The better question is what is not an exotic. We know Lambo, Ferrari and Aston Martin are exotics but what qualifies them as exotics and what disqualifies some others.

I saw a thread about a guy in an ISF who took on a GTR. The ISF driver felt good about the performance of his car against an exotic. Several people replied the GTR is not an exotic and a debate ensued. It got me thinking about what qualifies and what doesn't.
One guy in the thread said the price of the GTR disqualified it. That got me thinking.

What about the Rossion Q1. It looks like an exotic. Most consider it a kit car but the Rossion company might disagree. Since it is produced only when ordered does that make it a kit car? That can't be it. You have to order a Ferrari before you can get a new one.
The Rossion Q1 is fast, 0-60 in 3.1, top speed 189 mph.
Does the fact is has a Ford engine keep it from being an exotic? Even with 450 hp? How about it's price of 110K? That's not exotic enough?

Back to the GTR. What keeps it from being an exotic. It's one of the fastest cars on the planet. It has a unique shape. It has limited production numbers. What are the qualifiers?

On speed and power alone, there are a few cars that can hang with anything. Like a Vette Z06 or Mustang GT500. These are clearly muscle cars but with exotic-type power.

I'm not saying what is or isn't. I never thought of the GTR as an exotic but upon further thought, why isn't it? Here's my list of cars that could be but aren't always thought of as exotics:

Porsche 911
Rossion Q1
Jaguar XKR
GTR
SLS
Audi R8

I definitely want to hear your thoughts on this.

 

I've always felt Lamborghini, Ferrari, Mclaren, Bugatti etc.
Around $200+K cars.

 

Litmus Test

If you crap your pants when you see one on the road, its an Exotic.

GTR,911 and many others simply do not have that kind wow factor....

 

OK, 2 replies with one basing it on price and the other on looks.

 

Even with price,I don't feel Bentleys or Rolls are exotics.

 

Exclusivity. The regular 911, SLS, R8, Jag XKR, you can basically walk into a dealer and buy or order one. A car like a Ferrari Enzo, LFA, 911 GT2 RS, not only is the price exorbitant, but with a limited production run, the likelihood of you getting one even if you have the funds is pretty small. To me, the Porsche Turbo is not an exotic, neither is the ZR1 even if both have the pedigree to be one. That's why the GTR isn't one either.

 

It is not simply about looks, it’s just one of those things like trying to explain brand imagine which if often unexplainable, it’s just something you feel or know.

There are a lot of things that are expensive, look good or don’t, and they still don’t have a wow factor or brand power behind them.

They can bump the price to 200k and limit sales to 24 North American units for rarity purposes, the 911 and GTR will not be an exotic to me.

 

If I can't afford it, then that's an exotic. For example, Tata Nano.

 

I recently developed an equation to explain this

It came to me after contemplating the costs of a replacement SMG transmission

We start with something basic, something designed for the masses
I think this would be four cylinder, automatic
Once you start adding sporty features you add points

manumatic? 50 points
6 cylinder? add 10 points
8 cylinder? add 10 points
10 cylinder? add 50 points
12?? add 150 points

Heads up? 10 points
Navi and other electronics dont count, like power windows or locks, etc
Do you see what I'm doing?

Now plug this into a spreadsheet or make a system of equations
Then pick a solid equation to represent your 'line of exoticness'
anything above the line is exotic, anything below is not, and obviously you can adjust the important (to you) parameters because it's a weighted points system

Good luck

 

Cool post filled with great answers.

My personal definition/criteria of Exotic Car.

1. 2 Doors- 4 doors or more just doesn't cut it. Sorry Panemra/CLS/A7 all of which are hot in their own way.
2. Must have at least 6 cylinders. Preferably V8 or V12 though. Power and bragging rights is key in this segment.
3. Panty dropper-Pretty much self explanatory.
4. Rarity- I don't need to see 5 of them in a day (unless at a meet) or in a Walmart parking lot.
5. Extremely curvy or with menacing lines and creases. Doesn't have to be Italian but damn it helps.
6. Commands your eye the whole time it's in your sight line. Valet move S550 to put said car up front and center.
7. Paris Hilton desires to paint it Barbie Pink.
8. You're willing to kidnap someone to get ransom money just to buy this thing upon seeing it at a car show.
9. Distinctive exhaust note which immediately grabs your attention. No I'm not talking mufferless Civics.
10. Price- Doesn't have to be $200K, as Audi has proved with the R8 most recently. But clearly exclusivity is essential.

 

Buddy I'll drop panties if you pull up in a Tercel, they were too tight anyways

 

Here is my criteria. An exotic:
- is a car that has parts, engines, and engineering unique to it. The motor can't be based on a lesser, mass produced model.
- manufactured in limited amounts
- the objective being performance

 

The Ford GT is a production car but it's referred to as exotic.
The aforementioned Rossion Q1 is purely a limited run, must pre-order auto and no calls it exotic.
What about the Maserati cars...are they exotic?

 

The Zonda uses Benz engines. Not exactly low rent but still mass produced engines. No one can dispute a Zonda being exotic.
The Morgan uses BMW engines.
I think the Mosler uses Chevy engines.
The Saleen S7 is just a fancy Ford but it is definitely exoctic.

Your criteria doesn't work.

This is definitely tough to define.

 

It depends on what you consider exotic and "how many" would be considered mass produced.
- I don't consider most American supercars exotic because many use LS-based engines with boost
- I wouldn't consider a Morgan an exotic. It uses a mass-produced BMW V8
- Zonda uses a MB made engine not mass-produced in any MB car, but limited to very rare, performance models produced in very small numbers.
- Saleen produces their own engine for the S7, so yes it's still an exotic

My criteria is my opinion, though not perfect and certainly not shared by everybody!