A truly unique car is the
Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina, which was commissioned in 2006 by the famous North American collector James Glickenhaus, known for his penchant for legendary racing cars that originated in the of the Sixties. Glickenhaus, a former film director and producer, owns a small but very high quality collection of vintage car including a Duisenberg, a Stutz as well as some extremely rare Ferraris, among them a 1947
Ferrari 166 Spyder Corsa, bearing the chassis number 002C and widely recognized to be the most vintage
Ferrari still in existence. Glickenhaus’s vision was no less than audacious, to produce a show car inspired by sport racing cars that could also be driven and enjoyed on the road.
Glickenhaus’s vision to build modern day dream car began in 2005 when he purchased a
Ferrari Enzo, the cream of the
Ferrari range at that time. Not satisfied to settle with the top of the range specifications that the Enzo offered, Glickenhaus approached the famous Pininfarina's design studio. His original concept was to have Pininfarina redesign and remodel the Enzo to recapture the shape and the image of some of the earlier Ferrari’s in his collection. However when the Pininfarina design team suggested that instead of just looking back they should also move forward and come up with a classic design supercar, James Glickenhaus liked the idea and gave his approval. The project was assigned to Pininfarina's design guru Jason Castriota, who had earned his reputation whilst working on Maserati’s Birdcage 75th anniversary concept car as well as the 599 GTB for
Ferrari.
To evolve the
Ferrari P4/5 from an Enzo involved spending as ;long in a wind tunnel as on the road in order to make sure that the state of the art aerodynamics that
Ferrari were always known for were retained. To reduce weight and sharpen up the appearance of the P4/5 no less than 200 custom parts were produced spread through the car’s interior and exterior, reducing the P4/5’s overall weight by a remarkable 374 lbs (279 kg.) One of the most outstanding design features of the P4/5 is her butterfly doors, where opening and closing is controlled by a remarkable designed and engineered set of hinges.
With rumors of a custom designed and produced
Ferrari Enzo began to abound and even more so when it was announced that the car had been commissioned by no less than James Glickenhaus, excitement was rife when it was announced that the car would be previewed to the public at the 2006 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August of 2006. Locals flocked to the show and were lest awe stricken by the car’s innovative design profile. International aficionados of the
Ferrari and Pininfarina had to wait to catch a glimpse of the
Ferrari P4/5 at the 2006 Paris Motor Show which took place at the end of September.
Viewers were impressed by the P4/5’s sleek lines sculptured from carbon fiber. It has a centralized cockpit and windscreen that is single shell, dramatic butterfly doors and a teardrop type rear window, totally transparent to display the car’s engine. The car is finished in a deep
Ferrari red and further drama is produced by LED lighting and 20inch alloy wheels.
The interior of the P4/5 was also completely redesigned according to Glickenhaus’s specifications to add emphasis that the car was made to be unique, the car’s seats were custom built to match the body shape of Glickenhaus and his sons, as they were the only people who were ever liable to drive the car. Frames produced from composites of carbon fiber and upholstered in rubber mesh and red leather, materials that also dominate the entire interior of the car.
Most of the mechanics of the P4/5 remain unchanged from the Enzo from which it grew out of. The engine is a 65° Dino F140 V12 with a total capacity of 5998cc, producing a maximum of 8200 revolutions per minute. Power to the wheels is through a six speed semi automatic transmission, with the gear changes being made through steering wheel mounted shift buttons. Glickenhaus is being coy about the cars speed statistics but the estimates are that the car will be capable of reaching from 0-60 miles per hour in around 3.3 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 225 miles per hour (362 kp/h)
It goes without saying that the 2006
Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina cost James Glickenhaus a lot of money. However the class, the power and the uniqueness of the car obviously more than justify the outlay for this undoubted follower of the
Ferrari label.
Images were reprinted with permissions from original author Chris Ostberg (AudiWorld.com)! Content was written by Albert Hecht for www.sport-cars.org only and you MAY NOT copy, distribute or use this page's content for any commercial or non-commerical purpose without written permission of this site owner and photos authors!
March 31, 2008, 8:27 am
