520bhp, 4,698 cc V-12 engine, Bosch Motronic 2.7 engine management, six-speed manual transmission, four-wheel independent suspension with coil springs and unequal length wishbones, four-wheel disc brakes. Wheelbase: 101.6" (2,580mm)
“Fifty years of racing, fifty years of winning, fifty years of hard work.” With these words, Luca di Montezemolo introduced the F50 on March 6, 1995 at the Auto Museum in Geneva, Switzerland, in conjunction with the city’s 63rd annual auto show. Niki Lauda was on the list of prominent guests, which included various Ferrari dealers, distributors, clients, and friends.
Piero Lardi Ferrari and Sergio Pininfarina removed the car cover to officially present the new car to the world. The F40 may have been a hard act to follow, but the Ferrari designers exceeded themselves with the F50, which replaced its predecessor’s small capacity V8, twin-turbo V8 powerplant with a more traditional Ferrari V12 layout.
Using technology from Ferrari’s Formula 1 V12, the new, naturally-aspirated 4.7-liter engine featured a 65-degree angle between the two cylinder banks and four overhead camshafts with three intake and two exhaust valves per cylinder. Its compression ratio was 11.3 :1, and the Bosch Motronic 2.7 unit controlled the fuel injection and ignition while a throttle valve driven by the ECU allowed for two exhaust lengths: one tuned to achieve the greatest torque and another for better top-end performance, reducing the back pressure on the exhaust. In fact, the self-diagnostic system even adhered to California’s strict exhaust emission standards.
The crankcase itself was made of nodular cast iron for strength, while Nikasil-coated liners and the connecting rods were made of titanium. Dry sump oiling was used with three scavenge pumps and one supply pump. All told, maximum output reached 520 brake horsepower at 8,500 rpm and torque was 347 pound-feet at 6500 rpm. The 436-pound engine itself was durable, in case of a missed gearshift, to over 10,000 rpm.
A six-speed longitudinal gearbox, complete with limited slip differential, was fitted behind the engine, between which was mounted the dry sump’s oil tank – all reminiscent of the layout used in Ferrari’s contemporary Formula 1 cars. Top speed was purportedly 325 kilometres per hour, and the zero to 100 kilometres per hour dash required a mere 3.7 seconds. Covering the standing mile in just 30.3 seconds, some commentators described the F50 as a Ferrari F1 machine with a second seat and a sports car body.
The comparison was far from unfounded. The chassis was made entirely of Cytec aerospace carbon fiber and weighed a mere 225 pounds. The aircraft-style rubber fuel bladder was contained within this chassis, behind the driver and in front of the engine. For the first time in a Ferrari road car, the engine/gearbox/differential assembly acted as a load-bearing structure.
Large brake disks were ventilated and drilled, and were fitted with four-piston Brembo brake calipers. The brakes were so sure-footed, in fact, that ABS was deemed unnecessary.
On the inside, the instrument panel featured a tachometer and speedometer as well as fuel, oil, and water temperatures and oil pressure gauges – all controlled by microcomputer and displayed to the driver by LCD. This computerised system also included a statistics bank, which memorised the various use and mission profile parameters of the car and incorporated a crash record. Fully adjustable, the throttle, brake, and clutch pedals were all drilled for weight reduction. The gated gearshift was traditional Ferrari and, in the interest of weight, even the gear knob and lever were made of lightweight composite materials. Virtually every element benefited from cutting-edge technology.
In typical Ferrari fashion, the company announced just 349 cars would be built over two years – one less than the market demanded. The first 10 cars went to Europe, while deliveries to the United States began in July 1995. Each owner received a document signed by Luca di Montezemolo attesting to the authenticity of the car, and all the owners were to be invited back to Modena after the last F50 was produced to celebrate the evolution of the car.
As expected, these Ferrari supercars were sold to the company’s most important clients. The F50 on offer, chassis 105193 was delivered on July 12, 1996 to HRH Prince Saud Bin Fahad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud to his residence in Paris, France. The car was kept primarily at the Prince’s Monte Carlo residence, where it was inspected and driven in 2002 by a member of the RM staff. Build number 148 of 349, HRH retained the car until 2002, at which point the car was sold to an owner in the United Kingdom, where it was subsequently registered.
Finished in red with a two tone black and red interior, this F50 has accumulated very low mileage from new. In fact, it is understood that a Ferrari dealer replaced the speedometer three years ago, when it was showing just 2,724 kilometres, to comply with UK rules and regulations. With a recent full service by official Ferrari dealer Joe Macari, and Ferrari Certification, the Formula 1 based V12 is ready to provide 105193’s next owner with an extraordinary driving experience quite unlike that of virtually any other roadgoing sports car.
This car is capable of accelerating from zero to 100 kilometres per hour in under four seconds and goes from rest to 160 kilometres per hour (100 miles per hour) in just over eight seconds. All that power is more than efficiently passed to the road thanks to its F1-derived suspension with adaptive damping and electronic ride height adjustment. The ultra-lightweight Speedline magnesium alloy wheels, mounted on titanium hubs are unmarked. Never damaged in an accident, the sleek aerodynamically-shaped carbon fibre body and central structure still maintains the close factory tolerances with which it was built. The interior appears practically as new, with gleaming carbon fibre trim and no apparent wear on the form-fitting racing-style seats.
The condition of this F50 will satisfy the most demanding collector of high performance automobiles and ensures that it will be able to provide all the remarkable performance for which these rare supercars are known. A halo car in the purest sense of the word, it offers a driving experience unlike any other – nimble, exhilarating, and unapologetically aggressive.
Documents:
UK V5
Ferrari Certification
|
