Aston Martin V12 Vantage vs Audi R8 5.2 V10 FSI vs Corvette ZR1

The problem with building a world-beating supercar is that, sooner or later, you have to create a faster one. In the ongoing battle to deliver more power, more speed and more excitement, makers know that the only way to keep customers happy is to wheel out increasingly exotic new versions.

Our test trio here shows exactly what is possible when you go in search of the ultimate supercar. All three vehicles are the result of manufacturers pushing the boundaries of performance, packaging and price – and all three prove that, when it comes to such exotic machinery, too much is never enough.

The Audi R8 V10, Aston Martin V12 Vantage and Corvette ZR1 are the most focused models in their respective ranges. With price tags of £99,580, £135,000 and £106,605, they combine serious performance with the kind of exclusivity that buyers who want to stand out from the crowd demand.
The big question is, can these highly strung pedigree machines really justify their inflated prices?

Does more power and performance automatically guarantee you a place at the top of the supercar desirability league table, or would you be better off saving tens of thousands of pounds and sticking to the standard models?

We hit the road and the track in our German, British and American contenders to provide the answer...