Produced between 2002 and 2004, the Enzo is a limited-run supercar that bears the founder’s name despite the guy’s preference for grand tourers. On the other hand, it’s worth remembering that Ferrari unleashed the Enzo a decade after the final unit of the F40 rolled off the assembly line, with the F40 being the final Fezza approved for production by Il Drake.
The Prancing Horse was a very different animal in 2002 as opposed to 1992. Italian businessman Luca di Montezemolo was appointed big kahuna of the Maranello-based automaker three years after Enzo died. Fiat chairman Gianni Agnelli couldn’t have chosen a better man for the job, given that Montezemolo served as Enzo’s assistant for a long time. He also managed the Scuderia, helping the Italian team win multiple Formula 1 constructors’ and drivers’ championships in the 1970s with Niki Lauda.
Many people view Montezemolo as the father of modern-day Ferrari, and they’re not wrong. Montezemolo transformed Ferrari from a car manufacturer and a racing team into one of the world’s strongest brands, which sounds a bit insipid from the standpoint of a numbers-oriented person. Still, it’s the little things like using the founder’s name for a halo car that made Ferrari the behemoth of a brand it is today, an extremely profitable company with a market capitalization of circa $40 billion.
Sexy though it may be, the Enzo isn’t exactly impressive spec-wise compared to the current crop of supercars. Even the 296, as in the first-ever production Ferrari model equipped with six cylinders, can obliterate it in a straight line. But still, it’s never going to enjoy the desirability of the Enzo, which is hideously expensive nowadays. Most of the 400 produced are garage queens with few miles on the clock, a sorry fate for such an incredible supercar given that most owners are treating the Enzo as a blue-chip investment instead of actually enjoying the car by driving it.
The MC12, which is twinned with the Enzo, is hampered by an even sorrier fate. Although much rarer at 50 road-going units and 12 track-only monsters with FIA GT blood running through their veins, the MC12 isn’t as aerodynamic as the Enzo. Then controlled by Ferrari, the House of the Trident received yet another blow in the suck-squeeze-bang-blow department. Ferrari didn’t allow Maserati to share the exact same F140 naturally-aspirated V12, but a slightly downtuned version of this powerplant.
Here's how they stack up: 660 versus 630 metric ponies, as in 651 compared to 621 horsepower. The Enzo has a slight advantage in torque as well, and it’s an idea lighter to boot, thus achieving a better power-to-weight ratio. Given these circumstances, the more aggressively-styled Enzo is quicker to triple-digit speeds and faster overall. The following video shows just how big of a difference there is between these siblings in a good ol’ roll race from 20 miles per hour, as in 32 kilometers per hour.
The Enzo dips in the 11-second range, with the MC12 settling for a best of 13.05 seconds in the quarter mile. Be that as it may, the Enzo doesn’t stand a chance against the heavier yet more powerful and tech-laden F12berlinetta, with the front-engined V12 gran turismo recording a best of 10.75 seconds.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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