Is this the F50 GT1

The repair cost has been reported at just at $700,000 for the Sears Point accident.

This damage at Luguna Seca was much less, in fact he has all of the parts on hand to repair the car with the exception of the radiator.

The owner is a good friend and one of the nicest person's you will ever meet, this car is unforgiving for any driver of any skill range.

The accident at Sears Point was with a Pro Driver that reportedly has thousands of laps on that track, an unreported changed of the suspension by a mechanic that severely changed the handling was alledged to have contributed to the accident at Sears Point.

 

The car underwent several days of testing at Fiorano after the repair and Schumacher was present so he signed the dash.

 

Very nice F50. Is it sold already?

 

its still on their site

 

I had the pleasure of meeting and talking to Mr. Z last year at the Greenwich Concours when he was showing his 342/375 America-- GREAT guy, he explained how the driver (a Porsche factory driver) didn't allow the brakes to warm up quick enough and lost it-- anyone could have made that mistake and that the driver was OK so it was OK-- he just wanted his car back...

 

I've heard the name Jim Spiro before, I think in a Forza magazine. Doesn't he own a black F50 also? Or is it a red one? I'm pretty sure I remember reading that he has an F50. (not the F50-GT1) And how is he so rich!?

 

His Black F50 was sold a few years ago along with the F50 GT

 

The F50 is still in New Orleans with 50ooo miles !!! That car is still driven on a VERY regular base by the new owner. These boys love their cars and drive them a lot. Can't wait to see them all in a month at the big event.
Roland
F40LM

 

I remember when Jim sold his black F50. It was either right before or right after the French Quarter Classic in 2002 if I remember correctly.

 

I've never met Art Z. but from what I hear he is a class act. I like his philosophy, that of DRIVE the f-ing car! It's a race car, it's going to get wadded up once in a while. Fix it, and drive it AGAIN!

Life is too short to sit in the garage.



PS: Factory word on the F50GT's Tipo 130a engine is 750bhp @10,500rpm (no typo, ten grand!) however some drivers say it feels like more, around 900+.

What's even more intresting is that the F50's standard motor, tipo 130, makes nearly the same ammount of peak torque at the tipo 130a... kinda makes you wonder dosen't it?

The car is an absolute beast, esp with carbon brakes that need to be STEAMING F-ING HOT in order to work. It is not a car that one can drive at 6/10ths, the brakes don't work at 6/10ths.

I wonder if Shuey ever took SN001 around Fiorano? That would be a story I'd like to hear.

Any car with ~900hp that weighs 2,000lbs is going to be one heck of a handfull.

 

I wonder if this is the same car? I saw it back in 2001 at FCA track meet in Cressen, TX. I truly was an amazing sound when this car started. Here are some photos.

Enjoy.

 

001, 002, and 003. THE TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORY. ( or not ).

Chassis 001 was the original development mule, which was sold to Art Zafiropoulo who still owns the car and first displayed it at the 1997 Rodeo Drive Concours. It is the same car Ron Kimball shot outside of the San Franciso Ferrari dealer for the article in Cavallino 100. After being paraded at track days for several years, Porsche factory driver Johannes Von Overbeck badly crashed the car at Sears Point with cold tires. Ferrari willingly took to car back for repair and, after a year, completed 001 to even more radical specification than standard. Much to Art's surprise, Michael Schumacher tested the repaired car, and even signed the dashboard!

The repaired car debuted at the 2004 Monterey Historics at Laguna Seca where the F50 GT completed many successful laps. Unfortunately, Art lost control during acceleration after the last turn onto the straight and stuffed the nose of the car into the wall. Art nor the car were seriously hurt, but 001 will once again need repair.

002 was sold to Yoshikuni Okamoto and still resides in his collection in Japan. It seldom comes out of Mr. Okamoto's garage.

The third and final GT has been the most active in the resale market. It was originally sold to Jim Spiro in Louisiana who very publicly auctioned the car at the 2000 RM Auction in Scottsdale. Final bidding for the car sold it at $1 430 000 USD. After the sale 003 ended up in Australia and spent some time in a dealer showroom. It visited a few track days and was displayed at the Sidney 2000 Motorshow. The car has just recently been shipped to England, and is being resold by Oakfields for an undisclosed amount.

 

BTW, anyone wanna see a Ferrari F50 GT being chased by a Ferrari 355 at Fontana?

Do you? Do you?

Well you have to say you love me first..

http://www.nsxfiles.com/images/f50_fontana_start_final_rev2.wmv

http://www.nsxfiles.com/images/f50_fontana_part2_final_rev2.wmv

 

Hate to ruin your parade but those vids are extremely old and have been posted here at least 8 times.

 

Yeah, I know they are old. STOP RUINING MY FUN.

 

i love you!!

 

Old videos
But they`re still the best F50 GT videos you can find on the internet.
Awhhh the noise it makes....it can`t get better than that!

 

I can confirm that these pictures are of 001.

 

Haha. Sorry...

 

Do you have those pics in high resolution if so please send them to me. [email protected]
Thanks,
James

 

As can I. Art and his mechanic are in several of the photos.

 

This may be a little after the fact, but I think he's a financial analyst.

-Keith-

 

Jim works at Smith Barney here in N.O.

I had the pleasure of having an internship under him and the guys a few years ago when I was in college. At the time he still had the black f50 and it was virtually his daily driver. He is very unassuming and quite nice.

 

Opps! I hope you then didn't mind me posting these photos. I was almost ready to leave the track event until a saw the F50 GT1 parked in the garage.

 

Yeah, the GT1 is quite an impressive car in person. I thght I'd never be priveledged enough to ahve seen it in person, but I guess I got lucky this year at the historics.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/FerrariF1/Historics/P8143077.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/FerrariF1/Historics/P8143117.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/FerrariF1/Historics/P8143280.jpg