@ramthecowy @strop Geez, and I thought the Americans were good at Can-Am…
Redefining the “needs its own oil-refinery” label sometimes used in all-out Automation race tournaments 
But yes, I agree this is the definitive Can-Am car that pretty much killed the class.
Speaking however of OP Toyotas…
Another Le Mans slayer, the GT-One. And back in the day when “homologation” meant “oh, let’s make some examples of this car barely-street-legal”, hence the fact a road going version of this exists, just like the R390GT, or the CLK-GTR, or the MC-12, etc. etc.
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If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue
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When the V16s come out that’ll be my goal 
I quite like chapparal when it comes to can-am. They were doing some very interesting things when aerodynamics at a time when aerodynamics were still a very new thing.
First they had the 2e in 1966 which utilised active aerodynamics and had an unsprung mounted rear wing. (mostly due to limited suspension travel) The control of these aerodynamics were activated by a 3rd pedal for the driver (yes 3rd and not 4th as it used a torque converter and not a clutch) When activated the rear wing would flatten out and closed off ducting in the nose in order to maintain aero balance while in the low drag setup. The engine powering it was an aluminum block 327 chevy making 450hp.
The next interesting car was the 2J
Whereas most can am cars utilised giant rear wings this utilised ground effects. There were thin sheets of lexan along the bottom of the car which slid across the ground and then there was also a snowmobile engine in the back mounted to large fans that sucked the air out from under the car and pushed it out the back which created constant downforce regardless of speed. It ended up being too fast and so mclaren, and other teams, pushed for it to be banned and there was also the issue that it threw rocks and other pieces of debris at the cars follownig them.
Although both cars were quite fast at the time they were also unreliable.
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It might not be the best or the prettiest, but for me it is pretty good.
The 1966 Mclaren M1B Can-Am Race Car.
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Speaking of McLarens… the F1 GTR was, and still is, my favorite Le Mans car. It was based on a road car, not a purpose-built racer like current LMP1 prototypes, and won the race outright on its first attempt. Tragically, there’s no chance that the P1 will ever accomplish such a feat, because none of today’s hypercars will ever be eligible for the World Endurance Championship. Especially since the current crop of GT3 and GT4 racers, despite being much more relevant to road cars, will simply never be as fast as the GT1 monsters of the 90s due to cost restrictions.
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Used to loved this car back the late 90s to early 20s when the Touring car championships were being dominated by Peter Cunningham. He was my all time favorite touring car driver.
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Porsches are sexy
Love this thing so much
And I know everyone keeps banging on about the 787 BUT UNNNGGHHHH LISTEN TO IT
LISTEN TO THE ENGINE IN DOWNSHIFTS
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@strop Don’t forget that that car met the then regulation that ‘boot space’ was needed by saying that the fuel tank counted as a space for luggage storage…
What a car though!
@anseimo Have to disagree with you, the M1B looks very pretty to be. Love the basic vertical rear lip too.
@ramthecowy Here’s the thing, as an unreserved Audi Sport die-hard, I can’t like the 919 more than the R18, but god is it a good car.
Speaking of which, the 2017 livery is just fricking gorgeous!
And yeah, agreed, please listen to the 787B. It make me emotional whenever I hear it.
Alright, that’s enough Le Mans cars. Here’s one of the best touring cars of recent years.
The Honda Civic Tourer BTCC!
So what if the weight balance isn’t as good as the standard Civic? It looks so good!
Only raced in once season sadly but it did well. Standard 2.0l, 300hp NGTC engine under the bonnet, FWD and that’s about it honestly.
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Get a load of these, folks…
With its insane aerodynamics and the ever iconic 426 cid HEMI under that long hood, the Dodge Charger Daytona was the absolute scourge of Stock Car Racing…
…the streets…
…the movie world…
…and the dragstrips, where it resurfaced as the ultimate choice for Pro Modified Racing all over the country and the world.
ALL HAIL THE KING!
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How about some more rotary goodness? Mazda Furai wins that spot in my heart
Three fire-breathing rotors pushing 450 bhp in a car that weighed 675 kg is nothing to sneeze at.
I just love looking at this thing, even if it never really raced.
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and it died in an ignominious fire whilst being tested by a motor journo. The Furai will always have a place in my heart for being one of the few design studies not just brought to life, but actually made to move liked it looked.
Some 25-ish years after Ari Vatanen’s legendary dance up the mountain, this was Peugeot’s way of saying a big fuck you to Pike’s Peak shortly after it was paved over. Pour millions of dollars into a one-off build, get the best rally driver in the world to pilot it. 875bhp. 865kg. Mid-engine with power to all four wheels. Watching the onboard footage was actually gut-churning, I don’t think there’s another car on this planet that does tight corners as fast as this. Set a new record on the Peak that nobody will ever touch unless they were also factory bankrolled. I actually felt for Rhys Millen.
Makes one wish that there was a racing class for this kind of car again, except for the fact that it’d probably turn out like Rallycross and it’d be really expensive because there’d be a lot of crashing…
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RIP Furai, thanks, Top Gear.
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@DeusExMackia yeah the Civic Estate BTCC was an interesting choice, particularly as the Civic Estate (to me) didn’t actually make a whole lot of sense. But hey, I actually felt a bit of brand loyalty fire up considering it was my very own model that was used in the WTCC.
I mean look at it (ok your tastes may differ but well I liked it!)
I can’t keep away from this thread. How about some 90s GT1 cars, when top tier legends engaged in some good old-fashioned wheelbanging:
Or one of the best racing series that nobody who didn’t play GT knows about, Super GT:
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I’m quite liking the new Toyota Avensis BTCC!
(i thought it was an auris but apparently it is an Avensis…
)(It’s also run by two privateers)
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@CadillacDave THE MIGHTY LOTUS CORTINA 
That car is the entire reason I’ve made the Merna a BTCC legend in its story line.
@strop The Civic really has become one of the best touring cars of recent times, full stop. And doesn’t that Castrol livery look snazzy!
And man, Super GT cars in GT4 were the best. I’ll always have a soft spot for the Takata Dome NSX.
@ramthecowy IKR! It actually looks really good for a Toyota, especially considering the Avensis has only been run one by one team for some time now and never done much. Should be good this season with any luck.
Speaking of Toyota’s, here’s another incredibly Silhouette racer, the Celica LB Turbo
560hp was squeezed out of its 2.0l i4, single KKK turbo engine, making it particularly powerful for a Group 5 car. Had been designed to take on the Porsche 935s but didn’t really stand a chance (then again, nothing did).
Still, its conversion to silhouette racer was done beautifully. Seriously, just look at this side shot…
…simply gorgeous!
Sadly it was pretty rubbish as a competition car, never really winning anything in neither Europe or Japan. But still, as an object to ogle at, it’s a masterclass in motorsport design.
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you know what other Group 5 that bodywork kind of reminds me of?
This.
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