 509 lb-ft of torque. The Aventador is a true masterpiece and it's one of few naturally aspirated cars about nowadays.
2 Lamborghini Countach
An icon of the 1980s the Lamborghini Countach was the successor to the great Miura. Launched in 1974, this car quickly became known as probably the most soulful car ever. The name has no meaning, it was the first Lambo ever to have scissor doors (and made scissor doors famous) and it was completely impractical.
This car was the ultimate poster car. It was something you would expect to see on a beach in LA or Miami. It was one of the fastest cars of the 1980s and production ran from 1974 to 1990 making it the longest produced Lamborghini ever. This car really did make the crazy Lamborghini we know of today.
1 Porsche 959
A car that even the manufacturer struggled to build, the 959 was no ordinary Porsche. It was a revolutionary car with adjustable suspension, a luxury interior, AWD, and a crazy top speed of 197 mph. When launched, it was the fastest car in the world. The 959 was originally built for the Group B rally stage, which was canceled. It did win Paris-Dakar though.
The 959 had an array of famous owners, such as Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld. This car is an engineering masterpiece, and unlike its greatest rival the F40, you could easily live with it. the 959 will go down in history as quite possibly the best Porsche ever. What else have they made which possibly outshines this?