The greatest go-faster stripes

Stripes that add speed

We all know a go-faster stripe adds at least 10mph to your car’s top speed. Two stripes? That’s like bolting on a turbocharger. Go-faster stripes are just cool, but which cars rock them the best?

The go-faster stripe dates back to the Briggs Cunningham C-2R Le Mans car of 1951. Designer Peter Brock was credited for the stripes making the transition from the racetrack to the road.

Here is a selection of our favourites. Let us know in the comments which cars we should add to the list!

Stripes for speed

The Dodge Viper (sold as the Chrysler Viper in the UK) hardly needed more street presence. However, when the GTS coupe version arrived in 1996, complete with a set of nose-to-rail racing stripes, it looked even more ballistically bonkers. This Le Mans look was an option – and one many buyers rightly took advantage of.

Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

The Ford Mustang GT500 is one of the most hardcore be-striped cars of recent years. With more than 760hp from its 5.2-litre supercharged V8. Ford’s affectionate nickname for the engine is ‘Predator’. Consider those stripes well and truly earned.

Shelby Mustang GT350

In fact, it was a Mustang that first brought racing stripes to the road. Peter Brock was working at Shelby American when he was tasked with creating a competition look for the Shelby Mustang GT350 without the use of badges or bespoke body panels. He kept things simple by using GT40-inspired stripes along the side of the car, plus a pair of 10-inch wide ‘Le Mans stripes’ running from front to back. Many of the Wimbledon White cars were delivered without the stripes, with dealers fearful of run-ins with the cops.

Ford Focus ST

Decades later, Ford replicated the same look on the Mk2 Focus ST. It wasn’t quite a Shelby ’Stang, but a rorty 228hp five-cylinder engine helped it live up to the promise of those full-length stripes.

Renault 8 Gordini

It didn’t take long for the Europeans to buy into the potential of go-faster stripes. Unveiled at the 1964 Paris Motor Show, the Renault 8 Gordini sported a pair of white stripes on its Bleu de France paintwork. Racing stripes were used to equally good effect on the Renault 12 Gordini and future hot Renaults.

Renault Sport Clio 182

The best of those, arguably, was the riotous Clio 182 of the early 2000s. With 182hp and weighing just over a tonne, the scrappy little Renault Sport could also be specced in a rather arresting ‘Gordini Blue’. Jeremy Clarkson drank the racing-striped Gordini Blue 182 Kool-Aid on an episode of Top Gear in 2003.

Singer Turbo Study

Reimagining the classic Porsche 930 Turbo, but with 510hp, a six-speed manual gearbox and carbon-ceramic brakes, the Singer Turbo Study is legitimately one of the coolest cars on the planet. Each one is built-to-order bespoke, so you can have whatever stripes you like.

Hillman Avenger Tiger

The Hillman Avenger Tiger is as 1970s as wearing a pair of bell bottom trousers at a dinner party where ham and banana hollandaise is the main course and glam rock is playing on the Linn LP12 turntable. We love the way the go-faster stripes blend seamlessly into the rear spoiler. That’s neat, that’s neat, that’s neat, that’s neat, etc.

BMW 3.0 CSL

Ford dominated the 1972 European Touring Car Championship, winning 13 out of the 16 races in the season. BMW responded with the upgraded 3.0 CSL of 1973, with absolutely nothing left to chance in the pursuit of giving Ford a bloodied nose. The result is one of the most iconic cars of the 1970s and a jaw-dropping paint job.

Ford GT40

Powder blue and marigold. Strawberries and cream. Ant and Dec. Gin and tonic. Four examples of dynamic duos, when two separate entities collide to enrich our lives. Powder blue and marigold are the two paints used to create the highly evocative Gulf Racing colour scheme, showcased very effectively here by the Ford GT40.

AMC Gremlin X

Not many cars were designed on an airline sickness bag, but that’s not the only reason to love the AMC Gremlin. The ‘hockey stick’ go-faster stripe introduced on the Gremlin X in 1974 is a triumph of simplicity and 1970s charm.

Datsun 160Z

The Datsun 160Z was designed and built at Datsun’s plant in Pretoria, South Africa, and featured a yellow paint job and decals inspired by the 280Z Zap Edition.

