A well-known collector has taken a page from history and commissioned a coach-built one-off Ferrari he hopes to debut center stage at a premier automotive event this summer.
And while this information has not officially been released, its source is reputable, the collector himself sharing details online. Whether this is a case of braggadocio or a done deal remains a question until the unique Ferrari is seen in its carbon fiber flesh; all else being equal, however, if it is for real, it undoubtedly will be a stunner.
New York-based collector James Glickenhaus spilled the fagioli over the last several months about his secret, custom "new" Ferrari 330 P4-inspired prototype in various chat rooms, specifically at Ferrari Chat. Glickenhaus, 55, a former B-movie writer/director/producer-turned Wall Street fund manager (Glickenhaus movie credits include Maniac Cop, Frankenhooker, Slaughter of the Innocents and Timemaster), is particularly passionate about the P3/4 (also known as the 412 P) and P4 models; only three of each model were produced in 1966 and 1967 and he owns one of them, worth up to $10 million.
For those who need a reminder of their history, the original Ferrari P3/4s beat the Ford GT40s at Daytona and won the constructors' sports car championship in 1967, the year in which the GT40s won Le Mans.
This latest P4 one-off prototype, dubbed 612 P4/5, is based on an Enzo chassis and reportedly aims to compete in a new Prototype class at the annual Pebble Beach Concours deElegance in August. (As of this writing Pebble Beach Concours organizers have not yet extended invitations for participants, so Glickenhaus' expectations might be premature.) This car's goal, besides giving a collector a unique toy about which he can forever boast, is to project the sensuous P4 styling into the future.
Glickenhaus personally commissioned Pininfarina in 2005 to build his dream car, a carbon composite body penned by the same designers responsible for the Maserati Birdcage 75th show car to commemorate the firm's 75th anniversary, and the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano that debuted earlier this month at the Geneva Motor Show. According to Glickenhaus in online postings, the 612 P4/5 with all-new carbon composite bodywork was executed by a Pininfarina designer identified only as "Jason." Jason Castriota is the one credited with both the Maser and newest Ferraris exteriors.
Glickenhaus requested an unregistered U.S.-spec Enzo to get everything rolling. Middle of last year, Pininfarina and Ferrari of Beverly Hills found the only unregistered, un-driven 2003 Enzo on earth and shipped it, still shrink-wrapped in its factory protective white plastic, to Pininfarina to start its transformation.
Based on the highly detailed descriptions put forth by Glickenhaus, these computer-generated images show the 612 P4/5 for what it is. The traditional color chosen harks back to the blood red of the original P4 or, as Glickenhaus describes it, Alfa Romeo SF Rossa Corso. The nose is truncated and more aggressive than on an Enzo, allowing a functional approach angle vs. the Enzo?s long overhang (the Enzo's electronic nose-lift function is kept in case). Placing a large front radiator horizontally and reclined on its side, as in the 1993 Ferrari 333 SP built for IMSA competition in the World Sports Car class, makes this gorgeous nose possible. Echoes of the 330 P4 envelop the car from nose to tail, with a decidedly modern take. Check out the white ceramic-coated exhausts tips poking out of the back panel.
Official sketches have not been released. Like the design on the Birdcage 75, the cabin has integrated carbon fiber structures incorporating a full roll cage. The windshield, roof and rear of the cabin are see-through, and in whole are tear-drop shaped as on a long line of famous Turin show cars.
According to Glickenhaus, the P4's power remains the same as the Enzo's at 651 horsepower. The P4 body is more efficient bending air in a wind tunnel than the Enzo, and it provides more downforce. The prototype reportedly weighs less than the 3009 pounds of its host, requiring a change in suspension settings, and the P4's height is 1.5 inches lower than the car on which it is based. So thorough is Glickenhaus that even the 20-inch wheels are one-off customs shod with Michelin PAX Ultra High-Speed run-flat rubber. Since the Enzo was unregistered, this new P4 gets its own VIN?allowing it to be driven on the streets of all 50 states.
Glickenhaus hints that the cost of 612 P4/5 has approached the going price of an Enzo ($1 million-plus) plus another $3 million. In an effort to share his vision with the rest of the world, among the several scenarios discussed online has Glickenhaus "crashing" the Paris auto salon in September. Stay tuned for how the French turn out for that premier.
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