15 Icons that Defined Supercar Driver — Group 2

The 2010s were a big transitional period for the supercar with ever more tech and ever more power being thrown at every new release and a legendary name from Woking returned to the automotive world making full use of their technical know-how to keep the big boys on their toes. Manual gearboxes were out and those early paddle-shift gearboxes were released with slick, seamless dual-clutch units, switchable exhausts and more sophisticated suspension meant that even the most serious of supercars could be used more of the time.

For the most part though, the naturally-aspirated engines of old remained and gave these cars their character, with all the power and noise you could ever want when the mood took you, without breaking your back or piercing your eardrums on a cruise to the shops. For us, each of these five cars exemplifies that transitional era, and makes us wonder if they might have been the sweet spot of the supercar.

Ferrari 458 Italia

The 458 was a huge leap on from the F430 when it came out in 2011, and it’s still so fresh both in terms of its looks and feel that it’s hard to believe it’s been on the scene for so long! This car was a game-changer, and the 80hp leap over the outgoing F430 was just the beginning. The 458 either introduced or massively developed many different technologies including a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, direct fuel injection, an E-diff with very clever ‘F1-Trac’ adjustable traction control and magnetorheological dampers, which thankfully we now just refer to as adaptive!

All that tech sounds impressive, but given how many of us have become a little disillusioned with the latest high-tech supercars, isn’t it just a recipe for another overly heavy, complicated, competent but possibly numb machine?

Far from it. For starters, the 458 gained just 50kg over the F430 which is neither here nor there in the grand scheme of the improved power, chassis and braking, but more importantly, Ferrari masterfully integrated all that tech in a way that meant the 458 had all the benefits of a modern car in terms of performance and comfort, but it avoided the drawbacks of being overly complicated and soulless.

It wasn’t until 2017 that I got to spend some real quality time in a 458 out on the road when a few-year-old 458 Italia was the first proper supercar I ever reviewed for Supercar Driver magazine! At the time, I had a Porsche Cayman 2.7 manual, and loving the pure simplicity of that car, I could have easily been overwhelmed and put off by all the 458’s tech, but I fell in love with the way it drove on the road. The hyper-darty steering we’ve become accustomed to in Ferraris and now Lamborghinis took some getting used to at first, and to this day isn’t my favourite thing, but as many of you will know, you do get used to it, and the 458’s chassis was beautifully balanced and unintimidating on that glorious summer’s day in the Peak District.

Surprisingly for a 562hp mid-engined supercar, it even remained unintimidating when weening back the clever multi-stage assistance systems using the Mannetino dial and letting the back end get involved thanks to the F1-inspired E-diff.

More than anything though, it was the engine that made the 458 such an all-consuming car to drive, with its multiple-award-winning naturally-aspirated V8 giving as much power as any supercar could really need and playing a definitively Ferrari soundtrack wherever you are in the revs using the super-snappy double-clutch gearbox which was a welcome change after the F430s old single-clutch box.

Longtime Supercar Driver member and tive-time Highland Hoon veteran Aled bought this 458 almost two years ago. The 458 hasn’t done any tours yet, with his manual Audi R8 V8 and Porsche 997.1 GT3 RS (as seen in a previous Supercar Driver video) taking those duties so far, but he did take it on track at this year’s Secret Meet.

On the 458: “It’s the last of the naturally-aspirated V8 Ferraris, which is why I wanted one. It took me a while to find the right car. Driving it can feel quite scary at first, but it’s such a capable car and very different to the R8 or 911. I’ve ended up doing 4,000 miles in the past year.”

Aled is right; the 458 is the end of an era being the last naturally-aspirated V8 Ferrari, but I also see it as the founding father of the modern era. Manual ‘boxes were out, button-lavished steering wheels and enough tech to fly you to the moon were in, but the 458 struck a balance. Ferrari masterfully integrated all that tech in a way that didn’t detract from the pure thrill and the feeling that you’re actually driving the thing, and they gave us a peach of a naturally-aspirated V8s to make sure of it.

As the V8 Berlinetta Ferrari of its respective era tends to be, the 458 was arguably the definitive supercar of the 2010s, and deservedly so. With a 0-62 time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 202mph, no human being needs more performance, and given that perfect balance between modern features and raw character, I think we’ll look back on the 458 as one of the all-time greats in years to come.

