You just have to know that sinking feeling. You’re driving down an upmarket street in your ambient-lit luxury sedan, feeling mighty pleased with yourself. Life’s purring by without a bother, and a little complacence is called for, without guilt. The mellow flow of thought is, however, interrupted by what can only be described as a ‘howl’. You’ve just been passed, at about three times your own speed, by a young, fit dude in a raging yellow Lamborghini, and before you come to terms with it, its tail lights are a distant blur. You’re left in the wake of its exhaust note, and the deafening silence of your own rearranged self-analysis. Life’s not so bad, however. He’s gotten himself a Lambo, and maybe even a Ferrari, but there are still some cars even he can’t buy. Sadism, much, but a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do, right?
Koenigsegg Agera
What started as a 20-something year old’s ambitious supercar project has now grown into one of the most feared supercar marques of all time. The Swedish supercar manufacturer has spent the better part of the last decade rattling the foundations of the best in the world, and the Agera is simply the icing on this utterly irresistible cake. Powered by a 5-litre twin-turbocharged V8 that produces anywhere between 927 to 1124 bhp (those are not typos, by the way), depending on which version you buy (or don’t, in this case), the Agera is simply outrageous.
Designed to aerodynamic perfection, the Agera is built largely using carbon fibre and Kevlar, and this shows in the ferocity of its performance. How does 0 to 100 kph in well under three seconds and a top speed of well over 400 kph sound to you? It’s not only fast in a straight line, mind you, but is also one of the best handling hypercars of all time. With looks that will make you tremble and an engine note than can shatter windowpanes, the Agera is so fearsome, you probably wouldn’t buy one even if you could.
Pagani Huayra
It’s outlandish, it’s super-exquisite and it’s absolutely bonkers. The Pagani Huayra is as incredible as mid-engined supercars get, and then some. Italian to the core, Pagani’s model history is only a decade and a half old (starting with the Zonda), but it found its roots in the development of some very important Lamborghinis, so we’re talking serious business here. The Huayra (‘God of the winds’, in English) is powered by a 6-litre V12 motor (developed specially by Mercedes-AMG) that produces a staggering 720 bhp. That, incidentally, is a lot more than most cars with a Mercedes-AMG badge. The Huayra can accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in just 3.2 seconds, or quicker than you can read this sentence, to put things in perspective, and has a top speed of an equally impressive 372 kph. In other words, the Huayra could get you from anywhere to anywhere else in India in about eight minutes or so. Well, almost.
That’s not all, though. The Huayra is built using only the most exotic materials, and the interior is an absolute blow to the senses. There’s more carbon fibre in it than in your average Formula 1 car, by the way. Feeling awful yet, Mr Lamborghini?
Ferrari LaFerrari
Ferrari is on a hiatus in India, though it will be back by the time you read this. Still, it’s highly unlikely that you will ever get your hands on a LaFerrari. Ferrari’s most extreme hypercar of all time, the oddly-named LaFerrari is a limited-production model (499 units only, and rapidly depleting). Inspired by Ferrari’s long-standing tryst with supercar manufacturing and its winning ways in the world of Formula 1 (let’s leave Fernando Alonso out of this for the moment, though), the LaFerrari is simply phenomenal. And, then some. Ferrari’s first hybrid, the LaFerrari is powered by a 6.3-litre V12 motor paired to an electric motor, which takes its total power output to a near-unbelievable 950 bhp. As a result of this, the LaFerrari can do the 0 to 100 kph dash in under three seconds, get to 200 kph in under seven seconds and eventually runs out of breath only after the 350 kph mark (or, when you ruin your trousers, whichever comes first). The LaFerrari has aerodynamics so complex, it makes aircraft seem rudimentary — not without reason is it the fastest road-legal Ferrari ever. Ferrari has also introduced a racetrack-only version, the inappropriately named FXX-K, but you have even less of a chance of owning one of those, since you first have to own a ‘regular’ LaFerrari to qualify as a worthy contender.
McLaren 650S
British supercar manufacturer McLaren knows a thing or two about building high-performance machinery. The McLaren F1, for example, held the title of the ‘fastest production car in the world’ for nearly a decade, and subsequent models, such as the MP4-12C (on which the 650S is based) and the 375-units-only P1 were excellent showcases of the marque’s motorsport and performance-car expertise. The 650S, unleashed upon the world in 2014, is an evolution of its very popular 12C supercar, and it has a lot going for it. Stunning (if somewhat extraterrestrial) bodywork, extreme engineering, an unbelievably potent powerplant and an overall appeal that stands well apart from the crowd — that’s what the 650S is all about. It’s powered by a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 that produces 641 bhp — good enough to propel it from standstill to 100 kph in exactly three seconds, eventually running out at a hair-raising 333 kph. Not bad, eh? Available as either a coupe or a roadster, the 650S is, in a typically McLaren way, pretty easy to live with, despite the surreal performance, and it’s very well built, too. It’s not as ‘cool’ as some other cars on this list, but since you can’t buy one in India, that doesn’t really matter, does it?
Chevrolet Corvette
The legendary representative of American badass, the Corvette is perhaps one of the most sought after supercars of all time. First launched in 1953 — that’s over six decades ago, to save you the math — the Corvette has long been the finest example of American muscle and motoring nirvana, all rolled into one. The Corvette nameplate is now in its seventh generation, and it’s only gotten crazier — in a good way, that is. It’s powered by what Chevrolet calls a ‘Small Block V8’ — in other words, a 6.2-litre motor that produces 455 bhp in standard guise and 650 bhp in the supercharged variant. It’s always been a stunner, and there’s no arguing with the throaty roar of a V8, but the newest Corvette is a lot more than just brutal. It has a surreal ability to go sideways, offers sharp handling, is built rather well and offers performance that will leave you short of breath (0 to 100 kph in under four seconds, just so you know). It’s not as electronically advanced as its European counterparts, but it’s also a whole lot cheaper. Indeed, in most markets, you could buy one for the price of a super-luxury sedan, while similarly equipped European supercars demand twice as much, if not more, of your dough. Too bad it hasn’t made it to India, then. Chevy India, are you listening?
