The bare facts are these: 6.0, 660bhp, 48-valve 65deg V12 that in turn produces a 0-60mph time of 3.65 seconds, 0-100mph time of 7.8 seconds, 0-124mph time of 9.5 seconds and a top speed of 217.5mph. Crushing performance from what is surely a hugely awesome, fantastic, amazing and most importantly beautiful hyper car. For those of you who havent already guessed, Im talking about the aerodynamically styled, formula-one based Ferrari Enzo. In other words, the most technologically advanced car on the face of the earth, a car that really does hold extreme hypnotic powers. Its a Ferrari and that can only mean it has finesse, a wonderful heritage and an individuality that no other manufacturer can offer. Its not just another "Supercar". Its a car that changes all the rules. It has a very real purpose. A purpose that moves the "Supercar" cliché a step further into the future, and not just a small step, a rather large one. In 2002 / 2003 its set to become the most desirable car on the planet. Its a very special time in Ferraris life, so its time to celebrate.

The Enzo is the fastest and most accomplished road Ferrari ever, as well as the most expensive. Maranello's achievement is made even more so because the Enzo has been homologated to be sold globally (though only in left-hand-drive) and therefore incorporates the most comprehensive passive safety and emission controls ever seen on a supercar. Officially known as the Ferrari Enzo Ferrari, Maranello realistically acknowledges that everybody will simply call the new supercar 'Enzo'. In virtually every area this spiritual successor to the 288 GTO, F40 and F50 steps outside Ferrari's existing order.

As always, Ferrari went to Pininfarina for the styling, clearly defining it's aerodynamic objectives and stipulating that this supercar would be a coupe only. The Enzo isn't beautiful, but neither is it ugly. It looks intense, dramatic, mean and aggressive. You can argue that the front, mirroring F1 practice with it's raised nose splitting the side vents, is visually at odds with the softer, more curvaceous tail. Yet, it is overwhelmingly a functional aerodynamic statement. Ferrari are saying: "Drawing on our F1 experience, our advanced understanding of areo means that, unlike with the F50, we no longer need a huge rear wing for downforce." Performance wise its basically on a par with the Mclaren F1, a car that will never be forgotten by most, if not all the journalists which ever had the pleasure to experience its heavenly powers. Powers which are hard to surpass. Where the Enzo is concerned though, beauty runs more than merely skin deep. The engine and chassis of the Mclaren F1 are both better and lighter that that of the car from Maranello, but where the Enzo really comes into its own is on the track. The design brief and aim of the Mclaren F1 was to produce the most powerful and fastest road car in the world, but the Enzo? Well the Enzos was to create a car that combined speed with modern aerodynamic ability and chassis control. This was key in both the Enzos development and marketing.

The Enzo - most commonly tagged F60 up until now - pushes known road-car technology barriers and harnesses enough Formula One experience to go way beyond being merely a celebration of Ferrari's world champion constructor triumphs over the past three years. Ferrari's president, Luca di Montezemolo, claims that the Enzo brings together "everything we currently know" in one very special road car. "I wanted to go a little bit further in every element" says di Montezemolo. "The engine, the design, the performance, the doors, the aerodynamics, to build a super-extreme car. I wanted to go too far. It's easy to come back - I prefer to come back - instead of adding. We knew the weak points of the F50, The noise problems, the impression of a lack of performance from low revs. We set out to use all of our experience to correct the mistakes of the previous car."

So where did this team come from? Any self-respecting, avid Ferrari fan will surely know that The Great Man that started it all the racing team, the road car set-up and all other divisions is non other than Enzo Ferrari. I talk about him as "The Great Man" because thats exactly what he is. He has been described as "The God" and with good reason. Ferrari was born in 1898 and after a fairly successful racing career with Alfa he decided to set-up on his own, creating Scuderia Ferrari. This was set to become the most recognised, world-famous and glamorous manufacturer that ever existed within the motor industry. At the time, Ferrari was just trying to create a racing division to make a living, but road and other production cars soon followed. Ferrari were being watched from all over the world and soon acquired a large following of motor racing fans fans which would relish the chance to see an Enzo up close and personal. These fans bought the road cars, which were built using direct components from the racing cars themselves creating a distinct blur between road and race cars. Ferrari built his team from here.

