The motorsport industry is packed full of adrenaline-fuelled races, from Formula 1 to the hair-raising antics of rallying. Car manufacturers battle throughout the year across different race series to produce the best cars, and there are some models that just stand out more than the rest.
These are the iconic cars that are instantly recognisable, both by the petrolhead enthusiasts and even by the layperson, too. They are the cars that could be considered untouchable in the races that they enter, with drivers who can not only control these superpowered beasts, but that can use their knowledge to win repeatedly.
Motorsport has a rich and interesting history stretching back to the genesis of the motorised vehicle, and it permeates our society in different ways – from dreaming of owning the latest model of a famous race car to simply betting on who is going to win the Formula 1 at Silverstone using the best online provider at bonusfinder.com.
In this article, we will take a quick look at some of the best race series in the motorsport world, and then check out the iconic machines that make these races so impressive.
A snapshot of the motorsport industry
Some of the biggest races take place on tracks, while others use normal roads or even tracks that take in off-road challenges. Below are some of the best-known race series for several types of race cars.
Single Seat:
- FIA Formula 1 World Championship
- NTT IndyCar Series
Closed Cockpit:
- FIA World Endurance Championship
- FIA European Endurance Championship
- DTM Series
- Nürburgring Endurance Series
- NASCAR Cup Series
- British Touring Car Championship
Off-Road Racing:
- FIA World Rally Championship
- FIA European rally Championship
- FIA Historic Rally Championship
Other Series:
- NHRA Championship Drag Racing Series
- Formula Drift
- Speedway
- Hillclimb
Five of the best racing cars of all time
If you ask ten motorsport fans what their favourite race car of all time is, you are likely to get ten different answers. However, there are some ways that you can try and narrow down the best cars in the industry, and these tend to be the ones that have outclassed all the other cars in their championship, the cars that have repeatedly won races and titles, and the ones that have stood the test of time and are still considered to be fearsome competitors even when pitted against the hypercar monstrosities that are on the tracks today.
Porsche 956
Porsche has long been one of the top names in car manufacturing. Creating both road cars and race cars with an iconic look, it was the Porsche 956 that really set the standard for racing. Between 1981 and 1987 Porsche was the only manufacturer to win Le Mans, and they also won the World Sportscar Championship between 1982 and 1986.
The 2.56l flat six turbocharged engine produced as much power as the engines found in today’s hyper cars – and let’s face it, the 956 is an absolute icon in every single way.
Audi R8
Twenty-odd years later, and it is Audi that is dominating the racing scene. The 2000s was the time for Audi to shine with their 3.6l V8 that dominated Le Mans. This was the first car to use Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) as well as a few other revolutionary design features to create a streamlined package that was virtually unbeatable.
The road car version of this racing behemoth is on the bucket list for many petrolheads.
Nissan Skyline GT-R R32
More than just a car driven in Fast & Furious, the Nissan Skyline was so dominant in the Japanese Touring Car Championship that it won 29 out of 29 races between 1989 and 1993.
280HP with turbocharged multipoint fuel injection, an a 2.6l inline six engine with all-wheel drive – this car was an early ‘90s style icon and represented the very best of Japanese invention and technology in an admittedly cool looking package.
This car was so dominating on the circuit that it earned the nickname Godzilla for those four years.
McLaren M8
Maclaren may be best known for their Formula 1 cars, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know their way around a road car.
In the US, Maclaren was the manufacturer to beat in the Can-Am scene between 1939 and 1971, utilising their monster of a 7.0l Chevrolet V8 engine to beat all comers – and then they upped it to a whopping 8.0l in the M8F – a huge car that took all the titles and was the name to beat.
Toyota TS050
Headed back to the WEC and some more recent record-breaking drives, and we find the Toyota TSO50.
In 2017, this 2.4l V8 won 5 out o 9 races in the WEC, and then went on to win every race in the 2018-19 ‘Super Season’, including the Le Mans 24-hour race twice. This run of awesomeness continues in 2019-20, winning 6 out of 8 races and really cementing it as the beast to be beaten.
