Audi A6 and A7 Sportback 2024: more comprehensive standard equipment and a range of innovative engines and technologies

John Z. DeLorean and its sports car DeLorean DMC12 in the 1980s made the traditional auto industry wake up and look for new ways.

Ford was very focused on developing the events of DeLorean. And although by 1984 the DeLorean "threat" had passed, for Ford the interest in a supercar with "wedge" shapes remained. Italdesign of Giorgetto Giugiaro was therefore approached.

The design produced by ItalDesign, the Ford Maya, was a two-seat coupe with distinctly wedge-shaped lines, featuring a mid-engine. This was in 1984.

It's called Plectrum the latest luxury yacht designed by the Italian design studio Lazzarini. 74 meters long, it is designed to be the fastest in its category thanks to a system equal to that of a hydrofoil.

The inspiration comes from the catamarans of the America's Cup but instead of being pushed by the wind, "Plectrum" moves and rises above the surface of the water before leaving.

Plectrum is very powerful with three hydrogen-powered engines of 5000 hp each that allow it to reach a maximum speed of 75 knots (140 km / h). The construction is entirely made of carbon fiber composite materials.

The Icona Vulcano embodies the best of Italian design and engineering. Reaching up to 950 hp of power through an ingenious combination of internal combustion engine and electric motors, all encased in a beautiful design with voluptuous and harmonious shapes.

The 2013 Icona Vulcano had a V12 engine and two front seats. The claimed top speed is about 350 km/h and the 0-200 km/h sprint well under ten seconds.

The engine of the Icona Vulcano is the work of the well-known Claudio Lombardi, a former technical director of Ferrari starring in the participation of numerous world champion cars.

It was the summer of 2009 when the SV 9 Competizione, a car based on the Chevrolet Corvette, was unveiled at Pebble Beach, California.

Back in the late 1990s, the San Francisco-based manufacturer SV Motor Company, envisioned a car that would take the "raw" performance of a Corvette and refine it with a touch of Italian style.

Their vision was to infuse many of the design elements found in the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione (from which the SV 9 clearly drew inspiration, as well as its name) with a 2009 Chevy Corvette.

When speaking of the Lamborghini Diablo, one cannot fail to remember that 1995 version, the one with the initials 'SV'. A symbol that stood for 'Super Veloce'. Limited and extreme, the Diablo SV (Super Veloce) was produced from 1995 to 1999 (until 2001 with restyling) and was designed for the track.

The Lamborghini Diablo SV again introduced rear wheel drive only (like the first Diablo) and added a technical package including mechanical suspension and adjustable rear wing.

It is distinguished by "SV" lettering on the side, specially designed 18-inch wheels and a new spoiler for the modified air intakes.

It was 2007 when at the Detroit Auto Show the Mazda automaker unveiled Furai that in Japanese means the "sound of the wind" . Mazda was thus celebrating the 40th anniversary of its first model with a rotary engine.

With this prototype Mazda was showing the future of the Japanese automaker's new design, the so-called "Nagare" style later appropriately adapted to mass production in the following years.

But Mazda Furai went beyond a pure stylistic study to become a kind of 300 km/h mobile laboratory in which every detail had a specific functional role.

Equipped with a Wankel R20B engine with three rotors powered by bioethanol, it was capable of delivering a power output of 450 hp.

The faster the criminals flee, the faster the police have to be in pursuit. And in order to be more and more efficient, the military is equipped with powerful supercars to be able to intervene in full-throttle pursuits.

A few examples? The Italian police have the now famous Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 with 610 horsepower, while the municipal police of Milan (Italy) can fight lawbreakers at the wheel of a special Ferrari 458 Spider capable of up to 570 hp.

We can then admire the brand new Alpine A110 of the French Gendarmerie, the Porsche 911 (model 991) of the Austrian Police, or the latest arrival among the paladins of justice from the United Arab Emirates, which answers to the name of Audi R8.

They shared the same important stage with different fortunes, fueling the dreams of many car enthusiasts. These are the cars that in the 1990s were at the pinnacle of their categories with truly incredible powers albeit with technologies not up to the standards of the most modern cars of today.

Engines that 30 years ago pioneered a new generation of powertrain, delivering pure adrenaline in the early 1990s.

Today they have become collector's cars and are very difficult to find. Real amarcords. Let's look at the most iconic ones with the main features.

The first sports car ever designed and built entirely in Mexico was the Mastretta MXT. Equipped with a turbocharged inline-four engine, this sharply contoured coupé can reach a top speed of 230 km/h with 250 hp under the bonnet. 

The body, made of aluminium and carbon fibre, is light and manoeuvrable, perfect for reaching high speeds on the road. 

Acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 5.9 seconds will make you feel like a real racing driver. Find out how Daniel Mastretta realised his vision of competing with the famous Lotus Elise.

The Marussia B1 is one of the most powerful and iconic sports cars of all time. With a 3.5-litre V6 engine producing 300 horsepower, it is capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds, a true piece of automotive engineering of the highest quality. 

This car impresses the eye with its sleek lines and aerodynamic design for exceptional performance. 

The interior is equally refined, with first-class design details and high-quality materials. The Marussia B1 offers a compelling drive and first-class performance that establishes it as one of the most desired products in the luxury car market. If you are looking for a sports car that impresses on every front, the Marussia B1 is definitely the one for you.

The Gumpert Apollo Intensa Emozione is one of the most extreme and exclusive hypercars on the planet. Its carbon-fibre bodywork and mind-blowing aerodynamics, with a rear wing capable of generating a force of 1350 kg at 300 km/h, make it a car capable of 'sticking' to the ceiling of a tunnel without falling off. 

The 6.3-litre V12 engine, the product of Autotecnica Motori's Italian expertise, pushes the IE up to 780 bhp at 9000 rpm, which, combined with the six-speed Hewland transmission, delivers record-breaking performance. 

The IE accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 335 km/h.

The Lamborghini Countach and the Ferrari Testarossa are two iconic Italian sports cars produced in the 1980s and 1990s.

Both represented the pinnacle of performance and design for their time and became dream cars for many car enthusiasts.

In terms of performance, the Lamborghini Countach has a slight advantage over the Ferrari Testarossa. However, preferences between these two iconic cars depend largely on personal taste in terms of design, brand heritage and handling.

Throughout automotive history, true works of art on four wheels have been created that have left their mark on automotive culture.

In this photo gallery we show 15 of the strangest and most unusual cars ever produced, capable of astonishing us with their futuristic design or innovative technical solutions.

They are not only vehicles to be admired, but also represent a piece of history that makes us reflect on the continuous development of the automotive industry and the influences of the trends and technologies of their time.

Let's discover together these wonderful cars that marked the era in which they were produced and that continue to leave their mark on the imagination of four-wheel enthusiasts.