The Auto Channel--Sports Car International V12 I1

Open Arms

It's a hell of an idea, but can any car live up to the F50's expectations? Joanne and Roberto find out at Fiorano.

A piercing shriek shreds the air as the blood-red Ferrari ducks behind the columns of gray smoke that pour from its wheelwells. Then it hooks up and bang, it's gone: Tendrils of that same acrid smoke are instantly jostled into vortices by the wake of the now-absent F50, bearing witness to the stunning speed of Ferrari's latest flagship.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the Ferrari F50 in full assault mode. Dario Benuzzi - Ferrari's chief test driver and all-around living legend - is showing me how to thrash the living daylights out of this very expensive, very sophisticated and very red piece of kit, and part of the lesson includes a demonstration of the V12's brutal power. It also proves the effectiveness of the rev-limiter, as Dario casually winds the engine out to redline and changes its screaming banshee wail to a staccato stuttering of barks.

This car is much more than a successor to the late, lamented F40. Like that earlier machine, the F50 is supposed to commemorate a major anniversary of Ferrari's entrance into manufacturing and represent the pinnacle of its achievements in turning racing cars into road cars. But while the F40 lived in the aftermath of Formula One's turbo age - and therefore used a small-displacement V8 packing two intercooled turbochargers to develop a huge 478 bhp - the even-more sophisticated F50 honors its normally aspirated, V12-powered forebears of the post-turbo era.

As Ferrari President Luca de Montezemolo is never reticent to underline (in fact he speaks of little else), the F50 was conceived from the get-go as an F1 car for the road. The wheels don't poke out on wisp-like suspension arms and there's commodious seating for two inside, but the rest of the car's specifications are remarkably similar to those of the firm's early-'90s Grand Prix designs - which means it's also startlingly similar to the current 333SP WSC sports-racer, whose development has closely paralleled the F50's.

Apart from a couple of refinements made for road use - like more forgiving diagonal suspension pushrods and a displacement bump from 3.5 to 4.7 liters - it's easy to see the family resemblance. The F50 is built around an immensely rigid carbon fiber monocoque and uses the engine as a stressed member of the chassis. The main tub weighs just 224 pounds and mounts its mechanicals off light-alloy inserts bonded directly into the structure. The rear suspension wishbones attach to the bellhousing between the engine and gearbox, and the front wishbones mate right to the chassis. Most telling of all, there are no namby-pamby rubber bushings to be seen anywhere in the assembly - ultimately, just a massive set of track-worthy rose joints separates the tires from the driver.

The entire suspension system is closely patterned on that used in Ferrari's '83-'84 F1 car, but the front components feature an additional civilizing touch in the form of a pump to increase the ride height by a couple of inches and thus hoist the vulnerable front spoiler over offending ramps and bumps. Once road speed passes 40 mph it all settles back down to normal, however, and that means a road-scraping ride and rebound control that stiffens to formula-car standards. To reduce unsprung mass the wheel hubs are titanium, and the rears have been made particularly compact to allow longer driveshafts - reducing the shaft's angle of attack limits power loss when transmitting torque through the rear tires.

Front and rear suspension travel is extremely limited; total excursion is just 53mm (about two inches), but Ferrari's latest development of electronic damping, already seen on the 456GT, means the ride isn't the knobbly washboard you'd expect. Up to about 25 mph the F50 is pliant and supple, but over that speed the central CPU cranks up the variable-rate shock absorbers' stiffness based on a map comparing road speed, lateral and longitudinal acceleration, and steering-wheel angle. But it all stays creamy smooth, guaranteeing clam-tight body control and unflustered comfort.

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All this race-ready hardware results in steering and high-speed handling so precise and burly that many drivers not used to serious racing machinery will at first be put off. Depending on conditions, one encounters friendly initial understeer (tight low-speed corners) or blinding quickness and willing turn-in (everywhere else). Chassis development engineer Carlo Della Casa merely states that all the F1 concepts are present and accounted for, albeit modified and ameliorated to ensure driveability; what happens after that is up to the skill, daring and mood of the F50 owner.

Of course the real heart of the matter, as ever with Ferrari, lies in the engine bay. Probably the F50's one greatest appeal for posterity is the idea of sitting in close company with the direct descendent of a Formula One engine. Ferrari's 3.5-liter racing engine was brought out to 4.7 mostly by lengthening the stroke, and the materials used in its construction are virtually identical to those of the racing mill. The crankshaft runs on seven main bearings in a nodular cast-iron block with integral Nickasil-coated liners, forged aluminum pistons and titanium rods. The gasketless heads are tuned for an extremely high compression ratio of 11.3:1, and Ferrari's variable-geometry intake and exhaust tracts optimize torque at low revs and reduce backpressure toward redline. A 65-degree V12 with five valves per cylinder, the engine is largely a derivation of the 333SP's 4-liter mill, which in turn mirrors Ferrari's early-'94 F1 powerplant. The maximum power of 520 bhp arrives at 8500 rpm, while a torque peak of 347 lbs.-ft. comes in at 6500.

