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| Hennessey Venom GT |
Texas-based Hennessey Performance is a company that specializes in "making fast cars faster," according to the company's motto.
Most of the cars Hennessey sells are highly modified versions of well-known cars such as the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger. The idea for the Venom GT came as company founder John Hennessey wondered what to do to top his ultra-high performance version of the Dodge Viper, a car that was already faster than a Bugatti Veyron.
The 1,244 horsepower Venom GT's body is taken from the Lotus Exige. Beyond that not much remains of the donor car. The 7.0-liter V8 engine, transmission and cooling are pretty much all new, according to Hennessey.
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| Koenigsegg Agera R |
You've heard of Lamborghini and Ferrari. You've even heard of even heard of Lamborghini's seven-figure cousin, the Bugatti. (Both are part of the Volkswagen Group.)
But, for those looking for something their neighbors don't already have, there are a number of lesser known supercar makers out there peddling products that are even more exotic.
Swedish automaker Kooenigsegg, for instance, offers the Agera R, a car that squeezes 1,140 horsepower out of a 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8.
Koenigsegg only produces about 15 cars a year. For regulatory reasons, the Agera R may not continue to be sold in the U.S. after this year but buyers can still get one if they order soon, according to Koenigsegg.
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| Pagani Huayra |
The Huayra, pronounced "why-rah," is named after the ancient Andean wind god Aymara Huayra Tata. It's powered by a 6-liter twin-turbocharged 12-cylinder engine produced by the AMG division of Mercedes-Benz. Much of the car's structure, particularly the area around the driver, is made from a strong, lightweight and very expensive material called carbon-titanium
Based in Italy, Pagani's entry into the United States was delayed by a regulatory squabble over the car's airbags. That issue has been worked out and cars will be delivered here next year, said Brett David of Prestige Imports, which sells Paganis in South Florida.
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| Shelby GT40 |
You've probably heard of the Ford GT sports car, which was produced for only the 2005 and 2006 model years. You may also have of the Ford GT40 racecar it was based on, which raced and won -- a lot -- in the early 1960s.
This is the Shelby GT40 built by Shelby American Inc. Carroll Shelby helped create the original GT40 and the Shelby GT40 is a faithful reproduction. Over two thirds of the parts in this car are interchangeable with an original Ford GT40 racecar.
The Shelby GT40 stays close to its racecar heritage. That means it doesn't come with airbags, or stability control, or anti-lock brakes, or basically any of the standard safety equipment required on modern cars.
So how is this car street legal, while the million-dollar Pagani's and and Koenigsegg's in this gallery got hung up over the type of airbags they use?
The answer is that with the Shelby, you're not technically buying a "car." You purchase the body separately from the engine and transmission and pay separate fee for assembly.
While Shelby will only make 85 of these, essentially the same car is available, minus the Shelby name, as the Superformance GT40. Either way, drive at your own risk.
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| Zenvo ST1 50S |
It is highly unlikely, to put it mildly, that you will ever see a Zenvo ST1 50S on the streets. Only three will be made for the United States, for a total of 15 cars worldwide.
The Danish-built 50S is designed specifically for the United States and it's slightly different from the 12 other ST1's that will sold in other parts of the world.
One 50S has been bought in the United States. But it was immediately shipped off to China, said Bobby Kahn New Jersey's Empirio Motor Group, Zenvo's sole U.S. dealer.
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| McLaren MP4-12C Spider |
Base price: $265,750
The McLaren isn't quite in the same league as other cars in this gallery. It's much lower in price and horsepower than the others and produced in higher volumes. In any other, context, however, this would be a fast, rare, and expensive car.
The McLaren MP4 is powered by a rather small 3.8-liter V8 producing "just" 592 horsepower. McLaren expects to sell as many as 600 cars a year in the U.S, including both the coupe and the drop-top Spider, shown here.
McLaren's goal was never to produce an outrageously expensive and intimidating supercar but an "ultimate sports car" that could be comfortably driven on a daily basis.
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