If you haven't been paying attention to the car industry over the last 10-15 years, you'll have missed a lot. In 2012, Tesla introduced the Model S and, like it or hate it, changed the trajectory of the automotive landscape forever. EVs may not yet be viable for certain lifestyles, and they still come with their own set of inconveniences and frustrations, but their influence can be felt in almost every brand and every segment. The Lamborghini Temerario ditched the Huracan’s V10 for a V8, the Ferrari 296 and McLaren Arturo have opted for V6s instead of V8s, the Porsche Cayman and Boxster are likely gone forever, the Toyota 4Runner is turbo four-cylinder only, the Camry lineup is hybrid only, and even the next-generation Miata is considering adding a hybrid component. The theme of the 2020s is downsizing and electrification. As a result, cars from just a decade or two back have begun to enter “classic” status.Whether or not a car is a “true” classic is largely subjective, and we’re not here to gatekeep. The cars featured on this list are cars sold between 2000 and 2009 that have seen an increase in values, attention, and/or affection from the car community at large. It has been 26 years since 2000, so it’s not as though it was yesterday. That said, this selection of cars has matured to classic status earlier than previous generations as a direct result of aggressive changes in the automotive industry that have made these cars representative of the end of an era. In other words, they literally don’t make them like they used to. Porsche Carrera GT 2005 Carrera GT (1)The 1960s, as an era, represented the end of design without the constraints of safety regulations and performance without environmental regulations. The 2000s represent the end of the manual transmission, the end of big displacement naturally aspirated engines, and the end of the “analog” experience. Yes, it’s true that manual transmissions and big engines exist to this day, but look around. Not many are left.Porsche Carerra GT - Rear Quarter (1)The Carrera GT is, therefore, a perfect representative of its era. It's got a Le Mans-derived naturally aspirated V10 producing 603 horsepower and 435 pound-feet of torque, a six-speed manual transmission, and famously lacks any modern driver aids like electronic stability control or traction control. It represents a peak in “analog” performance before digital-age cars took over. And because it was built in the 2000s, it still has modern power and performance. This has culminated in the market seeming to lust after these cars even more, especially since the beginning of the current decade. In that period, according to classic.com, the Carrera GT market has almost doubled, from an average transaction price of around $750k to $1.4 million and rising. Ferrari Enzo FerrariA car named after the founder of one of the most desirable brands in the automotive world…a classic? Yeah, huge shocker. That said, the 651 horsepower 6.0L naturally aspirated V12 and 3.7 second rip to 60 MPH might sweeten the deal a little bit. This particular Ferrari may not have the “all-analog” credentials of the Carrera GT, but as a member of the Ferrari Halo group, it was destined for classic status from the start.Mecum It notably lacks a manual transmission option, but it earns collector cred as the last “pure” V12 flagship model. The LaFerrari added a hybrid element to the V12, and the new F80 is only a V6, so the Enzo marks a turning point for the top spot in Ferrari's lineup. The Enzo, despite not gracing as many video game covers as in the old days, is incredibly desirable. Prices had been steady in the $2-$4 million range, but this year, sales have gone crazy. The most recent sale nearly reached $18 million, while all other 2026 sales exceeded $9.3 million. Mercedes SLR McLaren JamesEditionWithin the context of this list, this 5-speed torque converter auto-equipped blend of German and British engineering may seem an odd choice, what with the lack of any type of “fun” transmission and all. However, if you know the era, you’ll know it’s part of the big three of the 2000s. Along with the Carrera GT and Ferrari Enzo, the SLR completed the “holy trinity” of this era, which makes the SLR a bona fide classic. The SLR features a supercharged 5.4-liter V8 that produces 617 horsepower and 575 pound-feet of torque, enabling it to accelerate to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds.Unlike most of the other cars on this list, the SLR isn’t a greatest hits album of lost enthusiast attributes, but it does represent a turning point for Mercedes. Mercedes and their flagship models have always been about being on the cutting edge, but the SLR managed to sneak in right before the wave of electronic wizardry took over. In fact, Mercedes claims they used the five-speed for durability over performance. Jay Leno has even been quoted describing the SLR as “unbreakable”, a word not often associated with the Mercedes of the 2020s. Of the “holy trinity,” the SLR is really best suited for grand touring duties and has been known to be far less fragile than the Porsche or Ferrari. Ford GT Via: Bring a TrailerIt would be a genuine surprise for a car directly referencing such a legend of Motorsport history to not achieve classic status. Not only does the GT almost perfectly reinterpret the Le Mans-winning GT40 into a desirable “modern” package, but that package is itself an ode to history, as we saw when the 2017 Ford GT was released. The new Ford GT, while beautiful and brilliant, is powered by a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, uses a seven-speed DCT, and is a demonstration of what Ford can do with all the modern goodies available to them in 2017. Again, brilliant, but lacking the old-school appeal of the first-generation road car.Ford/CarBuzz The 2005-2006 GT has a 5.4-liter supercharged V8 producing 550 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque, and unlike the SLR, is hooked up to a wonderful six-speed manual. With a curb weight of only 3,400 lbs, it’s about 400 lbs heavier than the Enzo or Carrera GT, but over 400 lbs lighter than the SLR. These were hovering around the $300k range back in 2020, but have inched closer to $500k, with one in January selling for $671k. Lamborghini Murcielago Robin Adams Via: RM Sotheby'sNo car has ever matched the poster-car aura of the Countach, but the Murci came close. