30 Obscure Supercars Many Car Fans Never Heard Of

9. TVR Speed 12

The British sports car company TVR was famous for producing a series of capable coupes and power roadsters, but never a proper supercar. However, in the late ‘90s, they decided to unveil the ultimate version of their popular Cerebra coupe they called the Speed 12.

The Speed 12 was a brutal and extremely powerful supercar, making it practically a race car for the street. It had a 7.7-liter V12 engine delivering around 1,000 HP but they never revealed the exact number. TVR designed the car primarily for racing. But, due to the change of rules, its racing career was short and unsuccessful.

10. Mitsuoka Orochi

One of the world’s most obscure supercars comes from Japan in the form of the Mitsuoka Orochi. It’s a groovy-looking two-seater with Lambo doors and a controversial design. The Mitsuoka Company was infamous for building restomoded cars they based on regular models. But in 2006, they decided to enter the supercar market with the highly-exclusive Orochi.

In fact, they named it after a mythical Japanese dragon with eight heads, which influenced the design of the car. They built the Orochi on a Honda NSX platform but powered it with a Toyota 3.3-liter V6 engine producing 240 HP. That may not sound impressive, but the Orochi is light and nimble, so the performance is satisfying, to say the least.

11. Lister Storm

Most people know the Lister Company as a racing outfit. They have prepared racing cars for a number of mainstream manufacturers including Jaguar, Maserati and Chevrolet. But in the mid-’90s, Lister decided to make their own supercar using a highly-tuned Jaguar V12 engine.

They called their new model the Storm and it featured a V12 engine producing 550 HP. The engine displaced 7.0-liters and was from a Le Mans racer. Lister made their own body featuring a wide track to accommodate its wide tires. Also, it came with lots of scoops and spoilers for better cooling and aerodynamics.

At the same time, Lister offered the Storm as a passenger car at almost $450,000 and as a racing version for private teams. However, despite producing some brutal power with 4.0 seconds to 60 mph and over 210 mph, only four customers ever ordered it.

12. Daur Porsche 962

If you ever wondered what it would be like to drive a Le Mans racing car, here is your answer. It is the crazy Daur 962 Le Mans. This car is the ultimate supercar they ever built. In fact, it’s so extreme and fast, it can put most of the latest, fastest supercars to shame. And that is despite the fact it is over 20 years old. In fact, the German company, Daur, built the 962 from 1993 to 1997.

This supercar is basically a race car with some trunk space and a license plate. Best of all, the Daur 962 produces 750 HP from its 3.0-liter turbocharged flat six engine. The performance figures were also crazy. The 0 to 60 mph acceleration time is a neck-breaking 2.8-seconds with top speeds of 251 mph. But, the problem with the 962 is that it’s too much for most drivers.

13. Iso Grifo 90

The legendary Iso Grifo from the ‘60s and early ‘70s left an everlasting mark on the industry. So, in 1990, Pietro Rivolta, the son of the founder, presented the Grifo 90 concept. They built it on a Corvette C4 chassis with a special new body designed by the renowned stylist, Marcello Gandini. Unfortunately, financial problems forced the cancelation of the project, so the Grifo 90 was forgotten.

This is a big shame since the Grifo 90 used a Corvette C4 ZR1 running gear and chassis. And that meant it had 405 horses under the hood to deliver some brutal performance numbers. The Iso Grifo body was even a bit lighter than the Corvette, which improved the car’s top speed.

14. Monteverdi Hai 450 SS

Monteverdi was a Swiss boutique car manufacturer that produced the Hai 450 SS supercar. When they presented it in 1970, it featured a fully new chassis and body. Also, it had the famous Hemi 426 V8 engine in the back.

Monteverdi wanted the most powerful engine Mopar had to offer and in 1970, that was the mighty Hemi. They named the car the “Hai,” which is a German word for shark.

