The Greatest Supercars of the 21st Century (So Far)
From the Saleen S7 to the Ferrari SF90 Stradale, these are the top models from the new Millennium...at least for now.
McLaren F1
Ok, so the first one on this list is technically from the last century, the 1990s to be exact, but it’s here as a benchmark and baseline for the models that follow. A top speed of 231 mph. Back in 1992, no other production car had ever gone that fast. It was mind-blowing. But that’s what the McLaren F1 did; blow minds. With its feather-weight carbon-fiber chassis, single-minded focus on shaving weight, and a bespoke 6-liter, 627 hp BMW V-12 for power, it could sear to 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds.
Costing nearly $1 million at launch, it was also mind-blowingly expensive. Today, however, in the rare chance that one of the 106 examples comes to market, expect to pay around $20 million. The ultimate supercar? Some would say there’s no question. Howard Walker
Saleen S7
An American outlier in a world of European trendsetters, Steve Saleen’s S7 debuted in 2000 at the Monterey Historic Races as a track-focused supercar that was far more extreme than most competitors from the other side of the pond. The heart of the mid-engined predator was an aluminum power plant derived from Ford’s venerable 351 ci V-8, which developed 550 hp and shifted through a six-speed manual gearbox.
The subsequent model S7 Twin-Turbo from 2005 made 750 hp from a 427 ci big-block V-8, and achieved a claimed top speed of 248 mph, staggering performance then and now. Produced through 2009, the Saleen S7 remains a rare collectible, and while no production figures are officially available, its numbers are estimated to be well below triple digits. Robert Ross
Ferrari Enzo
Ferrari’s biggest sensation of the 21st century remains the Enzo, a V-12-powered, mid-engined monster named after the founder of the company, a man whose legacy continues to inspire the latest supercars from Maranello. Designed by then head of design at Pininfarina, Ken Okuyama, the car captivated its audience in 2002 at the Paris Motor Show.
All 399 units were presold, with production spanning 2003 through 2004. A 400th production example was built and donated to the Vatican for charity. While the power output of 651 hp and as-new price of $659,330 seem quaintly modest by today’s standards, the Enzo was the benchmark of its era and remains one of the most coveted of this century’s supercars. R.R.
Photo : Seth Wenig/AP/Shutterstock.
McLaren F1
Ok, so the first one on this list is technically from the last century, the 1990s to be exact, but it’s here as a benchmark and baseline for the models that follow. A top speed of 231 mph. Back in 1992, no other production car had ever gone that fast. It was mind-blowing. But that’s what the McLaren F1 did; blow minds. With its feather-weight carbon-fiber chassis, single-minded focus on shaving weight, and a bespoke 6-liter, 627 hp BMW V-12 for power, it could sear to 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds.
Costing nearly $1 million at launch, it was also mind-blowingly expensive. Today, however, in the rare chance that one of the 106 examples comes to market, expect to pay around $20 million. The ultimate supercar? Some would say there’s no question. Howard Walker
Photo : Darren Brode/Shutterstock.
Saleen S7
An American outlier in a world of European trendsetters, Steve Saleen’s S7 debuted in 2000 at the Monterey Historic Races as a track-focused supercar that was far more extreme than most competitors from the other side of the pond. The heart of the mid-engined predator was an aluminum power plant derived from Ford’s venerable 351 ci V-8, which developed 550 hp and shifted through a six-speed manual gearbox.
The subsequent model S7 Twin-Turbo from 2005 made 750 hp from a 427 ci big-block V-8, and achieved a claimed top speed of 248 mph, staggering performance then and now. Produced through 2009, the Saleen S7 remains a rare collectible, and while no production figures are officially available, its numbers are estimated to be well below triple digits. Robert Ross
Ferrari Enzo
Ferrari’s biggest sensation of the 21st century remains the Enzo, a V-12-powered, mid-engined monster named after the founder of the company, a man whose legacy continues to inspire the latest supercars from Maranello. Designed by then head of design at Pininfarina, Ken Okuyama, the car captivated its audience in 2002 at the Paris Motor Show.
All 399 units were presold, with production spanning 2003 through 2004. A 400th production example was built and donated to the Vatican for charity. While the power output of 651 hp and as-new price of $659,330 seem quaintly modest by today’s standards, the Enzo was the benchmark of its era and remains one of themost coveted of this century’s supercars. R.R
Porsche Carrera GT
With its six-speed manual transmission and wooden cue-ball shift knob, it’s understandable why many call the Carrera GT the last of the analog supercars. Absent the sophisticated safety systems of today’s latest-and-greatest, the mid-engined GT is a thrill-ride offering a taste of what might have been had Porsche set the GT’s sights on the racetrack.
A 5.7-liter V-8 develops 603 hp and has a sound like no other Porsche engine ever made. The Carrera GT does not suffer fools, requiring skill when engaging its sensitive clutch and commanding respect when managing the rear-wheel horsepower. Its shape, the handiwork of Porsche’s then head designer Harm Lagaay, seems timeless—and almost understated—today. A total of 1,270 units were made between 2004 and 2007. R.R.
Ford GT
In 1966, lightning struck three times when Ford’s GT40 finished 1-2-3 at the daunting 24 Hours of Le Mans. The first consumer grade GT40s came out of homologation rules that dictated equivalent road cars were built alongside the racers. Fast forward to 2004, and Ford produced an homage to its famous competition machines, dubbing the supercharged sports car simply the GT.
Though undeniably sexy, the new creation had no ostensible links to racing. Not until 2016, on the 50th anniversary of the Le Mans photo finish triple victory, did Ford venture down the GT road again, this time building a gorgeous twin-turbocharged game changer whose race equivalents won their LMGTE Pro class at Le Mans, completing a half-century circle with stunning symmetry. Basem Wasef
Maserati MC12
A kissing cousin of the Ferrari Enzo, Maserati’s MC12 was built for the express purpose of competing in (and winning) the FIA GT Championship. A total of 25 customer cars were made in 2004, with another 25 in 2005, each priced at $670,541, and all were presold. A final dozen were produced for racing only.
Frank Stephenson, then-director of Ferrari-Maserati Concept Design and Development penned the MC12, which was built on the Enzo chassis, but was larger in every dimension. Sharing the Ferrari’s same 6.0-liter V-12 engine, the Maserati was deferential to its prancing horse patriarch, making 621 hp and hitting 205 mph, versus 651 hp and 217 mph. While not street legal, the MC12 shines as one of the most voluptuous supercars of our century. R.R.
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
While never receiving the attention enjoyed by its supercar rivals, the burly SLR was a novel mash-up between Germany’s Mercedes-Benz and Britain’s McLaren, before the latter became a household name. The big GT was co-developed by both companies, and manufactured at the McLaren factory in Woking, England.
Its name references Mercedes’ 300 SLR race car from the 1950s. The 2003 coupe, styled by Gordon Wagener, was followed by a roadster in 2007 and, finally, a limited-edition speedster model. The entire run of 2,157 cars came to an end in 2010 when it was superseded by the less rarefied SLS AMG that year. Power came from a 5.4-liter supercharged V-8, developing a then-respectable 617 hp, which gave the vehicle a top speed of 208 mph. R.R.
