Southern California undeniably has some of the best car culture in the world. Living in San Diego, I fortunately get to see it first hand. Seeing the latest supercar driving on the street or at the weekend meetup is fairly common and it takes a lot to stand out in this crowd, but there are always those that do.
Being a car enthusiast and writer, I tend to frequent several Cars & Coffee events throughout the area. Many of them have different cultures and have a variety of turnouts. Some are very JDM heavy, while another could have a lot of classic Porsche and BMWs.
There is one event in particular that I try to make it to every weekend. It's a little bit north of San Diego and brings a fleet of high-dollar cars that many have never laid eyes on.
This week's Cars & Coffee was no exception as one gentleman brought out his personal Ferrari Enzo.
The Iconic 2003 Enzo Ferrari
The 2003 Ferrari Enzo is one of Ferrari’s most iconic cars ever produced, named as a tribute to the founder himself. or this reason, Ferrari claim the car is to be called the “Enzo Ferrari” instead of the “Ferrari Enzo,” but most seem to not listen.
Perhaps one of the most radical designs to come out of the Pininfarina shop, the Enzo's aggressive nose and huge diffusers create a presence like nothing else on the road. Bringing Formula One to the street, the Enzo combines it’s naturally aspirated V12 with an F1-inspired automated-shift manual transmission and carbon-fiber body.
The Enzo was one of five generations of modern-supercars produced by Ferrari, the others being the 288 GTO, the F40, the F50, and the LaFerrari. According to Ferrari, only 400 editions of the Enzo Ferrari were ever produced, but those who track down Ferrari VIN speculate they might have sold more.
Ferrari Enzo Once Owned by Nicholas Cage
I had gotten to the Enzo just before the flock of people had swarmed to join, so awestruck that we didn't even acknowledge Doug DeMuro's Audi RS2 Avant (a frequent participant). I was fortunately able to ask the owner about his rare Ferrari before losing him to the crowd.
Since it was such a rare car, I was most interested in where he acquired the car, I could look up the price of it later. After asking him how long he has had his Ferrari Enzo, he told me that bought it back in 2007 from Nicolas Cage.
The owner pulled the unique hood lever on the outside of the car and used the cloth-wrapped hood prop to reveal Ferrari’s masterpiece. Underneath sat the exposed 6-liter V12, capable of making 660 hp and 490 lb-ft of torque. Ferrari reported the Enzo can go from 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds and had a top speed of 222 mph.
What's really interesting is that you can also see the inboard suspension system as it sits in between the engine and the rear bumper.
The owner proudly displays his Ferrari’s “practicality” with his brand-embroidered red duffle bag. Also inside the small frunk are three strapped-in containers, two of which are leather-bound pouches that hold the tire-jack and the tool to remove the center lock wheels. The other is a tool kit has a few "Ferrari" branded wrenches and several extra light bulbs.
Every Enzo from the factory came with the steering wheel on the left side. The steering wheel is impressive in itself. It is one of the first appearances of Ferrari’s button-obsessed wheels. The carbon accented wheel has buttons for the turn signals, an early adoption nose-lift, toggles of the gauge cluster, a sport mode selector, a traction control button, and even a reverse button. Large paddle shifters control the old F1 transmission.
Sitting between the mesh bucket seats are a simple set of controls. The bright red button in the center brings the V12 to life. There is no radio, the exhaust note is music enough. Below that are controls for the hazard lights, parking lights, fog lights and mirror controls. Also notable are the massive, vintage pedals which look satisfyingly mechanical to use.
How Much is the Ferrari Enzo Worth Today?
Someone had asked if the owner was interested in selling it, he gave a chuckle that said 'not anytime soon.' Although I'm sure he is well aware of how much his is worth.
It isn't certain how much the owner had paid Nicholas Cage for the Ferrari Enzo. We do know that the actor bought it new in 2002 for $670,000. It’s speculated that he sold it for around a million dollars.
Today Dupont Registry has the Ferrari Enzo listed for well over $3 million.