SPIED + TEASED! FIRST Glimpse At The Ferrari Enzo Replacement

In the highest tier of Ferrari, roadgoing products, there sits the flagship.
Held to the highest standard, the prancing horse is in constant pursuit of one thing: Bringing the Formula One driving experience to the road.

Though that may have been missing from the likes of the 288 GTO, it all started to come together in the F40. While the F50 is the redheaded stepchild of the lot, it was a game changer in its use of F1 technology. Then along came the Enzo, which was well...the Enzo. Not much more can be said about that.

However, if you've haven't noticed Ferrari has been making significant leaps in its technology AND with its power gains. That's why everyone has their ears to the ground when it comes to the "F70" or as some are calling it, the F150.

Though we can't be sure what the name will ultimately be, what we do know is this. It will likely be the closest any manufacturer has come to putting a roadgoing competition racer on the street. Sort of frightening, isn't it?

While mules have been spotted in and around Maranello, this picture was snapped relatively recently. Although Ferrari clearly made sure to keep it blacked out, you can make out some of the vehicle's design details.

According to the latest information from Ferrari, its Enzo successor is no longer being called the F70; instead, Ferrari is referring to it with the same alpha-numeric combination that it used to identify its 2011 Formula One car.

If you recall, Ford wasn’t too happy about that, claiming that Ferrari’s use of the F150 name, trademarked for Ford’s best-selling pickups, would “dilute the brand.” Facing legal action from Ford, Ferrari changed the F1 car’s name to the F150º Italia.

We can’t imagine that Ford will be too happy about the use of the F150 name in conjunction with Ferrari’s latest supercar, even if it is just an “internal code name” for the car.

Whatever it’s called, the new car will join a select group of uber-exclusive Ferraris, such as the GTO, the F40, the F50 and the Enzo. Of the F150’s design, Flavio Manzoni, head of Ferrari design, says, “I wanted a front end still inspired by F1, but not the same.”

Calling the proposed designs “iconic” and “futuristic,” Manzoni says the final version is “the pinnacle of everything, of the aesthetics and technology of Ferrari.” Technical director Roberto Fedeli promises the car will have “the greatest transfer between F1 and a road car that we ever did.”

In other words, expect the Ferrari F150 to be chock full of the latest technology, yet still possessed of a feel that makes Ferrari unique. At the heart of the car is its carbon-fiber monocoque, which has been under development for over three years.

Designed by Scuderia Ferrari chief designer Rory Byrne, the structure will be built by Ferrari’s F1 composites department. Four different types of carbon fiber will be used in its construction, producing a monocoque that displays 27-percent more torsional rigidity and 22-percent more beam stiffness than the Ferrari Enzo.

Look for a height and wheelbase identical to the Ferrari 458 Italia, though the F150 will come to market with a V-12, a Kinetic Energy Recovery System and a dual-clutch gearbox. To fit all that in a compact package, Ferrari will build the car around the driver. Expect a fixed seat with an adjustable pedal box, and a driving position similar to a formula racing car.

Power will come from a 6.3-liter V-12, similar to the one used in the F12 Berlinetta. The primary difference is that the F150 will further benefit from the addition of Ferrari’s HY-KERS electric hybrid system to boost output and lower emissions. Ferrari claims a 10-percent reduction in 0-200 km/h (124 mph) time, along with a 40-percent reduction in emissions.

The system will allow for precise torque vectoring, traction control and brake force distribution, too, all of which translate to faster times around a race track. Even the batteries have been chosen for optimal weight and output, giving the electric power component of the F150 the same power-to-weight ratio as systems used in F1.

Expect to see the full unveiling of the Ferrari Enzo successor in the coming weeks. We suppose that Ferrari will choose a production name by then, too.

Ferrari's yet-unnamed Enzo successor was fully unveiled to an elite group of customers earlier this week. Nobody managed - or dared - to photograph the car but many have revealed important details on a number of online forums.

According to a message posted on enthusiast website FerrariChat, the Enzo successor will be powered by a hybrid drivetrain that will consist of an evolution of the 6.3-liter V12 engine found in the f12berlinetta and a Formula 1-derived Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KRS). Together, the two will send 950 horsepower to the rear set of wheels, enabling the super car to sprint from zero to 62 mph in just three seconds and reach a top speed of 229 mph.

The KERS system will add around 330 pounds to the car, bumping the total weight up to roughly 2,820 pounds.

Called F150 internally, the car will be built around a carbon-fiber monocoque crafted by Ferrari's Formula 1 division. Its body will be made out of four different types of carbon fibers, resulting in a 27 percent increase in torsional rigidity over the Enzo.

Ferrari has confirmed that the cockpit will feature a fixed driver's seat that will be tailor-made for each buyer. The pedal box and the steering wheel will both be adjustable.

Precisely what the car will look like is not currently known but the latest images sent in by our spies reveal a long and low shape with a wide front grille. Out back, Ferrari's latest creation borrows styling cues from both the Enzo and the f12berlinetta.

Look for more details about the Prancing Horse's next supercar to emerge in the weeks leading up to its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show. Just 499 examples of the car will be built and each one will cost approximately €1.2 million, a figure which converts to about $1.6 million.