A Timeline of Supercar Innovations Over the Decades

Warning lights on your dashboard may be commonplace—even required—now, but when the Lamborghini Countach came out in 1974, the idea was more science fiction than reality. The car’s designer, Marcello Gandini, dreamed up a spaceship-like display for the center console that would blink when the car exceeded a set speed, a system that would also presage advanced modern cruise control. Likewise, nobody thought all-wheel drive or a flat-six engine could be associated with the world’s fastest car until Porsche did it with the 959 in 1986.

But supercars have always been on the cutting-edge frontier—that’s why they appeal to our imagination. A speed-sensitive electronic rear wing and air flaps near the rear window of the Bugatti EB110 were the 1990s precursor to today’s “active aero” kits, which can even help slow down the car under additional braking. The McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder hybrids proved electric supercars can keep up with those powered by combustion, while looking even sexier.