Jaguar XJ220

Produced from 1992 to 1994, the Jaguar XJ220 was once the fastest car in the world, with the "220" half of its name referring to its intended 220 mph top speed. It was originally supposed to have a racing-derived 6.2-liter V12, but Jaguar used a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 instead for various reasons. The XJ220's mid-engine twin-turbo V6 makes 542 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque, which propels the vehicle from 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds according to Jaguar. Only a five-speed stick shift was offered with the XJ220. The vehicle held the title of World's Fastest Road Car by the Guinness Book of World Records until the McLaren F1 smashed that record in 1998 by hitting a top speed of 240 mph. Unfortunately, Jaguar didn't have the finances and resources to allow the XJ220 to reach its full potential as a supercar. Therefore, Jaguar made just 271 examples of the XJ220, less than what the British automaker desired. Despite its rough history, the Jaguar XJ220 is now a sought-after collector's item and continues to appreciate in value. It is one of the coolest and most interesting Jaguars ever built, along with the E-Type, F-Type, and certain versions of the XK.

Mazda Cosmo 110S

 The Cosmo is one of the earliest and most significant vehicles in Mazda's history. The example featured above is a 1969 Cosmo 110S, in which the latter half of the model name was used on those that Mazda planned to export out of Japan. It is also one of the first vehicles to utilize the Wankel rotary engine. The earliest form of the rotary motor made anywhere from 110 to 130 horsepower. Either a four-speed or five-speed manual was offered in the first-gen Cosmo. Mazda's earliest rotary sports car is capable of hitting a top speed of approximately 120 mph. Its production run lasted from 1967 to 1972 and only a handful are known to reside in the US and Canada. In other news, Mazda is rumored to debut a new rotary-powered sports car known as the RX-9 in the next few years, which should be pretty exciting. Back to the Cosmo 110S, it is the most brilliant Mazda ever made, especially in regards to its styling and engineering.

Corvette Italia by Scaglietti

At first glance, this may be a Ferrari 250 GT. What if I told you this is an Italian coachbuilt Corvette? In fact, I had no idea Scaglietti re-bodied a Corvette in 1959 until I saw one on display at the Petersen Auto Museum in L.A. Part of why you may not have heard of or recognize this vehicle is because only three were ever produced. Each unit is powered by a Chevy small-block V8 mated to a four-speed manual. The Corvette Italia was intended to be a more reliable alternative to its European exotic competitors at the time, but never fully panned out, hence why so few of them were made. If the Corvette Italia's production run lasted longer than it originally did, it would have had the potential to change the course of automotive history, but we will never know for sure. Despite its unfortunate fate, the Scaglietti Corvette is one of the most fascinating vehicles in the Petersen Auto Museum collection.