Which (if any) newer supercar company will achieve the reputation and recognition of longtime marques like Ferrari and Lambo?
Chris Paukert
The supercar business is a tough game, and the road to glory has been littered with some pretty serious names and vehicles. Brands like Ferrari and Lamborghini have stood the test of time. Over the last 10 years or so, however, a number of high-profile brands have emerged to make a run at the establishment. But will brands like Spyker, Koeniggsegg, or Pagani ever prosper enough to the point where they can be mentioned in the same breath with Enzo and Ferrucio, or will they end up being fringe players and has-beens?
Which newbie has the best shot at supercar immortality?
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Steven J. Ewing
I think Koenigsegg has a pretty good shot. From where I sit, anyway, it seems like Koenigsegg gets more media attention, thus making it easier to stick in the minds of enthusiasts.
I don't think Ferrari or Lamborghini will ever be taken out of the top placements, though.
Reilly Brennan
I think Koenigsegg might, but they need racing heritage to become a classic marque. Otherwise I'd say Tesla, if they continue to build cars and get into racing in the future.
Steve
Tough question. Can't say that I see any of them really getting there anytime soon. If you walk down the street, any Joe Q. Public you run into knows who Ferrari and Lambo are... Koenig? Tesla? Pagani? Not so much...
Pagani builds a product to rival Lambo, certainly... and they are probably the most likely of the group to earn their way out of the haze... Koenig, Spyker, and Saleen are much more boutique builders, and I think they'll stay that way.
I see Bugatti having that sort of name recognition if they expand the brand... But of the current players, that's the only one that I see ever going truly mainstream.
Tom Martin
If the question is about John Q. Public, I think Aston is the brand on the bubble. They ran an ad today in the Wall Street Journal touting their LeMans and Nurburgring 24 Hr wins. Pagani, good though the cars are, will never do that. Or be in a Bond film.
Ducati Minor
Aston isn't a newer brand--it's older than either Lambo or Ferrari.
I disagree with the use of the word "supercar"; that aside, I think Saleen has a shot. The S7 is one of the fastest exotic cars in the world, and the twin-turbo Ford V-8 puts out astonishing numbers. Saleen has new supercar projects on the horizon , so I have some faith in it. I don't know if Saleen will become another De Tomaso or if it'll become the Shelby of this generation. Alejandro de Tomaso built himself the automotive equivalent of Tamerlane's Tatar Empire. At its peak, the de Tomaso name held weight in Italian business. What do you hear about it now?
tbmshark
I think the workmanship, quality, and engineering that Pagani has shown is unmatched. From what I've read they make the best driving cars of any of these smaller brands, which puts them in a league with Ferrari. However Paganis are also at least as outrageous/cool/sexy as any car Lambo makes today. Hopefully Horacio Pagani will eventually show some business savy and make two moves. First go slightly downmarket with a second model line into Gallardo/F430 land and second sell cars in America. If they can come close to rivaling Ferrari and Lambo in volume, profit, etc. they'll be just as estabilished since there's no doubt in my mind their product has the quality, cachet, sexiness, and engineering to suceed in this market.
highcalamity
Pagani are already established as a future classic - just look at the residual values compared to other supercar/ hypercar marques. They are also better built and more reliable than any Ferrari, and have arguably the best chassis and handling on the market. As an ownership proposition they are unrivalled, and I would say they have already established their reputation.
Anonymous
I think Pagani will eventually be as popular as Ferrari simply because they are doing what Lamborghini became known for: they are outrageous looking cars that get people's attention. I've read that the Lamborghini Countach is awful to drive, but people bought it and it is a classic because it went fast in a strait line and attracted attention. The Pagani Zonda is just as outrageous as the Countach, and because it is better made and better to drive means it will someday be a classic and will be mentioned in the same sentence as Ferrari.
Ducati Minor
I think the problem with that is how Lambo turned out. Ferruccio Lamborghini never brough his cars into racing, so there is no pedigree. Lamborghini then sold his firm in the early 1970s at the time of the Countach launch. What folks forget is that the Countach struggled in its first years with the gas crisis turning exotics out of fashion. The Lambo firm then bounced from owner to owner.
I mentioned Tomaso. His firm achieved more than Lamborghini's automobile branch, but Tomaso is a forgotten name today thanks to poor business decisions. Horacio Pagani could end up going the same way. The Zonda has been all the brand's offered. Unless Pagani brings out something fresh, I see it losing steam.
Anonymous
Given their racing heritage, the historic F1, and the new F430 competitor on it's way, I think McLaren easily has the best shot at being mentioned in the same breath as Ferrari and Lamborghini. Their cars don't seem to have that small cottage-builder feel that many of the other contenders do. They also have the in-house engineeering capability to be a real rival to Ferrari. They do need their own engine, however. Their unique engines are what have defined Ferrari and Lambo (and even Porsche) as brands.
The other question is, will they have that exotic, flashy edge to rival the Italians, or will they be more of a Porsche competitor with brilliantly engineered, but subdued designs. Koenigsegg and Pagani seem like great cars and they certainly are exotic, but they lack both unique engines AND racing heritage. You need at least one or the other to be a real contender.
GLK
Ferrari only made it this far because of Fiat money. Lambo has been through a litany of owners with very spotty success. Each are brands that inbued their owners with a certain cache of style and elitism, but for a small car company to achieve that is a one in a million shot. There simply won't be room for any more players unless Ferrari and/or Lamborghini misread how future generations define a so-called Supercar. A mis-step could pave the way for a technology driven company such as McLaren or perhaps Lotus to gain a foothold. In my opinion neither Pagani, Koenig, Spyker, or Saleen (to name a few) seem headed in the right direction.