50 greatest supercars of all time

50. 1990 Lamborghini Diablo — Somewhat tame successor to the Countach, but still blindingly fast with up to 595 hp from the SE30 Jota model's 5.7-liter V12.

49. 2001 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish — After the svelte DB7, the big-shouldered Vanquish appears a muscular beast with a 6.0-liter, 450-hp V12. Yeah, James Bond had one.

48. 1976 Lotus Esprit — When it entered production it had a 160-hp four. When it left production 28 years later, it was powered by a twin-turbo V8 making 350 hp.

47. 1989 Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32) — All-wheel drive, twin-turbocharged 2.6-liter six, enough computing power to run Denmark, and the ability to be tuned beyond 1,000 hp.

46. 1995 Nissan Skyline GT-R (R33) — The evolution of the GT-R continues. The best of the R33s was the Nismo 400R.

45. 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) — The final version of the classic, RB26DETT-powered GT-Rs. A car worth risking prison to import — which some did.

44. 2010 Aston Martin Vanquish — The second Vanquish arrives bristling with 565 hp from its 6.0-liter V12. It's a beast in a silk suit.

43. 1984 Ferrari Testarossa and 512 TR and F512 M — Massive monster with a mid-mounted 4.9-liter flat-12 making 390 hp. Output grew to 428 horses in the 512 TR and 440 in the F512 M.

42. 1967 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale — A 2.0-liter V8 under Scaglione's masterpiece body. The midengine car as curvaceous object of desire and passion.

41. 2006 Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina — A glorious one-off by the legendary coachworks atop the bones of a Ferrari Enzo. It is unabashedly and spectacularly retro.

40. 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Roadster — It's a car that drapes down around its driver. The supercharger on the 5.4-liter straight-8 pushed output to 180 hp.

39. 1963 Aston Martin DB5 — If James Bond hadn't driven one, it might be forgotten. But he did. A perfectly proportioned coupe with a 4.0-liter six underhood.

38. 1967 Toyota 2000GT — Proof the Japanese could build great cars. Jewel-like body swoops over a 2.0-liter, 150-hp six from Yamaha. Only 337 were built.

37. 1927 Bentley 4-1/2 Litre "Blower Bentley" — Supercharged, indomitable and built to race at Le Mans. Only 55 made, with roots blowers on the 4.5-liter fours making 130 hp.

36. 1959 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta SWB — Pure sex on a 94.5-inch wheelbase. Up to 276 hp from its 3.0-liter V12, it was the world GT constructor's champion in 1961.

35. 1957 Jaguar XKSS — The road-going version of the D-Type racing car. How cool? Steve McQueen owned one. Only 16 were made, all powered by the Jag inline-6.

34. 2010 Aston Martin One-77 — Still tailored, but heavily muscled. It's Aston's nastiest monster: 750 hp under a taut skin. Just 77 were made.

33. 2007 Nissan GT-R (R35) — It was a legend even before the first one was built. The 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 started at 485 hp and now it's at 545.

32. 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa — Sculpted like sin itself and fast enough to win Le Mans three times. Want one? Well, $10 million won't be enough.

31. 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 — A supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that makes — gack! — 638 hp. The most powerful Corvette ever and yet it's a pussycat in everyday driving.

30. 1984 Ferrari 288 GTO — Built for Group B racing, but never raced. A 308 amplified with a new tail and a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V8. It led directly to the F40.

29. 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 — Four cams and six carburetors elevate the 275 from merely awesome to brilliance. The 3.3-liter V12 was rated at 300 hp. Other changes to the structure improved handling.

28. 2011 Lamborghini Aventador — The big Lambo reinvented for the 21st century around an all-new 6.5-liter V12 making 690 hp and all-wheel drive. Looks astonishing, too.

27. 2001 Lamborghini Murcielago — Outrageous in the tradition of the Countach. With up to 661 hp from its V12 in the LP670-4 Super Veloce.

