Muscle cars are the more popular type of American performance car among enthusiasts, but home-grown sports cars are equally desirable. Things were even wilder back in the day, with Bugatti-challenging and extremely rare American sports cars dominating the scene.

Shelby Cobras and Corvettes have stood tall in the US’s wave of exotic sports cars. But this list reminds you of a few rarer and newer bleeding-edge sports cars and supercars, showing the world that “Detroit Muscle” is not the only defining factor for American sports cars.

12 Saleen S7

Units Produced: Less Than 100

The S7 is a cool-looking American sports car of the 2000s that has been forgotten. Today, the Chevy C8 Corvette and the wild Hennessey supercars dominate the American “sports car” scene. The Saleen S7 was a similarly wild creation that starred in numerous movies, including Bruce Almighty, Redline, and Iron Man.

While it was an American car, Ray Mallock Limited, a popular name in the British Touring Car Championship, did most of its development in the UK. The result was a gorgeous, low-slung push-rod V8-powered sports car with design and purpose parallels with the mighty McLaren F1, like its close-to-center driver seat position and rear design language.

The S7 was an expensive build, and so, from 2000 to 2009, no more than 100 units of the S7 Saleen were produced. There isn’t a certain production figure as Steve Saleen, the founder and CEO of Saleen, has not disclosed the numbers, as per Hagerty UK.

Engine & Performance Specs

(Specs sourced from Fastest Laps)

11 Hennessey Venom F5

Units Produced: 90

Hennessey Performance is a name that is synonymous with extreme American sports cars. This is the sole company that has and still is standing tall against the likes of the mighty Bugatti and Koenigsegg in terms of performance and exclusivity.

The Venom F5 is their latest and greatest V8 creation, packing insane performance and exotic materials. For an eye-watering starting price of $3 million, the F5 Venom packs carbon fiber galore in its chassis and body components and is powered by a fierce twin-turbocharged V8 that produces over 1,800 hp.

There are four variations of the Venom F5 (24 units of the 2020 F5, 30 units of the 2022 F5 Roadster, 24 units of the wilder F5 Revolution, and 12 units of the F5 Revolution Roadster), totaling 90 units, and all have been sold out. The performance rating of the V8 in all the F5 variations is the same. The changes are confined to body styles, curb weight, and extensive use of exotic materials.

Engine & Performance Specs

(Specs sourced from Hennessey Special Vehicles)

10 2010 Dodge Viper ACR Voodoo Edition

Units Produced: 31

This special edition Viper was part of a send-off package for the second-gen model, for which 2010 was its last model year. Only 500 units of the “standard” Viper were built for 2010, and among the bunch, the ACR Voodoo Edition dialed up on the exclusivity factor with just 31 units. This was also part of the 25th-anniversary celebration and was joined by the 1:28 Edition ACR, the GTS-R Commemorative Edition ACR, the Snakeskin Edition GTC, and the Dodge Dealer Edition.

The coolest feature of the Voodoo Edition Viper was that it was based on the hardcore ACR track-ready machine. The Voodoo added a slew of exclusive plaques and a cool black and red paint job on top of the carbon fiber aero bits, track-ready suspension, Brembo brakes, StopTech rotors, wider and bigger tires, and a short-throw shifter.

Engine & Performance Specs

(Specs sourced from Stellantis North America and Fastestlaps)

9 2022 Ford GT LM Edition

Units Produced: 20

The modern Ford GT is a bold revival of an icon with a V6. While it was initially hit with a lot of skepticism, this sports car as a package impressed many. This special edition model celebrated Ford’s 2016 Le Mans win. This limited-run model elevates the modern Ford GT’s appeal with a cool Le Mans-racecar-inspired visual treatment.

According to Ford, all 20 units of this special GT will have visual features taken right off the No. 68 GT racecar. Also, unique to this lot is a 3D titanium-printed dual exhaust.

Engine & Performance Specs

(Specs sourced from Fastestlaps)

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8 Vector W8

Units Produced: 19 (And 3 Prototypes)

The Vector W8 is a rare American sports car that many don’t know. This was the creation of a boutique supercar manufacturer in the 1990s. According to Hagerty, only 19 units of the W8 sports car were made. This was a mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive two-seater sports car that was the only one of its time that could stand up to the wild and edgy design of the Lamborghini Countach.

But this American sports car couldn’t enjoy the same fame as the Lambo. With its chassis constructed using aerospace-grade materials like aluminum honeycomb design, kevlar, and carbon fiber, it was the first-ever exotic sports car from America.

Engine & Performance Specs

(Specs sourced from Fastestlaps and Hagerty)

7 Hennessey Venom GT

Units Produced: 13 (Including One Prototype)

Before the mighty F5, Hennessey created a wild Frankenstein by fusing the best bits of the Lotus Elise and the Corvette ZR1. This was an American supercar with an insane power-to-weight ratio. The Venom GT weighed less than 2,400 lbs and produced over 1,200 hp.

While this sports car is based on the Elise, it doesn’t closely share anything more than a visual resemblance. The chassis was swapped for a carbon-fiber tub along with an extensively modified suspension and drivetrain setup. The rear mid-mounted V8 could be tweaked to produce 725 hp, 1,000 hp, and 1,200 hp with the flip of a button. Hennessey planned to build a total of 29 units, but by the end of its run in 2017, a total of 13 Venom GTs were made (six hardtops, six roadsters, and one prototype).

