Question of the Week: Ferrari Enzo, Mercedes McLaren SLR or Porsche Carrera GT?

The Noughties: what a decade for enthusiasts. From the sumptuous Pagani Zonda to the record-breaking Bugatti Veyron - and of course the first-generation Dacia Sandero! - we were treated to a catalogue of gems right across. But aside from the sheer number of exotica, why was it so special?

Probably because the Noughties is considered by many to be the peak of the internal combustion engine, right before the mainstream rise of electricity. Simmering V12s, howling V10s and thumping great V8s. We took it for granted, didn’t we?

So it’s difficult to single out just three from such a wide spectrum of greatest hits. But it’s widely agreed that the Ferrari Enzo, the Mercedes McLaren SLR and the Porsche Carrera GT have (rightfully) ascended the throne and assumed their natural positions as the ‘original’ Holy Trinity.

The same three manufacturers again fought tooth, nail and hybrid technology in the 2010s with the 918, La Ferrari and P1, and the lessons learned from their predecessors were critical building blocks in allowing them to pursue world dominion. 

Naming a car after the company’s founding father was always going to be a big risk for the chaps at Maranello. But, as you should’ve come to realise by now, this is Ferrari we’re talking about - a brand which believes in itself more than that Ronaldo bloke from Madeira. Though the confidence was justified: the Enzo is four seconds faster than the GT around the Nürburgring, and nearly fifteen quicker than the SLR.

That brings us nicely to the Anglo-German, which was intended to be a deal well struck between a resurgent Mercedes-Benz and a reborn McLaren. Those intentions led to what was not only the finest grand tourer of the Noughties, but one of the best-ever full stop. While its brethren focused on eviscerating their tyres and being a general nuisance, the SLR came and showed them what real speed looks like. Incredible machine.

Last but not least is the Carrera GT. Carved by Porsche’s most seasoned engineers from the remains of a racing car, and chiselled to look like the object of focus in a Michelangelo painting, the GT is quite possibly the greatest German supercar of all time. And remember: this is a country which produces a modest number of them. 

What do we reckon, readers? Ferrari, Porsche or MercLaren? Cast your votes below, and expect to see the foremost arguments feature in Friday’s result. May the best analogue supercar win. Sandero included.