26. 2011 Lexus LFA — Toyota aims to build the world's best car and maybe succeeds. Every high-tech trick known to Japan with a 4.8-liter V10 that screams out 552 hp. Possibly the world's best engine note.

25. 1992 Dodge SRT Viper — Still outrageous, the latest incarnation of the Viper has 640 hp from its 8.4-liter V10. It's the most radical production car ever built in the city of Detroit.

24. 1979 BMW M1 — The first M car is the most cherished and BMW's only midengine car. Power comes from the brilliant 3.5-liter M88 inline-6 making 273 hp.

23. 2005 Ford GT — Reviving the GT40's looks in a car that's comfortable, handles and goes ridiculously fast. Supercharged 5.4-liter V8 rated at 550 hp.

22. 1976 Porsche 911 Turbo — One idea pursued with brilliance and daring for almost 38 years. So much racing success it has defined motorsports in its own image.

21. 1908 Rolls-Royce 40/50 Silver Ghost — The world gasped at its quality and beauty. It was the best car in the world, and Rolls-Royce's reputation has been that ever since.

20. 1912 Stutz Bearcat — When American cars were ox carts, the Bearcat was an adventure. Basically it was Stutz's Indy racer with road gear and a 5.8-liter, 16-valve four.

19. 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia — The 562-hp, 4.5-liter V8 that has recast the small Ferrari as the best Ferrari. Nimble, blindingly quick and mesmerizing.

18. 1990 Acura NSX — The all-aluminum midengine car that forced every other manufacturer to build better supercars. Never the quickest, it was nonetheless among the best.

17. 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 — Everything to excess except comfort and weather protection. It's a 425-hp stud so awesome that there are more replicas than real ones now.

16. 2011 McLaren MP4-12C — The second greatest constructor in racing builds a carbon-fiber stunner powered by a twin-turbo, 3.8-liter V8 making 592 hp.

15. 2014 Porsche 918 Spyder — Technological wonder stuffed full of hybrid bits and electronic bravado. It's easy to assume that it will be awesome.

14. 2014 McLaren P1 — Alongside the Porsche 918 and LaFerrari it will revolutionize sports cars with its hybrid powertrain. Includes a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8.

13. 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari — A 789-hp, 6.3-liter V12 augmented by a KERS system and everything Ferrari has ever learned. All in a stunning car with a stupid name.

12. 1932 Duesenberg SJ — The ultimate prewar American car: huge, supercharged, powerful and devastatingly beautiful no matter what body was atop it. The Mormon Meteor version topped 135 mph.

11. 2002 Ferrari Enzo — Carbon-fiber wonder car filled with Formula 1 technology. 6.0-liter V12 rated at 651 hp. Ferrari's next leap beyond the F40.

10. 1964 Ford GT40 — Four-time Le Mans winner. Isn't that enough?

Billionaire Craig McCaw paid $35 million for the pale green one last year.

8. 1986 Porsche 959 — The car of tomorrow that actually got tomorrow right. Advanced in every way, from the materials in its body to the all-wheel-drive system and twin-turbo flat-6.

5. 1974 Lamborghini Countach — Redefined the supercar through the force of its unmatched popularity. Stupid-fast too, with 5000QV's 5.2-liter V12 rated at 455 hp.

4. 1992 McLaren F1 — The greatest car of the 1990s. It's a 231-mph bullet that laid claim to all-time awesome with its BMW-built, 6.1-liter 618-hp V12.

3. 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona — A sharp break from the older, voluptuous V12 Ferraris. It's pornographically provocative with its 352-hp, 4.4-liter V12.

2. 1967 Lamborghini Miura LP400 — The car that defined the supercar as a midengine exotic. Transverse-mounted, 350-hp 3.9-liter V12 in a body of shattering beauty.

1. 2005 Bugatti Veyron — Four turbos on an 8.0-liter W16 and it's the first car with a four-digit power rating and million-dollar price tag. So overwhelmingly ambitious and insanely equipped, it is the ultimate supercar to which all others must be compared.