Ferrari Enzo
The Enzo Ferrari is a 12 cylinder mid-engine berlinetta named after the company's founder, Enzo Ferrari. It is currently one of the most powerful naturally aspirated production cars in the world. It was built in 2003 using Formula One technology, such as a carbon-fibre body, F1-style sequential shift transmission, and Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) ceramic composite disc brakes. Also used are technologies not allowed in F1 such as active aerodynamics and traction control. After a downforce of 775 kg (1709 lb) is reached at 300 km/h (186 mph) the rear wing is actuated by computer to maintain that downforce.
The Enzo's V12 engine is the first of a new generation for Ferrari. It is based on the architecture of the V8 found in sister-company Maserati's Quattroporte, using the same basic architecture and 104 mm (4.1 in) bore spacing. This design will replace the former architectures seen in V12 and V8 engines used in most other contemporary Ferraris. The 2005 F430 is the second Ferrari to get a version of this new powerplant.
In 2004, Sports Car International named the Enzo Ferrari number three on their list of Top Sports Cars of the 2000s.
Motor Trend Classic named the Enzo as number four in their list of the ten "Greatest Ferraris of all time".
The Enzo Ferrari is sometimes referred to colloquially as the "Ferrari Enzo". The Enzo Ferrari is commonly referred to as just the "Enzo" with no marque or other words attached.
Celebrating its first World Championship of the new Millennium, in Formula One, Ferrari built the Enzo to celebrate this achievement and the company named the car after its founder, Enzo Ferrari, who died in 1988.
The Enzo was initially announced at the 2002 Paris Motor Show with a limited production run of 349 units and priced at US $643,330. The company sent invitations to existing customers, specifically, those who had previously bought the Ferrari F40 and Ferrari F50. All 349 cars were sold in this way before production began. Later, after numerous requests, Ferrari decided to build 50 more Enzos, bringing the total to 399. All Enzos are listed as being built in 2003.
Ferrari built one more Enzo - the 400th car - and it was auctioned by Sotheby's Maranello Auction on June 28, 2005, to benefit survivors of the 2004 Tsunami for €950,000 (US$1,274,229), almost twice its list price. This sum was presented to Pope Benedict XVI, while former Ferrari Formula One driver Michael Schumacher gave the pope a steering wheel to commemorate the donation. This wheel included a plaque which read, "The Formula 1 World Champion's steering wheel to His Holiness Benedict XVI, Catholicism's driver."
The Enzo Ferrari typically trades above $1,000,000 (£500,000) at auction.
Three prototype "mules" were built, M1, M2, and M3. Each was bodied to look like a 348, even though the mules were built in 2000. The third mule was offered for auction alongside the 400th Enzo in June, 2005, bringing €195,500 (US$236,300).
Information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_Enzo
Related Pages: Cars, Ferrari F50, Ferrari F355, Ferrari F430
