Porsche 917: from Tertre Rouge to the Hollywood Hills, at 248mph
The 917 ranks right up there with the great white shark and Kelly Holmes. It's one of those rare creatures that has a pin-point purpose to its design and yet still ends up looking fantastic. Much like the genesis of the Ford GT, the 917 came about through one man's bloody-minded determination to win Le Mans.
Ferdinand Piëch wanted to please his uncle, Ferry Porsche, and comfortably had his way in '71 and '72 with a car that hit 60mph in 2.5 seconds and topped out on the Mulsanne straight at 248mph. As if that doesn't earn it a place in our pantheon all by itself, the 917 Longtail then starred in Steve McQueen's fetishistic cinematic homage to the world's greatest endurance race, cementing this Porker's place beyond motoring history and into mainstream culture.