Mercedes SLS AMG

If the 458 was a huge leap on from the F430, the SLS wasn’t even comparable to anything else Mercedes had produced in recent memory. Clearly inspired by the 300SL of the 1950s, the SLS had a character all its own thanks to its retro styling, thunderous V8 and of course, those Gullwing doors.

The all-important motor was AMG’s legendary M159 6.2-litre V8, a development of the M156 used in the W204 C63 and other AMGs of the time, beefed up with forged pistons and a dry sump to produce 563hp and the most wonderful noise whether you’re idling along around the centre of Monaco or tearing through the nearby mountains.

I first drove an SLS in less-than-ideal conditions in 2017, and can confirm it’s a pretty intimidating beast when it wants to be. The huge nose stretched out in front of you makes sure of that as soon as you overshoot your first junction, the instant torque response of that V8 smacks the rear end out like its had the tarmac pulled from under it, and the sensation when the rear slides is strange at first, being almost sat over the rear axle.

It was such a memorable experience though, one you have to grow your confidence with, and when you do get chance to push it, I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned the noise it makes yet? I more recently drove a Roadster for a YouTube video which you’ve hopefully seen, and thankfully the weather was more SLS-friendly which allowed me to press on more.

No matter what the speed, the engine is always there and really defines the SLS as a bit of a german super muscle car. The gearbox is the same seven-speed dual-clutch as that in the Ferrari 458, but Mercedes tuned it more for durability so it’s not quite as snappy as you’d like and it doesn’t like to be hurried too much.

Handling-wise, I think it’s much better than it gets credit for. Its aluminium body helps keep kerb weight down to a smidge over 1,600kg, and whilst it’s not an AMG GT R, it’s far from the slushy SL you might see at the golf club, and it’s sharp enough to really enjoy at a decent, seven or eight tenths sort of pace, and that’s why I think it suits being a Roadster so well, even if I might miss those doors a little.

Only around 300 cars came to the UK in total and the Roadster is actually rarer than the Coupe, though the Gullwing is still significantly more valuable — the power of cool doors eh! Rarer still and a bit of a unicorn is the SLS Black Series which came towards the end of the car’s life and turned everything up to 11 with more power, more crazy looks, more tied-down handling, just more everything!

I think the SLS, especially the Roadster, is quite overlooked in the current market. For such a rare and iconic car, the likes of which there will never be again, the prices these are advertised at right now are a bit of a steal in my eyes, and I think you’ll thank me in years to come if you snap one up now.

This particular Roadster echoes the spec of the SLS on the front cover of the very first issue of Supercar Driver, and is owned by Anthony, who has been part of Supercar Driver for 13 years. He bought this SLS Roadster in 2012 and also owns a Gullwing Coupe in matching specification as well as around 20 other cars including a Porsche 992 GT3 RS and Sport Classic. “My favourite car though, is my mum’s 1988 Renault 5 automatic. It has done 5,000 miles from new and is on display in my office!”, he tells us.

On the SLS: “I liked the look and the great sounding engine, which is why I bought one. It’s been superb — totally reliable. The SLS is definitely more of a cruiser than a racer, though.”

McLaren MP4-12C

In 2011, the MP4-12 (later shortened to 12C) was a huge deal. Before then, McLaren’s only road car was the F1, perhaps you’ve heard of it, so they had a mighty act to follow, but the fact that a British manufacturer would be taking it to Ferrari and Lamborghini with something completely new built in house was seriously exciting.

At a time when Ferrari was still using wailing naturally-aspirated engines and Lamborghini was doing what it does best in producing pure theatre, the 12C took a brave and different route, striving for technical brilliance to make it one of the fastest, most capable cars around, and it worked.

With a weight of just over 1,400kg and a 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8 offering up 592hp (later upped to 616hp with a free software update for all cars), and set the second fastest lap around the Top Gear test track, behind only the wild Ariel Atom 500 at the time.

The technical tour de force continued with a very clever hydraulic suspension system and adaptive dampers which could actively minimise roll and also give a ride quality you’d expect more from a dull executive saloon than one of the world’s quickest cars.

It really was blisteringly fast too, more so than the relatively modest power benefit over a Ferrari 458 thanks to that turbocharged thrust. Even today it’s a shock to the senses, but in 2011, it was acceleration from another planet, and for it to come in such a refined and usable package was incredibly impressive.

