2002, Enzo (BBR, limited 1001/1002, diecast)
Over the years Ferrari has introduced a series of supercars which have represented the very pinnacle of the company’s technological achievements transferred to its road cars. These include the GTO, F40 and F50.
This family of extreme performance cars was joined in 2002 by the Enzo Ferrari, which was the expression of the latest Formula 1 technology and know-how.
Just 400 examples were built of the Enzo, which featured advanced composite bodywork and a carbon-fibre and aluminium honeycomb sandwich chassis and was equipped with a 5998cc 65° V12 producing 660hp. The car boasted extremely advanced aerodynamics of clear F1 inspiration, with downforce that reached a maximum of 775 kg at 300 km/h, and that then gradually decreased to 585 kg at its maximum speed of 350 km/h.
In the course of its history, Ferrari has, at regular intervals, produced extreme sports cars that are the pinnacle of the technological and performance-oriented achievement of their day and made them available to its clients for road use. This policy has produced some of the most extraordinary in the marque’s entire history. Each one represented the very state of the art in terms of performance-oriented engineering, the most recent being, of course, the likes of the 288 GTO, F40 and F50. What all of these cars shared, however, wasn’t just their benchmark performance but the fact that they were produced in strictly limited edition runs. Joining their exclusive ranks in 2002 was the Enzo Ferrari, a superb car of which just 399 were built.
At the time of its launch, the Enzo contained the most advanced track-derived technologies of its day. What made it truly unique was the fact that it was benefiting from the technological crossover at a time when Ferrari was on an impressive winning streak in Formula 1. The goal Ferrari set itself was to turn the Enzo into an integrated system that would actually improve upon the driver’s performance capacities through the use of a Formula 1-style human-machine interface.
Never before had a Ferrari’s styling been so heavily influenced by function. Work in the wind tunnel, on the track and on the road focused unswervingly on achieving maximum performance possible and resulted in a completely uncompromising car. The Enzo’s front section was inspired both in terms of its form and function by the Formula 1 car’s nose cone while its composite flanks were sculpted to channel air flows for superb internal fluid-dynamics.
The tail section didn’t have a big rear wing either, as the engineers opted for much more subtle aerodynamic aids and a highly efficient ground effect instead. Pininfarina did a majestic job of drawing these and other functions together and moulding an incredibly charismatic line out them.
auto.ferrari.com