Ferrari 360 Modena
To get a bit of perspective we start with a mid-engined sports car that was released not quite 20-years ago, in 1999 to be exact. The Ferrari 360 was knocking on the magic 400-bhp number, producing 395-bhp from its exquisite 3.6-liter V8 engine.
Contemporary road testers called it ‘ludicrously quick’ and with a 4.5-second 0-60mph time, it was. For 1999. The Challenge Stradale lost some weight and gained an additional 20-odd bhp and remains a sublime handling sports car to this day.
Porsche 996 Turbo
Let’s take a look at another example, this time from Porsche. The 996 was not a universally adored 911 when it was launched, traditionalists complained about the water-cooled engine and funny looking headlights but the turbo model that came in 2000 silenced the critics by way of a twin-turbocharged 414-bhp.
Its light weight and AWD traction made it virtually unmatched off the line but even the Turbo S with its 440-bhp was not going to match the next generation of powerful saloon cars.
BMW M5 V8
So, when BMW released its 400-bhp 5.0-litre V8 M5 that same year it was clearly a big deal. Here was a four-door family car with the power of a sports car, in fairness it did weigh a fair bit more than a Ferrari so was a few tenths slower to 60mph but it had seating for five and could waft along in supreme luxury too, something a 360 was not exactly built for.
In a sane world this would be the point when everyone would down their tools and agree that no more power was ever going to be realistically useable or needed, especially in a family saloon.
Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG
Ferrari and Porsche may have been a bit peeved by the new M5 but Mercedes were even more furious. They were not going to let their Bavarian neighbour have the last word so they bolted a supercharger onto the E-Classes already potent 5.4-litre V8 which boosted the power up to a handy 476-bhp. Job done you say. Not quite.
BMW M5 V10
No, in fact BMW went even further for the next M5 and decided that a race-inspired V10 with a near 9000-rpm redline and 500-bhp on tap was just what we needed. They were right of course and we all loved the insane wail and crazy performance of this model.
The unquenchable thirst and jerky SMG gearbox were less popular but the push for even greater power was well and truly on.
Audi RS6 V10 Turbo
Audi may have been late to the game but they made up for it with cars like the 2006 RS6. Like the BMW it too had a 5.0-litre V10 engine but to ensure that it took the most ludicrously over-powered saloon crown, it also featured a set of turbochargers.
This meant 571-bhp and eyeball-flattening acceleration off the line thanks to its AWD traction advantage. The latest RS models are all close on 600-bhp and are even faster.
BMW M5 Turbocharged V8
The latest M5 now uses AWD too to transfer its prodigious power to the road, a bold but necessary move by a company that has until now touted its rear-wheel-drive layout as being the reason for its dynamic superiority.
It does offer a 2WD setting but with 591-bhp on tap, it is probably unwise to use it in anything but bone-dry conditions. Twin-turbos have been standard since the previous-generation model too, apparently to improve fuel efficiency but we all know they are there to make sure no sneaky Audi comes by on the Autobahn.
Ferrari 488
No for some more perspective. The 488 is a direct descendant of the 360 however, like the BMW, it too has gone the turbocharged route to extract every lst drop of performance from its 3.9-liter V8 engine. With 661-bhp on offer (or 710-bhp in the new Pista edition) you would think that finally the balance of power has been restored and sports saloons are no longer challenging mid-engined sports cars.
Well not exactly, you see the latest M5 may make less power than the 488 but just as with the previous-generations, once the performance edition is launched that figure will rise once again. And let’s not forget about challengers from the latest crop of saloons as well.
Mercedes E63 S
The E63 offers a similar AWD system to the new M5 whereby you can slip it into 2WD mode and disintegrate your rear tyres in a few minutes. The standard model makes 563-bhp but should this amount of power not be sufficient, the top S model raises this figure to 604-bhp. You can even have it as an estate.
Like most German saloons they may both be limited to 155-mph but with this amount of power available, you will quite likely be hitting the speed limiter if your driveway is more than a few metres long.
Jaguar XE SVO Project 8
Jaguar has its own range of powerful saloons however it has generally trailed the Germans in the ultimate power stakes. The XE SVO Project 8 though brings Jaguar right up to the forefront with a 592-bhp supercharged 5.0-litre V8.
They haven’t just created a straight-line monster either as the XE SVO is currently the Nurburgring record holder for the fastest four-door production saloon car on the planet. It is a bit pricey and will only be built in limited numbers, but who cares when it can match a Ferrari 488 around a race track. Both currently claim a 7:21 Nurburgring lap time.
Cadillac CTS-V
The race for saloon car supremacy seems to be a decidedly German pursuit with the odd British stabs at the title but let’s not forget that America has long subscribed to the more power is better philosophy too.
Whereas the latest German cars are downsizing to 4-litre and 4.4-litre V8s, Cadillac has stuck a huge 6.2-litre supercharged V8 under the bonnet of its aggressive CTS-V saloon. This 640-bhp powerplant is straight out of the Corvette Z06 and it turns the CTS-V into the maddest uber-saloon of them all.
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