What do a Ferrari Enzo and a Bugatti Veyron have in common? Until recently, the only similarity was the fact that they were rivals, but new rumors suggest that the next generation Enzo will be inspired by shapes in the Veyron’s design. Guess Ferrari is feeling the heat a bit, huh?
The new Enzo, set to be revealed in late 2012 will feature new-generation aerodynamic technology, including "active aerodynamics" that pump air out through the body to influence the way airflows over and under the skin. Rumors say that Ferrari will place a direct-injection twin-turbocharged V8 engine under the hood , but it is also believed that the next Enzo will use the same gasoline-hybrid technology found in the Vettura Laboratorio HY-KERS concept.
"The world is a very different place to how it was when the Enzo was launched. It has moved on completely. And we are Ferrari – we do not take part to make up the numbers," said Ferrari officials in an interview with AutoCar.
It’s not hard to imagine what the world would be like if Ferrari did come out with a successor to the venerable Enzo supercar. As one of the meanest and most awesome supercars to come out of Maranello in history, the Ferrari Enzo certainly has no equal – that is unless a successor to it comes along down the road.
In the event that our fantasy does come true, concept designer Peter Simon already has an idea of what he thinks the Enzo successor is going to look like.
Featuring a far more aggressive nose and front end than the real Enzo, Simon’s concept work is the personification of a car that certainly poses a design identity that’s all its own.
According to Simon, the inspiration behind his work was taken from – get this – human and animal bones. Simon took his inspiration, weird as it sounds, and combines with the flair of Maranello to create a striking study that boasts of swooping angles that we’ve never seen from an actual Prancing Horse.
We have to give props to Peter Simon for the ingenuity and the rather out-of-the-box approach to his work. We just don’t think that an Enzo successor – if or when it does come out – would look anything like this.
It’s no secret that with a supercar like the Ferrari Enzo, a great deal of time is spent on research and development, with the main goal being to be able to call it one of the brand’s crown jewels. As is the case with these type of exotics, a brand like Ferrari will more often than not build a prototype version of the Enzo that is going to be used in all manners of testing, research, and further development. These prototypes are later modified and fine-tuned to become the end product that is the Enzo. As for these test versions, we probably won’t hear a whole lot about them after the finished product is finally released.
Well, if you’ve ever wondered how the Enzo came to be, a prototype version of the Mother of all Ferraris is now up for sale by Modena Motorsport. Built as a prototype for the Enzo back in 2000, this particular prototype is the only working test car that left the Ferrari factory. It even comes with an authorized factory certification, ensuring that this Enzo test car is completely legit. If that doesn’t spell out ’exotic’, we don’t know what will.
Moreover, it’s got a V12 engine that produces 680 horsepower with a six-speed gearbox, and it only weighs 1,365 kg. While we’re pretty sure that this prototype can hold its own against other exotics, what makes this machine truly remarkable is its exclusivity.
The prototype’s price wasn’t divulged, but we imagine any potential buyer can inquire about it directly at Modena Motorsport. Don’t press your luck, though. A car this rare probably won’t come cheap, so if you have images of plucking this away for less than six-digits, then you’re probably wasting your time.
Richard Losee is no stranger to hard work. After crashing his precious Ferrari Enzo back in 2006, this driver took it upon himself to restore his ride and add even more bells and whistles making it debut ready in time for the Bonneville Speed Week. His vehicle went from a standard Enzo developing 651hp to a Twin-Turbo Ferrari Enzo delivering a tremendous 850hp! At Bonneville his hard work ended up paying off as his Enzo went on to establish a 238.142 mph Class C (360 cubic-inch) Blown Fuel Modified Sport category and Enzo top speed record with an average run of 237.81 mph. It didn’t happen on the first try though. Many attempts were made with bumps in the road, like a malfunctioning chute and improper tuning, before the Enzo finally completed the task it had gone there to achieve.
"I had to leave for the airport literally right when we made the run as I was headed for a race in Phoenix," said tuner Shane Tecklenburg. "I was changing the tune up while we were towing the car back to the pit and I left immediately afterward not really knowing if what I had done would be enough to get them there."
Now, Losee’s Ferrari Enzo not only holds the top speed record, but it also holds the record for the most driven (31,366 miles) Enzo ever. Nice job, Losee!
It’s no secret that Ferrari is already preparing a successor for the legendary super sports Enzo. In fact, they’ve been preparing this supercar for quite some time now and, although we can pretend we are tired of waiting, the truth of the matter is we would wait as long as we need to in order to take a peek at the awesomeness that is this vehicle. Fortunately, other car fanatics are looking forward to this car as much as we are and will attempt to render the model with their incredible artistic and/or computer graphic talents.
The next Enzo will benefit from the intense use of carbon fiber, making the supercar weigh around 1200 lbs. Under the hood there will be a newly developed V8 bi-turbo engine with around 700 HP mated to a double-clutch transmission with seven speeds that provides ultra-fast gear changes. It is expected to see a sprint from 0 to 60 mph made in less than 3 seconds and a top speed of 223 mph.
The new Enzo will make its world debut in the spring of 2012 and will be limited to only 399 units. Price is expected to be in the 800,000 euro area (around $1million at the current exchange rates).
