Lancia Stratos HF Stradale (1973-1978)
The Lancia Stratos may look like a cute little cartoon character, but this quirky mid-engine marvel dominated rally stages in the 1970s. Powered by the plucky V6 from the Ferrari Dino, the Stratos weighed less than 2,100 pounds, but it could be tuned to produce up to 560 horsepower for racing.
The road-going Stradale may have dialed some of that intensity back, but it remained true to its HF roots. It kept the helmet holders in the door pockets (and of course that visor-shaped windshield), but the best part? These windows don’t just roll down, they curl forward!
Ferrari 288 GTO (1984-1987)
The genesis of the modern supercar starts with the Ferrari 288 GTO. Built from the comparatively humble 308 GTB, the 288 applied Ferrari’s Formula 1 expertise to create a homologated touring car for the stillborn Group B circuit category.
The street project went ahead, and thanks to turbocharging and the use of Kevlar, plus other cutting-edge materials, the 2.8-liter GTO was capable of 189 mph. It was the fastest road-going car in the world. But while the 288 was a big step forward, look closely at the design and you’ll find plenty of nods to Ferrari’s illustrious history.
Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR (1997-1999)
To say that this car came out of nowhere would be an understatement. After a six-year hiatus from racing, Mercedes-Benz returned to the GT circuit in style with the CLK GTR. One of the true marvels of the 1990s, the competition and homologation variants of this monumental car came together in just over four months.
But they didn’t cut any corners. Mercedes quietly purchased a McLaren F1 GTR as a test platform for the GTR’s in-development components. A true homologation special, just 26 of these $1.6M street-legal racecars hit the pavement.
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