Two of The Greatest Supercars Ever Made Article

Two of the greatest and most historical supercars ever made are the Porsche 959 and the Ferrari F40. In 1986, Porsche launched the greatest supercar the world had ever seen – the 959. A year later, Ferrari responded with the greatest supercar the world had ever seen – the F40.

When the Porsche 959 came out, it was the most advanced and the most high tech production car in the world. It came with many things we had never seen before. For example, it had adjustable suspension, a complex four wheel drive system, tyre pressure sensors and headlight washers that retracted so it didn’t spoil the aerodynamics. So it’s little surprise Bill Gates bought one.

While we’re in the subject of Billy Microsoft, he was one of the few people who could afford to pay for one of these. The cost was USD$269040. However, it costed Porsche USD$538080 to make because it was so advanced. This also meant that Porsche made a loss on each one and for that reason, it is an extremely rare sight.

The Porsche 959 had 444bhp coming from a 2.9L flat six turbocharged engine, giving it a top speed of 317kmph, which in 1986, made it the fastest production car in the world.

However, its reign as the speed king was short lived thanks to this.
The Ferrari F40.

It had a top speed of 323kmph, thanks to its 2.9L V8 turbocharged engine. However, the acceleration remained the same – 0-100kmph in 3.8 seconds.

However, the Ferrari and the Porsche are two very different cars. Whereas the Porsche was high-tech and luxury, the Ferrari was the opposite. It had no carpets, no door handles, no electric windows and no driver aids such as power-steering, anti-lock brakes and traction control. The Ferrari was effectively a rocket bolted to a roller skate. However, this also meant that the Ferrari was 250kg lighter and had 478bhp instead of 444.

Apart from those minor drawbacks, the Ferrari is a serious little racer. It was the first production car to be made entirely of carbon fibre, which was just starting to happen in Formula One.

Choosing between these two cars is like choosing between shirt or trousers; it’s pointless. These two cars are incredibly important. They took us to and beyond the 320kmph barrier. Before, we had stupid, slow and puttering Countaches and Testarossas. In evolutionary terms, they were like man first making it into space. With the Ferrari F40 and the Porsche 959, it was man walking on the moon.