The Greatest Supercars And Sports Cars Of The 2000s
At the turn of the millennium, the supercar was in a good spot. The internet bubble was making instant millionaires and providing justification for a higher education. Furthermore, cars like the McLaren F1 set the bar tremendously high for the decade ahead.
Once we reached the third millennium, digital photography, Flickr and Youtube made the traditional car mags virtually redundant. Event photography could include EVERY car at a show and revealed new models that didn’t previously exist. No longer were we at the whim of a single editor or publication.
The 2000s gave us some great new design. At the forefront of these are carbon-fiber cars like the Enzo, Carrera GT and SLR. We look forward to the next decade with hope that battery technology will mature and become the propulsion system of choice. Here’s the top 10 best cars of the decade in no particular order.
Don’t forget to check out our other Greatest Ever Supercars and Sports Cars posts.
Maserati MC12
There’s no secret that the MC12 is based on the same chassis as the Enzo, but it is much more exclusive and elegant then the Ferrari. Furthermore, this model was constantly upgraded for FIAGT. From 2005 onwards, Vitaphone racing switched to a competition version of the MC12 and won the Driver and Teams Championships year after year. Further highlighting the model is a Corse track day special.
Bugatti Veyron 16/4
Despite all the bad press Volkswagen received for the production delays, they finally delivered in 2002 and made most of the skeptics look like fools. The Veyron is a great example of what is possible with unlimited development funds and almost unrealistic goals. Fortunately, the program was a complete success and it is rumored that the dyno at Molsheim reads 1100 bhp regularly. There are too many special editions to list, but we like the Pur Sang best.
Porsche Carrera GT
When Porsche do anything they generally get it right -this is especially true of the Carrera GT. Compared to the 911 which has its engine hanging out the wrong end, the GT’s bespoke V10 is low and midship. With a manual transmission and a carbon fiber tub, this is a modern equivalent to the McLaren F1. Not much to fault here except the Cayenne ties. Gemballa also turned it into the killer Mirage Evolution
Ferrari Enzo
Ferrari stole the 2002 Paris motor show with the Enzo and it was one of Luca di Montezemolo’s best moments. Unlike the GTO, F40 and F50, the Enzo was packed with enough technology to make it both a grand tourer and a racer. Ferrari improved the design the the FXX track day special and toured them at the best circuits in the world.
Pagani Zonda F
Since the Zonda C12-S was actually released in 1999, we have to use the F for this decade. Named after Fangio, it’s a much more decorated version of the already spectacular Zonda. Recently Pagani has released the Cinque and Zonda R in anticipation of an entirely new model.
Lamborghini Murcielago
Probably the most badass Lamborghini ever produced. This model was constantly updated, first to the LP640, then to the SV model. Also included with this model range is the Reventon supercar, the first example of in-house coachbuilding from Sant’Agata Bolognese. The RG-T version developed by Reiter Engineering also procured Lamborghini’s first international win at the Zhuhai International Circuit.
Saleen S7
The S7 was America’s best supercar of the decade. Not long after it was released at the Monterey Historic races, the Saleen S7R proved it was ready for the track. In 2005, they twin turbocharged the design and retained the same body. An even rarer version known as the Twin Turbo Competition offered 1000 bhp.
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
Despite an enormous price tag, the SLR was the decade’s ultimate grand tourer. It didn’t perform on the same level as the other race inspired cars, but it didn’t need to. It was completely refined unlike the 300 SLR which Stirling Moss piloted to win the 1955 Mille Miglia. The race version made by RML was surprisingly absent from any sanctioned series, but the final Stirling Moss Edition SLR made up for that loss.
Ford GT
The GT was designed somewhat backwards, but managed to prevail. The concept was released at the 2002 Detroit Auto Show and Ford managed to produce a production version three years later. The engineers had the daunting task of making a usable supercar and they succeeded without changing the exterior design. Matech also transformed the car into a championship-winning GT3 contender-not bad for a car built from the bottom up as a visual concept.
Koenigsegg CCX
We first met Christian von Koenigsegg at the 2000 Paris Auto Show and he said he used Supercars.net to find design inspiration for his own car. We loved the new design but didn’t know how far he would go. Little did we know that he would transform the design into one of the decade’s success stories. The CCX was unveiled at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, sporting body modifications to meet US vehicle regulations and a new in-house developed 4.7L twin supercharged V8 engine capable of generating a maximum power output of 817 PS (601 kW; 806 hp) at 7,000 rpm and 920 N⋅m (679 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5,500 rpm while running on 91 octane gasoline.
