1960 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato
A hotted-up, sexed-out version of the ordinary DB4. 314 hp, a top speed of 154 mph, and fender arches to die for. Quite possibly the creamiest Aston coupe ever built.
1965 Fiat Abarth 1000 TCR
Want to be a maniac on the track and have everyone know it? The Abarth 1000 TCR will eat vintage Minis — and much more powerful cars — alive, all while lifting a front wheel and scaring the pants off of spectators.
1966 Chevrolet Nova SS
The '66 Nova SS is one of the most revered muscle cars on the planet, a boring old family sedan with a spicy 327-cube V-8 and 350 factory-built horsepower. Go ahead. Rip those narrow bias-plies to pieces.
1968 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
The 1543-pound Type 33-2 Stradale was little more than Alfa's insane Type 33-2 sports racer with streetable bodywork. A 2.0-liter V-8 lived in the middle and pumped out 230 hp at 8800 rpm. Italy doesn't get much better than this.
1968 Holden Monaro GTS Coupe
Australia's first real muscle car, a live-axle beast with a Chevrolet 327 under the hood. The original hoonmobile, from the land that invented the word.
1969 Chevrolet Nova SS 396
If you're after the golden age of American muscle, the '69 Nova SS is a pretty good place to start. It was a hooligan car, plain and simple, and its looks were as understated as they come.
Photo Credit: Flickr/Larrysphatpage (Creative Commons)
1971 De Tomaso Pantera
As Panteras go, the '71 model is a connoisseur's car. Devoid of the garish styling found on later Panteras, this simple Italian-American exotic looked the part and delivered the goods. A 350-hp Ford 351 lived under the rear hatch.
1972 Mercedes 300 SEL 6.3
One of the very first — and still one of the best — Q-ships. The humongous 6.3-liter V-8 in the 6.3's nose delivered Saturn V-like thrust while the prim, proper exterior gave everyone the slip.
1977 Mazda RX-3SP
Rotary power, rear-wheel drive, a five-speed, and the craziest appearance package this side of Ru Paul. Old-school, Far-East speed at its funkiest.
1982 DeLorean DMC-12
Let's be real here: The best reason to vote for the DeLorean DMC-12 is because it's the only car on this list that was ever turned into a time machine. The stainless steel body and gullwing doors add up to a relatively high curb weight, but remember: Where we're going, we don't need . . . roads. (If you don't need roads, you don't need curbs. Get it? Ha!)
1982 Lancia 037 Stradale
Built to homologate Lancia's ridiculous 037 rally car for Group B competition. Styling resembled that of Lancia's street cars, but everything under the skin was deadly serious. A balls-out speed explosion with a taste for blood.
1987 BMW M5 E28
The first M5, and the first modern sleeper to come out of Munich. Sported a massaged version of the M1's DOHC six under its hood and was capable of 150 mph. When it was introduced, it was the fastest production sedan on the planet.
1992 Mazda 323 GT-R
The 323 GT-R was a Japanese-market rally homologation car, and its list of factory speed tweaks could fill a book. Chief among them are all-wheel drive, sodium-filled exhaust valves, a ball-bearing-equipped turbo, stiffer suspension, and a whole lot of pocket-size badass.
1992 Nissan Sentra SE-R
The genius of the first Sentra SE-R lies in its simplicity. This unassuming Japanese front-driver eschewed straight-line performance in favor of an impossibly balanced, do-anything chassis. One of the most iconic, and yet subtle, modern giant-killers.
1994 Chevrolet Impala SS
The world's meanest taxi, and the last true sled to come out of Detroit. LT1 plus big spring rate equals hoontastic fun. 4200 pounds of pure evil.
1995 Acura Legend Sedan GS
The first Acura sedan to haul big-time ass. A 3.2-liter, 230-hp V-6 drove the front wheels and shoved the GS to fat speed in short order.
1995 Volvo 850 T-5R
A turbocharged, five-cylinder, front-wheel-drive station wagon: The 1995 850 T5-R is just as awesome today as it was fifteen years ago. One of the few cars that can serve as its own track support.
1998 Alfa Romeo 155 GTA
Who doesn't love DTM cars? The 155 GTA was the final evolution of the extremely successful 155 touring car. A high-revving (11,900 rpm!) 2.5 liter V-6 delivered a stout 480 hp.
1998 Citroen ZX 2.0L
The basis for a WRC star, a touring-car giant-killer, and one of the niftiest hot hatches to ever come out of France. 167 hp, 136 mph, and a nimble, pitchable chassis that just won't quit.
1999 BMW M5 E39
The American muscle car as built by autobahn-obsessed Germans. V-8 power, eight throttles, rear-wheel drive, and, when delimited, enough straight-line speed to outrun half of Stuttgart.