12 high-performance cars of 2004

The class of 2004

Whether it was low-volume Brits knocking it for six, Europe’s luxury elite taking supercars and sports cars to the next level, or even Ford making Mustang great again, 2004 was a vintage year for fans of high-performance cars.

Two decades on, we’re revisiting the class of 2004, remembering why we loved these cars at the time.

Read on to see our top 12 performance picks turning 20 this year, delivered in alphabetical order…

1. Aston Martin DB9

Replacing the previous Jaguar-based DB7, the DB9 was the first Aston Martin built at Gaydon and was, declared CEO Ulrich Bez, ‘the most important Aston Martin model ever’.

The gorgeous retro body was designed by Henrik Fisker and rendered in lightweight aluminium, and underneath lay the VH platform made from extruded and cast aluminium, with double wishbones all-round and not a bit of Jag in sight.

Aston Martin DB9 (cont.)

Throw in a tweaked version of the 5935cc V12 used in the Vanquish, here producing 450bhp at 6000rpm with 420lb ft at 5000rpm, and the DB9 drove as well as it looked.

And how does 0-60mph in 5.4 secs sound? Just as good today, we think.

2. Bristol Fighter

Back in 2004, the Fighter represented a new dawn for Bristol.

Here was a two-seat supercar made from aluminium and carbon composite that could sprint from 0-60mph in 4 secs flat and go on to around 210mph. It even had gullwing doors.

Under the Max Boxstrom-designed body you’ll find an all-steel box-section frame, and beneath the bonnet an 8-litre V10 engine borrowed from the Dodge Viper.

Bristol Fighter (cont.)

It makes 525bhp with a matching 525lb ft of torque (or 628bhp in the case of the S), and all that oomph goes through either a six-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox to the rear wheels.

There were no electronic safety aids, either.

Autocar reported that 20 Fighter chassis were made, with 13 completed in period. The standard car cost £229,000, rising to £256,000 for the S (a twin-turbo Fighter T was even planned).

3. Ferrari 612 Scaglietti

Ferrari has basically given up on grand tourers these days, but the 612 was one of its best with its understated lines, 2+2 cabin and glorious, naturally aspirated, V12 engine.

That engine could either be paired with a six-speed manual or six-speed automated manual gearbox.

Ferrari 612 Scaglietti (cont.)

Designed by Pininfarina with distinctive scallops dominating the body sides, the Ferrari 612’s look was inspired by the 375MM built 50 years before and commissioned by film director Roberto Rossellini for his wife, actress Ingrid Bergman.

Under the skin, the 612 followed the 360 in switching to aluminium construction. It was built around a spaceframe aluminium chassis to which aluminium panels were welded.

4. Ferrari F430

The Ferrari F430 might share aluminium underpinnings with its 360 predecessor, but the Pininfarina design gave it a more purposeful look, with a nod to the Enzo supercar in its rear lights and a tip of the hat to the marque’s ‘shark-nose’ Formula One racers of the 1960s up front.

The V8 engine was all-new, replacing the previous unit derived from the Dino racing programme of the 1950s – its 4.3-litre displacement gave this model its name.

Ferrari F430 (cont.)

Both coupés and convertibles were available, as were manual and automated manual gearboxes.

The Ferrari F430 reached its apogee with the 430 Scuderia, a hardcore road-racer that proved surprisingly pliable on the road. The 16M applied the same formula to the convertible F1.

5. Ford Mustang

After several generations of drifting from the original Mustang concept, it was back to its roots for the fifth-gen Mustang in 2004, neatly marking the original pony car’s 40th anniversary in the process.

The look might have been retro, but the D2C platform was new, if related to the Ford-based DEW platform also found under the Jaguar S-type.

It features MacPherson struts up front with a live axle at the rear.

Ford Mustang (cont.)

Initial engine choices ranged from a 4-litre V6 with 211bhp to a 4.6-litre V8 with three valves per cylinder and a chunky 300bhp, but ultimately stretched all the way to 662bhp in the case of the Shelby GT500’s 5.8-litre supercharged V8. Whoah!

Unlike today’s Ford Mustangs, this generation was left-hand-drive only.

6. Koenigsegg CCR

If the CC8S marked Swedish-company Koenigsegg’s shock production-car debut at the 2000 Paris motor show, the CCR evolved it.

Externally it’s a subtle difference, with a larger front splitter and a new rear wing adding extra aerodynamic downforce.

Under the carbonfibre skin, however, things changed more substantially, with bigger wheels, brakes and an upgraded suspension set-up.

One prod of the accelerator and you’d probably realise why – the twin-supercharged V8 engine now produced 806bhp – and we thought the 646bhp of the CC8S was a lot!

Koenigsegg CCR (cont.)

It was mad enough for the CCR to grab the Guinness World of Records ‘Most Powerful Engine’ award in 2004 – snatching the crown from its own CC8S.

Then in 2005 it went one better, becoming the world’s fastest car with a record 387.86kph (241mph) set at Nardò – knocking the McLaren F1 from its perch, if by less than 1mph.

