Technology does not stand still. Today’s high-tech automotive flagships can easily be supplanted by other cars, with a lot of innovation. However, someone has to be the first.
All the cars that we will consider have made an important technological breakthrough in their own way, thereby contributing to history. The fact that each of them was eventually replaced by something even more fantastic shows how fast the pace of automotive evolution is.
Today, each of these five cars remains the technological benchmark of its era.
The Miura was not only a radical step forward in car design, it also created the ultimate car category: the supercar.
There were already many fast, exotic cars in the 60s, but this Italian legend introduced a template that inspires many designers of famous companies to this day.
Aluminum housing. The non-standard transverse arrangement of the engine (similar to what you’ll find in most modern front-wheel drive vehicles) has improved weight distribution.
But when installing a 3.9 liter V12 engine with 350 hp, there was no room at all. Engineers solved this problem with ease by combining the transmission and differential into one gearbox.
The bare Miura chassis was shown at the 1965 Turin Motor Show. In the period from 1966 to 1969, the company successfully built and sold 275 cars, which was not a small success since the price for a car was $20,000 USD.
The words « BMW » and « supercar » seem like they belong together, but the M1 story shows that reality is much more complicated. The technological complexity of the car cannot ensure its success. In the late 1970s, BMW was just beginning to establish itself as the dominant force in the automotive industry, so the company decided to build a supercar.
With no prior experience, BMW knew a lot about engine design. The 3.5-liter M88 was a clean slate design, featuring six separate throttle bodies, four valves per cylinder, and a Kugelfisher mechanical fuel injection. Engine competition from Ferrari and Lamborghini had more power, but they also had twice as many cylinders.
It sounds pretty impressive, but the birthing process was difficult for M1. In the turmoil, only 456 M1s were built, and these cars were virtually impossible to sell. In the midst of the late 70s economic downturn, several people were interested in a supercar from a German sedan manufacturer. Nevertheless, the M1 still has an important legacy.
The 959 may look like a 911 that melted a bit in the sun, but it brings an impressive array of technology. Today, drivers are used to electronics, because it makes it easy to adjust the behavior of their cars, and it all started with the 959.
Among its many innovative features were: an all-wheel drive system with adjustable torque distribution, electronic suspension control with adjustable damping and ground clearance.
Lightweight materials also played a big role. The body panels were made of Kevlar and fiberglass-reinforced plastic, while the wheels were made of magnesium.
How can you argue with a car whose engine compartment is covered in pure gold? McLaren said gold is a good conductor of heat, not a small detail in F1.
Another exotic material, carbon fiber, from which the body and chassis were made. The chassis was designed with an integrated tubular frame. The seat is located in the center of the car, giving the driver a wide view.
The result was the recognition of the fastest production car of the 20th century, with a top speed of 400 kilometers per hour.
Sixteen cylinders. Four turbochargers. One thousand and one horsepower. One million dollars. The Bugatti Veyron is one of the few cars that has achieved the epochal definition of technical achievement.
In 1998, Volkswagen Group acquired Bugatti, and the group’s boss, Ferdinand Piech, decided to build the fastest car in the world. Eight-liter W16 engine with four turbines producing 1,001 hp at 6,000 rpm and 1,250 Nm of torque and a preselective 7-speed gearbox.
The engineers had to develop special tires that could handle the potential of this car. But at the top of this technology and power, the Veyron had to be comfortable and luxurious, a befitting car that was as expensive as it was fast. The mission was completed, 408 kilometers per hour, it would seem that this is a milestone, but no. In 2010, the Veyron Super Sport raises the bar to 431 kilometers per hour.
What is the next supercar that will raise the bar of technology for the industry? Write your opinion in the comments below.
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