Keeping all of that power in check are four massive discs developed specifically for the F50 by Brembo, 14-inchers in front and 13.2s in back. All boast crossdrilling, venting and 4-pot aluminum calipers, though surprisingly there's neither a brake servo nor ABS included. (The faint of heart need not apply.) The tires, meanwhile, are a special brew from Goodyear developed by the same engineering team responsible for Ferrari's F1 footwear. Normal racing rubber features a stiff 4-ply carcass: These "Fiorano GSs" boast a 5-ply 335/30ZR18 at the rear and a 6-ply 245/35 up front. Mind you, Goodyear didn't get it right first time: The first batch they made stuck to wet pavement about as well as a dead mackerel. But now the F50 generates a staggering 1.14g on the constant-radius skidpad and up to 1.3g in transient maneuvers. Even compared to an F1 car's 2.3g that's not bad. The old F40 could manage about .98.

This combination of handling finesse, power and traction produce some outstanding results on the track. In outright performance terms this car doesn't make that big a leap beyond the stomping F40 - top speed goes up just three mph (to 202) and the 0-60 run shaves only a couple of tenths off to earn a 3.7. What really counts is lap times, however, and here a circuit of Fiorano finds the F50 over three seconds faster than the catalyzed F40.

Fundamental to the car's balance and performance are its aerodynamics. At first you'd think Ferrari could have bettered a Cd of .37, especially as the F50 sports a full undertray and a claimed 3000 hours of windtunnel testing. This figure reflects a new racecar-like design policy which puts downforce and balance ahead of top-speed slipperiness, however. At 186 mph the bodywork generates 242 pounds of downforce up front and 440 pounds at the rear. Chief Engineer Amadeo Felisa points out that the F50 will lap Nardo flat-out with the driver's hands off the wheel.

In addition to a 333SP-style undertray and diffuser tunnels, the F50 also features Ferrari's first convertible hardtop in ages. The conversion from closed berlinetta to open roadster is a fairly simple half-hour job primarily requiring the exchange of the rear central bodywork. This task is not recommended for DIYers, however; making sure the safety rollbars are properly installed calls for expert attention.

So much for the old technical in and out: How's this poetry in motion? Does all of Ferrari's engineering-speak translate into the romance, fury and passion that should ride with the marque's definitive road car?

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Well, let's see. Visually, all of the F50's dynamic punch is concentrated in its aggressive, nostril-laden nose. This feature creates a demonically pronounced scowl that sends left-lane dawdlers ahead of you diving for the bushes in abject terror. The longitudinal Twelve forces an extremely cab-forward design, however, and this tends to emphasize the rather empty flanks and overlong rear bodywork. Even with their rounded and sculpted F40 overtones, this car's compact lines have true emotional impact only when seen from the high 3/4 angles.

If not in its body, however, the F50's true beauty lies in its soul. As if to underline the promise of Ferrari's road-ready F1 car, there's next to nothing in the cockpit: The modus operandi here was that if it weighs anything, junk it.

Thus, knobbly plastic will do just fine for the floorboards, thank you, and the dash will make do with a bare minimum of switchgear. Just two benign-looking buttons can be found to the right of the steering wheel, and these are used to control a horde of computer infobytes displayed on the main LCDs.

Besides making a decent cuppa, the F50's on-board computer can record tons of information throughout its lifespan - everything from owners' names and service records to statistical data regarding how the car has been used. For better or worse, maximum revs, speeds reached, how often each gear has been selected, and so on can be downloaded from this central electronic brain. The F50's think tank can also plug into the telemetry systems of major tracks the whole world over, though the software required to do so is far too sophisticated for most owners to tackle.

The push-button starter below the ignition key is enough to give any car nut a thrill, but then so is the carbon fiber-topped gearlever, the tiny, 6-speed chrome gate and the pukka floor-hinged pedals.

On firing this beast up you expect all manner of mechanical incivility, particularly having heard the car bark and scream around Fiorano. You also know you'll be bolted directly to twelve cylinders once you've strapped on the F50; just a modicum of metal and plastic, a few sheets of foam padding and a layer of Connolly leather isolate your nether regions from 520 horses of race-bred Italian brio.

