408 4RM
What you’re looking at here is Genesis – if Genesis had a lot of blank pages between it and the rest of the bible, that is. It’s Ferrari’s first foray into four-wheel drive, way back in 1987.
One of just two, hand-built prototypes that predate the complex 4WD FF by nearly 30 years, the 408 4RM signalled Ferrari’s first crack at reinventing four-wheel drive with a complex, hydraulically operated system.
It would have been a bit of a corker, we think. Ferrari was truly on form at that stage (F40, anyone?) and there are signs of that genius in the 4RM, too. A rear-mid-mounted, quad-cam, four-litre V8 was good for 300bhp, and it was dry-sumped to keep the oil where it needed to be in the corners. And, considering it was propelling just 1340 kilos, it’d be pretty brisk, to say the least.
Finally, the 4RM boasted fully independent, dual-wishbone suspension front and rear, plus a four-wheel-drive system, which would have made for quite the B-road belter indeed.
250 ‘Breadvan’
Not all that many great things start with an argument. Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, perhaps, if you’re old enough to remember it.
But, thankfully, Ferrari’s arguments tend to produce absolute greatness. An argument between Ferrari and Ford created the GT40, and that was just the tip of the iceberg of Enzo’s tête-à-têtes.
Enzo fired most of his top-tier staff in 1961 after they asked his wife to keep her nose out of company business, and was less than pleased to see them immediately form a rival company and take Ferrari’s best client – race team Scuderia Serenissima – with them. And, when the racing outfit wanted to buy a new 250 GTO, Enzo flat out refused, because that’s the way to win a customer back.
The upshot of all of this is that Scuderia Serenissima asked Giotto Bizzarrini and Piero Drogo to make a ‘regular’ 250 GT SWB as fast as a GTO, so they could compete in the Tour de France. The good one, that is, with __cars and a distinct lack of lycra.
And, in just 14 days, Bizzarrini delivered a car that was lighter and more aerodynamic than the GTO, with better weight distribution and a trick six-carburettor setup. And, unsurprisingly, it was quicker than the GTO.
The lesson here is if you’re going to argue, make sure it’s with an Italian.
P4/5
You have to admire Pininfarina. For its designs, of course, but also for its business development model.
Step one: approach wealthy stock market magnate James Glickenhaus and get £3.5m. Step two: get Glickenhaus to buy the last-ever Ferrari Enzo and send it over. Step three: drape beautiful bodywork on it that harks back to, without mimicking, the legendary P3/4 race car of the 1960s. Step four: release to an agog crowd at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Of course, that’s all lovely in itself, but shaving 270kg from the weight of a standard Enzo, improving the aerodynamics and increasing the power of the Enzo’s V12 to 660bhp is something else entirely. This is perhaps the ultimate Enzo, even considering the mental FXX.
Photo: Simon Davison
365 P Berlinetta Speciale ’Tre Posti’
Remember when we said Enzo Ferrari’s argumentative temperament created great things? Well, those things were usually built to spite him, usually with spectacular results.
And this one is particularly spectacular. It’s the first-ever mid-engined Ferrari road car, and the pioneer of the three-abreast seating that makes the McLaren F1 so special. Well, one of the things that makes the F1 so special.
In this case, Sergio Pininfarina himself was responsible for this beautiful, mid-engined V12 coupe, with a centred steering wheel like a Formula 1 racer. It could have gone up against the then-new, also mid-engined V12 Lamborghini Miura. Ah, we can dream.
Photo: Brian Henniker
Pinin
It’s pretty hard to get enthused about the Ferrari 400. Easily the least-attractive Ferrari ever, the boring three-box design soured everything that should have made it a great GT car, such as the Colombo V12, limited-slip diff and fully independent, dual-wishbone suspension with hydraulic, self-levelling shocks.
Pininfarina, who designed it, clearly had some making up to do. And Sergio Pininfarina himself used the ugly duckling base to create the first four-door Ferrari ever, and a bit of a looker as well. Perhaps not a swan, but what are they good for, anyway?
With real back doors to go with the real back seats, the three-box design suddenly made sense. And, thanks to a lot of work on the sheet metal, the Pinin actually has some of the smoothest lines to ever grace a four-door saloon. It also has a Ferrari flat-12 in the front. Need we say more?
Photo: Brian Snelson
330 GT Shooting Brake
We’ll admit it’s not the prettiest Ferrari ever (and acknowledge a degree of hypocrisy after lambasting the Ferrari 400 for just such an offence) but you have to admit that the Vignale-built two-door estate is certainly striking. And possibly very practical.
Sharing exactly zero bodywork with the donor 330 GT 2+2, the Shooting Brake has hints of Iso Grifo, Jaguar, Aston Martin and Maserati in the mix, which is nothing to be sneezed at, even if the rear overhang is slightly longer than the Lord of the Rings trilogy. But it’s just cool, in a way that can’t be quantified. And if you do need to quantify anything, try a 300bhp, four-litre V12 and five-speed manual. Yes, that’ll do nicely.
Photo: Edvvc
308 Rainbow
Marcello Gandini is perhaps the godfather of the wedge – sorry Lotus – with creations like the Lancia Stratos, Lamborghini Countach, and this – the Ferrari Rainbow. No, we don’t get the name either.
The 308 GT4 on which the Rainbow was based was a big enough departure for Ferrari. The ‘Dino’ sub-brand was used for anything with less than 12 cylinders, resulting in the gorgeous 206 and 246, and, of course, the GT4.
The GT4 was a huge departure from the swooping lines of earlier Dinos, but that was nothing compared to the Rainbow. With more than a hint of Bertone X1/9 design language, the Rainbow also boasted a one-piece targa top that could be lifted out and stored above the mid-mounted V8. It’d also look right at home in Kung Fury 2.
F60 America
Ever wondered what would happen if you stuck your head out of a jet window at takeoff? Most likely a very loud, and very terrifying, way to rearrange your hair. And possibly facial features. Not unlike the F60 America, which takes the monumental mechanicals of the Ferrari F12 and amplifies the experience by exposing you to the noise and fury contained within.
Beautifully restyled at the front and rear – thanks to liberal applications of carbon fibre and aerodynamic engineering – it’s probably the prettiest version of the F12 we’ve seen yet.
Practical considerations include a roof that’ll fly off at anything more than 80mph – handy when the F60’s top speed is in excess of 200mph – and leather-clad roll hoops for when you land, upside down, in a ditch.
If it sounds like we’re down on this car, we’re not – it’s absolutely mad, and we love it because it’s absolutely mad.
GG50
Yes, we’ll admit that the GG50 isn’t the most avant-garde Ferrari on this list. It’s perhaps the sanest-looking Ferrari concept ever built, in fact.
But it’s what’s going on underneath that makes this concept worthy of our list. Tucked into the 612 Scaglietti-esque bodywork is an aerodynamic Kamm-style hatchback and a host of racing tech, including a 540bhp, naturally aspirated V12 and sequential gearbox. And hey, it’s no uglier than a 612, at least.
Photo: Rahil Rupawala
575 GTZ
Zagatos – you either love ’em or you hate ’em. We love them – even the Alfa SZ, in case you were wondering – and the 575 GTZ is no exception.
The standard 575’s bodywork was completely refashioned in true Zagato style – 100 per cent aluminium, exceptionally streamlined and the trademark ‘double bubble’ roof. Underneath, the excellent 575M mechanicals – a 540bhp, 5.75-litre (get it?) V12 driving the rear wheels – had less weight to overcome than the standard car, which makes it a very enticing GT proposition.
So, have we missed anything? Let us know and let internet arguments commence.
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