Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Porsche 911 GT2 RS? Jaguar XJ220? Noble M600? Pagani Huayra?
Like I said, turbo Porsche don't fit my criteria of a supercar. Heck, they run commercials about how practical they are! That's about as un-supercar as Kenny G is un-rock and roll.
XJ200? You got me there. I missed that.
Nobel is a crate away from being a kit car. For a modern supercar, there is too much missing compared to the competitors.
The Pagani... I will say that the Zonda has a much soul as any car out there. The Huayra is just another "me too" car trying to follow up the Veyron.
I think the Veyron really may be one of the keys here. So many of the hypercar manufacturers (Pagani, Koenigsegg, Hennessy, etc.) saw what Bugatti did, putting out 1000+ HP, rolling 250 MPH, and getting a TON of press about it, that they're trying to emulate that. In the process, they created a series of vastly overpowered cars that are technological and engineering masterpieces, but lack a certain old world soul.
I'll give an example outside the auto world: Tag Heuer recently introduced a concept watch, the Mikrotimer Flying 1000. It is the worlds fastest mechanical chronograph. It operates at 3.6 million beats per hour. That's 125 times faster than anything else. It'll cost you a hair over $100,000.
All that and it will never have the soul of a Patek Phillipe. Patek watches don't have any crazy technology and they can't claim any records. It does have artisan levels of old world craftsmanship and a certain link to the past that really makes owning one something special; it's not just a technological marvel. It has soul.