While driving round and round the Central Festival car park I saw a vacant spot and headed for it. Unfortunately, it was denied to me as the sign said “Supercar” parking only. Since I was driving a Daihatsu Mira, it was obvious the security guard did not consider a Mira “super” at all!
That made me think, what is it that makes one car a “Supercar” compared to other cars? Is it the price? Or is it the performance? Or is it the engineering? Or is it the rarity?
According to Google (the Alzheimer’s bible) a supercar (also known as exotic car) is a very expensive and high-performance sports car or grand tourer. Supercars are marketed by automakers as unusual and include limited production specials from an “elite” automaker, standard-looking cars modified for power and performance, as well as models that appeal to enthusiasts from smaller manufacturers.
Porsche 9FF.
For me, that’s all a bit vague. I might have fitted a V16 supercharged engine in my Daihatsu, but that same security guard would still not let me park in the “Supercar” spots. So we can forget about Turbo Teana’s. Or the Ensign, the first to use the term “supercar”.
An advertisement for the Ensign Six, a 6.7 L high-performance car similar to the Bentley Speed Six, appeared in The Times newspaper for 11 November 1920 with the phrase, “If you are interested in a supercar, you cannot afford to ignore the claims of the Ensign 6.” Unfortunately, not enough people were interested and Ensign went under – the first supercar to fail?
No, back to today, a supercar has to look the part. It must have an appearance that makes people go “Lookit that!” Just about any Ferrari becomes a supercar by that definition.
No, for me, a supercar must have performance that pins your ears back. Try these, for example, all of which can top 400 kph:
SSC Tuatara 6.9L V8 Twin Turbo – [2011] Top Speed – (444 kph)
Koenigsegg Agera R 5.0 V8 – [2012] Top Speed – (439 kph)
SSC Ultimate Aero TT – [2008] Top Speed – (439 kph)
Koenigsegg Agera 5L V8 – [2011] Top Speed – (420 kph)
Hennessey Venom GT – [2010] Top Speed – (418 kph)
Bugatti Veyron 8.0 litre W16 Super Sport – [2010] Top Speed – (415 kph)
Porsche 9FF GT9R – [2009] Top Speed – (411 kph)
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse – [2012] Top Speed – (410 kph)
Porsche 9FF GT9 – [2008] Top Speed – (410 kph)(((pic 3 Porsche 9ff)))
Koenigsegg CCX R Special Edition 4.8 V8 S – [2008] Top Speed – (408 kph)
Bugatti Veyron 8.0 litre W16 – [2005] Top Speed – 252 mph (405 kph)
Apart from the problem in finding a nice bit of straight road, there is also the problem in finding someone in Pattaya who can service your supercar. Fortunately Europa Auto Service can help you. Ask for Martin on 085 299 6188 or visit GPS: 12.960369, 100.983156 just off Highway 36.