Plymouth AAR Cuda

The ‘strobe’ stripes were unique to the AAR Cuda, but as Paul Zazarine points out in his book Barracuda and Challenger, they created problems for Plymouth designer Milt Antonick. “We asked ourselves, how in the world we were going to figure this out for 3M? One of the guys in design was a genius in math, and he calculated a four percent increase in block size from segment to segment.”

Chevrolet Chevelle SS

In the case of the Chevrolet Chevelle SS, less is most definitely more. Even though the SS lost some of its lustre in later life, the optional bonnet stripes hinted at more power. And that’s the point of go-faster stripes.

Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar D-type

Although, in the case of the Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar D-Type, stripes can also serve a purpose. The cars featured lateral nose stripes – arranged in lance-corporal, corporal and sergeant military style – to make it easier for the pit crew to tell them apart.

Jaguar F-Type Project 7

Jaguar paid homage to its priceless classic racer with a hardcore speedster variant of its F-Type sports car. Like the D-Type, it featured a signature ‘hump’, although it’s unclear whether this had any aerodynamic benefit as on the earlier car. Unlike the D-Type, it utilises a roaring 5.0-litre supercharged V8, which is good for near-on 600hp.

Ford Gran Torino

The Starsky & Hutch Ford Gran Torino, also known as the ‘Striped Tomato’. Automotive televisual perfection.

Vauxhall Viva Brabham

In truth, the Brabham version of the Vauxhall Viva didn’t quite live up to its illustrious name, but it did feature some nice stripes. It was almost like a reverse of the Lotus Cortina (coming up shortly), with the stripes running forward from the middle of the door and across the front edge of the bonnet.

Chrysler Dodge Viper

Here’s the roadster version of the aforementioned Viper, which introduced a whole new generation to the joy of stripes. Don’t agree? Don’t write in, it’s just for fun.

Porsche 911 RSR

In common with Gulf Racing, the Martini Racing Porsche 911 RSR is a prime example of sponsorship and stripes working in perfect harmony. Feel free to save this image to use as your smartphone background.

Bentley Continental GT3-R

Bentley is a great British brand, so we felt duty-bound to include one of its go-faster models. We’re sure Woolf Barnato would approve.

Fiat X1-9

In 1977, Autocar said the ‘ladder’ go-faster stripes were ‘rather gaudy’, but we beg to differ. Note the way they link the front of the car with the cooling vents and beyond them to the rear. The more you look at the Bertone masterpiece, the better it gets. Heck, even the seats feature go-faster stripes.

Lamborghini Huracan Avio

Designed to pay tribute to the world of aviation and aeronautics, the Lamborghini Huracan Avio featured a double stripe – in white or grey – running along the roof and down the bonnet. Because even 610hp supercars need go-faster stripes.

Lamborghini Huracan Performante

The track-tearaway Huracan Performante went one better, with Italian ‘Tricolore’ stripes along both sills. Subtle but oh-so effective.

Chevrolet Camaro Z28

There would be riots on the streets if we didn’t include a Chevrolet Camaro, so have some of this triple-striped Z28 goodness. You can almost smell the aftershave.

Ford Cruising Van

B.A. Baracus might not agree, but we reckon this is the best example of a van sporting a set of go-faster stripes. “Inside and out – it’s ready to roll.” A similar design was used recently on the Ford Bronco.

Pagani Zonda Cinque

The Pagani Zonda – any Pagani Zonda – was never in need of any extra clues to its performance potential. Nevertheless, the limited-to-five-cars ‘Cinque’ of 2009 wore a big red stripe down its centre, splitting the exposed carbon fibre. Is it elegant? No. But that doesn’t matter one bit.

Aston Martin Valkyrie

One car that probably doesn’t need go-faster stripes is the Aston Martin Valkyrie. It’s got an 11,000rpm V12 and more than 1,000hp. Still, for the moment, it’s probably the coolest be-striped car of the decade, and will likely remain so.

Ford Lotus Cortina

The Ford Lotus Cortina was one of the earliest examples of a Q-car, with Autocar labelling it ‘inconspicuous and deceptive in its speed and acceleration’ and saying that the ‘neighbours would hardly be impressed unless they were keenly informed’. The clues are there, though, not least the evocative green stripe that extends from the front wing right around the back of the car.

Ford Escort XR3i

We end with yet another fast Ford. The slim red pinstripes on the Escort XR3i, also seen on the Golf GTIs we started this list with, are so evocative of the 1980s. They let the world know your car could go a bit faster. Job done.