'Enhanced' supercars - yey or ney?

[MrKipling]

Personally (or 'IMO'), I think they're great. As good as supercars are now, I can't help but feel (as repeated as this is), that they're held back by emissions regulations, road legality issues, marketability in the 'luxury sector' and so on and so forth. In my opinion of what a supercar should be, these restrictions detract from the essence of what a supercar is. I am afraid, having driven a couple of very powerful cars - albeit nothing in the league of Enzo at al, that I am not counting fully controllable traction control and other driver aids in the list of restrictions.

When cars that define 'supercar' in their era are as rare as the the truly elite that always fulfil those difficult to define criteria usually are; it's easy to see them as a piece of history that should be preserved in its original state. Especially when you consider the speactacular value of rare classic cars now (real Lamborghini Miura that's a 'fake' SV - £180,000). Cars like the Enzo, MC12, McLaren F1 (although that's probably an exception to the yet to be explained opinion), Bugatti EB110. Even lower down the scale in F430, 360, Gallardo, 575 territory, the majority of people who buy those will be far too concerned with residual value to consider 'unleashing their car's potential'.

Companies like Edo and Novetec are turning the lower end stuff into the hand built, uncompromised masterpieces they should be, and stuff like the MC12 into the car that could never come off a production line in 2005 - but (from an engineering point of view) could have easily done so.

What do ya reckon - abuse of heritage, realising of nostalgic dream or flippin excellent?

[carsnut]

it depends how crazy they get

[kingofthering]

im in the middle. On one hand i like pure unleashed speed but on the other hand, i don't like the idea of messing with old exotic cars.

[TVR IS KING]

Yeah depends how crazy you get...it can make you want to cry when someone rices a 360 or something

[h00t_h00t]

I'm all for it, making a fast car faster makes far more sense than a slow one fast.

[PerfAdv]

I feel that exotics should be left unmodified. If only you consider the value of unmolested cars of yore compared to modified ones. True, a car could be made a little faster if it was a hundred pounds lighter with a hundred extra horses but it's no longer what the manufacturer intended. Thus the fall in value.

Imagine a Miura, fresh out of the factory in it's heyday being taken to a speed shop and hacked up to make it a little more able!? The concept is not very palatable to me. So, I'd sooner take a slower than possible exotic as intended than one that's been souped up. However, imo, the factory should release purer performance versions. i.e. Ferrari FXX

[bmwpower]

I feel that exotics should be left unmodified. If only you consider the value of unmolested cars

Hear that asia, your cars want their innocence back..LOL

[2ndclasscitizen]

as long as it isn't taken out of control, i don't care. The people who own them, own them, and can do what they like. I get annoyed sometimes when i see a very nice, rarer-than-normal sportscar completely ruined by someone who just wants something thats as fast as possible in straight line, like the SR20 powered E30 M3 I saw on the net. It was just built for dragging, so why waste a perfectly good M3 for that? Just get a 318i and use that, why destroy an awesome handling car just for straightline speed? What a waste.

People who buy exotics are perfectly entitled to do what they want, its just selfish for car enthusiasts who can't get one to say "you shouldn't do that, you should keep it original so we can see nice original ones"

[fpv_gtho]

I reckon if its your car you should be free to do WHATEVER you please to it.

If i had a Murcielago i'd be all too tempted to throw on a pair of turbo's and some new wheels.

[TVR IS KING]

Ew rims...But Im all for the turbo idea.
Go to Lambo meets, and your Mucrie that looks just like all the rest..is hiding pwnage.

[fpv_gtho]

Well i wouldnt go out and stick 20' chrome dinner plates on it

[henk4]

I think the FXX is what the Enzo could be. I never heard it, but other reliable sources say it sounds terrific

[MrKipling]

There are videos kicking about on the intermong - it sounds like an old Ferrari V12 F1 car - or in other words: rude.

I don't reckon that old supercars should be messed with, because the only thing they were restricted by is the technology available at the time, and that doesn't count either!

My 'rule' is that enhanced supercars should have nothing done to them that doesn't improve performance lost as a result of bureaucratic pressure - be they governmental or corporate. Save, maybe, some racing wheels.

[jcp123]

I say nay. Supercars are already a little bit ridiculous as it is.

Unless it's a classic. Those just rock. Then I say 'Yea'.

[BMW325]

i say as long as you cant tell its modified...

so no body kits, wings, gaudy rims, flashy graphics or whatever...
but if someone were to bring the engine of their Enzo up to FXX spec, i dont see why not...I mean, eventually someone is going to have to restore or rebuild the car anyways, so why not mess with whats under the skin? actually to my understanding, a fair amount of classic cars in historic races even have had upgraded engines...

as long as it doesnt take away from the original spirit of the car