15. Cizeta-Moroder V16T

When Cizeta-Moroder first introduced the V16T in 1988, it had the potential to become the next big thing in the world of supercars. The car had it all, a celebrity endorsement, an Italian background, famous constructors, an exotic name, and the latest technology. The main feature of this obscure beast was its monstrous V16 engine.

It consisted of two flat-plane crank V8 units they mounted transversely behind the cabin. The V16 engine had six liters of displacement and delivered 560 HP, which was a fantastic number for the late ’80s. The performance was equally impressive with a 0 to 60 mph acceleration time of just four seconds and a top speed of over 200 mph.

Even today, those numbers draw attention from the supercar crowd. The base list price was close to $300,000. However, they stopped the production at just 20 cars, which is why they are a rare sight today.

16. Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale

Despite the fact it is now irrelevant in the supercar class, in the late ‘60s, Alfa produced one of the most interesting supercars they ever built, the Tipo 33 Stradale. It was not only the most expensive production car, but it was also the most exclusive. Powered by a screaming race-bred V8, Alfa sold only around 15 Stradales. The 33 Stradale looks gorgeous but its production and public appearance were so limited, people have forgotten about this car.

17. Arash AF10

The small British company, Arash, made news with several supercar prototypes. But there was one that was closest to full-scale production, and that was the AF10. They presented it in 2009, featuring a Chevrolet V8 pumping out a head-spinning 500 HP.

However, in recent years, they revised the car, giving it a new hybrid powertrain with a claimed power output of 2,080 HP. This insane number raised the eyebrows of the supercar public. But sadly, the company hasn’t said anything since that announcement.

18. Kodiak F1

Although Kodiak only produced only one example, the Kodiak F1 is not a kit car. A German supercar, this is a typical machine from the ‘80s with a wedge-shaped design. It utilizes a rear-mounted V8 engine from a Corvette or Mercedes to deliver a convincing performance.

Unfortunately, despite the fact they thoroughly engineered it, giving it plenty of power, the Kodiak F1 was doomed because of its price. It cost over $100,000 at a time when a Ferrari cost half of that.

19. Gigliato Aerosa

Entering the car world in 1997, the Aerosa is an interesting supercar they produced in a joint venture between the Gigliato Design Company and Lamborghini. The Lamborghini did the engineering work and fabrication of the initial prototype. Gigliato completed the design and aesthetics, obviously.

They sourced the power from a 4.6-liter Mustang V8 that produces approximately 300 HP. But even though the proposed price wasn’t high, and the car had respectable figures, the project never advanced beyond the prototype/one-off phase.

20. Laraki Fulgura

This interesting model was on the verge of making it big in the early 2000s as the first supercar from a company in Africa. The Fulgura was an advanced project that used a Lamborghini Diablo platform and a 6.0-liter V12 engine.

However, Laraki thoroughly re-engineered the car by installing numerous unique details and special bodywork. Although the company announced plans for building nine examples and moving on to the next model they call the Epitome, it is unclear how many they built.

21. Tushek Renovatio T500

Slovenia is not a country you would normally associate with supercars, right? But, this small European country has a legitimate supercar company they call Tushek with its Renovatio T500 model. Tushek presented the T500 in 2012.

They loosely based the T500 on the Audi R8, sharing its 4.2-liter V8 engine. Interestingly, they custom-built most of the car, designing it to achieve better numbers and higher top speeds. And although they’ve offered the T500 for sale, building a number of them, they are still not available yet.

22. Spectre R42

In the early ‘90s, GT Developments, a British company, decided to move from their Ford GT 40 replica business and enter the supercar game. They based their design, which they called the R42 on the GT 40 space frame chassis using a modern Ford V8 engine.

The design was elegant and an interior featuring more appointments than a regular GT 40 replica model. They unveiled the car in 1993, but the market never showed much interest. That was due to the car’s obscure background. Also, the supercar market in the early ‘90s was suffering through a recession.

23. Jiotto Caspita

Behind this strange name lies an interesting supercar story from Japan. The car was practically a race car for the road. In fact, it used an ex-Formula One flat-twelve engine with 577 HP. The rest of the drivetrain was equally extreme.

