My Ten Car Garage

If it isn’t painfully obvious by now, I love cars. So to limit it down to ten is really hard. If I could, I’d probably be like Jay Leno (who doesn’t have this problem), and hoard hundreds of cars in my house (which probably contains very little house). Anywho, let’s get to the cars, shall we?

1. McLaren F1

It’s a no-brainer, to be honest. It is the car that changed the game when it came to supercars, it put speed at a new level when it came to production cars. It looks like nothing else out there, and despite the design being 18 years old, it doesn’t look aged at all. It is a car that I’ll always consider one of the best ever, and it’s hard to see if anything else can surpass it.

Just because I don’t want to stop talking about it, let’s get to the speed of it. The fastest car in the world before it was the Jaguar XJ220 (another great car, not on the list though) at 217 mph. The F1 was limited to a top speed of 231 mph (by rev limiter), but in a top speed test without the rev limiter, the car reached a mind-blowing 240 mph in a 1998 speed test. Considering the car was in production since 1992, the car was the fastest in the world for 13 years, since the Koenigsegg CCR didn’t outspeed it until 2005. Furthermore, the CCR took 896 horsepower (270 more than the F1) to get 1 extra mph. The two cars faster than it, the Bugatti Veyron and the SSC Ultimate Aero have even more horsepower and only get an extra 10 mph. There’s definitely a lot more to it than I know, but the speed with an engine with less power than a Corvette ZR1 is very impressive.

Now that I’ve blown my load about the F1, let’s keep going…

2. Ferrari F40

It’s hard to stick to one single Ferrari. Models like the 250 GTO, the Enzo and the F430 make this very hard. But this car has the performance that two of those cars can’t touch, and more soul than the F430 and Enzo combined.  As well, the car’s limited electronics means that every slight move is your own (unlike many of the current Ferrari line-up), and to drive it well, you need to be good. Sure, it can be a bit intimidating, and I wouldn’t call myself a good driver when it comes to the track, but I doubt I could have as much fun in any other Ferrari as I would in this one. And don’t you just love those looks too?

3. Nissan GT-R

The Nissan GT-R might be a bit heavy for the supercar breed, but that’s because they needed that weight to add the witchcraft. The car is a heavy, four-seater grand tourer, and yet, with just (about) 485 horsepower, it goes from 0-60 in 3.2 seconds, hits a top speed of 195 miles per hour, and yet, can still bring your groceries home and take your kids to school. Cost really doesn’t matter in the dream garage, but I just can’t help but mention that you get this all for $84,000 USD. It may sound steep, but consider that the Porsche 911 GT2, Porsche’s highest performance 911, couldn’t beat the GT-R around the Nürburgring. The price of the GT2? $191,000. So it’s hard not to include the car that gives Porsche fits on this list, especially considering this is just the base model.

4. Alfa Romeo Montreal

Really, if I’m honest, I can’t explain in words why this car would be in my garage. That picture is the only explanation that I can give. It sure as hell says a lot.

5. Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe

First of all, nobody can deny that the car looks beautiful. That may be the main reason, but this car drips in classiness. Go to any get-together in this car, open the gull wing doors, and walk out, and everybody, and I mean everybody, no matter how wealthy everybody is, will be looking at you. Well, your car, more than you. Other than the good looks, this car was pretty advanced for the ’50s as well. First car with direct fuel injection, which allowed it to hit 160 miles per hour.

6. Ford GT40 Mk. II

Most people know of the more modern Ford GT supercar, but not many in this generation knows what car gave way to it. The original GT40 was one hell of a race car, winning LeMans 4 times in a row (and a 1-2-3 finish in 1966 with the Mk. II). The Mk. II wins out of the 4 body types, not only because of that dominance, but because it is the only one with both the great looks and the 7L engine (the J-car and Mk. IV both have the 7L engine, but don’t look as good).

7. Land Rover Defender

The Defender is a utilitarian vehicle. Not really going to go fast, and at the lights, you’ll probably be left looking at headlights if you challenge someone to a drag race. But the Defender isn’t meant for the roads; it’s meant to beat the fuck out of nature. It looks at the current 4x4s, and shows them how it’s really done. It’s used in the military worldwide, and you’ll probably see it if you stick yourself on the couch and watch those Steve Irwin wanna-bes (no offense to them though, they’re still bad ass) on Discovery channel. If this ever came home clean, you’d be using it wrong.

8. Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray 427 Convertible

I love Corvettes. So when it comes to the decision between classic and current, you can understand how it can be hard. While the current ZR1 is completely insane, and has more power than any other car on this list (to this point, at least), I cannot turn down the even sexier Sting Ray Convertible. With the 427 ci (7L for the metric) V8 engine pushing 435 hp (in 1967 at least), it isn’t lacking in the muscle. Where it really excels is in the looks department. It is the iconic American sports car, and with the soft top down, I doubt you can have much more fun on the road.

9. Audi R15 TDI

Sure, it isn’t a Formula 1 car, but it’s still ridiculously fast, and grips to the track (that, and I don’t know much about Formula 1 to pick one of the cars from that series). The R15 is the latest of Audi’s Le Mans Prototypes, and although it has yet to put a Le Mans victory under its belt, it did win its very first test race at the 12 Hours of Sebring. There was some protest against the legality of the design, but who am I to judge? Sure, it’s not meant to be put on the road, but you can imagine that I’ll take it out at least once as well. I’m stupid like that.

10. M1 Abrams

Tell me, would you not want a tank in your garage? It is every boy’s dream to have a tank, plane and rocketship (as well as optional battle mech). While none of the last three are road vehicles, this is. And although people would probably call the guy who drives around in a tank around town a “bit paranoid”, who gives a fuck? If they were offered a goddamn tank, they know they would take it.

11. Peel P50

Before I get comments (ha! I wish) saying how I cheated, I wouldn’t even keep this in my garage. I probably would have it in my shoe closet, since it would fit in there. Sure, I’ve used push mowers more powerful than it, but who cares if you have the world’s smallest car? And a bit cramped? Maybe, but watch a 6’5″ Jeremy Clarkson drive around in one. I’m pretty sure you’ll fit unless you’re in the NBA.

~ by The Slurpee Man on May 17, 2010.