The engine is linked to a Semi-automatic 6-speed F1-derived paddle-shift gear change which has carbon-fibre paddles mounted either side of the steering wheel for instant gear-changes. The actual shift time is down to 0.150 seconds compared to Ferraris previous best of 0.220 seconds for the 575M Maranello. It is only the second car that Ferrari has made that has this particular gear-change linked to a V12 engine. The first was the 575M Maranello, released earlier this year. Before linking this type of gearbox to a V12, Ferrari tried and succeeded to pair it with a V8 in the form of the 360 Modena and Spider. This saw the start of a new trend. To operate this type of gearbox, you will need little time and minimum effort. The right-hand paddle (once pulled towards you) shifts you up a gear, and the left one down a gear. It really is that simple, though it does take a little time to get used to, it really is very effective for fast-shifting, full-on, Schumacher moments. To select reverse, all that is needed is a gentle pull on both paddles at the same time to select neutral, and then a pull of the left one to go down into "R" for reverse. Launch control can be used just as it is on the track with an F1 car. It is easy to perform multiple launch control standing starts by simply putting your foot on the brake, selecting first gear, dialling in huge amounts of revs, and "relaxing" your left foot to let the engine do its thing. Next thing you know your heading towards the horizon at a startling speed, and with a huge grin on your face. This car has soul, this car has rhythm. It has a heart, everything is online and active, building up momentum. Its astonishing, absolutely astonishing.

Ferrari is now convinced that Brembo, which has developed a compound known as carbon-ceramic material (CCM), has cracked the poor cold-temperature performance difficulty; as a result, the hugely powerful brakes are a full 12.5kg lighter than normal and totally resistant to fade. The CCM discs are ventilated and measure 380mm in diameter (front and back), are 34mm thick, with six-pot front and four-pot rear calipers. These brakes are both powerful and reliable and work especially well on the track. EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution) is present together with the more traditional ABS (Anti-lock Braking System.) These two systems working together are the cars electronic brain and they keep a watchful eye over the driver and aid in the event of an emergency stop or when the car is placed under heavy braking. The architecture of the Enzo was designed to minimize the section of the cables that link the utilities positioned on the steering wheel, steering column, the onboard instruments and the rest of the car. To achieve this goal, the architecture was based on a high-speed communication line that links several different control units that pick up the signals in "the surrounding environment". These signals are transformed into information that can be exchanged through only the communication line. This is an innovative approach to the design of the control system architecture, and to the development and fine-tuning of the subsystems on the car. It was made possible by the collaboration and specialist skills of Gestione Sportiva, who made the performance of each system enhance that of the entire car.

In imitation of its F1 set-up, Ferrari has tuned the suspension push-rod double wishbones front and rear incorporating inboard mounted, horizontal gas dampers around specifically developed Bridgestone tyres known as Potenza RE050A Scuderia (245/40 ZR 19 Front and 345/35 ZR 19 Rear). These tyres are shed around well-designed large alloy wheels that measure 9x19 front and 13x19 rear. Continuously variable dampers employ four sensors two measuring vertical wheel movement, one each to measure vehicle speed and braking to maximize body control and comfort as required. Anti-dive and anti-squat geometry helps maintain a level ride height, even when the huge Carbon Ceramic Material brakes are doing their best to stand the Enzo on its nose. The steering is rack and pinion power assisted and gives 2.2 turns, lock-to-lock. This gives good feel and is well weighted to make the car perform like a finely tuned and well-balanced thoroughbred.

The styling works as a creator of downforce (Ferrari prefers 'negative lift') so necessary if the 200mph-plus Enzo is to be an effective road and possibly race car. The entire underbody is tailored to the demands of the wind tunnel, in which the car spent 3,000 hours of extensive testing and constant improvement. Flaps and moveable aerodynamic aids ahead of the front wheels and below the radiators automatically work in unison with the small adjustable rear spoiler to alter the amount of downforce according to road speed. This gives a load of 344kg at 125mph, increasing to 775kg at 186mph. The downforce then begins to ease to help raise the top speed to nearly 220mph, when it produces 585kg. To avoid the vibration and noise inherent in the F50 decision to bolt the V12 directly to the carbonfibre tub, Ferrari developed a substantial cast-alloy and tubular-steel subframe using rubber bushes to support the mid-mounted engine and rear suspension. Also, another up front, in the nose, incorporating deformation boxes to help the car pass the 35mph off-set crash tests.

