Some sports cars are pretty popular but rarely seen on the roads. Most of these cars are now collectibles and are probably stored in car garages worldwide. The main reason for this rarity is that the manufacturer made limited units. Other sports cars are rare because of their hefty price tags.
However, some car manufacturers intentionally make restricted units of their vehicles for exclusivity. For example, Bugatti is known for producing limited units for most of its models and pricing each unit for millions. These cars are usually reserved for the super rich. Most times, carmakers have to stop making a particular model because they can’t keep up with the production costs. Though people don’t usually talk about this, a sports car can be rare because it flopped. Many unique sports cars were made in the 2000s, but you’ve probably not seen or heard of some of them because of their rarity. These are the rarest sports cars of the 2000s.
9 2009 Aston Martin One-77
Just like the name suggests, there are only 77 units of the Aston Martin One-77. The One-77 is a 2-door two-seater sports car with swan doors. After development and testing, Aston Martin presented the vehicle at the 2008 Paris Motor Show.
A year later, in 2009, the One-77 was released at the Geneva Motor Show. The Aston Martin One-77 is built on a carbon architecture platform. Under the hood, the sports car is equipped with a 7.3-liter Am Cosworth V12 engine with 750 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. Each unit was sold for $1,509,541.
8 2004 Maybach Exelero
In 2004, Fulda commissioned the one-off 2004 Maybach Exelero to be built so that they could test their high-performance tires. The sports car was created by a small manufacturer– Stola, which Blutec acquired in 2014. As part of the requests made by Fulda, the Maybach Exelero was made to reach speeds of 217 mph.
The sports car was designed by four students from the Transportation Design School of Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences. Under the hood, the 2004 Maybach Exelero was fitted with a 5.9-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine. The Maybach Exelero is featured in Jay-Z’s “Lost One” music video.
7 2002 Koenigsegg CC8S
After eight years of research and development, Koenigsegg Automotive AB released its first production– the 2002 Koenigsegg CC8S. Before the official release, the pre-production Koenigsegg CC8S was presented at the 2000 Paris Auto Show.
The Swedish manufacturer used a 4.7-liter supercharged V8 engine from Ford Motors. As a result, the sports car produces 655 horsepower. Despite being a small manufacturer, Koenigsegg designed and built the CC8S’s chassis, suspension, brakes, and other mechanical components. Throughout the sports car’s production from 2002 to 2003, only six units were made.
6 2009 Pagani Zonda Riviera
The Pagani Zonda Riviera is a track-day version of the Pagani Zonda. Both cars look similar in the exterior design, and they also share some parts and components. The Pagani Zonda Riviera isn’t street legal, and it uses a 6.0-liter V12 engine from Mercedes-Benz.
Some of the differences between the Pagani Zonda Riviera and its road-going version include the carbon chassis, roll cage, and rubber racing fuel cell. In June 2010, the Pagani Zonda Riviera beat Ferrari’s 599XX to complete the Nürburgring in 6:47 minutes. The manufacturer made only 15 units of the sports car.
5 2004 Maserati MC12 Stradale
For Maserati’s return to racing after 37 long years, the marque chose to compete at the FIA GT Championship. According to FIA’s rules, every competing manufacturer must present 15 road-going units of their race car. To fulfill this requirement, Maserati built precisely 15 units of the Maserati MC12 Stradale.
The MC12 Stradale is an aesthetically pleasing sports car designed by Frank Stephenson. Maserati used the Ferrari Enzo’s chassis for this project, and the 6.0-liter V8 is also from Ferrari. Later on, Maserati won the 2004 race at the Zhuhai International Circuit.
4 2009 Wiesmann MF5 Roadster
Wiesmann GmbH specializes in making hand-built convertibles, and the MF5 Roadster is an awesome and rare German sports car. The Wiesmann MF5 Roadster looks like a retro British car with curves and rolls. Also, the Roadster’s grille is similar to the grille used on the Jaguar XK120.
For the interior, Wiesmann GmbH used lots of Alcantara materials. The MF5 Roadster uses a BMW 5.0-liter twin-turbocharged V10 engine that delivers 507 horsepower, 384 lb-ft of torque, and an acceleration rate of 0-60 mph in 192 mph. There are only 55 Wiesmann MF5 Roadsters, and each of them is handcrafted to meet the client’s needs.
3 2007 Lamborghini Reventon
The Lamborghini Reventon debuted in 2007 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and in an official press release, Lamborghini announced that they’d make only 20 cars. When the Reventon was released later, there were 21 units, but the extra car was intended for the museum.
Each vehicle has its number stamped between the driver’s and passenger’s seats. The Lamborghini Reventon uses a 6.5-liter Lamborghini V12 engine mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed e-gear automated manual transmission system. According to the manufacturer, Reventon’s exterior design is inspired by the fastest flying airplanes.
2 Qvale Mangusta
Italian manufacturers, Qvale and De Tomaso started working together on the Mangusta in the late 90s. The sports car was inspired and developed from the De Tomaso Biguá concept car. When the car was first launched in 1999, it was marketed as the De Tomaso Biguá, but De Tomaso left the project, and the car’s name was changed to the Qvale Mangusta.
After the manufacturer ended production in 2002, they made 284 cars. Most mechanical parts for the vehicle were sourced from Ford Motors. However, the transmission systems were gotten from BorgWarner and General Motors. The Qvale Mangusta has a 4.6-liter Ford V8 engine.
1 MG XPower SV-R
The MG XPower SV-R is a high-performance version of the base model. Unlike the base model, the SV-R has both manual and automatic transmission system options. Although MG Rover is British, the XPower SV-R was manufactured in Modena, Italy.
What many people forget about the MG XPower is that it shares parts with the Ford Mustang, and is built on the same platform as the Qvale Mangusta. Using a Roush-tuned 5.0-liter modular V8 engine, the MG XPower SV-R produces around 410 horsepower and can accelerate 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds. With production starting in 2003 and ending in 2005, MG Rover made 82 units of the sports car.
When the Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita was made, most auto manufacturers only had access to black carbon fiber. Koenigsegg sought to develop white carbon fiber, and after a while, they succeeded. The Swedish manufacturer then used this unique carbon fiber to make the Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita.
Initially, they planned to make only three units, but with the difficulty of making the car, they decided to limit the CCXR Trevita’s production to 2 units. The Trevita uses a 4.8-liter Koenigsegg supercharged V8 engine with 1018bhp, 796 lb-ft of torque, and an acceleration rate of 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds.