The Caspita delivered a brutal performance especially by the standards of the late ‘80s when they first presented it. However, due to its technical complexity, extreme price and virtually no street usability, the Caspita was not a favorite with wealthy customers. Soon, Jiotto discontinued it.

24. MCA Centenaire

The Automobile Club of Monaco is a powerful institution in the car world. So, to celebrate its 100th anniversary, the club decided to build a supercar. They named it the Centenaire, unveiling it in 1990.

They produced the Centenaire until 1992, during which time they only made five of them. The power comes from a Lamborghini V12 engine. However, later versions had a Mercedes 6.0-liter V12 that AMG tuned.

25. Lykan Hypersport

This is the first Arab supercar at the company’s headquarters in Lebanon. And as such, it is exclusive and expensive as well as a bit over the top. For example, Lykan built the headlights out of 240 15-karat diamonds.

It has a 3.8-liter flat six engine that produces 780 HP to deliver an equally impressive performance. The price is a whopping $3.4 million. But it looks like car buyers are hard to come by despite its interesting design and all the hype.

26. Mosler MT900

The guy behind this car is constructor and entrepreneur, Warren Mosler. He is already famous for being the man behind the strange yet capable Consulier GTP. But his latest creation that he calls the Mosler MT900 is even more successful. And arguably, it’s a better-looking supercar. In 2001, Mosler presented the MT900 as the product of a long development process.

Their goal was to produce a car as light and as powerful as possible. And the result was a car that weighs just 2,500 pounds, which is less than any of their competitors. The MT900 gets its power from a 5.7-liter V8 that pumps out 350 HP. Or, you can get a 7.0-liter V8 that produces 435 HP in the MT900 S version.

27. Factory Five Racing GTM

Factory Five Racing is best known for its Shelby Cobra kits which are high-quality reproductions they do with enthusiast love. However, in 2007, the company made a move to the supercar market with the GTM. This is a modern car with a Kevlar body and aluminum chassis powered by a Corvette V8 engine.

Also, it comes with lots of components like a drivetrain and suspension they derived from the Corvette, making it relatively affordable, yet easy to work on and maintain. Due to its lightness and power, the GTM is fast with 0 to 60 mph times of around three seconds and a top speed of over 180 mph.

28. Devon GTX

Devon conceived this car to be the ultimate American sports car using a Dodge Viper RT10 base and engine with numerous modifications. Also, they upgrade the power to 650 HP. The GTX used the same six-speed manual with improved performance and top speed. It even broke a few track records during testing, but they never officially confirmed that.

Unfortunately, the economic downturn and recession of 2009 and 2010 hit the car industry especially hard, which caused big problems among car makers. So, Chrysler decided to kill the Viper project and discontinue the production of its platforms and engines. And that had a devasting effect on Devon’s production of the GTX.

29. Covini C6W

The wild-looking Covini C6W is an Italian super sports car that features twin front axles and a rear mounted V8 engine. The four front wheels are for turning and braking, while the engine powers the rear wheels.

The C6W comes with a 4.2-liter V8 engine that delivers 440 HP by Audi. The exact performance figures are not exact, but they should be similar to current supercars. And that is because the Covini is light 2,645 pounds due to its space frame chassis and carbon fiber body. They introduced the production version in 2004. Although the car is currently in production, it is unclear how many of them they have made.

30. Argyll GT

Behind this strange name lies the Scottish-built supercar from the late ‘70s. Interestingly, this car was a compilation of different parts from different cars. In fact, it had a Renault 30 V6 engine and a Triumph 2500 suspension and axles.

Despite the initial interest from many customers and the promise of a turbocharged version, the company folded. And although the exact numbers of cars they produced remain unknown, it is definitely low.

These are the top 30 ultra rare and obscure supercars most people never heard of, but you’re not one of them. Which was your favorite of them all? If you can afford one of these, you’ll leave them in the dust at every stoplight.