No one doubted the 12C’s capability or pace, but many felt it lacked emotion which was oozing from the Ferrari 458 and Lamborghini Gallardo due to the twin-turbocharged engine’s more subdued soundtrack, and perhaps even that suspension being so good, there were few flaws to give the car character. We petrolheads have a strange attraction to flawed cars after all!

Speaking of flaws, there was one, and it was pretty well shouted about. For some time McLaren had obvious issues with reliability which does seem less prevalent when the cars are driven frequently, but those who own McLaren’s seem to swear by them, and we know countless people who have owned a string of different models and become very loyal to the brand, so they’re doing something right.

McLaren built on the 12C chassis with the 650S and then the 675LT which we have huge love for, before the even more blistering 720S came along in 2017. Some love it whilst it leaves others a little cold, but I’m not sure any new model from any manufacturer will have as much impact on the supercar world as the 12C.

The car we have here today is chassis number 005, reckoned by owner Ian to be the first customer car. He has owned the car since 2019, but McLaren has been in his heart for much longer than that, having worked with them in the 1980s alongside Ron Dennis, and was with Ayrton Senna when he won his first F1 World Championship in 1988. He was still working with McLaren when the F1 was launched in 1992, so has a long connection with them.

On the 12C, Ian says: “I wanted one of the first 100 or so cars, as they were built in the F1 facility rather than the then-new McLaren Technology Centre (MTC). It’s an amazingly usable car. Visibility is superb and the ride is much better than my old Cayman GTS. I just love opening the garage door and seeing it parked there”.

The 12C is obviously here because it is an icon of McLaren’s hugely successful rebirth, but also because its drivetrain and technical prowess inspired everything from sports cars to hypercars for the following decade, keeping the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini on their toes and making them innovate to keep pace. Given its significance for McLaren and its influence on the automotive world, I’m surprised they’re so affordable and suspect they will be an iconic classic in years to come.

Audi R8 V10

When the original R8 hit the scene in 2007, it was a game-changer for Audi. In a world dominated by the Porsche 911, we had a mid-engined V8 in a baby supercar for less than £80,000. If you watched Top Gear back in the day, you’ll have seen Clarkson pitch the R8 against Hammond’s Porsche 997 Carrera S and know this was finally an Audi that could dance, and would you just look at it? In 2007, it looked like it was from the future and was a very fitting daily driver for Iron Man.

What’s not to love? Well, not a great deal, but many people wondered what the R8 would be like if Lamborghini let Audi use the Gallardo’s 5.2-litre V10. In 2009, Audi answered those people with the R8 V10 and it did not disappoint, turning the baby-faced R8 into a proper supercar, with its 518hp trumping the Ferrari F430, even if it was sandbagged a little from the Gallardo’s 552hp.

The best part was being able to spec an open-gated manual gearbox with that V10 engine, and whilst I’ve never had the pleasure of driving a manual V10, I can combine my experiences of manual V8s with R-Tronic and S-Tronic V10s to surmise that it must be a wonderful thing to drive.

A 2012 facelift replaced the clunky R-Tronic single-clutch auto with the S-Tronic dual-clutch, and also introduced the V10 Plus with 542hp, taking it within a whisker of its bigger brother, the Gallardo, so you really had to ask yourself how much that bull on the bonnet was worth to you.

The second-generation R8 ditched the V8 and the manual ‘box and went upmarket, aiming squarely at its Lamborghini cousins, entry-level Ferraris and the 911 Turbo rather than the Carrera the original car pitched itself against, but I think it’s the first gen that will remain iconic for the way it transformed Audi’s image and made the other players sharpen their pencils to stay ahead. Plus, with early V10s starting around the £40,000 mark, I don’t think there is anything to challenge it for the money in terms of supercar looks, performance and of course that V10 soundtrack.

This facelift V10 Spyder is the second first-gen R8 we’ve had in the Supercar Driver fleet because we have a real soft spot for them. We still sometimes miss the early manual V8 we used to have for its balance of involvement and just about enough power, but the V10 feels like the supercar the R8 always wanted to be, though having 100hp more and a slick S-Tronic ‘box doesn’t always equal more fun on British roads at least.

We’ve wasted no time getting some miles under its belt, with Adam spending a full week in it as a lead car, rather ironically, on the Porsche GT Alpes tour. “I loved every one of the 662 miles with the R8 in the Alps”, he tells us. “What an underrated car it is with an intoxicating V10 soundtrack I would never tire of. A few years ago I did this very tour in a second-gen V10 Plus and yes, it was a rocket ship, but this 2013 example is more raw and less competent which makes it more exciting.

