5 Race Cars that are More than Just Fast

Even though we mostly look at production models and discuss what your next car buying experience might bring you, it’s fun to check out some awesome racing machines from time to time.  One reason is some of the best technology aboard your daily driver probably was at one time or another put inside a race car in order to give it some form of an advantage.  Another reason to take a look at race cars is because they are race cars.  These cars are built to go as fast as possible and have a ton of science and engineering aboard as well as a beautiful look to them that simply gets that engine inside of you going with the dream of one day driving one of these speed demons yourself.

1967 Ferrari 330 P4

The 330 P4 was built low to the ground, offered a sleek style and even had the right features to be changed to a street legal machine with only a couple tweaks.  As one of the most beautiful race cars ever built, this car has interesting features at every angle from the wind cutting wings up front to provide lateral downforce to the large rounded fenders and all the way back to the rear of the cabin and beyond, Ferrari made an awesome racer.  This awesome ride carried in a 4.0-liter V12 engine with three valves per cylinder, producing 450 horsepower.  This car was part of the sweep Ferrari made at the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona, making a grand name for itself.

Jordan 191

This chassis was used in Formula 1 and was unfortunately disbanded but is the chassis which gave Michael Schumacher his start in Formula 1 racing.  For team 7UP, this was an amazing car and the paint scheme used has been called the most attractive ever applied to a Formula 1 car.

1965 Summers Brothers Goldenrod

The purpose of this car was to achieve the land speed record and this vehicle has its own version of beauty.  Looking more like a rocket that has been placed on its side, the Goldenrod had been tested in wind tunnels at Caltech in order to achieve one of the lowest drag coefficients ever.  This car which was powered by four Chrysler Hemi engines which gave it 2400 horsepower held the land speed wheel-driven record from 1965 until 1991.

1962 Lesovsky Roadster

As one of the last roadsters to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in 1962 this car got to run the race only one time due to the move toward rear-engine driven cars that would come starting in the following year.  Even so, the blue paint, large wheels and gold and white trimmings give this car a look that was one of the most attractive to ever make its way to the Brickyard for a run.  This car represents that end of an era as Indy had been ruled by roadsters throughout the 1950s that were the envy of the rest of the racing world.

1977 Porsche 936

This was a stop-gap car that fit right between the 917 and the 952/956.  This car had only three chassis built but all three were so amazing they each won at Le Mans once over a period of only five years.  With the bodywork attached this car shows off low and sleek with an inverted wing in the rear that was developed by an aerospace company.  the curves and smooth feel of the car have led to some of the movements in designs at Porsche which continues to be the leader in the sports car world with their dynamic designs and perfectly engineered rides.

We’ll be adding five more to the list in the future. For now, these five will keep you thinking, wishing, and dreaming of faster times.