Carmakers usually make their models on their own to be competitive within the market. Sometimes, however, two or more automakers work together to build a vehicle better than any single company could design. These types of cars are usually sports carssupercars, or hypercars.
Throughout automotive history, there have been many instances of manufacturers collaborating to build the best car possible. Older examples of this include Shelby altering the AC Ace to work with US regulations and Mercedes-Benz contracting Porsche to make their V8-powered 500E work. More modern collaborations include the current run of the Toyota GR86/Subaru BRZ and the Toyota Supra/BMW Z4 platform sharing. Probably the most well-known examples of automakers working together are the McLaren cars – the F1 and SLR. The F1 was powered by a BMW V12 while the SLR featured a heavily revised supercharged V8 from Mercedes.
While automakers are perfectly capable of creating some awesome cars, they sometimes get help from the best in the business to make the models exemplary. Here are ten of the best automotive collaborations in automotive history.
10/10 Toyota Supra
The Toyota Supra is one of the most popular sports cars in history with the Mark 4 achieving legendary status within automotive circles. When it was rumored that a new one was on its way, people cheered but were a bit cautious when Toyota announced it would be built on the BMW Z4’s platform.
Well, the Supra is now nearly four years old and there are very few complaints regarding the drivetrain. Some have criticized the visibility and ergonomics of the vehicle, but the rest is brilliant. Best of all? Toyota finally gave the motoring community what it wanted since its launch – a manual transmission.
9/10 Mercedes Benz 500E
The Mercedes-Benz 500E was a vehicle engineered with the sole purpose of competing with the likes of the BMW M5 in the luxury sport sedan segment. Mercedes wanted to stuff their large V8 in their second-smallest sedan, the W124.
Unfortunately, they did not have the resources available for the job, so they contracted Porsche to do the re-engineering and build the 500E in their factory. While the 500E uses Mercedes parts and Porsche know-how, it is often misquoted as the original Panamera – which isn’t the case at all. Still, the 500E is one of the best sedans ever created.
8/10 Toyota GR86
The Toyota GR86 is currently in its second generation and is better than ever. The vehicle is the result of a collaboration between Toyota and Subaru, with the other Japanese manufacturer building its own version of the car called the BRZ.
While Toyota did more of the chassis tuning, Subaru was in charge of the engine, using their own 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter flat-4s. Unlike the current WRX, the BRZ/GR86 is naturally aspirated rather than turbocharged. The GR86 is a fantastic driver’s car that will put a smile on the face of anyone who drives it.
7/10 Fiat 124 Spider
The Fiat 124 Spider has much in common with an unlikely sibling – the Mazda MX-5. Fiat and Mazda worked together to build a new platform for both the MX-5 and 124 – one which is light, configurable, and easily able to handle a quirky engine.
The MX-5 is fitted with conventional 1.5 and 2.0-liter inline-4s, but the 124 featured the 1.4-liter turbo out of the Fiat 500 Abarth. This gives it more power than the MX-5 and makes a better noise, one which screams rather than howls.
6/10 Audi RS2
The Audi RS2 is one of the best RS cars in the German giant’s history – not only because it is the first RS car, but because a lot of it was engineered and built by Porsche. The RS2 is a wagon version of the Sport Quattro, but with added practicality and more power.
The RS2 produces 311 hp from a heavily modified 2.2-liter inline-5 turbo sending power to all four wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission. The RS2 may be a bit underpowered by today’s standards, but it is one of the most remarkable German cars ever made.
5/10 Lotus Carlton
The Lotus Carlton followed much the same procedure as the Audi RS2. Lotus took the humble Opel Omega sedan and transformed it into a twin-turbo beast able to out-race a BMW M5 E34 – both in top speed and in acceleration.
The Carlton was so good that the only way a BMW could beat it was through the use of Alpina who created the awesome B10 Bi-Turbo. The Carlton not only beat the other Germans at their own game, but it also created a legend for itself in Britain.
4/10 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Verde
The Alfa Romeo Giulia is currently the more eccentric option when looking at small executive premium sedans. While the normal Veloce model with the 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder is fine for daily use, it is the Quadrifoglio Verde high-performance model which gets the most attention.
The Giulia QV is fitted with a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 producing 503 hp. The interesting thing about the engine is that it was developed with help from Ferrari as it shares many components with the V8 found in the California T. An Alfa Romeo sedan with a Ferrari heart? Count us in!
3/10 Shelby Cobra
The Shelby Cobra is a legendary vehicle within classic car circles and due to the limited number produced, achieves a hugely impressive sum when one pops up for sale. The Cobra started life as the AC Ace, a British roadster before Shelby modified it, so it could be sold in the US.
The Cobra did away with the Ace’s straight-6 and got a mighty American V8 from Ford. Further down the line, the Cobra was upgraded again to the well-known 427, featuring a 7.0-liter V8 producing 425 hp – a tiny bit more than the original car’s 170 hp.
2/10 McLaren Mercedes SLR
The McLaren-Mercedes SLR was the German automaker’s flagship supercar/GT when it was sold between 2003 and 2009. The SLR was a homage to the original 300SLR used by Sir Sterling Moss but only took the name – before Mercedes created a special version to commemorate the legendary racer.
The SLR featured a 5.4-liter supercharged V8 – as found in most AMGs of the time – which was heavily modified by McLaren and produced 620 hp and 575 lb-ft of torque. The SLR was a fantastic car but was deemed unnecessary by many. Still, the styling inspired the SLK and a few other Mercedes models of the time.
1/10 McLaren F1
The McLaren F1 is probably the best example of automotive collaboration in history. Built to be the fastest production car of all time, the F1 was – and still is – a brilliant piece of engineering able to give modern hypercars a run for their money.
The F1 was a McLaren, but the engine was designed, developed, and built by BMW and was a heavily modified version of the 5.6-liter V12 found in the 850CSI. In the F1, the engine displaced 6.1 liters and produced 620 hp and due to the lightness, achieved a power-to-weight ratio of 550 hp/ton – better than the Bugatti Veyron which beat its speed record.
