Top 10 best Ferrari: Our favorite thoroughbreds from Italy’s most famous stable

Best Ferrari is hard to say exactly what it takes to be considered the absolute best in the automobile world. Whatever it is, many car fans would argue until they’re red in the face that Ferrari has had a lock on this title for decades.

Price, performance, rarity and racing pedigree are all key factors to the Italian automaker’s storied history. It doesn’t hurt matters that Ferrari has also created some of the most stunning automotive shapes of all time – sometimes with a little help from outside designers.

While many challenges have come and gone, Ferrari has maintained a legacy that is unsurpassed. We’ve picked ten of our favorites, the finest examples from the Scuderia that Enzo Ferrari began so many years ago. Read more: Ferrari 488 Track: the successor of 458 Speciale is here

Best Ferrari: 250 GTO

It is quite possibly the finest example of a Ferrari that has ever existed. Built for racing, the Gran Turismo Omologato (GTO) competition cars became legends thanks to drivers such as Phil Hill and Stirling Moss. The 12-cylinder 3.0-liter engine saw a power output around 290 to 300-horsepower (each car was slightly different) and could reach a breathtaking speed of 170mph. Only 39 were ever built and potential owners had to be approved by Enzo himself. The racing pedigree, its rarity, and deep roots in the heart of Ferrari lore make this one of the most valuable collectible cars to date. If Enzo approved, a new one could be yours for around $19,000. Today? You’d need more than $50 million!

Best Ferrari: F40

The F40’s combination of speed, power, and design is what all subsequent supercars hope to match. Built in celebration of the company’s 40th anniversary, this was the last car Enzo Ferrari would personally oversee before passing away in 1988. Much like the F60 Enzo that would follow, the F40 represented the pinnacle of Ferrari design and engineering at the time. The twin-turbo 2.9-liter 8-cylinder engine produced a screaming 478-horsepower, and the F40’s bare-bones, driver-assist-free design meant this was a car for the brave. To save weight, there was no radio, no carpets, the windows were hand-crank units, and the door handles were nothing more than flimsy rubber-coated cords. The F40 was about one thing: performance! Keep reading http://carrepro.org/

Best Ferrari: 308 GTS

Like it or not, the lithe and lovely Ferrari 308 will forever be associated with Tom Selleck, unbuttoned Hawaiian print shirts, and the 1980’s hit show “Magnum, P.I.” This mid-engine, V-8-powered Ferrari emblazoned itself in the hearts of car fans across the U.S. by stealing the spotlight from the show’s mustached hero. The 2.9-liter 8-cylinder engine was capable of around 255-horsepower (240-hp in U.S.-spec). The 308’s ultimate performance may not be anything to brag about by today’s standards but, at the time, this Pininfarina-styled 2-seater was a supercar superstar.

Best Ferrari: Testarossa

The 80’s was an era of excess, so a 12-cylinder Ferrari that was wider, longer, and a whole lot brasher was perfect for the era’s Wall Street go-getters who wanted something stunning. The twin side-mounted radiators for this mid-engine behemoth allowed for the aerodynamic design to be extremely efficient in diffusing air around the back wheels. The 4.9-liter 12-cylinder engine in the 512TR refresh in the early 90’s produced 428-horsepower, and a claimed sub-5.0 second zero to 60 mph time. The 512TR saw other improvements in the steering and handling, which helped give the driver better control over the car than they probably had over their hedge funds.

Best Ferrari: F430 Scuderia

The F430 remains the best-selling Ferrari road car ever built. More Ferraris is always a good thing, but that’s not the only reason the F430 makes this list. The Scuderia version, in particular, is the finest example of the F430, looking a little sharper and tuned to be a little more serious than the standard model. The car’s Formula 1 developed E-diff electronic differential and traction control systems, combined with the screaming 503-horsepower 4.3-liter 8-cylinder engine, make this a fantastic track toy that can still be enjoyed on public roads.

Best Ferrari: 365 GTB “Daytona”

Here’s an Italian grand tourer nicknamed after a place in…Florida? Around the same time that the Lamborghini Miura was making a splash in the world of supercars, Ferrari was sticking to what they do best: making beautiful, front-engine GT’s that have the power to back up their sublime style. Officially known as the 365 GTB/4, the Daytona was so named due to Ferrari’s lock on the podium at the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race. The 4.4-liter 12-cylinder engine under the sweeping hood of the Daytona was capable of an impressive 352 horsepower and became a much sought-after sports car for Europeans and Americans alike.

Best Ferrari: 458 Italia

A new car is expected to be slightly improved over the model it replaces, but the 458 Italia skyrocketed up the evolutionary ladder. The car it replaced, the F430, offered up 480-horsepower for the driver to play with. The 4.5 liter 8-cylinder in the 458 Italia promised 562-horsepower of tire-shredding excitement. As one of the most sophisticated Ferraris to date, no manual transmission is offered. What you get instead is a 7-speed double-clutch transmission operated by paddle shifters. The car’s high-tech aerodynamics feature small front winglets that deform at high speed, to help cut drag and boost top speed.

Best Ferrari: F60 Enzo

The start of the new millennium ushered in an unprecedented era for Ferrari. While Michael Schumacher had begun rewriting racing history from the cockpit of one of their Formula 1 cars, a new road car was being developed that would feature the best technology Ferrari had to offer. The result was a car so good, it was named after “il Commendatore” (Enzo Ferrari) himself. The F60’s 6-liter 12-cylinder engine produced 660-horsepower and sat longitudinally behind the cockpit. Form followed function in the design of the Enzo, as every F1-inspired line was drawn for maximum aerodynamic efficiency. A zero to 60 times of 3.4 seconds, along with a top speed of over 215 mph, set new standards in supercar performance.

Best Ferrari: F12 Berlinetta

The latest is indeed the greatest in regards to Ferrari’s newest GT car, the F12 Berlinetta. The culmination of aerodynamic lessons learned through years has resulted in a sculpted design that channels air throughout the body, giving the F12 a slippery shape that doesn’t need gaudy wings or over-sized spoilers. The long hood houses a 6.3-liter 12-cylinder engine, which delivers a staggering 730-horsepower. The result is a front-engine Ferrari GT that sprints from zero to 60 mph in roughly 3.0 seconds flat. According to Ferrari, the F12 Berlinetta laps the company’s private Fiorano test track a full two seconds faster than the legendary Enzo. Continue reading Filtered out! Before you, the Ferrari 488 “Sports Speciale”: the most radical and powerful eight-cylinder Ferrari?

Best Ferrari: Dino 246

Enzo Ferrari was in the business of making race cars, not road cars. The company that we know today was started only to fund the racing team. When Formula 2 regulations required vehicles to be based on an existing V6-powered car, the “Dino” line was born. Named in honor of his late son, Alfredo “Dino” Ferrari, the nameplate made Ferrari ownership more accessible but no less enjoyable. Interestingly, Dino sports cars were never, ever badged as Ferraris – though many owners have fitted Ferrari badges to their cars over the years. Dinos were also the first road-going Ferraris to feature a mid-engine layout, and the 246 variant, with its 195-horsepower 2.4-liter 6-cylinder engine, was the most prolific.