The powerplant chatters and resonates noticeably at idle, but the volume is fairly discreet and the vibration proves more a comfortable presence than a buzzy intrusion. That's the first surprise. The second is that the F50's engine runs remarkably smoothly overall - the total lack of rubberized engine mounts only becomes evident at low revs, when the chassis echoes to the gravelly rumble of the chain-driven cams and timing gear. Velvety may never be a word that springs to mind in this car, but at any speed over 2500 rpm the zinging V12 is remarkably free from harshness. There's also no unruly kickback from the suspension, underscoring Ferrari's success in taming the usually unacceptable hardmounts of a racecar for street use.

Even so, Luca de Montezemolo sees the F50 buyer as "A special kind of Ferrarista - a tougher type who wants to feel he's at the wheel of a Formula One car." This explains away the rawness of the rigidly mounted power package and the razor-sharpness of the steering, but in truth Ferrari has also decided that much of this car's appeal must lay in its ease of road use - something the hairier (and some would say purer) F40 couldn't offer.

To find out the results of designing to such crossed purposes takes just half a lap of Fiorano. While Ferrari's other current cars offer major improvements in feel and feedback over their predecessors, the F50 takes this progression to an entirely new level. Weighting at the major controls is nothing short of superbthe clutch particularly, as it imparts an almost tangible sensation of polished metal acting upon metal. The binders come off a little mushy to begin with, meanwhile, but out on the track they prove delectably succinct and accurate. The brake pedal also makes a marvelously firm pivot point for smiting the neighboring throttle during heel-and-toe shifting. There's no panic-invoking nosedive as the calipers clamp the discs, just outstanding retardation that has you pining for the optional 4-point harnesses.

At 125 mph, my doubts about shunning ABS evaporate as I overcook it coming into the kink at the end of the main straight. This major driver error transforms itself into a benignly controlled runoff as the brakes quickly haul the car down on both pavement and grass - unimpeachable evidence of the F50's superb chassis balance. The gearbox, too, is fantastic; swift, light strokes belie the length of the linkage rods and the number of kinks they must perform to reach the Ferrari's lengthy rump.

The steering and front suspension also impress for their feel, although Fiorano tends to highlight the F50's user-friendly understeer and rather low gearing. Feedback through the wheel is excellent, and this proves critical to defining the zealous turn-in through fast corners. You can sense the exact position of the tires at every point through the bend, and the steering is communicative all the way out - a unique trait in a road car.

The flow of power from the 520-horse V12 is as seamless as it is enthusiastic. Just where the torque peak really lives proves difficult to determine: The plateau is vastly broad, and the LCD readout can't be read in direct sunlight! In surprising opposition to the manic, race-bred shriek the F50 emits on the outside, however, the sound behind the wheel is a lot like what you hear during on-board images from
F1. The dominant engine note is a gritty bass rumble, while the scream and buzz of valvegear and cams stridently overcome all when the needle closes in on the 8000-rpm yellowline.

It's a monster of a sound, and one that leaves no doubt whatsoever as to the source of the heat that is soon caressing your bonk. At speed the powertrain funnels energy in from the rear while even hotter air spills out from the radiators and flows in around the A-pillars. Even so, you certainly can't buy a more comfortable or usable machine with such pure-bred responses.

McLaren's valiant effort is a slightly softer package, albeit one conceptually just as adventurous. Thus, for the time being at least, the competition is once again forced to better Ferrari's best.

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SPECIFICATIONS

1996 Ferrari F50

General
Vehicle type: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive convertible coupe
Structure: composite monocoque with stressed powertrain and composite body panels
Market as tested: Italy
MSRP: $475,000+
Airbag: none

Engine
Type: longitudinal V12, iron block and aluminum heads
Displacement (cc): 4700
Compression ratio: 11.3:1
Power (bhp): 520 @ 8500 rpm
Torque (lbs. ft.): 347 @ 6500 rpm
Intake system: SEFI
Valvetrain: three intake and two exhaust valves per cylinder, two cams per bank
Transmission type: 6-speed

Dimensions
Dry weight (lbs.): 2712
Track, f/r (in.): 63.8/63.1
Length (in.): 176.4
Width (in.): 78.2
Suspension, brakes, steering
Suspension, front: Double wishbones with pushrod-actuated coil springs, active shock absorbers and antiroll bar
Suspension, rear: Double wishbones with pushrod-actuated coil springs, active shock absorbers and antiroll bar
Steering type: rack and pinion
Wheels, f&r (in.): 18x8.5 & 18x13 (Speedline)
Tires, f&r: 245/35ZR18 & 335/30ZR18 (Goodyear GS Fiorano)
Brakes, f&r: 14-inch vented disc. 13.2-inch vented disc
ABS: none

Performance
0-60 (sec.): 3.7
Top speed (mph): 202

Contact
Ferrari North America Inc.
250 Sylvan Avenue
Englewood Cliffs NJ 07632
fax (201) 816-2626