Ferrari Enzo

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Back in 2002, Ferrari began production of the fastest road car they had ever made. Controversially named Enzo after the firms now legendary founder, this 650bhp, 217mph supercar was the fourth in a line of ultra high performance Ferrari’s. First to arrive had been the twin turbocharged 288 GTO of 1984, a homologation special that got replaced three years later by the 201mph F40. This in turn was superceded by the carbon-tubbed F50 in 1995. Codenamed FX throughout its development, the Enzo’s simple engineering philosophy was to employ the greatest crossover of F1 technology ever seen.

Also to become the most aerodynamically advanced street car of its time, just 399 Enzo’s were made between 2002 and 2004, all of which were completed in left hand drive. One of the most collectable Ferrari's produced in years, 399 were sold to favoured customers in an attempt to avoid speculators making six-figure premiums. The Enzo’s basic structure composed of a carbon fibre monocoque with aluminium honeycomb sandwich panels, the roof being bonded to the tub. Ferrari developed a special cast alloy subframe to separate the engine and tub in an attempt to contain unwanted noise and vibration, a major criticism of the F50. Pushrod double wishbone suspension used horizontal coil / damper units mounted to the tub at the front and the subframe at the rear, Skyhook adaptive dampers constantly adjusting to optimise ride comfort and body control. Steering and brakes were both power assisted, Brembo supplying huge 380mm Carbon Ceramic discs that were less sensitive to wear and temperature and thus much more suitable for road use than those used by Porsche and Mercedes. 19-inch five-spoke alloys were shod with specially developed Bridgestone Potenza RE050A Scuderia tyres. With its two 55-litre alloy fuel tanks empty, the Enzo weighed in at 1365kg, a little heavier than Ferrari had hoped for but still light enough for 476bhp per tonne.

A normally aspirated 65º V12 with an all alloy block, the Enzo’s 6-litre Tipo L140 motor was the first of a new generation of Ferrari engines. With 5998cc, the Tipo L140 returned to a four valve cylinder head and featured a variable length induction system that extended the length of the induction pipes from 340 to 430mm via hydraulic actuators. Also new was variable inlet and exhaust valve timing that helped produce 650bhp at 7800rpm, more than any previous Ferrari production car. Compression was 11.2:1, the sequential Bosch Motronic ME7 management having been developed especially for this car.

Dry sumped and mounted to the subframe at two points, the engine was coupled to a longitudinally mounted six-speed F1 gearbox that featured no automatic mode, just Sport and Race settings, the latter of which offered a change time of 0.15 seconds. With the ASR traction control turned off, the Race mode had an F1-style launch control facility that could provide an optimal standing start. Performance figures were very impressive, a 217mph top speed, 0-60 in 3.5 seconds and 0-125 in 9.5 making the Enzo the fastest car in production between 2002 and 2004. For its state of the art bodywork, Ferrari’s long-standing collaboration with Pininfarina was taken to a new technical level, the Maranello firm providing substantial input with regard to aerodynamics. Form followed function but the aesthetic was never compromised and drew heavily from the Scuderia's Formula 1 experience. The most obvious F1-derived detail was surely that raised nose flanked by a pair of radiators located ahead of each front wheel. These directed hot air through vents to the upper body, thus preventing it merging with the underbody airflow that used fast air to generate even more downforce – as much as 775kg at 186mph! Indeed, what took place underneath meant the Enzo didn’t need an extravagant rear wing like those affixed to its two immediate predecessors.

Flaps ahead of the front wheels continuously worked in unison with the subtle deck spoiler to adjust the front / rear aero balance and increase downforce at higher speeds. Other interesting features were forward hinging butterfly doors, a wraparound cockpit, glass engine cover and distinctive light clusters. Superbly detailed throughout, the Enzo remains Pininfarina’s most impressive design in recent years, not merely on account of its stunning looks but aerodynamic efficiency and innovation - it truly was an F1 car for the road. The cabin was a technological tour de force also, the most advanced of its day.

Save for leather-covered Sparco bucket seats, door inserts and passenger airbag, there was just acres of bare carbon fibre - no electric windows, stereo or glovebox. A complex steering wheel housed controls for driving modes, traction control, a trip computer, reverse gear and wing angles, the upper rim incorporating five LED’s that came on in 500rpm installments after 5500rpm. There were four-point harnesses as standard, the instument binnacle housing a traditional analogue body colour coded speedo and tach in addition to a digital display for all manner of data. Finished off with an engine starter button located on the vertical control panel, the cabin was a special place to be, although at £500k, it needed to be. First shown to the press during March 2002 prior to making its public debut at the Tokyo Museum of Art, the Enzo could lap Ferrari’s Fiorano test track a staggering 4.5 seconds quicker than an F50. Available only in left-hand drive, 399 were built, all of which were completed in either Rosso Corsa, Nero or Giallo Fly. Officially, no options were available although there's little doubt a couple of wealthy clients would have convinced Ferrari or Pininfarina to produce them a bespoke example with custom paint and leather. All 399 were pre-sold at a cost of nearly £500,000, the first deliveries taking place in October 2002, the last car rolling off the production line in May 2004.