In our previous post, we covered some of our favorite classic cars at the 2020 Kansas City Auto Show. Here we have five more finds, some of which are old enough to be considered classics, but all of which are amazing. Most were furnished by the peerless Kansas City Automotive Museum, so even if you missed the show, be sure to check out the KCAM. Let's take a look.
Toyota FJ40 Monster Truck
This one actually didn't come from the museum, and it certainly didn't come from Toyota USA, in whose booth it towered. Those massive, beadlock tires are 49" Super Swampers from Interco. It has a trick suspension by King, ARB diffs, a Warn winch, and a full custom roll cage. The hitch-mounted grill setup will be a nice touch, especially since it doesn’t really have a tailgate anymore, in the event that this thing is road legal and you can take it tailgating. And you would want to, because it's bedecked in the livery of the World Champion Kansas City Chiefs! Zohr was born in KC, and a few years later, the Chiefs won the Super Bowl. Coincidence? Perhaps.
Two Dodge Vipers
There has never been and will never again be another car like the Dodge Viper. The dramatic styling is one thing, but that Chrysler packed this car with an 8-liter V10 (designed partially by Lamborghini, who Chrysler owned at the time), a plain old manual transmission, and a handful of cheap switchgear from a minivan or something, then put it up for sale without traction control or ABS is just bonkers. They even took it endurance racing with great success. There were two examples at the KCAS, one from the car's second production year, 1992, and one from much later in the model's run. Most striking was how little difference there was between them. Yes, driver aids were eventually added, the bodywork was redesigned, and more safety features began to work their way into the brutal machine. But there’s a strong possibility that Dodge discontinued the car in 2017 simply because it couldn’t fit side-curtain airbags, which became mandated that year. Probably better to just let it go. If they made it today, they’d give it paddle shifters or something.
Lotus Exige
Who's your favorite manufacturer of tiny supercars? Ours is probably Lotus. Since the birth of the company, they've always held the philosophy of their founder, Colin Chapman: Simplify and add lightness. The Exige, which weighs just 2,081 pounds, is the hardtop version of their Elise, in production since 1996. Thanks to the mid-engine design, there's plenty of room inside, even for tall people, trust us, we tested. This one packs a supercharged Toyota 2ZZ-GE engine, so it's dead reliable. Yet the little 1.8 liter engine kicks out 237 hp in stock form, so it’s plenty quick, reaching 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds, then rocketing on to a top speed of 158 mph. But our favorite detail is the license plate. Perhaps the Toyota MR2 lives on. It's just expensive and fairly British.
Lamborghini Aventador
Many cars claim to have presence, but when you're staring down the barrel of an Aventador, you start to get a grid for which ones actually do. Lamborghini's flagship supercar, the Avendator is armed with a 6.5 liter V12 engine producing 690 hp. Standing out on this example are the massive carbon ceramic brakes. Oh, you have a Huracan? Pshaw, my good man. You simply must upgrade to an Aventador.
1984 Lamborghini Countach
Yet we would have no Aventador, nor a Huracan, without what is probably the most iconic Lamborghini of all time: The Countach. This is the car that solidified Lamborghini as the slightly crazy italian supercar manufacturer. It took over from the classy, curvaceous Miura, tapping in with a broken bottle and 370 horsepower. Renaissance sculpture? Nah. We'll design a car that looks like the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter. By 1978, it had the widest rear tires of any production car in history. It was known to be uncomfortable, difficult to see out of and control. And it didn't care. It became a symbol of '80s excess, reshaping the supercar landscape to this day.
Bonus: The Hydra Spyder
Most amphibious cars are neither good boats nor good cars. They certainly aren' t good at being both. But this custom creation looks like it might handle at least one of those jobs well. Possibly even both. First, the car. The looks are… a bit nautical. It has a "turned up" shape that you just can't quite get past, but once you see that it is a boat, you're a little more able to forgive it. Under the hood is a 6-liter LS2 V8, which produces plenty enough power to haul around the car and the extra weight of the outboard engine. It even has a manual, so you can have fun on your way to the lake. Next, the boat. The wheels cleverly tuck up into the bodywork to reduce drag in the water. The outboard drops down, and the crew has fun. This beast can hit 46 knots in calm water— nearly 53 mph! The upper body is fiberglass, while the hull is aluminum. We may have arrived at our amphibious future.
Thanks again to the ever-awesome KC Auto Museum for bringing these incredible machines out to the 2020 KCAS!
Our 7 Favorite Classic Cars of the KC Auto Show | Zohr