The Enzo achieves a standing kilometer in 19.6 seconds @ 135mph. An amazingly stunning feat. Its just manic and that can be proven when you see that it has a power to weight ratio of 0.484bhp per Kilogram. Its torque figure is 657nm / 486.6 lb/ft @ 5500 rpm. It uses a Bosch Motronic ME7 fuel injected fuel feed and the engine is naturally aspirated, has a compression ratio of 11:2:1 and is mid, longitudinally mounted. Power from that very engine is driven via the impressive gearbox through the rear wheels. Its dimensions make this car an imposing visual accomplishment. They are as follows: Overall Length: 185.12 Inches (4,628 mm) Overall Width: 80.12 Inches (2,003 mm) Overall Height: 45.16 Inches (1,129 mm) Wheel Base: 104.33 Inches (2,608.25 mm) Front Track: 65.35 Inches (1,633.75 mm) Rear Track: 64.96 Inches (1,624 mm). Its fuel tank capacity is 22.2 gallons and the car weighs in at 1365 kilograms.

Visually, the Enzo is stunning. Its aggressively styled nose is the first thing that hits you, it flies down into a nicely tapered point and the lines flow consistently around the bottom of the front air intake where the diffuser is also situated. The bonnet flows up to the windscreen inside the boundaries set by two aerodynamically efficient airflow ducts. It is a pure demonstration of just how powerful the car looks; it projects a menacing undertone that you cant ignore. Its inspiring and it looks like its travelling without moving, and thats exactly what Ferrari is trying to achieve with this kind of styling. It gives you that feel-good factor and displays style and panache as well as menace and aggression. It does everything with a certain degree of excellence that pushes it frighteningly close to perfection. Controversial it may be, but the Enzos styling is certainly different from other super cars. It takes a radical departure from what we perceive as normal and challenges the benchmarks set by heroes of the past. Not least the Mclaren F1, that too looked radical and F1 inspired at the time but also set unbeaten records for in-gear acceleration times. The two cars really are very similar in many ways. Ferrari talks of Pininfarinas new direction for the marque as a new language, with huge Formula One influences and a kind of functional brutality to it. In my opinion, the Enzo is seductive, sensual and exciting. It arouses the senses and makes life worth living. It surpasses expectations and fulfils dreams. It looks every inch of its six and a half feet wide, having a lot of actual bodywork on display. It looks awesome, balanced and mean bad and mean like the F50 never did. From above, you see nothing but flowing swoops, large vents and pointy edges, all driving back through the stretched and powerful tail to those fantastic new jet-engine-look rear lights wonderful. Pure and hard said the original brief, and it is. It succeeds in doing everything with total aplomb. This car drops jaws from a hundred paces. It is truly sublime.

The movement of the doors is mainly upwards, a little outwards, pivoting on a hefty, bronze-brushed main hinge and a smaller guide hinge near the screen pillars top. They reveal the functional but beautifully trimmed interior. Its a distinctive and exclusive piece of craftsmanship. With exposed carbonfibre in use for nearly everything that is physically possible to be made from it, its a nice place to be. As you climb in, your destination is a snug, leather-clad Sparco seat, further enhancing the truly brilliant atmosphere. Dont expect to find a stereo in such an intimate place as this, although you do get air-con. Without it, youd melt. The seat (available in sizes from S to XL) and pedals can be set to any of 16 base settings; height and tilt angle for the seat, fore-and-aft, up-and-down and even side-to-side for the pedals. These settings can be specified when Enzo customers go to the factory for a fitting. Three buttons in a line on the steering wheel, angling up to the Ferrari badges left, activate the mode and set functions for the LCD display in the instrument clusters left side, and cause the suspension to lift around 15mm to clear bumps or cope with car parks. A matching set on the right allows you to toggle between "sport" and "race" suspension, gearshift, and ASR settings. The multi-function steering wheel is complimented by a flat-topped section on the upper arc that incorporates shift lights that light up as the power progresses through the rev range. This same upper arc also makes good use of the same very high quality carbonfibre that is seen in huge amounts throughout the interior. The ambience is superb.

