Bloomberg Businessweek - USA (2021-03-08

1960s 1970s

69

1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s

BUGATTI EB110

At its debut in 1991, the EB110 had futuristic innovations—a double-wishbone suspension and a glass

cover for a view of its V-12 engine—much like today’s Koenigsegg

and

Bugatti Chiron. A speed-sensitive

FERRARI F40 electronic rear wing and air flaps foreshadowed the “active aero” kits that streamline cars now for faster acceleration.

When it appeared in 1987, the

F4

0

was Ferrari’s fastest (201 mph

top speed), most powerful (478 hp), and most expensive

($417,000) car. Only 1,315 were

made. Its raw good looks—that

chiseled front end, big hips,

massive NACA ducts, and

wide

rear wing—made it the poster

child of the ’80s.

MCLAREN F1

The three-seat F1 set

the

record in

1998 for world’s fastest

pro

duction

car at 240.1 mph. It was

one of the first to use

a^

carbon-fiber monocoque chassis, enabling its bodyweight to be lighter than many of its peers.

Its side mirrors used light

indicators ahead of its

tim

e.

PORSCHE 959

Until the Carrera GT and

the

918

hybrid,

this was Porsche’s only

supercar

. The

twin-

turbocharged flat-six 959

w

as the fastest

production car on the

road

at

its debut in 1986, with

some variants capable of 211 mph. The car was progressive for its use

of turbo engines and a

novel all-wheel-drive syste

m.

PAGANI ZONDA

Made mostly from carbon fiber, it originally came with a five-speed

manual transmission

and Mercedes-built

V-12

engine able to do

zero to 100 mph

in

just

over 9 seconds.

Also distinctive:

its dual sets of headlights and jewelry-like interior. FERRARI LAFERRARI

Ferrari’s first hybrid, in 2013, combined a V-12 engine with one electric motor and a seven-speed automatic transmission. With 949 

total

horsepower, it had the most

muscle of

any

Ferrari

ever—and 40% better

fuel efficiency

. Of

the 499 made,

each cost

more than €1 million ($1.2 million).

BUGATTI VEYRON

One of the fastest cars in the world, with a top speed of 267.8

mph

and

a^

dual-clutch

direct-shift transmission.

The

Veyron

has

a rarely seen W-16

(a

16-cylinder

piston

engine with four

banks of four cylinders in a W configuration) that achieves 1,000 hp. MCLAREN P1

The successor to

the

F1,

produced from

2013 to 2015, was

a^

plug-in

hybrid

that used an experim

en

ta

l^

roof structure called

the “monocage.”

The

design came from the first McLaren production car, the MP4-12C, and has now been used in subsequent models.

FERRARI ENZO The 12-cylinder, 660-hp,

midengine sports

car represented the pinnacle

of Ferrari’s engineering.

It

came with a progressive

automated manual shift transmission and active aerodynamics like movable front underbody flaps and a small adjustable rear spoiler and diffuser.PORSCHE 918 SPYDER

Released in 2013, the all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid was the first of its kind from the German manufacturer. It paired an electric motor with a naturally aspirated V-8 midengine and seven-speed

dual-clutch paddle shifting for a total of 887 hp. And it looked nothing like the boxy hybrids dominating the consumer landscape.

PHOTOS: BLOOMBERG (1). BRIAN SNELSON/FLICKR (1). COURTESY BUGATTI (1). GETTY IMAGES (9). RM SOTHEBY’S (2)

CARBON-

FIBER

CHASSIS

40

t e

percar.

The

twin

was

the

fastest

at m.

—

FIBER

CHASSIS

reco

rd

in

oduction e.

n^ just

(a 6 cy

de p sto

.Of

m

en

ta

l

HYBRIDS

CAN BE

COOL, TOO

ACTIVE

AERODYNAMICS

e^