Future collectible: This term has been tossed around a lot in recent years and we are guilty of perpetuating its use. For many people, cars have transformed from an item of expression and joy to one of collectibility and profit. Wealthy buyers purchase cars with the dual purpose of enjoyment and profiting off the appreciation. There are several ways to predict whether a car will go up in value, but none are 100% accurate. There are many future collectibles on the market, but we believe none are better value than the Porsche Carrera GT.

Let's first talk about what made the Carrera GT so special. Introduced back in 2004, the Carrera GT was one third of the original hypercar holy trinity. Unlike its counterparts, the Enzo Ferrari and Mercedes-McLaren SRL, the Carrera GT was analogue. The Carrera GT's performance figures are still impressive by today's standards thanks to a race-derived 5.7-liter V10 with 612 horsepower. 0-60 mph took 3.5 seconds and the car topped out at 205 mph. Even though these numbers have been trumped by a modern day Corvette Z06, it isn't the only important reason why the Carrera GT is so special. Turn the ignition and it becomes instantly apparent why we love this car so much.

There are many fantastic sounding cars in the world, but few are as captivating as this V10 beast from Porsche. At any rpm, the Carrera GT provides a noise plucked straight from the heavens, a sonorous wail to summon angels from their slumber.

Adding to the enjoyment is a six-speed manual transmission, forcing the driver to be well-versed before they can tame the monster. Sadly, we have seen the horrific aftermath of trying to tame the Carrera GT when conditions are not absolutely perfect. Paul Waker tragically died as a passenger in a Carrera GT, further adding to the car's infamy. Modern supercars aim to make speed accessible with advanced safety systems and traction control. The Carrera GT comes from an era where those who wanted to be the best needed to be committed to learning how to use their equipment. You can't just hop in the Carrera GT and expect to be perfect, you have to earn it.

Now comes the part where we have to talk about value, and sadly the vast majority of people (us included) will have to imagine what it would be like to have enough money to buy a car like this. When it was new back in 2004, the Carrera GT sold for $448,000 in the US. The car was sold until 2006 and 1,270 examples were built. Fast forward to today and prices range heavily based on year and mileage. We found Carrera GT models for sale starting from the mid-$500,000 range on the low end, to around the low $800,000 range on the high end. Even a 765-mile example barely cracked the $1 million mark.

The Carrera GT is an expensive car, but compared to some other "future collectibles," it is an absolute bargain. Another hypercar from this period, the Enzo Ferrari, currently sells for around $2.5 to $3 million. When it was new, the Enzo retailed for $650,000. Clearly the Enzo has been a better investment than the Carrera GT. In fact, most limited production Ferrari models go up in value. Ferrari only built 400 examples of the Enzo, so we aren't shocked to see such high values. The Carrera GT isn't as rare as the Enzo, but we believe it has more character than the car named after Ferrari's founder.

Sure, the Enzo does have a 650 horsepower V12 engine, but we've already discussed how cars like this have been surpassed by a fresh off the showroom Corvette. Unlike the Carrera GT, the Enzo uses a semi-automatic transmission, which was cutting edge at the time. Now it simply serves as a reminder of how far transmissions have come since then. The Enzo seems more of its era, whereas the Carrera GT is timeless. We are simply baffled by the fact the Carrera GT is as "inexpensive" as it is. For around one sixth the price of an Enzo, it is possible to buy one of the best analogue driving experiences of all time.

Even compared to other rare Porsche models, the Carrera GT seems to be overlooked. The 911 R was selling for $1 million at one point, and models like the 911 GT2 RS and GT3 RS 4.0 are both around $400,000 to $500,000. We can't take away from those special 911 models, but even the best 911 seems like a step down from the Carrera GT in our opinion. We can't control the market, nor can we really predict it. But if we had to gamble our money on it, we'd bet the Carrera GT will soon be worth far more than it is now.