Left and right-arrowed buttons on the appropriate wheel spokes activate the indicators, an ergonomic solution of such elegance you wonder why many more cars dont offer it. Behind the wheel and below the carbonfibre shift paddles, a pair of stalks handle windscreen wiper and light functions; they work by rotating the butterfly-like ends, not by moving the whole unit. Above them, the dial clusters centerpiece is a 10,000rpm tachometer, dominating the 400kmh speedometer to its right. A vertical line of switches on the centre console stack reveals a prominent bright red starter button, a large degree of excitement arouses your senses as you get the all important message that this Enzo is giving you: power poise and noise. This really brings out the sense of occasion. Through the space between the dial cluster and the steering wheel you can see the steering column and its universal joints heading down to the rack and its hydraulic pipes. You can see the air vents trunking, the pedal assembly, your own feet: you are part of the machine, part of the composite. When driving, there is no need to ease the throttle on an up shift; the engine management does it for you, and blips up when you change down. The Enzo delivers the response you want, its razor sharp, opening the way to a transparent, supernatural, digitally enhanced world. This Ferrari is a magical demonstration of Gods holy power. Its electronic brain has insight.

Michael Schumacher, the ultimate Formula-One racing driver of his and perhaps any other generation, has played a huge part in both the creation and evolution of the Enzos handling, performance, aerodynamics and general driving attributes. He is the racetrack maestro, the ultimate judge of handling, chassis behavior, and performance. At the time the Ferrari Enzo project came about (3 years ago) Ferrari saw that they could make a very balanced, quality product even quicker by using Michael to test the car frequently and provide feedback to the mechanics and engineers as to what was working well and what wasn't. This kind of partnership was carried over from the Formula-One set-up, where by Schumacher is constantly telling the team how they could change the cars set-up to achieve optimum down-force, grip, performance and high-speed stability. Michael, like Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost before him, has always had an incredible thirst for knowledge about how his car is working, what could be done to improve it, and how those changes would be performed and integrated. On race-weekends he often spends hours after everyone has gone home just working with the team, burning the midnight oil to try and get results that could gain him just a tenth of a second. He wants to be quicker than everyone else on the track and if you take a look at the results of the season just passed (2002) 98% of the time, he is.

This special relationship which exists between Michael and the team is irreplaceable. It is so strong and priceless. Ferrari then, made a very intelligent decision to save time. They used Michael to develop this special new car and now, after the final product is finished and all the dust is settled, he has this to say:

Enzo Ferrari project leader Amendeo Felisa says of Schumacher "He isnt just trying to develop a car to suit his extraordinary driving skills. It is easy for him to put himself in the position of a normal driver. Our aim was not to obtain an F1 experience, but to produce a very balanced car. Michael is very good because he has a high perception of cars not just of their performance and handling, but also of their comfort and user-friendliness." (Taken from an interview by Jeremy Hart)

But is this Lucas swansong? Luca di Montezemelo joined Ferrari 10 Years ago (1992) He became president of the most recognized and world famous marque and has led them to great things. It is clear that the past 10 years have been fantastic when you look at the models launched. We have seen the 456, 355, F50, 360, 550, 575 and now this, the Enzo. He has helped largely in the transformation of the Formula One team too; hiring the right people for the job, knowing how much to invest and in which areas to invest it. Speculation has it that the Enzo will be his last act, in road car terms of Montezemelos tenure at the helm of this company, since he has hinted that he might be ready to leave in order to get involved in politics. But its not just the cars the companys turnover has also seen a dramatic turnaround 229.7 million euros in 1993 to 1.208 billion euros in 2002 the year just passed. Luca has given us the ultimate Ferrari: The Enzo. For that I, along with many thousands of fans, thank him greatly for providing us with a motoring hero and a legend. It was a classic before it even met the press or public eye and will remain in peoples hearts for eternity. Its a chapter in Ferraris history that will not be forgotten ever.

The Enzo, in keeping with the companys tradition of celebratory cars, is a limited-production masterpiece. It will enjoy an exclusive production run of 399 cars only, the idea being to make one less than you think you can sell. Just 25 examples are on their way to the UK in December 2002. Each will cost in excess of £420,000 and each comes with the signature of Enzo Ferrari engraved into the centre console that is situated at the base of the dashboard. This fabulous new Ferrari will be made available to existing Ferrari customers only; thus ensuring that each car will be kept lovingly for a long time before the owner eventually sells it on. Prospective buyers were invited to a high-security "viewing lobby" to receive a press-release pack and to view the car in a controlled environment. These selected customers would then have the choice of only three colours: Rosso Red, Giallo Fly Yellow and Nero Black. This keeps the exclusivity levels high and ensures that depreciation will be minimal.

© Allen Guttridge 2004