The rarest and most beautiful artwork in the world goes for millions of dollars. The same can be applied to the secrets of supercars and why they are so fast.
When automakers allow the design teams to call the shots, we get some of the most incredible cars ever made. Of course, most boutique supercars are made from high-end brands that we know, admire, and understand. The names Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Bugatti, and Aston Martin come to mind when talking about these high-powered machines.
Here are a few qualities that make supercars the supercars that we know, love, and admire.
Appearance and style matter
You’d never look at a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla as a supercar. It doesn’t matter how much power and speed is put into these cars; they are still small, affordable, and without the design and style required to make them super. High-performance supercars have some of the most intricate and gorgeous appearance elements. These items also need to give us functional features, including large rear wings, front splitters, and airflow ports to create a better performance out of the car.
Bigger engines make supercars
For years, one of the greatest secrets of supercars was pure engine size. Most of us drive cars that have no more than eight cylinders, but supercars often have as many as 12 or 16 cylinders powering the machine. Over the past few years, some of these cylinders have been replaced with turbochargers, superchargers, and hybrid electric motors made to add more power to the entire system. The combination of engine size and power translates into speed, with many supercars reaching 200 mph or more.
Handling could be the difference between super and muscle
Muscle cars are an inherently American term which has been given to the Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro, and Dodge Challenger. Although these cars have evolved to add impressive handling features to the mix, original models were made for straight-line sprint speed. Supercars are made to be quick and decisive on a track, which means they need to offer great handling and performance qualities to turn some fast laps. The big difference here is the end goal of track time versus sprint speed.
Supercars are often limited in numbers
One of the most appealing aspects of supercars is the limited number of models. This could be one of the most understandable secrets of supercars, translating to public demand and desire. The practice of limiting the numbers is extremely successful for automakers, allowing them to charge higher prices for these cars. Offering small numbers of each model means these cars will garner attention whenever you drive them on the road. This is a huge part of the appeal of these high-powered machines.
How fast is fast?
It’s important for supercars to be fast around the track, but how quickly can these cars accelerate to these top speeds? This means sprint speed is important in these cars, but there’s much more to them than simply getting around the track in a hurry. Acceleration puts supercars out in front of other cars, allowing them to enjoy the open air and tons of power when going up against other cars that aren’t as fast. Of course, most understand the quickness of these cars and won’t challenge their dominant position.
Power and weight combined
One of the most important secrets of supercars is the ability of these cars to be light and powerful. This is called the power-to-weight ratio, which is one of the most important statistical elements of these machines. The lower the weight and the greater the power, the faster the car can be. Of course, there’s also a delicate balance of not allowing these cars to be too light to be safe at higher speeds. There is a sweet spot of control, speed, and performance, and that’s what automakers work to find.
It’s Important to be street-legal
Most supercar owners want to be able to take their cars out on the street to show them off to anyone who wants to see them. This means automakers must make supercars street-legal in order to attract the attention of the masses. Track cars that aren’t street-legal are fun to talk about, but we rarely get to see them. These cars are often loaded into the back of trucks and transported from one track to another for some fun on the tarmac.
These secrets of supercars are pretty well known but still fun to think about when you want to know what constitutes a supercar.
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