Which Car Is The GOAT? Breaking It Down

 Contender: '75 Ferrari 308

Man, Ferraris from the 80's were so good. Just look at the 308 and tell me it is not absolutely gorgeous. Maybe it's just me, but the 308 is personally one of my favorite cars, for several reasons. Equipped with a growling V8, a perfectly tuned chassis, a luxurious cabin, and a undeniably beautiful  design, there is a case to be made that the legendary 308 is, indeed, the GOAT.

Contender: '69 Porsche 911

 The 1969 Porsche 911, the dictionary definition of "Timeless", is easily one of the greatest cars ever. Although it only churned out a relatively unremarkable 125 horsepower, it remains one of the best driver's cars ever made. The 911 featured an in-house 2.2L engine, and many still consider that engine to be one of the greatest ever made. Even if I could have just as easily picked another 911, there just is something divine about Porsche's air-cooled cars from the 20th century. 

Contender: '76 Lamborghini Countach

  The Lamborghini Countach is always in the GOAT debate, and for good reason: the Countach was the most innovative car in its era. Even today, 47 or so years after it debuted, the Raging Bull still looks futuristic. Back in 1974, it was outrageous. Scissor doors (Or Lambo doors, as some call them) were unheard of back then, and the Countach's performance specs were just as crazy. Although the Lambo can't credibly lay the claim to be the best ever, it is certainly a legendary car. 

Contender: '03 Honda NSX

   One of the most underappreciated cars of all time, the Acura NSX is without a doubt one of the greatest sports car ever made. Costing only $89K, the 2nd-gen NSX was able to compete with with the likes of the Ferrari 360 and Porsche Carrera GT, while costing only a fraction of the price. The Honda NSX (Now called the Acura NSX) remains one of the best handling of cars of all time. 

Contender: '19 Porsche 911 GT3

  When you think about it, the unrivaled longevity of the 911 plays a major part in the GOAT debate. Not only was Porsche's flagship sports car really good in the late 60's, it is still the best sports car in the world 50 years later in 2021. Although the GT2RS, Turbo, or Carrera could each claim, with reasonable credibility,  to be the best 911 of the 21'st century, the GT3 probably has the most weight to its case. The 4L Flat-6 engine propels the GT3 around a track like few other sports cars can compete with. Sure, the modern 911 isn't cheap, but, at $163K, you get performance usually featured exclusively on much pricier options such as the Lamborghini Huracan PF or McLaren 720S. 

Contender: Honda Civic Type-R

Many people, after reading about 5 (rather pricey) sports cars, will probably think something like: "Yes, those cars are great, but you would expect them to be, as they cost loads. Show me some great cars that I can buy". Well, here you go: the Civic Type-R, a $37K car that is just as fun as pretty much anything out there. Like the NSX above, the Type-R is a really enjoyable car that makes more expensive options look bad. Speaking of looks, the Type-R looks absolutely mean in that pearl blue. However, you rarely find a truly great car that is not innovative in any way. The Ferrari 308 was the first driver's car. The Tesla Model S was the first mainstream electric car. The NSX was the first time you could buy a legitimate supercar for less than 6 figures. The Civic Type-R, on the other hand, is the first time a Rear-Wheel-Drive (RWD) car could compete with All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) cars on the track, or even just on a straight. That is why I put the Civic here; It doesn't often find itself in the GOAT debates, but I think it doesn't deserve to be overlooked.

