Enzo Ferrari: The Epitome of Supercars

…a dream with a little bit of fantasy

With a ferocious V12 engine, it’s a racing car in street clothes

Enzo Anselmo Ferrari (1898-1988) was an Italian motor racing driver and visionary. He founded the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team in 1929. Fast cars were his hobby. Scuderia Ferrari is today’s motorsport division. Building thoroughbreds that raced the Mille Miglia and LeMans were his passion. He organized talented racing teams. Enzo gave the world the Ferrari supercar. Ferrari gave the world the Enzo…a 12 cylinder mid-engine masterwork.

F1-inspired, the Enzo Ferrari – a two seat berlinetta – boasts active aerodynamics, carbon-fibre technology, and the ability to sprint from 0-60 mph quicker than you can read this sentence – this V12 Flagship sold all 349 reservations originally planned; after numerous requests from established clientele, an additional 50 were built bringing the elusive total to 399. An additional Enzo Ferrari was built in 2004 and donated to the Vatican for charity…it sold for $1.1 Million USD at Sotheby’s. (five of these have already met their maker sadly enough)

Exclusivity & supremacy…

A Ferrari is one of the most prestigious automobiles in the world. It is also one of the most exotic brands in existence. The Prancing Horse is synonymous with luxury, speed, and wealth. The engineers set out to create a street-legal F1-inspired roadcar, this is what separates the Enzo from previous supercars…it is a legend in its own time – 

Throughout the illustrious history of Ferrari, at regular intervals, extreme sports cars are built at an extremely restricted pace. These rare supercars established a benchmark in engineering, and performance. Ferrari’s extreme performance cars are the pinnacle of the brand’s technical achievements. Modified into road going street-legal F1-inspired supercars, they are the ultimate expressions of the Prancing Horse.

The symbol of luxury, speed, and wealth…

The Enzo Ferrari sports an advanced composite bodyshell with a carbon-fibre and Nomex honeycomb sandwich monocoque. Its F1 DNA via active aerodynamics creates downforce of 756 lbs. @ 124 mph, increasing to 1709 lbs. @ 186 mph gradually decreasing to 1290 lbs. at top speed. The Enzo Ferrari has functional beauty…it is an aerodynamic wedge of power. From its exotic gullwing doors to the ferocious V12 power, it is the epitome of supercars. The engineers intended to create an extreme street-legal F1 car…this separates the Enzo from previous supercars. The shape of the car from the active control spoilers to the undercarriage acts to create downforce. The car literally pulls itself to the pavement.

The foundation for the Enzo is an F1-inspired pushrod suspension. It has active dampers that are electronically adjustable from the steering wheel controls offering two selections. The four-wheel independent suspension, for both front & rear uses double wishbones of unequal length, independent push rods, coil springs, and telescopic shock absorbers with electronic adaptive damping. It is further stabilized by front and rear anti-roll bars. Its braking system uses Brembo ventilated carbon ceramic discs with 8-piston calipers fitted to the front axle and 6-piston calipers fitted to the rear. Replacing the pads alone cost $6,000, the carbon ceramic rotors cost around $24,000.

The Prancing Stallion

The Enzo Ferrari rides on Bridgestone Scuderia tires specially designed for it exclusively. It is equipped with staggered tire size 245/35 ZR19 for the front axle and 345/35 ZR19 mounted to the rear. The tires are inflated with nitrogen and run negative camber to optimize grip during cornering. The tires are mounted to alloy rims size 9J X 19 fitted to the front and 13J X 19 fitted to the rear.

The Enzo Ferrari is a sophisticated supercar that combines form and function. Its aerodynamic silhouette is designed without a big rear wing to opt for a more subtle integrated look. The F1-inspired nose cone and composite flanks are sculpted to manage airflow. As a result, the Enzo Ferrari introduced a range of technology that would eventually be used on subsequent models such as its lightweight alloy V12 engine, carbon-fibre disc brakes, human/machine interface, and aerodynamic lessons learned. The mid-engine design aids its traction and stability. The traction control system can be deactivated. It has an excellent power-to-weight ratio of 456 lbs. per horsepower. It is so powerful that it can become difficult to handle if not experienced.

An all-new naturally aspirated 65 degree V12 powers the Prancing Stallion. Ferrari’s F1 experience rendered unique technical solutions. The Tipo F140B alloy 6.0 litre 5999 cc 48-valve quad cam V12 with variable valve timing produces 660 hp @ 7,800 rpm with 675 Nm of peak torque @ 5,500 rpm. Each bank of six cylinders is controlled by a Motronic ME7.0 ECU fed via drive-by-wire throttle with a single coil for each spark plug.

F1-inspiration…

The Enzo Ferrari runs dry sump lubrication. With this type of lubricating system the extra oil is stored in a tank outside the engine rather than in an oil pan under the engine. It uses two pumps; one moves oil from the sump sending it to the tank, the other sends oil to the engine for lubricating.

Dry sump systems have several advantages. Since no oil pan under the engine is necessary, the main mass of the engine can be mounted lower into the vehicle. This aids aerodynamics as well as lowering the center of gravity which is very important to a car of this magnitude. The oil tank may be however large as desired and stored anyplace in the car. In a wet sump system, cornering, braking and acceleration can cause ‘oil to pool’ on one side of the engine. Excess oil around the crankshaft in a wet sump can get on the shaft cutting horsepower.

The engine is mated to a rear mounted 6-speed sequential manual gearbox. Extreme performance is augmented by this semi-automatic clutch-less system. Gears are shifted electronically via steering wheel mounted paddle shifts. Most of the Enzo’s controls are mounted to the steering wheel for info on the fly. It sprints from 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds, 0-100 mph in 6.1 seconds with a top speed exceeding 217 mph. It does the ¼ mile @ 137 mph in 10.8 seconds. It redlines at 8,200 rpm. The Enzo Ferrari was the most powerful normally aspirated roadcar at the time.

The Enzo’s cabin is bespoke…it is designed to the owner’s driving style and body shape. It is intentionally no-frills, it’s all about ergonomics and extreme performance…strictly functional; therefore, stripped of such luxuries as radios. With speed exceeding 217 mph, the driver needs to be focused on the road…not their favorite CD – remember, the Enzo Ferrari is a racing car in street clothes.

Air conditioning, leather, and carbon-fibre create the in-cabin atmosphere in this dynamic supercar. The engineers wanted to emphasize the man and machine interface as paramount; and is more efficient than ever in the Enzo Ferrari. There is nothing to interfere with the ultimate driving experience – Every effort is made to ensure the driver is in the optimal position to make the most of their extreme supercar’s performance…

 

The Enzo Ferrari is a dream with a little bit of fantasy. It is the epitome of supercars. Enzo Ferrari worked hard earning esteem through tenacity, ingenuity, and vision. Enzo gave the world the Ferrari…Ferrari gave the world the Enzo, one of the most extreme berlinettas to motor out of Maranello. It is actually a racing car in street clothes.

The ferocious V12 engine, sophisticated carbon-fibre and aluminium construction, combined with cutting-edge technology makes the Enzo Ferrari another thoroughbred destined to become a museum piece. The F1-inspired DNA, active aerodynamics and a synergistic approach to form & function establish new benchmarks in performance. Ferrari’s extreme performance cars have always been the pinnacle of technological achievement and the ultimate road going vehicles…the formidable Enzo Ferrari raised the bar of success even higher –

Photos courtesy Ferrari Media Club

…the stable has never been the same

The iconic Prancing Horse

“Nil fato relinquemus”