Engine & Performance Specs

(Specs sourced from Venom GT and Fastestlaps)

6 1971 Chevrolet Corvette ZR2

Units Produced: 12

The Corvette has been a household name in the world of American supercars for a long time. In 1971, a unique and rare ZR2 model was made. It was offered for just one year. This was the ultimate iteration of the Corvette, even surpassing the mighty L88 in rarity, with only 12 LS2 units made, according to Hagerty.

The 1971 ZR2 Corvette packed the 454 LS6 one last time before wrapping things up. The ZR2 package added features like a Muncie M-22 transmission, twin-disc clutch, heavy-duty brakes, and a suspension setup with larger anti-sway bars than the standard model. It also came with an aluminum radiator to keep things cooler.

Engine & Performance Specs

(Specs sourced from Fastestlaps and Automobile-catalog)

5 1971 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Coupe

Units Produced: 8

The ZR1 package on the 1971 Corvette can be considered the modern equivalent of the C8 Corvette Z06. However, the 70s model with the ZR1 package was a lot rarer, with just eight units produced. According to Hagerty, 53 ’70s Corvettes were equipped with the ZR1 package; 25 were the 1970 MY, and 20 were the 1972 MY. The 1971 MY gets a lot more attention because of the single-digit models that were ZR1-equipped.

The ’71 ZR1 was equipped with the 350 small-block LT1 V8, which produced 370 horses. Other cool features include stiffer springs, sway bars, heavy-duty brakes, a lightweight flywheel, transistorized ignition, an L88 starter, an aluminum radiator, and a 3.70:1 gearing ratio. It also came with additional aesthetic upgrades like body-colored roof panels, a luggage rack, a removable rear window, and rally wheels.

Engine & Performance Specs

(Specs sourced from Fastestlaps and Automobile-catalog)

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4 Falcon F7

Units Produced: 7

The F7 is a rarely remembered modern sports car with lots of carbon fiber, a ferocious V8, and a sharp design. This car turned heads and gave America hope for mid-engined supercars. It was launched in 2013 when a mid-engined Corvette was still a dream.

Jeff Lemke, founder and CEO of Falcon Motorsports, calls the design of the F7 a “cocktail” of his favorite car designs—the C6 Corvette, the Ford GT, and the Ferrari 288 GTO. We can see design inspirations from all three cars on the Falcon F7. Its rear-mounted V8 is straight out of a C6 Corvette Z06.

Lingenfelter Performance Engineering reworked the motor and gave it a cool carbon fiber intake system to dial the power figures to 620 hp and 585 lb-ft (the stock C6 Corvette Z06 churned out 505 hp and 470 lb-ft). That wasn’t its prime form, as Falcon offered an optional twin-turbo package that increased the power to an insane 1,100 hp.

Engine & Performance Specs

(Specs sourced from Falconf7 and Fastestlaps)

3 SSC Ultimate Aero TT

Units Produced: 24

The “TT” here stands for Twin-Turbo, and this American sports car set the “World’s Fastest Production Car” record in 2007 with an average top speed of 255.83 mph. This sharp-looking sports car was the Bugatti Veyron’s arch-rival.

Apart from its insane performance, the SSC Ultimate Aero TT packed other serious hardware like a lightweight chassis, race-spec suspension system with a custom Penske coilover, and a design refined in the wind tunnel. According to SSC North America, only 24 units of the Ultimate Aero TT were made between 2006 and 2007.

Engine & Performance Specs

(Specs sourced from Fastestlaps)

2 1969 Chevrolet Corvette ZL1

Units Produced: 2

This car is a bit of a mystery and the definition of extreme. Only two Corvettes were ever sold to the public with the ZL1 package in 1969, according to CorvSport. The ZL1 package came in as a mid-year upgrade for the 1969 Corvette. This package bundled some serious upgrades, including a stronger, all-aluminum block, connecting roads, and open-chamber heads superior to the L88’s setup.

The ZL1-equipped Corvettes were also lighter than the stock model. But the painful aspect of this cool package was that it cost a bomb at $5,718.35. To give you an idea of how insane this price was, a stock 1969 Corvette Coupe started with an MSRP of $4,781.

Engine & Performance Specs

(Specs sourced from Corvette Museum and Road & Track First Drive)

1 Shelby Cobra Super Snake

Units Produced: 2

Often tagged as being ferocious and even as the “most dangerous sports car ever made“, the Shelby Cobra Super Snake is quite possibly the wildest American sports car ever made. Only two Super Snakes were ever made, and currently, one survives, according to Hemmings. The Super Snake was based on the Cobra 427 competition roadster models, of which only 23 were made.

The combination of 800 horses and just 2,282 pounds of curb weight is a deadly combination. The result was a car that would snap its tail with the slightest athletic acceleration. This is one of the most iconic American-made sports cars ever, and it is also the rarest.

Engine & Performance Specs

(Specs sourced from Fastestlaps)

Sources: Hagerty, Hemmings, Ford, Shelby, Saleen, Chevrolet, Shelby Super Cars, Falcon Motorsports, Hennessey Performance, Dodge, and Vector Motors