11 Engine Bays That You Could Practically Eat Off Of

We’re proud to partner with Valvoline on a series of stories that celebrate their 150 years of heritage under the hood. Appropriately, we’re kicking it off with a look under some of the cleanest hoods we’ve ever seen. Enjoy.

Cleanliness is a virtue—at least to these owners, it is. Over the last few years, we’ve driven some incredible machines, but these have left an impression for having beautifully-detailed and presented engine bays.

Keeping the outside of one’s car clean is easy, but for enthusiasts who enjoy working on their cars, a spotless engine bay is equally important. From humble Mini Coopers to the Pagani Zonda hypercar, here are some of the most beautiful engine bays we’ve ever seen.

Ford GT40 recreation by Ricardo Engineering

With a mid-mounted Ford 302 V8, even though this is a recreation, it’s been built to the highest standards by the same firm that made the transmission for the Bugatti Veyron.

Morris Mini Cooper

Compact British motoring at its finest, the Cooper was known for being a “giant killer” on twisty roads. Here’s its humble heart.

Ferrari 365 GTB/4 “Daytona”

Twelve cylinders of fury pushed this late ’60s grand touring machine to speeds in excess of 170 mph. Horsepower was more than 350, a huge figure in those days.

Bentley Continental R-Type

A supercar from the 1950s, Bentley’s R-Type Continental could crush continents with ease, thanks to its near-180 horsepower 4,877-cc six-cylinder engine and performance that promised “100 mph in third gear”. Tally ho!

Pagani Zonda F

This 12 cylinder AMG powerplant is nestled safely in the chest of the Zonda, waiting until it can propel this hand-made supercar to 200 mph, again.

Fiat “Nuova” 500

Like the Mini Cooper, Fiat’s 500 is a fantastic example of a classic that’s still not too expensive or difficult to maintain…and with looks like that, interested bystanders will ensure you’re not able to go anywhere quickly, anyhow.

V8-Powered Ferrari Dino 246 GTS

Sacrilege? One man’s dream to have a faster Ferrari led to one of the cleanest resto-mods we’ve ever seen, with changes that turn this classic Ferrari into a sports car with contemporary performance.

Maserati A6GCS

When’s the last time you’ve seen an A6GCS? In the ’50s, this car sat atop the world in performance, thanks to this jewel-like 2.0-litre twin cam inline-6 cylinder engine.

Shelby Daytona Coupe

You’re looking at one of the most storied and original racing cars in existence, the first Shelby Daytona Coupe ever built. Sure, there’s a little dirt, but keep in mind: most of these parts have been untouched since the ’60s. This is what the ultimate survivor looks like once the hood is open.

Maserati Ghibli Spyder

Despite Ghia’s masterful coachwork, the Ghibli Spyder’s 4.7-litre V8 engine is nearly as pretty as the car itself. This 306 horsepower engine will push it to 155 mph, and ensuring few machines—even today—will be passing it on the Italian Autostrada.

Dodge Viper RT/10

Ten cylinders of American muscle, with some input from Lamborghini, characterizes the Viper RT/10. Still raw after all these years, it’s one of those cars that will thrill once opened up. One nice touch: since the whole hood is a “clamshell” design, this pretty V10 looks epic when you slow down long enough to look.