Feature
From Milan to London: KALMAR 9X9’s 3000km Real-World Test Across Europe
Join us on KALMAR 9X9's 3,000km real-world test from Milan to London.
December 20, 2024
We show you six ways into Supercar Driver membership, so you can join today for less than you might think!
Over the years, our qualifying car list has evolved along with the supercar membership, and whilst we don't like turning people away and strive to never be snobby, it has been necessary for us to raise the standards simply to manage numbers in line with our resources, to ensure exclusivity and our level of service can always be maintained.
That said, you don't have to be a multi-millionaire, so I've picked out six cars on the market right now that would qualify for membership and give you access to a way of life centred around our passion for cars, and countless reasons to drive them. You might even recognise one of them!
2016 (16) | 10,950 Miles | £93,990
The qualifying car list permits any McLaren, and whilst the excellent 540 and 570 models can be had for even less, we've chosen a full-fat Super Series model in the shape of this stunning 650S. Supercar looks? Tick. Supercar performance? Lord Jesus yes! Supercar price tag? 25 years ago, maybe, but these days, £94k would just about get you a BMW M3 if you get excited on the options list.
To this day, the way these things accelerate is outrageous. Even on track, it would take a serious driver in the latest and greatest to pull away, and on the road? Not a chance. 12Cs are on the market for less and I feel they would be a great buy as McLaren's first road car of the modern era, but the 650 brought in more modern styling and ironed out some of the 12C's flaws, injecting some more soul to accompany the mega performance and handling. Plus, that front end styling stands up to anything out there today for me.
2007 (56) | 23,000 Miles | £82,990
Look on a youngster's bedroom wall, and there's a good chance it'll feature a Lamborghini, probably in yellow, so to find a qualifying car that fits the archetypal supercar bill for a smidge over £80k is a real winner. This is a 2007 Gallardo Spyder with the original 5-litre V10 which arguably sounds even better than the later 5.2, and the real attraction to this car? Rather than the clunky E-Gear paddle-shift gearbox, this has an open-gated six-speed manual, something you can't get on any Lambo anymore, and something that could see this car making its way to modern classic status.
It isn't short on performance with over 500bhp, but it's the looks and theatre of the driving experience that make this Gallardo Spyder so appealing, and given that any Lamborghini qualifies, you're good to go with this.
2002 | 16,000 Miles | £69,990
If the aforementioned kid's bedroom wall doesn't have a yellow Lamborghini, it's probably a red Ferrari, and likewise, any Ferrari model qualifies for membership. The one we have here is a very similar formula to the Gallardo above, in that it's a Spider (not a Spyder), and it's a rare manual. With manual Ferraris long since off the menu, 360s with that beautiful open-gated shifter have become more and more desirable to the point where I'm surprised you can still get one at sub-£100k, never mind less than £70k.
This one is an almost guaranteed future classic, but at a price point where you can afford to actually drive the thing as well, and the driving experience of something like this manual 360 shows how disconnected and unusably fast some modern cars have become.
2005 (05) | 37,100 Miles | £79,995
Not every Porsche qualifies because we'd have 50 thousand members if they did, but all GT models are welcome, and you all know how much we love them. I was very close to choosing a 981 Cayman GT4 RPM had in at £65k as they are an unbelievable buy right now, but I thought I'd push a little higher for an automotive legend — the 996 GT3.
These cars are totally raw, with no traction or stability control, in fact not a lot apart from a steering wheel, three pedals and a stick. The weight of those controls and the way you can feel everything happening underneath you make the GT3 a truly involving driving experience, and without wanting to sound like a broken record, with so few of them around, they're a surefire future classic in my mind.
2004 (54) | 26,700 Miles | £69,950
Like with Porsche, we've had to limit Aston models to keep numbers manageable, and one which qualifies is the Vanquish. This Vanquish S maybe isn't one you'd expect to see here, but it's a very special car and gives a totally different experience to the others here. Perhaps one for those motorway slogs to events our scenic drives given its levels of comfort and luxury, but the original Vanquish is no slouch. This S model packs 520bhp froma 5.9-litre V12 which sounds absolutely glorious.
The paddle-shift gearbox is this car's biggest weakness, but at less than £70k, I'd put any spare budget towards a manual conversion which really makes these cars something special.
2018 (18) | 22,350 Miles | £93,991
Obviously, not many Mercedes qualify as a supercar, but one that does is the AMG GT R, something anyone who has driven one will surely agree with. We're admittedly biased here as this is our very own AMG GT R which has faultlessly led multiple tours. Performance is blistering and there's the soundtrack to match, but it's the handling that sets this apart from your typical AMG. Put it toe-to-toe with a GT3 on track and the GT R will not be humiliated, especially when its extra punch on the straights comes in.
It has been a wonderful car and these things are almost unrivalled in terms of value right now, so be quick before we change our minds.
