It wouldn’t be a stretch to say the Bugatti Veyron kickstarted the horsepower wars that have been raging right up until the debut of the latest Bugatti speed machine, the 1,800hp Tourbillon. Back in 2005, the Veyron’s 1,001hp output from its 8.0-litre W16 was almost inconceivable, as was it’s mind-boggling 407 km/h top speed. However, why was did this seemingly random number become the Veyron’s headline figure?

Car makers aren’t afraid of a low-volume limited edition, and over the years, Porsche have created some of our favourites. These are cars that possess all the many lovely traits of their common-or-garden cousins, but boast wild and expensive options, exclusive mechanical components, and even totally different bodywork.