A car like the Ferrari LaFerrari bows down to no one. But in the rare occasion that it does pay reverence, it’s only for a select few Ferraris that have come before it. One of those models is the Ferrari Enzo, considered by many as one of the greatest vehicles Ferrari has ever built.

It’s a tough task for any car, even a Ferrari, to live up to the standards set by the Enzo when it was first unveiled at the 2002 Paris Motor Show. Perhaps the LaFerrari is the closest a Ferrari has come to live up to the expectations of the Enzo. Knowing all this, it does make for an intriguing proposition to see both the Enzo and the LaFerrari compete in a drag race against…each other. Does the Enzo still have what it takes to defeat its successor? Can the LaFerrari escape the shadow of its predecessor? These are questions that will only be answered over time. For now, let’s enjoy this drag race and see what happens when two different Ferrari hypercar generations compete against each other.

How much difference does an 11-year gap in technology make when the subjects of the question are the Ferrari Enzo and the Ferrari LaFerrari? The romantics among us would like to believe that the Enzo can hold up to the LaFerrari despite the significant age gap. On the surface, the Enzo doesn’t look like a 16-year old hypercar. It’s powered by a naturally aspirated 6.0-liter V-12 engine that produces 651 horsepower and 485 pound-feet of torque. For a car that was launched in 2003, the Enzo’s power and subsequent performance numbers are beyond impressive. With those kinds of figures, the Enzo’s ability to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.14 seconds is downright incredible.

Then again, there’s a reason Ferrari is Ferrari. A five-year gap between models is significant on its own. Imagine what an 11-year gap looks like, especially when the automaker involved can rely on Formula One technology, that rarefied space in the auto and motorsport industries where today’s technology is next month’s antiquated technology. Just like the Enzo, the LaFerrari relies on Formula One technology. It’s also powered by a naturally aspirated V-12 engine — this time with a displacement of 6.3 liters — that combines with electric motors to produce a whopping 950 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. All told, the LaFerrari can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 2.4 seconds. That’s almost 0.7 seconds faster than the Enzo. You would think that this comparison leans heavily on the side of the LaFerrari, and while that is true in some parts, there’s one aspect about these two hypercars that’s indicative that this comparison might be closer than we all think. Both the Ferrari Enzo and the Ferrari LaFerrari max out at a top speed of 218 mph.

The numbers paint a compelling picture, but let’s set that aside and watch what CarWow was able to do. The U.K.-based motoring website not only scored an opportunity to drive the Enzo, but it did so with a LaFerrari in tow. All the speculation about which one is faster can finally be put to rest.

Predictably, the first test involved an acceleration run from a rolling 50-mph start. Not surprisingly, the LaFerrari pulled away just as the race started. Somewhat surprisingly, the Enzo managed to not only keep up with the LaFerrari, but, more importantly, it actually stayed within a few car lengths of the LaFerrari, a remarkable achievement on its own given the Enzo’s age in relation to the LaFerrari.

The next test, one that involved starting from fourth gear, turned out to be more lopsided than the first one. Once the race started, the LaFerrari completely annihilated the Enzo to the point of embarrassment.

The third and last test was a brake test from 100 mph. Once more, the LaFerrari proved to be far superior than the Enzo, though the difference between the two cars with regards to this test wasn’t as significant as we expected it to be. This is another proof that even if the LaFerrari is far superior than the Enzo, the latter can still get the job done relative to its age.

Say what you will about the Ferrari LaFerrari dominating the Ferrari Enzo in these tests. But you can’t deny that the Enzo, even for a car that’s 16 years old, more than held its own against a much newer car. At the end of the day, the big winner here isn’t the LaFerrari. It certainly isn’t the Enzo. The big winner here is Ferrari. If for nothing else, Maranello proved that it’s one of the best in the business in developing hypercars.

Further reading

Read our full review on the Ferrari Enzo here.

Read our full review on the 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari.

Read our full review on the 2017 Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta.