Ferrari F40

Ferrari built the F40 to mark its fortieth anniversary, and it became the last road car personally approved by Enzo Ferrari before his death in 1988. Where later hypercars chase comfort, the F40 removed it: no carpets, no door handles you'd recognise, sliding plastic windows, and a bare composite cabin. The point was speed, and the sensation of it.

Power came from a twin-turbocharged 2.9-litre V8 producing 471 hp, pushing a car that weighed just 1,254 kg. Ferrari claimed a top speed above 200 mph; independent testing put it a shade lower, at around 199 mph — fast enough to be, briefly, the quickest road car you could buy. In total 1,311 were built, and the F40's reputation has only grown since.

More than the numbers, the F40 fixed an idea of what a Ferrari supercar should feel like: loud, turbocharged, a little frightening, and completely without apology.