Because Speed Doesn’t Always Equal Fame
Everyone knows the Ferraris, the Lamborghinis, and the Bugattis. These are the ones in the glossy posters plastered on childhood bedroom walls—and the occasional adult’s garage wall as well. These manufacturers may make up the most famous roster, but beneath that shiny layer of fame lies a deeper catalogue of cars that were engineered in small workshops, backed by eccentric millionaires, or produced in such small numbers that only a few lucky collectors ever laid eyes on them. Here are twenty machines that most people wouldn’t recognize if they roared right past.
1. Cizeta-Moroder V16T
This Italian oddity emerged in the late 1980s, dreamed up by a group of ex-Lamborghini engineers and disco producer Giorgio Moroder. It had a transverse V16 engine—yes, sixteen cylinders lined up like obedient soldiers—hidden under sharp, wedge-like bodywork. Only a handful were ever built.
Craig Howell from San Carlos, CA, USA;cropped and adjusted by uploader Mr.choppers on Wikimedia
2. Vector W8
This was America’s answer to Europe’s dominance in creating high-performance vehicles. The W8 looked like something sketched by a teenager obsessed with fighter jets; the design was angular, low, and covered in vents. It came equipped with a twin-turbo V8 with over 600 horsepower, and a tendency to overheat.
Craig Howell from San Carlos, CA, USA on Wikimedia
3. Isdera Commendatore 112i
This was a German unicorn from the mid-1990s. Isdera built just one, powered by a Mercedes V12. It even had a periscope instead of a rearview mirror. When it sold at auction years later, collectors regarded it more like a myth come to life than an artifact.
4. Dome Zero
Emerging from Japan in 1978, this wild, low-slung car was an attempt to break into international markets. Regulatory hurdles prevented it from reaching production. Still, it became a cult icon, showing up in Gran Turismo games long after its real-world moment passed.
contri from Yonezawa-Shi, Yamagata, Japan on Wikimedia
5. Spania GTA Spano
Spain doesn’t usually pop up in conversations about supercars, but here it did. With its carbon-kevlar chassis and 800 horsepower, this model is definitely worth talking about. It was only produced in the single digits, but it looks like something meant for a sci-fi chase scene.
6. Monteverdi Hai 450 SS
This Swiss creation emerged in the 1970s, with styling that straddled luxurious Italian curves and German restraint. It came equipped with a Chrysler-sourced Hemi V8, and only two were ever built. Spotting one is like running into a unicorn at the gas station.
7. Panther De Ville
This is more of a bizarre luxury beast than a pure supercar, but it’s too strange to omit from our list. It was made in the UK, with styling inspired by the Bugatti Royale. The car itself was enormous and ostentatious, so it comes as no surprise that it was once owned by Elton John.
8. Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada
This is the brainchild of Giotto Bizzarrini, a man who once worked for Ferrari but who decided to go his own way. In the 1960s he built this muscular GT with an American V8 heart. It has sleek lines, raw power, and is the kind of rarity that makes auction house owners rub their hands together gleefully.
9. Noble M600
This understated British creation is terrifyingly fast and comes with no traction control or electronic safeguard. Its power comes from twin-turbo V8s and the expectation that you, the driver, know what you’re doing. Driving one must feel like holding a lit firecracker in your clenched fist.
10. Gumpert Apollo
This one is ugly to some and glorious to others. Its pared-down German engineering aimed purely at lap times, rather than winning beauty contests. With its absurd downforce, it could supposedly drive upside down at speed, though you’d have to be out of your mind to try and prove it on a tunnel roof.
GUMPERT Sportwagenmanufaktur GmbH on Wikimedia
11. Mosler MT900
This one emerged from Florida, of all places. Its featherlight construction and Chevrolet V8 resulted in performance that rivaled the big names without their same flash. Most people have never heard of it, yet it managed to carve out a small racing career and cult following.
Detectandpreserve on Wikimedia
12. De Tomaso Mangusta
Before the famous Pantera, there was the Mangusta, combining the elegance of Italian design with raw American power. The name means “mongoose,” an animal known for its ability to kill cobras. Is it a subtle dig at Carroll Shelby’s Cobra? Absolutely.
13. TVR Sagaris
This British monster looked almost alien, like it had scales and gills. It was built with no driver aids, like stability control, traction, or ABS. Owners described it as equal parts exhilarating and terrifying—like wrestling a wild animal with wheels.
14. Apollo Intensa Emozione
This car’s dramatic name matched its dramatic looks, with every inch of it screaming “race car.” Only a handful were made, each costing millions. With a naturally aspirated V12 that howls like nothing else, this seems like something Bruce Wayne would keep in his batcave if he was interested in boutique supercars.
15. Wiesmann MF5
This car came from Germany but was styled like a classic British roadster with its long hood and curved fenders. It may have looked old-world and unassuming, but it carried BMW V10 power under the bonnet—brutal modern force.
Sam Pearce-Warrilow on Unsplash
16. Saleen S7
Yes, more people know this one than many of the others on our list, but it never quite hit Ferrari levels of fame. This car was American-built with a naturally aspirated V8, and a body that looked like it belonged on a Le Mans grid. For a moment in the early 2000s, it made people think America could build world-class supercars.
17. Arash AF10
This was produced by a small British company. Its design was angular, and its producers had ambitious hybrid power plans with promises of over 2000 horsepower. Production was extremely limited, but the AF10 proved ambition and innovation don’t need Ferrari’s budget.
Ben from LONDON, United Kingdom on Wikimedia
18. Zenvo ST1
Denmark is hardly a supercar capital, but this model is a Danish creation. It boasted a supercharged and turbocharged V8, with flames spitting from the exhaust, and an early reputation for catching fire. Being prone to bursting into flames may not be the best PR, but it’s undeniably dramatic.
19. Sbarro Autobau
Franco Sbarro, the Swiss automotive designer, loved radical designs. The Autobau was part car, part spaceship, with a cockpit canopy that lifted like a jet fighter. It never saw production, but as a showpiece it was unforgettable.
Alexander Plushev on Wikimedia
20. Devon GTX
This was another American attempt to break into the hypercar market around 2009. This design was based on the Dodge Viper but dressed in sleek carbon fiber. The company collapsed before making more than a few, leaving the GTX as a tantalizing glimpse of what might have been.