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 featured a Giallo Orion (yellow) Murcielago on the front cover, which some of us will never forget. Video game cover aside, which Lamborghini could be more of a classic than the one that paired a six-speed gated manual with a screaming V12 for the last time in Lamborghini's history? The Aventador is awesome, no doubt, but the Murcielago is just so special.Robin Adams Via: RM Sotheby's In addition to being the last of a breed, it’s also got that modern performance, helping to solidify its status as an all-time great. Early models, most commonly paired with the gated manual, are rocking a 6.2-liter V12 that produces 572 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. Values of the gated Murcielago have jumped from the $200k range to $400k-$500k, depending on the spec. Meanwhile, the e-Gear cars are steady at the $200k range, so now is the time to get one to manual swap while you still can. Chevrolet Corvette (C6) Z06 Chevrolet505 horsepower 7.0-liter V8. That’s pretty much all that needs saying. The C6 Corvette is not a supercar, nor is it the slightest bit exotic. However, if you were reading car magazines back in 2006, you'd remember just how insane it was that a Corvette could make over 500 horsepower. Yeah, yeah, some people today are laboring under the impression that 500 horsepower "isn't that much", but first of all, it is, and second, that kind of power was simply rarer in 2006. The Viper, E60 M5 (V10), Murcielago, Vanquish S, and 575M all made over 500 horsepower, but it was a small club.Bring A Trailer The C6, on its own, has begun its ascent to classic status by virtue of its simple, clean design. The C7 may be the last front-engine Vette to offer a manual, but the C6 was the last to feature a V8 without active fuel management, which is known to negatively impact reliability, not that the LS7 didn’t have a few reliability issues of its own, of course. Ultimately, the main reason this has made the list is that glorious, gigantic engine known as the LS7. Audi RS4 (B7) AudiCan you think of a manual sedan on the current market? How about one with a V8? Yes, inexplicably, the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing still exists, but what Audi made in the B7 generation RS4, they don’t even come close to making today. In fact, in the North American market, Audi hasn’t offered a manual performance car since the B8.5 S4 ended production nearly a decade ago. The RS4 was manual-only, and it paired that six-speed with the legendary naturally aspirated 4.2-liter V8. This particular V8 makes 420 horsepower and 317 pound-feet with an incredible redline of over 8,000 rpm.Audi These cars haven’t yet blown up, but values have been on a slow, steady climb for the last decade. Like with other cars on this list, the further a car is from what its manufacturer currently makes, the more potentially desirable it becomes. Nothing could better describe the next car on the list. BMW M3 (E46) BMWLately, there has been a great deal of discussion about BMW as a brand. With the 5,600-pound behemoth they call the M5, their insistence on killing the manual because they don't want to develop one that can handle more than 405 pound-feet of torque, and the brand's overall departure from its former identity as the "ultimate driving machine", BMW is in a tough spot. They still build incredibly competent cars and are still seeing sales success, but they’ve left behind the rawness and engagement that defined older BMWs.BMW The E46 M3 is an undeniable classic of this era. With subsequent M3s becoming heavier, larger, and ditching the naturally aspirated 3.2-liter S54 inline-six, the E46 has already carved out a special place in history. The 333 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque may have been bested, and the manual transmission has stuck around to the current G80 M3; the E46 represents BMW with different priorities. Priorities that enthusiasts, at least, will always value. Honda S2000 HondaTo give Honda some credit, they have not abandoned the analog experience to the same degree as other manufacturers. The FL5 Civic Type R, Integra Type S, and Civic Si still offer that incredible Honda manual experience. What Honda has left behind are the old, high-revving, naturally aspirated VTEC engines. Oh, and rear-wheel drive too. The S2000 in AP1 form offers a 9,000-rpm redline, 240 horsepower, 153 pound-feet, and a six-speed manual. In an AP2, displacement is upped from 2.0 liters to 2.2 liters, the redline is down to 8,000 rpm, and while power stays the same, torque bumps up to 163 pound-feet.Honda Honda no longer makes any cars driven by the rear wheels and doesn't make anything with just two doors other than a very overpriced hybrid that uses the Prelude name. As the excitement of high-revving old Hondas slips further into the past, the desire for a retired formula will only grow. The average transaction price of an AP1 S2000 in 2020 was $20k, today it’s almost $30k. Ford Mustang SVT Cobra (Terminator) Bring A TrailerLike with the Murcielago, the coolest version of the SN-95 Mustang was also present in Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2. Admittedly, being on the car list for a 24-year-old Need for Speed game does not a classic make, but it’s certainly a cool bonus. Besides the availability of Ford's weirdly awesome Mystichrome paint, the Terminator Cobra uses the four-valve version of the 4.6-liter modular V8 with an Eaton supercharger strapped to the top to produce 390 horsepower and 390 pound-feet. By today's standards, that may not seem excessive, but the Corvette Z06 of the time made 405 horsepower, and the regular Mustang GT made only 260 horsepower.Bring A Trailer Unlike other picks on this list, the Termi Cobra was actually followed up by some pretty cool Mustangs that use the old formula for fun. That said, while the regular SN-95 is not a classic in the making, the SVT Cobra is a high-performing special version that has found its niche in the world of “classic” collector cars.Sources: Caranddriver.com, Classic.com
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