Ferrari F50
The Ferrari F50 is a mid-engine sports car manufactured by Italian automobile manufacturer Ferrari from 1995–1997. Introduced in 1995, the car is a two-door, two seat targa top. The car is powered by a 4.7 L naturally aspirated Tipo F130B 60-valve V12 engine that was developed from the 3.5 L V12 used in the 1990 Ferrari 641 Formula One car. The car's design is an evolution of the 1989 Ferrari Mythos concept car.
Only a total of 349 cars were made with the last car rolling off the production line in July 1997.
The F50's engine predated the car; it was used in the Ferrari 333 SP for the American IMSA GT Championship in 1994, allowing it to become eligible for the stock engine World Sports Car category.
Racing
Following the motorsport theme of the Ferrari F40 LM, Ferrari developed the F50 based F50 GT in collaboration with its racing partners Dallara and Michelotto to compete in GT1-class racing. Notable changes made to the car include a fixed roof, a large rear spoiler, new front spoiler, adjustable suspension system, Speedline racing alloy wheels with racing slicks and a large rear diffuser. The 4.7-litre V12 engine in the F50 GT was tuned to generate a power output of around at 10,500 rpm. A test held in 1996 proved the car to be quicker even than the 333SP, but this went unnoticed as Ferrari cancelled the F50 GT project due to entry of purpose built racing cars in competition such as the Porsche 911 GT1 and due to lack of funding, instead focusing on Formula One after the BPR Global GT Series folded. Ferrari sold off the three complete chassis that were built - the test car 001, 002 and 003. Chassis 002 and 003 had bodies fitted before being sold. The remaining three tubs were reportedly destroyed.Specifications
General
- Manufactured in: Maranello, Italy
- Number produced: 349
- Inspiration: 1990 Ferrari 641 as driven by Alain Prost
Dimensions
- Dry weight:
- Distribution: 42%/58 %
- Length:
- Height:
- Width:
- Wheelbase:
- Front track:
- Rear track:
Engine
- Type: Tipo 036-derived, model SFE 4.7 VJGAEA, Tipo F130 B
- Position: Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout
- Configuration: Longitudinally-mounted 65° V12
- Aspiration: Naturally aspirated, with variable-length intake manifold via butterfly valve in intake manifold
- *Intake manifold: carbon fibre reinforced polymer
- *Block: Modular cast iron
- *Heads/Pistons: light-alloy aluminum heads/forged Mahle pistons
- *Oil sump: aluminium
- *Connecting rods: forged titanium
- *Crankshaft: forged steel
- *Cam covers/Oil and water pump housing: magnesium sand castings
- *Exhaust manifold: stainless steel
- Engine weight:
- Valvetrain: 5 valves per cylinder, 60-valves DOHC per cylinder bank driven by low-noise Morse chain
- Displacement:
- Max. power: at 8,000 rpm
- Max. torque: at 6,500 rpm
- Specific output.: /litre
- Weight/Power ratio: 2.69 kg/PS
- Bore X Stroke:
- Bore:Stroke ratio: 1.23:1
- Compression ratio: 11.3:1
- Redline: 8,500 rpm
- Fuel cutoff: 8,640 rpm
- Fuel feed: Bosch Motronic 2.7 sequential injection and Electronic control unit
- Ignition system: Bosch static electronic distributor-less ignition
- Lubrication: dry sump, tank incorporated within the final drive housing, 3 scavenger pumps
- Variable intake: butterfly valve in carbon fibre intake manifold closed at low rpm, open at high rpm
- Variable exhaust: butterfly valve in upper tailpipes closed at low rpm, open at high rpm
- Fuel tank: foam filled, aeronautical-style Sekur rubber bladder,
Fuel consumption
- EPA premium gasoline
- * Combined
- * City
- * Highway
Transmission
- Configuration: longitudinal 6 speed manual + reverse, limited slip differential, RWD
- Gear ratios: 2.933:1, 2.157:1, 1.681:1, 1.360:1, 1.107:1, 0.903:1, 2.529:1
- Final drive: 3.70:1
- *Flywheel: steel
- **Final Drive Assembly: aluminum sand casting
- **Remaining gearset housing: magnesium sand casting
- **Support bracing: steel
- Clutch: dry, twin plate
- Cooling: oil-water intercooler between gearbox lubricant and engine
Chassis
- Type: central carbon fiber tub, light-alloy suspension and engine-gearbox assembly mounting points co-polymerised to the chassis
- Materials: carbon fiber, epoxy resin, Nomex honeycomb structure core, sandwich construction
- Torsional stiffness: per degree
Suspension
- Front: Rose-jointed unequal-length wishbones, push-rods, coil springs, Bilstein gas-pressurised monotube dampers, electronic adaptive damping, electronic height adjustment
- Rear: Rose-jointed unequal-length wishbones, push-rods, coil springs, Bilstein gas-pressurised monotube dampers, electronic adaptive damping, mounting points on a spacer between the engine and gearbox
- Travel: 55 mm bump, 60 mm rebound
- Camber angle: -0.7 degrees front, -1.0 degrees rear
- Anti-roll bars: front and rear
- Max. roll angle: 1.5 degrees
Steering
- Type: TRW rack and pinion, 3.3 turns lock to lock, unassisted
- Caster angle: 5.5 to 5.7 degrees
- Turning circle:
Miscellaneous
- Electronic adaptive damping
- Maximum reaction time : 140 milliseconds
- Average reaction time : 25 to 30 milliseconds
Wheels/tires/brakes
- Wheels: magnesium alloy, manufactured by Speedline
- Hubs: titanium
- Brake disc bells/suspension uprights/brake calipers: aluminum
- Upper and lower wishbones: black powder-coated steel
- Front wheels: x
- Front tires: 245/35ZR-18 Goodyear Eagle F1 GS Fiorano
- Front brakes: Brembo cross-drilled & ventilated cast iron discs, 4 piston aluminum Brembo calipers, Pagid brake pads,
- Rear wheels: x
- Rear tires: 335/30ZR-18 Goodyear Eagle F1 GS Fiorano
- Rear brakes: Brembo cross-drilled & ventilated cast iron discs, 4 piston aluminum Brembo calipers, Pagid brake pads,
- Unsprung mass: 99 lb/121 lb
Colour popularity
- Rosso Corsa : 302
- Giallo Modena : 31
- Rosso Barchetta : 8
- Argento Nurburgring : 4
- Nero Daytona : 4
Performance
- 0-: 1.7 seconds
- 0-: 2.4 seconds
- 0-: 3.0 seconds
- 0–: 3.8 seconds
- 0–: 4.7 seconds
- 0–: 5.5 seconds
- 0–: 7.5 seconds
- 0–: 8.5 seconds
- 0–: 10.1 seconds
- 0–: 11.6 seconds
- 0–: 13.4 seconds
- 0–: 15.9 seconds
- 0–: 18.8 seconds
- 0–: 21.8 seconds
- 0–: 26.8 seconds
- 1/4 mile: 12.1 seconds at
- Skidpad: 0.95g
- Braking :
- Top speed:
Track Tests
- Tsukuba Circuit: 1:05.81
- Suzuka Circuit : 2:25.525
- Sugo: 1:38.573
- In 2016, an F50 joined Top Gear's Nürburgring Nordschleife challenge in Germany. It completed the track in 7:47, 3 seconds faster than the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat but 28 seconds slower than the Mercedes-AMG GT R.
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