Evolution of the Supercar

In association with Octane and Evo

A celebration of the supercar through the decades...

Ever since the early 1970’s commentators have been writing obituaries for the supercar. Back then it was a series of fuel crises that threatened to render the species extinct. More recently, tightening emissions regulations and ever more crowded roads have seemed certain to make these ultra-high-performance cars obsolete.

And yet they’re still very much with us. Engineers, aerodynamicists and stylists keep coming up with yet more ingenious ways to reignite our fascination with these incredible machines, to make them even more extreme, even more powerful, even faster. But also lighter, smarter, greener.

Take the latest generation of hybrid-powered hypercars. Porsche’s 918 Spyder, McLaren’s P1 and the LaFerrari combine high-revving petrol engines with electric motors to provide a combination of searing performance and low emissions that’s every bit as exciting as anything that’s gone before.

It’s the latest chapter in an enthralling story that goes right back to the late 1960’s when Lamborghini wrapped what appeared to be a race car with a mid-mounted V12 engine in a shape so dreamy, so low and wide, so fabulously exotic that none of the usual superlatives seemed adequate. And so, with the Miura, the supercar was born.

In the five decades that have followed, it has evolved almost out of recognition. And yet a supercar’s power to stop bystanders in their tracks, to slacken jaws, to bring out the inner child, is as strong as ever. 

This feature traces that evolution and celebrates the enduring appeal of the supercar. We hope you enjoy the ride.

Words by Peter Tomalin