2009 Audi R8 Coupe

A new class of automobile, the sporting road car, appeared after World War II. Ferrari, Jaguar, and Porsche offered sporty two-seaters with great handling, plenty of power, and snappy lines. Returning World War II GI's helped fuel this interest having seen sporty two-seaters across Europe. The 1950s and early 1960s saw the likes of the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gull Wing, 150 mph Aston Martins and Ferraris, and stunning Jaguar E-Types.

Then, the line was crossed - from sporting car to Supercar. An informal moniker to be sure, and one without a hard and fast definition. While sports cars have always meant speed, handling, power and style, Supercars pushed this formula to the edges of physics and finance. Even more stylish, powerful, and luxurious; more of everything! Speed. Power. Panache. When was the first Supercar? Perhaps Ford's GT40? Or the Lamborghini Miura, or Ferrari's Daytona. In any event, wherever testosterone and deep pockets gathered, the race for Supercar supremacy continued.

The Audi R8 launched at the 2006 Paris Auto Show. It joined the Supercar ranks quite capable of going toe-to-toe with the likes of Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin. It featured Audi's quattro permanent all-wheel drive splitting power 30% to the front and 70% to the rear from its mid-engine 4.2-liter, 32 valve DOHC V8. It's designed and manufactured by Audi's high performance subsidiary, Quattro GmbH and shares parts with the Lamborghini Gallardo. It puts out 420 horsepower, 317 lb-ft of torque and has a top speed of 187 miles per hour.