A vehicle’s design can be hit or miss at launch and that fact is usually reflected in how well it sells upon introduction. If they fly out of the showroom and get rave reviews from enthusiasts victory is claimed and a feeding frenzy begins resulting in long waiting lists before thousands of dollars are spent to own one. Over time some age gracefully and others won’t and what you initially paid won’t matter. In other words, supercars that are bought with a king’s ransom can suffer the same fate as the domestic or import economy boxes that are bought on a shoestring budget. They all usually depreciate! Even if a supercar’s appearance is stunning in the first few years of it’s existence, there’s no guarantee it will stand the test of time. Supercar designs are similar to fashion trends. When you look back at their designs you sometimes wonder what were they thinking in the 80s, 90s, or even early 2000s.
Here’s a list of supercars both past and present and where we think they are or how they might be perceived down the road.
Acura NSX 1990-2005 – This is the first generation NSX as Acura just introduced the second generation as a 2017 model only months ago. There is no denying that back in the nineties this car set the supercar category on it’s head. It was half the price of Ferrari and Lamborghini, on par performance, original design that was a head turner and reliable. Performance enthusiasts were smitten. Pictures of the next generation concept started showing up online as far back as three years ago and I remember thinking they were two completely different cars. I also remember seeing the first generation cars on the street or at Cars and Coffee events and thought things like, dated and no longer relevant. In fairness, I also thought that car and its design was also launched over twenty-five years ago so don’t be too harsh. A super model ripping the runway in 1990 certainly would not have the same impact 25 years later and aren’t these cars supermodel equivalents?
There are many that still love the first generation car and thanks in part to the introduction of the stellar second-generation car they are starting to increase in value for the first time. I think they are just rising with the NSX tide because of the impact the newest one has had. I’ve seen modified versions of the first generation car with aftermarket wheels and other enhancements catch my attention but 100% stock versions of these cars haven’t aged well.
Ferrari Testarossa 1984-1991 - A discussion about supercars and making no mention of Ferrari is like having cornflakes without the milk. You just don’t do it! There are many that believe Ferrari has never made an ugly car and until recent years I might have been one of them but then they introduced the FF and all bets were off. I’ve actually grown quite fond of the FF but the vehicle in question here is the Testarossa. When it was introduced back in the mid eighties I for one thought it was one of the most beautiful cars on the planet. Now thirty two years later it has me wondering what was I thinking? I could also Google the top models from the eighties and then look at them now and probably think the same but a few of the girls still look good.
This car came to our national attention from the hit series Miami Vice. Don Johnson was cooler than the other side of the pillow. He was a fashion icon, a killer of bad “dudes”, flushed out drugs, dated hot “chicks” and drove a Ferrari. During the life of the show he actually had two different Ferraris. One was a Daytona and the other was the Testarossa.
The years have not been kind to this car and on the rare occasion I’ve seen them on the road it is usually being driven by some guy who looks like he’s straight out of an eighties movie and just won’t let go. The hair is mostly grey, the hairline receding like the tide and wearing enough gold to rival Mr. T. “I pity the fool!”
When you factor the cost of Ferrari maintenance, dated looks despite having been designed by the legendary Pininfarina Italian car design firm and it’s now middle of the pack performance I’d say this car hasn’t aged well. Iconic? Yes, but all supermodels don’t age gracefully.
Lamborghini Murciélago 2001-2010 – If ever there were a name synonymous with “supercar” its Lamborghini. This Italian supercar maker checks all the boxes when defining these types of cars. Sexy, fast, limited production, flashy and theater guaranteed on arrivals and departures. This brand probably best aligns with all the stereotypes of a “supermodel” of which high maintenance is certainly one of them. I hope none of my favorite Victoria Secret models are reading this, as they might not take too kindly to that remark because sometimes the truth hurts. While many would argue that this car still looks the part the one thing that is not as apparent is maintenance costs. It’s not uncommon to see a Porsche from the 80s have over 100,000 miles on the engine before needing a rebuild but you certainly can’t say that about Lamborghini in general.
I’m sure there has got to be a few Lamborghini out there approaching that kind of mileage. I am sure someone’s had to see at least one but lets hope this isn’t the same person that claims to have recently seen Big Foot or Elvis. I don’t think I’m going out on a limb with this one but maintenance costs will likely not allow the Murciélago to age gracefully. Owning these cars are supposed to be fun and spending your retirement funds to maintain one isn’t.
McLaren MP412-C 2010–2011 - The McLaren brand is certainly not new to high performance as they have a great racing heritage and pedigree that dates back to the Sixties. Like many auto manufacturers this British marque is looking at their business from a global perspective and look to grow worldwide. This new ambition has manifested itself into several new vehicle launches with the US being their most high profile market.
Their first vehicle, the MP412-C was met with great fanfare and automotive journalists around the world praised it. This car was built to go head to head with the best from Italy or Germany and certainly seemed to be able to meet them head on and in many cases won specific to performance. There were some who even went as far to say these cars looked better than some of the Italian supercars. However, soon after the launch of the MP412-C you started hearing rumors of changes. Typically these changes are what are referred to as a mid cycle “refresh” but McLaren did more than that. They killed the MP412-C model and introduced the 650S model as its replacement. The 650S many argue was not evolutionary. It was a new car. There were similar visual cues from many angles but the most important view is it’s face and that was completely different. More importantly McLaren has maintained that look with the launch of two other significant models rendering the MP412-C not just their intro model but now it looks dated.
Porsche Carrera GT 2003-2007 – I know I will likely catch major heat for adding this car to the list, as it is legendary for the enthusiasts and also notoriously noted as the car that Fast and Furious movie star Paul Walker died in.
Porsche’s reputation to build amazing sports cars is legendary and there aren’t many that can argue this fact. However, I was never a huge fan of how this car looked and yes I am probably in the minority. Looks are certainly subjective but I can think of more than one supercar of its era that has greater visual appeal. The GT’s ten cylinder engine maintenance and its reputation for tricky, if not deadly handling is not aging well in addition to its looks. There are many who love this car’s appearance and I respect that. If it were a supermodel we’d certainly date and I’d have a great time with her but I just would never marry her. This car is the only true collector car amongst the ones that I have featured so what do I know?
There are several others supercars that could have been featured and we will certainly revisit this highly debatable list and look to expand it. When you look at the current crop of supercars there are a few worthy of discussing. I am a huge fan of the BMW i8 but two or three decades from now will I be wondering what was I thinking? How about the Ferrari FF or even the 458? Will the Lamborghini Gallardo be next?
If you have been fortunate enough to have experienced owning any of the featured vehicles I am sure they were a ton of fun to drive and live with. In the end that’s all that matters and why sometimes we spend a king’s ransom for the right or privilege to say I had one. Opinions be damned!