Contender: 2012 Tesla Model S

It was 2012, and people were driving around in Chevy Cruzes, Kia Optimas, and Toyota Matrixes. It was a boring time to be an auto enthusiast, to put it plainly. Many of the interesting companies (Hummer, Saturn) had gone out of business, and some of the most exciting models had also folded. The most interesting sports car at the time, for crying out loud, was a Ferrari hatchback. However, on June 22, Elon Musk and Co. introduced the most innovative car since the original car, the Benz Motor-Wagen. It was, as I'm sure you know, an electric car. It was also, like, really quick. 9 years later, the quickest car in the world is still a Model S. Tesla set up charging stations all over the California, then the USA, then over the whole globe. It immediately won numerous major awards, such as Motor Trend's Car Of The Year, of which it was the first unanimous winner. Although the S has had its price increase over the years, it is still a mainstream vehicle, and it is recognized to be the first electric car that was within reach of the public. Even though the concept of an electric car was crazy at the time, the Model S was still very usable, and yes, normal enough to be practical. Attached to the dash is arguably the centerpiece of the car, a 17-inch touchscreen, which controls more or less everything in the car, from the Media Player to the Climate Control, with some videogames for good measure. To make a long story short, the 2012 Model S is a thoroughly phenomenal car, and it paved the way for the future. If you want to call the Model S the greatest car of all time, I will not give you a hard time.

   G.O.A.T:  mClAREN f1

If I had to describe the mighty F1 in one phrase, I would go with: "Ahead of its time". Some context:

It was 1993, and Bruce McLaren sat in his office, fresh off yet another Grand Prix win. He had had enough of racing. He craved another challenge, and since he was already in the auto industry, he decided to create an automaker, named, of all things, McLaren. No one expected his first car to be great, but he had learned a thing or two by that point about great cars, and knew exactly what he wanted. His first move was to hire world-class designer Gordon Murray to pen an aerodynamic figure, then he bought a factory to build his supercar. He wanted it to be light, and he obsessed over the F1's diet: no audio system, and the seats weighed only 15 lbs each. Looking at the car, it is clear that Murray succeeded: the F1 is one of the most gorgeous cars ever. Looking at the performance specs, it seems that Bruce McLaren's fixation on weight and aerodynamics payed off: the F1 hit 243 mph. Yes, 243 mph. You need to understand: This was 30 years ago. 

   Maybe now you are seeing why the F1 is the greatest: It is the best looking car of all time, it was the fastest car in the world for more than a decade, it is the best handling car of all time, it is the most disruptive car of all time, and it is the most innovative car of all time. The fact that Bruce McLaren's first ever attempt at a car was this good just adds to the legend. To be frank, I do not expect the F1 to be surpassed any time soon. As cars electrify, add tech, and, ultimately, lose passion, the McLaren F1 will just become even more legendary. 

Conclusion:

   Although some of the contenders make a stronger case than others, they are all going down on history as the best of the best, the highlights of their respective eras. The early-to-mid 70’s are remembered as the birth of an epic rivalry between Ferrari, Porsche, and Lamborghini, a battle that lives on to this day. The 80’s are remembered for, not supercars, normal cars. The likes of the Honda Accord, VW Golf GTi, and Mazda Miata were all crushing it, and it paved the way for automakers to make “average” cars enjoyable. The 90’s, however, are considered the “golden age” of cars, as the McLaren F1, Honda NSX, Acura Integra, Ferrari Enzo, and Ferrari Testarossa all became widely accepted as some of the greatest sports cars of all time. Capped with the last 20 years, we have seen some truly amazing cars, such as the hybrid trio of the P1, LaFerrari, and 918, and the Tesla takeover. Man, we have really seen some awesome cars over the years, and there is no reason to believe we have seen the last. The future is bright, (Albeit quiet) as evidenced by some of the notable 2022 cars, like the Ford Bronco, Tesla Roadster, Porsche Taycan, and yes, the Kia Telluride. Gotcha.

25 HONorable mentions:

McLaren P1, Porsche 918, Ferrari LaFerrari, Acura Integra Type-R, McLaren 720S, Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang GT500, Mazda Miata, Honda Accord, VW Golf GTI, Ferrari F40, Lamborghini Miura, Lamborghini Huracan PF, Tesla Model 3 PF, Bugatti Veyron, Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, Land Rover Defender, Ferrari Enzo, Mercedes SLR McLaren, Ford GT, Porsche Carrera GT, Ferrari 458 Italia, McLaren 600LT, Kia Telluride, Bentley Continental, Honda S2000.