10 Supercars You've Never Heard of

There have been some weird and wonderful cars over the years that nobody told you about.

Nov 23, 2013
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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

When it comes to supercars, Ferrari and Lamborghini are usually the center of the discussion, with a few other well-known players like Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Pagani thrown in there as well. But they are certainly not the creators of all that's out there. In fact, more often than not, when some visionary with a wad of cash starts a company, it's to create some batshit crazy supercar.

Tons of supercars come out of weird little six-man workshops in a shed in Surrey, and that's why we can show you 10 Supercars You've Never Heard of.

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Trident Iceni

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Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Year: 2012


How many people look at a supercar and say "I really wish this came with a diesel engine?" That group of buyers, however small, is who the Trident Iceni is aimed at. As weird as "diesel supercar" sounds, it also sounds kinda awesome, what with its 700 ft-lbs of torque, 3.7-second 0-60, and ability to run on pure bio-diesel for extra green cred.

Vector W8

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Country of Origin: USA
Year: 1989-1993


Only 22 Vector W8s were made, and they all made extensive use of the early '90s most high-tech aerospace materials, selling for an absurd $448,000. Carbon fiber, aluminum honeycomb, and kevlar were all present in large amounts, and the W8 could hit a still impressive 220 mph.

Jiotto Caspita

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Country of Origin: Japan
Year: 1988


This car was originally planned to have a Motori Moderni flat-12 straight out of an F1 car, which would have been absolutely awesome, incredibly difficult to control, and may have made the 1 percent an endangered specied due to crash fatalities. Alas, the '93 recession killed it off.

Lister Storm V12

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Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Year: 1993-2000


Lister knows what you did last summer, and if it dies, you know it will be back for a sequel. Originally the company made Jaguar-based race cars in the '50s nicknamed "knobblies," but it died and eventually came back decades later to make the Storm V12. Most Storms were designed for racing, but four were made for road use before Lister filed for insolvency again.


Rumor has it that Lister is stirring in its tomb again, though.

Spectre R42 and R45

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Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Year: 1994-1998


The Spectre R42 and R45 were made by an Englishman who made a name for himself making extremely accurate replicas of the Ford GT40. The R42 and R45 never quite got off the ground, but they were intended to be modernized versions of the GT40 using the same exact dimensions.

SIN R1

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Country of Origin: Germany
Year: TBA


What happens when a bunch of Germans combine a Corvette V8, a Porsche 911 GT2 transmission, and an exotic body? The SIN R1


SIN is well-known for making successful racing cars, but this is the first foray into road cars. Only time will tell if this thing takes off.

Panther Solo 2

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Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Year: 1989-1990


The Panther Solo was a mid-engined sportscar made from an assortment of Ford parts by some guys in England. The Panther Solo 2 was a mid-engined supercar made from an assortment of Ford parts by some guys in England. The Solo 2, with its Sierra RS engine and Sierra Cosworth AWD was certainly the cooler of the two. Only eight were made.

Mega Track

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Country of Origin: France
Year: 1995


"Mega Track" sounds like it should have been an R/C toy from the '90s, and it looks like it too. In reality it was a mid-engined off-road supercar with a 400hp Mercedes V12. Think of it as a '90s version of the Giugiaro Parcour.

Tushek Renovatio

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Country of Origin: Slovenia
Year: TBA


"Wellcome" says the Tushek website when one goes to view what we sincerely hope isn't vaporware. 


Thus far, this Slovenian company has created a beautiful concept based on lightweight engineering and an Audi V8, but we're still waiting to see if they ever get around to making any of them.

Cizeta-Moroder V16T

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Country of Origin: Italy
Year: 1991-1995


This is almost a car that you would have known very, very well. Cizeta designed this to be the Lamborghini Diablo, but after it was turned down, the company decided to produce it anyway. All it needed to set itself apart was a big V16 and a new name. The founders of Cizeta-Moroder estimated that they'd sell one per week but only sold 18 in five years before going bust.

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