Ferrari F50 GT
The F50
was built in only 349 units over two years and hit the streets with a 4.7-liter
V-12 under the hood. The powerplant was based on the 333 SP’ s, a race car
built by Dallara that marked Ferrari’s official return to sports car racing
after a 20-year absence in 1994.
But despite using a racing engine, the F50 never
made it onto the track. While Ferrari developed a race-spec version to replace
the F40 LM and Evoluzione, the project was cancelled as the Italians were
unhappy with the FIA having allowed homologation specials such as the Porsche
911 GT1 join the BPR Global GT Series. The said race car was called the F50 GT
and continued its life as a very exclusive road-legal vehicle sold to select
customers.
The F50
received numerous aerodynamic upgrades. The modifications were made by
Michelotto, the same company that assisted Ferrari Ferrari in developing the
F40 GTE and 333 SP race cars. The front end was altered to feature larger air
intakes and a more pronounced splitter, while the rear received a much larger,
adjustable wing instead of the stock integrated unit. The GT also gained a
fixed roof with a big scoop to feed air to the engine and a metal cover atop
the mid-mounted powerplant. Around back, Michelotto added a race-spec diffuser
and moved the exhaust pipes from the sides of the bumper closer to the center.
Already a menacing machine, the F50 became a lot more aggressive when
Michelotto finished working on it.
In order to shave several pounds off the curb weight
and align the F50 to the FIA’s requirements for the BPR Global GT Series,
Ferrari stripped off most of the interior. The standard instrument cluster was
ditched in favor for a digital screen, while the clean dashboard received
numerous buttons and switches. A lighter, Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel
replaced the stock unit. Ferrari also removed the leather sports seats,
replacing them with a single race-spec, lightweight bucket seat. As with most
race cars, the process also involved ditching the center console, the floor
mats, and the door panels.
Ferrari used the same 4.7-liter V-12 found in the
F50 for the GT, but extensive modifications took the output to 750 horsepower
and 390 pound-feet of torque, 236 horsepower and 43 pound-feet more than the
standard model. All that oomph was routed to the rear wheels through a
six-speed sequential gearbox with a three-disc carbon clutch.
Thanks to its enhanced aerodynamics and the fact
that it was no fewer than 712 pounds lighter than its road-going sibling at
2,000 pounds, made it nearly a second quicker. The GT needed 2.9 seconds to hit
60 mph versus the F50’s 3.7-second benchmark, while its top speed was estimated
at around 236 mph, some 34 mph more than the stock version.
