gavriil

So here's the deal. Just five laps of Ferrari's Fiorano test track, keep the car on the asphalt and try to explore the limits of its handling and all 660bhp of its 6.0-litre V12 engine. So no pressure then... Legendary Ferrari test driver Dario Benuzzi is anxious. He has only two of these £430,000-plus test cars, named Enzo after the firm's founder, the rest of the 349 production run spoken for. He smiles and says "Avanti" to let us go.

With our hearts pounding in our rib cage, we pull the right-hand gear paddle for first and the Enzo stumbles out of the pit garage. The steering feels light and inert as the hugely wide (2,035mm) car threads through the crowd of assembled journalists. We trickle out on to the circuit, but can't resist... and plant the throttle.

The V12 explodes into action, with the traction control making the most of the grip from the massive rear Bridgestones. There's no time to look at the rev counter, but Ferrari has thought of that. The steering wheel has five red lights which illuminate as you approach the 8,000rpm red line, and they're all shining. Snatch second gear and the charge continues. At 9.5 seconds, the Enzo's 0-124mph time is competitive with most sports cars' 0-60mph times; it takes the new Ferrari only 3.6 seconds to reach 60mph from rest, while the top speed is quoted at 218mph.

But the hairpin's here. Tread on the massive drilled aluminium-alloy pedal and flip the left paddle to change down. The transmission blips and revs its way down the six speeds, and the carbon-ceramic brakes are simply astounding, standing the Enzo on its nose and nearly choking us against the seatbelts.

In the corner, the steering, which felt so light, becomes very communicative: ease the throttle and the front-end tucks into the corner, a tiny turn of the wrists and the huge nose maintains its attack. The red leather seats hold you even under cornering forces approaching 1g. You can feel just how stiff the chassis is, too, allowing the car to ride amazingly comfortably through the bends.

With the laps over we look around this latest and rarest of Ferraris. At the front those twin front radiator air intakes look purposeful rather than beautiful. The middle section resembles that of a Le Mans endurance racer rather than a passenger car, while the rear recalls the 360 Modena. It's a return to form for designer Pininfarina, more attractive than the soap dish-like F50, but not nearly as beautiful as the svelte F40. As with the F50, the Enzo is based strongly on F1 technology, with its carbon-fibre and aluminium honeycomb chassis, race-type transmission and steering wheel.

So what will be its fate? While every one is nominally sold, including the UK's 25 models, the Enzo will face stiff competition from the forthcoming Porsche Carrera and Mercedes McLaren SLR. But as with the Enzo's most famous fan, Michael Schumacher, it'll take something very special for it to lose its lead.


Schu's verdict on the new Enzo
"This is the first Ferrari I've been involved with from the start. I went from first trying out the engine and gearbox in a test chassis to trialling the final car on the roads around our test track at Fiorano, and of course I've driven it around the circuit, too. Testing road cars is totally different to working on the Formula One Ferrari. There are certain limitations to take into account when developing production machines.

"Most of my input was on the gearshift, the driveability, brakes and handling. I also worked on the electronics, fine-tuning the traction control. As the car will be sold to non-racing drivers, I kept a 'normal' person's perspective.

"The Enzo is as close as I've come in a road car to the sort of feeling you get from driving an F1 racer. Its power and acceleration are phenomenal. I don't know who's going to be driving it, but I'd suggest they don't switch off the traction control!

"Will I get one? I'm dealing with the president (Ferrari chief Luca di Montezemolo) on that."

astro

I would like to see Schumi drive and read his comments.

jts1207

i read somewhere that their test driver Benuzzi actually ran better times than Schumacher in a 360 on the test track

Zapata

Schumi could barely make it around the track in the 550 maranello without the tail sliding all over the place. Put Peter Cunnigham in it and give me his review before schumi's.

Shawn S

The Power, Handling and Engineering are commendable, but it’s definitely NOT the most beautiful car I ever saw with a “prancing horse” on the hood.

Shawn S

spiroh

ok, when I frist saw the pics of this car, I didnt like it. Seeing them now, this car is BAD ASS!!

Ashburner

I would chop off my left nut to have that job

-Ash

gavriil

Hehehehe...

Zoot

I agree, this not a great follow-up to the F50 in the design category.

jimcol711

very true..the performance is obviously very respectable, but that front end is fuckin ugly....the last new beautiful ferrari is the F-50 after that, it seems their styling department fell asleep at the wheel

AC TL

A Ferraris a Ferrari i bet in person we'd all die once we saw it.

Loseit

iTrader: (1)

I would chop off your left nut for that job too!!!