McLaren, Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Audi are vying to claim the best super sports car accolade. But what about Bentley and BMW? We've run the rule over them all for our definitive top 10.
The Roma's 3.9-litre turbo V8 gives it in excess of six-hundred horsepower and a top speed within a whisker of 200mph; and yet this is the modern Prancing Horse in relatively laid-back guise, and so it's the car's surprisingly comfortable and sophisticated-feeling interior that really strikes you, which is easy to berth, well equipped with the very latest technological mod cons, and tempting to simply spend time in.
Yet initial impressions didn’t quite match the hype. Yes the Vantage was fast, thanks in no small part to its twin-turbocharged Mercedes-AMG heart, and it had character by the bucketload, but it was also slightly underdone. It lacked the finely honed dynamic polish of a Porsche product, with handling that was never quite as intuitive or involving as you’d expect. However, most of that changed with the arrival of the F1 Edition, which was arguably the car the Aston should have been all along.
The Audi R8's technical relation to the company's motorsport efforts is clear. The car is a visceral, singular tribute to power and performance, noise and revs, grip and traction. It's hugely exciting to drive, although not quite as rounded, communicative or engaging as the very best super sports cars.
In realty, the more restrained Macca doesn’t cut it as a true GT - it’s still too raucous and razor sharp for that. But the edges have been softened and, whisper it, this actually makes it a more satisfying drive for more of the time. The hydraulically assisted steering is quick and oh so chatty, while the slightly less aggressive handling makes the GT more enjoyable for more of the time as well as allowing you to work up to its limits at relatively sane road speeds.