Among iconic compact sport sedans, few proved as consequential for high-performance evolution as Mercedes-Benz’s beloved 190E family debuting in 1983. Moving beyond their overbuilt luxury reputation alone, these “Baby-Benz” models distilled the marque’s engineering prowess into smaller nimble four-doors designed to create a new generation of enthusiastic drivers through advanced chassis dynamics and available powerful…
Take a walk through the Porsche museum in Stuttgart and one iconic silhouette visually screams from the walls – the menacing 935 emblazoned in the Martini & Rossi racing livery. Developed for FIA Group 5 sports car competition in 1976, this ultimate 911 racing derivative combined turbocharged flat-six power with endurance racing durability. Through continual…
In automotive history, few vehicles hold rally racing pedigree matching the revolutionary Lancia Delta Integrale. Beginning life as a typically humble family hatchback, this Italian icon rapidly evolved into a fire-breathing asphalt assassin through homologation specials bristling with boosted power and advanced differentials specifically for humbling rival rally stages worldwide. By the time mass production…
Take a walk through the Le Mans museum in France and one ferocious machine visually leaps from the walls – the infamous Porsche 917. With bulging fenders concealing massive racing slicks and giant hip-mounted wings bookending its silhouette, this German prototype icon remains among motorsport’s most recognizable racers decades later for good reason. Its combination…
Among history’s greatest small sports cars, none prove quite as enduring as the perky MG Midget. First sparkling to life in 1961, various generations spanned a remarkable 39-year production run as MG’s accessible entry-level model below more lavish marques like the MGB. But don’t mistake overt cuteness fooling you – this diminutive runabout surprised rivals…
Nissan 240Z unveiled at the 1969 New York Auto Show, this sleek two-seater coupe wowed crowds with voluptuous looks, robust power and a bargain price that humbled rival European offerings. Practically overnight, the 240Z redefined affordable sports car excellence through a proven formula honoring tradition while advancing reliability. Arriving at an ideal moment when demand…
Acura Integra Type R special, the 1997 Integra. As a 1997 slicing through JDM and European exotics costing multiple times more, this raucous front-driver redefined expectations of a humble economy coupe. What the lightweight Integra Type R lacked in power, it made up for tenfold through telepathic reflexes, roaring VTEC fury, and visceral engagement distilled…
In the rarefied air-dominating six-figure hypercars, manufacturers increasingly rely on innovation to advance supercar formulas beyond imagination. For nascent supercar manufacturer McLaren, this meant demonstrating what its Formula 1 racing pedigree could achieve in a plug-in hybrid production car melding space-age creature comforts with unfathomable performance potential. The result was 2013’s game-changing McLaren P1. Against…