Spoiler alert! | Six of the Best
Like the new Manthey kit? Here are half a dozen other cars that give you wings...
Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, 2021, 2k, £369,995
You’ll no doubt have seen Manthey’s latest take on the Porsche 911 GT3 RS by now. Even those that didn’t want to pay it attention are almost compelled to by the sheer outrageousness of it. Yes, it’s a lot of money, and, yes, replacing the windscreen with a carbon fibre panel might get annoying, but it’s hard not to be impressed by such a wild overhaul - one that retains the warranty, don’t forget. So we thought it the perfect moment to celebrate truly outrageous apoilers, beginning with a car that aimed to topple Porsche’s dominance of the Nurburgring - the AMG GT Black Series. It succeeded in that ambition, too, setting a new record for ‘Sports Cars’ with a 6:48.047 at the hands of Maro Engel in November 2020. It was faster than a GT3 has gone, remains ahead of the current standard RS, and was only surpassed by a - you’ve guessed it - Manthey-fettled Porsche, this time a 991 GT2 RS. The Black Series you see here has hardly been driven, really, yet is said to benefit from an 850hp engine upgrade for your £370k. So as much as a super Porsche as well as equally quick, if not a little more so. And 911s don’t get V8s…
Ariel Atom 4, 2021, 7k, £89,995
It’s not just Porsche that makes it all too easy to spend a fortune on top of the RRP - Ariel is just as adept. And passing up on the extras would be just as difficult, too, given the options list features all the exciting stuff like a sequential gearbox, carbon wheels, Ohlins dampers - and the maddest bodykit you ever did see. It’s a familiar look for this Atom 4 as for the 4R we drove last year (which had very nearly its asking price again in add-ons), with the aerofoil towering up above the centre-exit exhaust to almost roll cage height. Just in case an Atom wasn’t silly enough already. This one comes with an extremely healthy spec, in fact, including the £13k Quaife sequential, a 350hp power upgrade, AP Racing brakes and an abundance of carbon fibre. Which would explain the £90k asking price after a few thousand miles. But if ever there was a car to show up a leather-lined AMG as a proper road racer…
McLaren Senna, 2019, 27 miles, £1,190,000
If still not the prettiest McLaren ever made, the Senna is perfect for what we're talking about - just look at that spoiler. Contributing to a peak downforce figure for the Ultimate Series McLaren of 800kg at 155mph, the rear spoiler was extreme even by McLaren standards; the airbrakes seen elsewhere in the range began to look a little timid by comparison. Which, of everything said about the Senna, is one thing it’s most certainly not. Unapologetically focused on going as fast as an 800hp V8 will take it around the track, the wild addenda of the Senna is at least fitting for its purpose. This example, number 116 of the 500, sports visible carbon bodywork for even more impact. It’s been with its second owner since a month old, in which time it’s covered 27 miles. So if now’s the time for a brand new Senna…
Subaru Impreza WRX STI, 2005, 76k, PH Auction
Obviously we had to feature a Japanese performance icon of some kind, because from Accord Type R to GT86 Aero, there have been some truly spectacular spoilers over the years. Subaru can always be relied on for a properly punchy visual makeover, and there was never any danger of confusing an STI-badged car for a humbler model; even a Forester would be generously endowed with gold wheels, a bonnet scoop and a roof spoiler. But it’ll always be the Impreza most famously associated with STI, particularly the four-door cars of the early '00s (because actually a lot of the 20th-century Subarus were quite subtle). This Japanese market example, coming to PH Auctions very soon, is the perfect example, complete with a towering rear wing, roof vortices, and a second spoiler for good measure - plus a scoop of course to swallow up cold winter air. It boasts KW coilovers, an extensive history, and an MOT to September.
Ford Sierra RS Cosworth RS500, 1987, 27k, £150,000
Both Sierra and Escort, in full Cossie costume, can claim to be among the most instantly recognisable three-door shapes ever, thanks in part to their incredible rear wing treatments. Ultimately we’ve decided to plump for RS500, because any opportunity to fawn over Ford’s legendary touring car is to be seized upon. You’ll know the homologation story already, so let’s focus on the detail of this one, RS500 number 039. Bought by its most recent owner in 1996, it has been used extremely sparingly this century - covering just 2,000 miles since 1999. Nevertheless, it was recommissioned last year after a period in dry storage, with a host of perishable items renewed, fluids replaced and plenty more besides, which the Sierra looks brilliant for. It’s even been recently serviced, so it’s ready to rock and roll for whoever buys the Cossie next. Perhaps when winter’s gone, though, to be sure. It’s worth rather more now than it was in 1996…
Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32), 1989, 30 miles since rebuild, £124,950
While we were keen not to swerve away from OEM stuff (because anyone can stick some scaffolding on their boot lid), this Skyline was too berserk to ignore. Because there are modified Nissan GT-Rs, and then there are modified Nissan GT-Rs. This one is claimed to be nothing less than Britain’s fastest road-legal R32 GT-R - it certainly looks like it. The spoiler is OTT to the point of OMFG, like no other we’ve seen on this era of Skyline, complete with a front splitter fit for a Bosozuku cruise. And the spec reads like a very serious Skyline indeed, now 3.0 litres and with a host of custom internals including the crank and the rods. There’s a six-speed sequential fitted as well. Once a race car and now restored to ultimate track car spec over the past couple of years, this GT-R promises off-the-scale exhilaration. And a spoiler to dry the washing on.
The RS500 debate will never end since there are genuinely people out there willing to pay £150k and up for an old (but well loved ) dog of a car in comparison.
Six of the best Spoilers certainly throws up a very mixed bag of cars PH, well done on creating another talking point thread...
AMG or the McLaren for me, it's a shame these cars haven't really been used as intended and will sit in collections, would be nice to be able to buy them to use and not worry about their value.
I'd have any one of them, apart from the Senna. That does nothing for me.
But the AMG looks absolutely nuts. Must sound insane too with the upgrades.
Atom would be so much fun. I've had a drive in a 300bhp supercharged Atom and it was just smiles.
The Cossie and Subaru just had to be there.
GTR looks, erm, challenging. But yea wouldn't mind it.
Just not mega wealthy enough to spend several hundred thousand on cars.
The clever bit is getting the most enjoyment out of a more limited budget, anyone can achieve motoring nirvana with ten million in the bank !
king spoiler!
That Mercedes AMG though… ooof.
The AMG GT is my favourite too!
Just not mega wealthy enough to spend several hundred thousand on cars.
The clever bit is getting the most enjoyment out of a more limited budget, anyone can achieve motoring nirvana with ten million in the bank !
I would absolutely love to have the money to buy that AMG GT though for sure.
The spec of the car might be impressive, albeit not my taste, but this really does look like scaffolding and an ironing board. It doesn’t look evenly vaguely ‘right’ for what a wing is supposed to do.
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