Friday Fun Thread: Viva Italia!

This is the one I've been waiting for to do a "Top Ten" car list. After American cars (my heart is always here first when it comes to cars), Italy has the most beautiful cars in the world. Just the names alone evoke images of sleek sports cars with insane amounts of power under the hood. Even the nameplates are legendary: The rearing stallion of Ferrari; the infamous Lamborghini bull. Narrowing this down to ten will be quite a feat indeed...

1. Ferrari Testarossa. The "red head"; the Testarossa was a mid-engined, 12-cylinder car most commonly known for being Sonny Crockett's wheels in Miami Vice. Growing up as a teenaged boy in the 1980s, surrounded by K-cars, Cavaliers, and Escorts, the exotic Testarossa seen on TV was about as different from my standard automotive mode of conveyance (mom's 1983 Buick Century) as the Space Shuttle differs from a paper airplane...

2. Lamborghini Countach. And since we're basing the list of cars I lusted after as a teen, there's simply no way the Countach could not make it high on the list. The scissor-wing doors (talk about exotic) are still copied today as an example of non-traditional design; the 4.0L V12 rocketing the Countach to a top speed of nearly 200 MPH.

3. Maserati Khamsin. Named after a desert wind, the Khamsin wins the title of the car "most likely to be mistaken for a Ferrari". While the 4.9L, 320 HP V8 motor and Italian heritage belay the racing influence, it had speed-sensitive steering, excellent rear visibility, and an automatic transmission for greater driveability than it's Roman counterparts.

4. Ferrari Barchetta. How could I not pay homage to the car immortalized by Rush in 1981's "Red Barchetta"? Even though they never identified the car as a Ferrari, the Barchetta name alone conjures up Ferrari's rich racing heritage. "Fire up the willing engine, responding with a roar. Tires spitting gravel, I commit my weekly crime." In a world where private automobiles are banned, if one were to possess a car simply for the sheer pleasure of breaking the law by driving it, there's little better option than a Barchetta.

5. Lamborghini Miura. Widely considered the forerunner of the '80s and '90s supercars, the Miura was one of the first models to offer a mid-engine, rear wheel drive layout for a sports car platform. Compared to the competition of the time - the Corvette in America, the XKE Jaguar in Britain, and the Porsche 911 in Germany - the Miura was definitely unlike the rest of the crowd.

6. Lancia Stratos. Designed almost exclusively for rally racing, the Stratos was perhaps best known for the wrap-around windshield that allowed 180º+ visibility. This is one of those cars I would never have known about were it not for the world of 1/18^th scale models.

7. Fiat X1/9. Here's another personal favorite. The X1/9 stands out as the premiere "affordable" Italian two-seater ("affordable" meaning that, yes, I could afford to buy one, not necessarily to keep a mechanic employed full-time to fix it...). Between the X1/9 and the Porsche 914, the two-seat, wedge-shape model of small, sporty cars that handled like a dream took root, and unfortunately culminated in the Pontiac Fiero and the Nissan Pulsar...

8. Alfa Romeo Spider. Ah, the "Duetto". With a body designed by Pininfarina, the 1600 (1570cc) offered five-speed transmission, disc brakes, and independent front suspension at time when "three on the tree" or "four on the floor", drum brakes, and leaf springs ruled the roost. It embodied the exotic yet affordable European roadster alongside the MGB and the Karmann Ghia.

9. Fiat 500. Long before the SMART Car, the 479cc, two-cylinder (13hp!) 500 roamed the street as the car "most likely to be stolen by squirrels". Considered to be one of the first "city cars", the 500 was only 9 3 meters long and weighed less than some current touring motorcycles. Any car light and small enough to fit in the bed of a ½ ton pickup truck gets an honorable mention...

10. Maserati Gran Turismo. Hmmm. A 400+ horsepower Italian supercar that the whole family can enjoy? Sign me up! Not only that, but it comes with a 6-speed automatic transmission so the Missus can drive it too (note: This is G. family specific - Mrs. G. cannot drive standard transmission).

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So there's my list of Top Ten Italian automobiles. I understand that many models have been left out - this list could easily have been "Top Ten Ferraris" or "Top Ten Lamborghinis" - I tried to balance the list out between the major Italian automakers as best I could.

Tell me what I missed for impressive Italian cars...

That is all.