REVIEWED: "The Little Book Of Fast Cars"

REVIEWED: “The Little Book Of Fast Cars”

Author Philip Raby compiles stats, photos and summaries of 60 of the world's fastest and most desirable automobiles.

Gregg Leary | Posted December 14, 2010 Charlotte, NC

Take a ride with author Philip Raby in some of the fastest cars in the world. (Illustration: SPEED)

The Little Book of Fast Cars is a rapid read. Sixty sexy, speedy supercars are summarized. They cover most of the alphabet from the Aston Martin DB5 to the Vector WX-3.

The two-page profiles typically include a pair of photographs, a “How to Spot” guide and a Specification Section that includes engine capacity, number of cylinders, compression ratio, maximum power, maximum torque, gearbox, length, width, weight, 0-60 mph time and maximum speed.

Vehicles profiled include Aston Martin DB9, Audi Quattro, Bentley Continental GT, BMW M1, Bugatti Veyron 16.4, Caterham Seven CSR260, Chevrolet Corvette Z06, DeTomaso Pantera, De Lorean DMC-12, Dodge Viper SRT10, Ferrari 250 GTO, Ferrari F40, Ferrari Enzo, Ford GT40, Ford GT, Honda NSX, Jaguar XJ220, Lamborghini Miura, Lotus Esprit V8, Maserati Bora, McLaren F1, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, MG Metro 6R4, Mini Cooper S Works, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX, Morgan Aero Eight, Nissan 350Z, Noble M400, Pagani Zonda C12 F, Panoz Esperante, Porsche Carrera GT, Subaru Impreza WRX STi, Vector WX-3.

The Little Book of Fast Cars contains many gems. Some examples:

“By 1901 Daimler had produced a 60HP Mercedes that was capable of 60 MPH and is now considered to have been the world’s first sports car.”

“By the 1980s, the race was on to produce a 200 mph sports car, and in 1987 Ferrari’s F40 hit 201 MPH and the magical figure was finally broken.”

The McLaren F1 of 1993 could reach a then-unheard of speed of 240 mph.

The Bugatti Veyron has 1,000 horsepower and a top speed of 253 mph. It can accelerate from 0-60 MPH in 2.9 seconds.

James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 “came with many unique extras, including front and rear rams, machine guns, tyre slashers, bullet-proof screen, radar and telephone, smoke screen, revolving numberplates and – not least – a passenger ejector seat. Of course, ‘real’ DB5’s didn’t have such exotic accessories and, even putting aside the Bond connection, it was a seriously good-looking car with breathtaking performance for its time.”

How to spot: Smooth two-door coupe with headlamps behind streamlined plastic cowls. Long rear overhang and traditional Aston Martin grille and side strakes.

Specification: Capacity: 3,995 cc; Cylinders: straight-six; Compression Ratio: 8.0:1; Maximum Power: 282 bhp at 5,500 rpm; Gearbox: Five-speed manual; Length: 4,572 mm; Width: 1,676mm; Weight: 1,564 kg; 0-60 mph: 8.6 seconds; Maximum speed: 142mph.

“There are supercars and there is the Bugatti Veyron 16.4. The top speed of the Veyron was limited – if that’s the right word – to 253 mph because the tyres were not considered capable of faster speeds.”

“The Caterham Seven CSR260 gave crazy performance, with a top speed of 155 mph and a 0-60 mph time of just 3.1 seconds. This made it one of the world’s fastest accelerating cars, beating even the McLaren F1 and only a fraction behind the Bugatti Veyron, which cost more than 20 times the price of the little Caterham!”

“The DeLorean was guaranteed immortality after appearing in the “Back to the Future” films of the 1980s. Let’s face it, what other car travels in time once it reaches 88 mph?” (The DeLorean lists a maximum speed of 110 mph with its 130 horsepower V6 engine.)

“The Ford was named GT40 because it stood just 40-inches high.”

The 1966 Jensen FF was the first sports car with four-wheel-drive. It predated the Audi Quattro by 11 years.

“Some cars are so silly you just have to love them. And the MG Metro 6R4 is right up there with the best. Surely only a British company could have the audacity to turn a mundane town car into an outrageous rally beast.”

“With sparkling performance, leech-like handling, cheeky looks and a well-appointed, comfortable interior; all at a sensible price. What more could you want? The MINI Cooper S Works really was an affordable supercar.”

Author Philip Raby’s sense of humor is apparent in much of his writing. One of my favorite passages defines the Morgan Aero Eight: “Perhaps the strangest thing about the Aero 8’s appearance were its headlamps, which were swept back but also appeared to point inwards, giving the car a cross-eyed look.”

The Little Book of Fast Cars is big fun and rates three out of five lug nuts. It may be purchased at SPEED.com. Click on STORE.