“It handled the undulations well, the four-wheel-drive system wasn't as intrusive as I thought it might be and the grip out of the hairpins was savage, especially noticeable against the Porsche GT cars where all their torque is at the top of the rev range. Having the roof down and enjoying the amazing views was an added treat and made for a bucket list drive! The best £55k ever!”.

The second generation has gone out of production and there are no plans for a direct replacement, and if anything does come down the line, we can put our houses on the assumption there will be no V10, so I think the first-gen R8s will become an icon of their era, symbolising a bold move from Audi that transformed their image, not to mention a damn fine driver’s car. Buy a manual V10 now and thank us later!

Ferrari F12

Whilst less of a sales staple than the V8 (or now V6) Berlinetta these days, there’s nothing quite like a V12 Ferrari. The DNA of a whacking great engine under a long bonnet, a rearward cabin and big rear haunches can be seen right back to the gorgeous 250 SWB and has been present ever since, bar a 20-odd year hiatus in favour of mid-engined flat 12s in the 512BB and Testarossa before the 550 Maranello brought back the front-mounted V12.

For me, the step from 599 to F12 is comparable to that from F430 to 458, by which I mean it was a big one. The headline numbers were face-smacking in 2012, with 730hp from a 6.3-litre V12, up from the 599’s 612hp, and the seldom-specified manual of the 599 finally retired in favour of the 458’s seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Also similar to the 458, the F12 used an electronic diff and trick F1-Trac traction control. Despite all that, the F12berlinetta (yes, that’s how they formatted it) was claimed to be significantly lighter than the 599 GTB.

I seem to be making a habit of referring to Top Gear memories here, and rather famously, the F12 is about the only car Clarkson ever admitted had too much power, words which echoed through my head the first time I ever got behind the wheel of one in the least ideal conditions for a car with such a reputation. I mean, just looking at the thing is intimidating — I’m not sure many cars have such elegant yet evil-looking front end.

Once inside, the long bonnet is the next thing to get used to after more regular cars, and whilst it is a big car still, it’s thankfully a little narrower than the Goliath 599, but on a freezing cold, wet day, that didn’t offer much consolation, and the F12 was so tractionally limited in those conditions, I never got to feel more than half throttle without the rears getting majorly carried away.

Still though, even that was enough to show what a special car the F12 is. The engine is what it’s all about when you’re on it, and it is an absolute masterpiece, one of the greatest sounding engines of all time in my book. That hyper steering from the 458 makes it a little nervous on an undulating road especially with that amount of power to deal with, but she sure is exhilarating for a big girl! When you’re not on it, it’s not compromised. It’s super smooth thanks to the dual-clutch ‘box, comfortable thanks to the adaptive dampers, and bar the fuel bills (and new underwear bills if driving in the wet), I could happily drive one every day.

A few years later, Ferrari did what we thought impossible and turned up the wick on the F12 with the F12tdf. Like it needed it, power was upped to 769hp while 110kg of weight was stripped and more trick tech like four-wheel steering made it ridiculously nimble for a car of its size. When I got behind the wheel of a TDF, praise the weather gods because it was the most perfect summer afternoon, and the TDF was one of the most memorable, all-consuming cars I’ve ever driven.

This stunningly-specified F12 was bought three years ago by Supercar Driver Daniel, wanting something different to complement his 458 Speciale. Originally owned by John Collins of Talacrest, he ordered this unique specification inspired by a 250 GTO in Swedish racing colours. On the F12, Daniel says: “It’s a fantastic GT car, with more luggage space than a 911. You could drive it across Europe if you wanted to. The 812 is faster, but it also has lots of additional electronic aids. This is more unruly, and more fun to drive as a result!”.

It’s great to see Ferrari still flying the flag of the naturally-aspirated V12 with the 12Cilindri, but the F12 is here for the way it moved the game on. The F12 as a whole sits along the 458 in symbolising Ferrari’s huge technical progress in the early 2010s. It’s a car that still feels cutting-edge today with a drivetrain that is pure perfection and insane performance. I’d usually say no one needs 730hp, but from its looks to its demeanour, the F12 is a brute, but a friendly, gentlemanly brute in a nice Italian suit. Long live the Ferrari V12!

Written by: Matt Parker