Just 14 examples of the CCR were produced between 2004 and 2006. RM Sotheby’s sold the example pictured for €798,125 in 2021.

7. Maserati MC12

Marking Maserati’s return to motorsport after a 37-year hiatus, the MC12 took the Ferrari Enzo as its base, added more jewellery to its carbonfibre chassis and panels, then used it as the basis to homologate a GT1 racing car for the FIA GT Championship.

Clues to the motorsport intent lay not just in the look and layout but the name: MC stood for Maserati Corse, or racing, while the 12 was a nod to the 5998cc V12 under the slatted engine cover.

With 621bhp and top speed north of 205mph, the MC12 remains the most powerful Maserati ever made.

Maserati MC12 (cont.)

Initially 25 examples were produced, but when the FIA reduced the maximum length of cars allowed to compete in GT1, Maserati lopped 15cm off and made another 25 to meet homologation requirements.

A further 12 racing cars were built.

The MC12 was made through to 2005, all the road cars in white and blue to honour the America Camoradi racing team of the 1960s.

8. Mercedes-Benz SLK

Designed by Gordon Wagener, Mercedes’ second-generation SLK might’ve struggled to shake the hairdresser jibes, but it was clearly inspired by hairier stuff, at least visually – there are clear nods to the Mercedes-McLaren SLR that made its debut the year before, not to mention the duo’s F1 exploits of the era.

Nor was this R171 generation a gently facelifted rehash of its predecessor.

The new SLK was some 72mm longer, its wheelbase extended by 30mm, and there was now 40% more high-strength steel. Even the folding-roof mechanism was new.

Mercedes-Benz SLK (cont.)

Engines ranged from the 1.8-litre supercharged motor, through 3- and 3.5-litre V6s, to the incredible 5.4-litre V8 in the SLK55 AMG.

With almost 400bhp in Black Series guise, it had the muscle to match the sporting references of its body, if not the dynamic panache.

9. Morgan Roadster

Introduced as a replacement for the decades-old Plus 8, the Roadster might’ve actually been a significant re-engineering of said predecessor, but its 3- or 3.7-litre Ford V6s represented a step up in performance over the old Rover V8.

True, the earliest cars fitted with the Duratec engine from the Mondeo ST200 gained only 3bhp more at 220bhp, but the 3.7 Cyclone’s 280bhp was a big increase, never mind in such a light car.

Morgan Roadster (cont.)

Thankfully, new five-link rear suspension helped keep the extra power in touch with the ground, allowing the Roadster to sprint from 0-60mph in just 5.5 secs.

The car was sold with either a two- or a four-seat body.

10. Noble M400

Building on its brilliant, if also flawed, M12 that continued alongside, the Noble M400 was the third model from this Leicestershire-based maker.

This was a track-focused, mid-engined model designed to give the likes of the Porsche 996 GT3 RS a scare for much less cash. It did, too.

Noble M400 (cont.)

Changes over the M12 included a new, slicker gearshift mechanism for the six-speed manual ’box, a narrower transmission tunnel to reduce the original’s terrible pedal offset, stiffer suspension and extra steering lock.

Oh, and the Ford-based, twin-turbocharged 3-litre V6 now produced 425bhp, thanks to the work of tuners Rousch – a lot in a car with a kerbweight of just over a tonne.

11. Porsche 911 Carrera (997)

The 997 is Porsche’s sixth-generation 911 and its second to use water- rather than air-cooling after the 996.

Under the skin the two are closely related, but both the 997’s body and interior are significantly redesigned.

The most obvious visual switch is a move away from the 996’s controversial ‘fried-egg’ headlights to a traditional 911 ellipsoid look, but every panel bar the roof is actually new.

The interior makes a leap in terms of quality, too, especially the switchgear, and there’s less road roar thanks to improved NVH.

Porsche 911 Carrera (997) (cont.)

Facelifted examples introduced from 2008 are most desirable, with a new direct-injection 3.8-litre engine, the option of the excellent PDK dual-clutch transmission and updated infotainment.

So although here our focus is 2004 cars, actually now these later 997s are a sweet spot for collectors, because they are more reliable than earlier water-cooled 911s, but still with the narrow hips and hydraulic steering.

12. TVR Sagaris

The bad news? This was the last TVR ever. The good? It was also the Blackpool maker’s best. Autocar said it. Some chap called Clarkson said it, too.

Sadly the Sag’s brilliance was short-lived. First shown at the Birmingham Motor Show in 2004 and launched in 2005, production had come to a premature halt by 2006, as TVR slipped into administration.

TVR Sagaris (cont.)

It’s still quite the thing to drive. Suspension is by double wishbones all round, and power from TVR’s own – yes, very ambitious – 4-litre naturally aspirated Speed Six.

With a stonking 406bhp it does not hang about, blitzing the 0-62mph run in 3.8 sec and charging on to 186mph flat out. All with no ABS and no traction control, remember.

Today the Sagaris remains highly collectible, especially because only around half of the 200 or so originals are thought to remain on the road.