What is a Supercar?

"marshknute" (marshknute) 06/09/2020 at 11:00 • Filed to: supercar, supercars

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Sometimes it’s obvious, but other times, a car falls into a grey area. Is the i8 a supercar? Is the GT-R a supercar? Is the Corvette a supercar???

Fortunately, I think I’ve devised a foolproof 3-part test to weed out the stragglers. A supercar must have all three of the following:

1) Supercar Performance***

2) Exotic Styling

3) Rarity

Rule 1 weeds out cars like the i8, Evora, and 4C.

Rule 2 weeds out cars like the 911, GT-R, and DB11

Rule 3 weeds out cars like the Corvette and 911

***Compared to other supercars of its era. You can’t compare an Alfa 4C’s performance to a 30-year-old Diablo and claim it’s a supercar.

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I suspect Rule 2 will be the controversial one, so here are some clarifying rules:

4) An exotic version of a common sports car is NOT a supercar

5) If it’s front-engined, it’s NOT a supercar.

Rule 4 weeds out the faster variants of the Corvette and 911. A GT2 RS will never turn heads the same way a Huracan will. It’s still just a 911.

As for Rule 5, there’s a difference between a Supercar and an Exotic GT Car . Grand Tourers never turn heads quite like a Huracan does. Therefore, Rule 5 weeds out the DBS Superleggera, 812 Superfast, and AMG GTR. Harsh, I know, but I stand by my ruling.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > marshknute 06/09/2020 at 11:10

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GTR is an exotic touring car but looks like a Nissan. I love these, but the exhaust note is usually the only reason I notice these in person.

I agree with what you are saying. Supercar is just tossed around these days. AMG GTR falls to the same fate as the Nissan, though they are much more exotic in styling.

Just Jeepin' > marshknute 06/09/2020 at 11:12

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You know the rule I’d add to your list.

Jim Spanfeller > marshknute 06/09/2020 at 11:15

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In the sixties, muscle cars were referred to as supercars. The term “supercar” didn’t mean anything else, and the term “muscle car” didn’t exist yet. In fact, people didn’t really start calling them muscle cars until the eighties.

Thomas Donohue > marshknute 06/09/2020 at 11:16

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It’s not a supercar. It’s a Supra  car.

marshknute > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/09/2020 at 11:17

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Totally agree.

I’m a little conflicted about excluding the 812 Superfast, but I’m sticking to my guns here. I think Ferrari’s FR V12 flagships, as well as the Lexus LFA and Aston Martin One-77 are the only modern front-engine GT Cars capable of being considered supercars.

Thomas Donohue > marshknute 06/09/2020 at 11:20

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So, if Chevy goes bankrupt and they’ve only made 7 ,000 C8 Vette’s, does it suddenly become a supercar?

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > marshknute 06/09/2020 at 11:20

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There isn’t a hard line, but the gray area is much smaller than people make it out to be. I think for a front engined GT style car to be a supercar it has to be pretty extreme and raw. 

marshknute > Just Jeepin' 06/09/2020 at 11:22

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Truthfully, I’m not sure how to classify the Zonda. It’s definitely a supercar, but it’s considerably more special than a Huracan .

But it’s n ot quite a hypercar; that term is typically reserved for the fastest cars of their era, such as the F40 , 918 Spyder, and Senna .

Maybe B outique S upercar is the correct term for a Zonda. It’s  a bespoke art piece on wheels rather than a mass-produced supercar.

marshknute > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/09/2020 at 11:25

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Agreed, but I’d also add that it has to be noticeably different from the standard model. The 599 GTO just looks like a regular 599, so I don’t think it quite crosses the threshold. B ut the F12 tdf looks noticeably more extreme than the standard F12.

And I’m comfortable calling the Monza SP1/SP2 supercars.

marshknute > Thomas Donohue 06/09/2020 at 11:26

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Actually...yes.  Rules are rules!

Just Jeepin' > marshknute 06/09/2020 at 11:27

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I drive slow Jeeps slow. I mainly liked the color, didn’t even know what that was. 

UserNotFound > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 06/09/2020 at 11:33

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I mean, the GT literally means “Grand Touring” so I’m right there with you.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > UserNotFound 06/09/2020 at 11:36

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Grand Touring Racing means, what, street racing across a continent?

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > marshknute 06/09/2020 at 11:49

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I’d say most of this makes sense.

It used to be easier to define. Like “anything under 5 second 0-60 is a super car” but now SUVs can so that. Hell the new Rav4 Prime is sub 6 seconds.

Thomas Donohue > marshknute 06/09/2020 at 12:12

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Boooo. I still consider the i8 a supercar unless it’s in the presence of more capable supercars.

What about cars like the Huracan....there are like 1 5 ,000 of them out there?

marshknute > Thomas Donohue 06/09/2020 at 12:22

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Sorry, can’t do it. The Z 4 is faster to 60 than the i8, and that’s definitely not a supercar.

I don’t have a number per se, but Porsche sells 9-10K 911's per year, while Lamborghini only sells about 2500 Huracan’s per year. It’s definitely the basic bitch of the supercar world, but it’s 4 times rarer than a 911, and far less likely to be driven on a regular basis than a 911, so it seems rarer than it is .

Thomas Donohue > marshknute 06/09/2020 at 12:40

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You’ve never seen a group of kids turn their heads and stare at an i8 and go ‘whooaaaa’ while it was silently rolling past a new NSX, an orange C7 ZR1 and a 911 GT2, none of which got a second look.   The only other similar response was to a new Ford GT, which is definitely a supercar. 

But, I digress....and wish they would have made an M-version of the i8 that would have given me something more to debate with!

A Boy and His Longtail > Thomas Donohue 06/09/2020 at 14:33

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That might just happen if they don’t get a new stylist soon

Jb boin > marshknute 06/09/2020 at 15:27

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marshknute > Jb boin 06/09/2020 at 15:48

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Hmmmmm...very good questions.

I think the MONO is a supercar . It’s rare BOTH because it’s an uncompromising track toy AND because it’s prohibitively expensive ($17 0K) .

The Atom...passes all 3 tests, but it doesn’t feel right...it’s too affordable ($74 K). I t passes the r arity test because it’s too compromised for most buyers , not because it’s super expensive. Being technically correct is the worst kind of correct.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > marshknute 07/17/2020 at 11:59

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Might have to add a cost contingent.

At least 4-5x the average new car price?