Video: Eight road cars with racing engines

25th March 2021

Laura Thomson

So, you want a racing car, but don’t want to run two vehicles? How about a road racing car – no, no, not our own new namesake machine – but one that combines the very best of both worlds.

Race-engined road cars have existed for as long as racing has, with homologation specials and competition-derived models quite literally flying out of showrooms. But which have been the very best race-engined road cars? It’s a tough call, but one that luckily our team has plenty of expertise in…

Through much deliberation, we have narrowed it down to a mere handful. First, there is the Hemi-powered Plymouth Belvedere, then the Alfa Romeo Montreal’s 2.5-litre mechanically-injected, dry-sumped V8, derived from the Tipo 33 Sports Prototype.

Then there was the Ferrari F50, which featured a 4.7-litre V12 derived from both the Ferrari 641 and the 333 SP sportscar. And we can’t forget the Porsche 918 Spyder, which combined an enlarged version of the V8 from the Sebring-winning RS Spyder with a pair of axle-mounted electric motors.

There are plenty more besides, so if you’re in the market for a race-engined road car this video is a good place to start. But be warned, you may need to re-mortgage your kidneys…

Enjoyed the video? Read the full list here: The eight best road cars with racing engines