The Enzo reimagined.... Jim's Ferrari P 4/5 by Pininfarina

I saw it at the closing ceremony! I saw it drive into the stadium with the Vespas...Brilliant....an Enzo chassis with a Fiat 500 Topolino body...it all fits...curvy....retro.... short overhangs....wider bodywork...the ultimate stealth Fiat! Hidden in plain sight. I am suprised at the improved CD number over the original Enzo bodywork.

 

It's funny. If left to my own devices I probably would have gone too retro.
Pininfarina convinced me that that I had to try and move forward.

If you look at the Ford GT and The Muria concept I think you'll see that others have wrestled with this issue as well. Some of the contestants in the design contest also attempted to solve this conundrum.

I think the thing that stunned me the most about P 4/5 is that Pininfarina was able to come up with something that stands totally on it's own yet manages to pay homage to the cars I love without simply "futurizing" them or "retroizing" the Enzo.

 

Amen, and then some.

 

Designs like the Miura and Ford GT somehow annoy me. It looks like those designs are the mere result of creative bankrupcy. I mean, how well are you doing creatively if the only thing you can accomplish is polishing up a proven yet old design?

I´ve always applauded Ferrari for not giving in to this style of design -apart from some details- allthough Ferrari has treasures of design heritage. Even more so than Lamborghini and/or Ford.

Very true. The looks of the car show respect to the past, rather than just a lacklustre modernized copy of the past.

 

When it was introduced, didn't Ferrari say the 550 Maranello was using styling cues from the 275 and 365GTB/4 (Daytona) ????

 

Perhaps, but certainly not nearly in the amount in which Ford has simply recreated the GT40 for it's contemporary GT. Same goes for Lamborghini with their recently unveiled Miura conceptcar.

I would say the F430 for example hints back at the 250 LM, like the 550 hints back at the 275 or even 250 GTO (cooling slots behind the front wheels), but those are mere playful details.

 

550...cues yes but it was still a fresh design...not like the Ford GT or Miura.

 

Jim, you are killin' us!! I watched the closing ceremony over and over at all the places there might be a glimpse, but did not see it. But since it has been in the papers in europe, you better post the pics soon or you might bet scooped by the paparazzi!!!

 

The newspaper photo referred to was of a naked female streaker not, thankfully P 4/5. I'm told by someone who was there that there was a flash of a curvy red car in the sponsors video which was shown at the closing ceremonies, NOT on world wide TV and even though they tried desperately they couldn't get a shot of it in time...

 

I am hoping for the maximum effect, that the P 4/5 will not be seen by many human eyes until it is unveiled in Pebble Beach. The vision at that time will cause ripples throughout the exotic car world. That will be worth the price of admission.

 

Totally agree... 6 more months of curiosity and speculation

 

It is a very difficult balance to achieve between showing the car's "DNA" and just making a modern copy of an old design.

I know.

When I started the Mondial Z project I did not have the luxury of taking the car all the way back to the chassis, I constrained myself to keeping the glass house intact and the very practical layout and features of the basic car design. I also needed to keep enough styling cues to visually link the car to it's cousins and forefathers. Naturally all of the scoops, vents and curves have purpose, however, I feel that the design is coherent (but then I would) and honest but the cab/GTS will be better.

I am looking forward to August and seeing pictures of the P4/5 (I can't afford to be there due to the Mondial Z economic black hole)


I also had a bit of a smaller budget!
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Clive, is that Piper Alpha in your profile pic?



/hijack

 

I've enjoyed reading this post... Kudos to those who invest the time and effort to create something special.

 

No, it is (or rather was) Bombay High North platform that blew up on 27 July 2005.

 

Oh, ok. Thats quite an explosion.

 

Sorry for the hijack.

My day job is disasters.
The after picture:
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!!

 

That's what I hope for as well.

 

Thanks!

 

Anybody get a screen capture during the closing ceremony?

 

And that folks is what happens when you don't change your cambelts every 3 years

 

is their a target weight for your creation mr g?
hard to imagine a caqr with more curves than some of the illustrations that have been posted!
sure sounds like FUN!

 

No particular target simply to make it as drivable as possible but some weight will def. come out.

That's an interesting design on Mondial. Is step up in front for a ground effect tunnel? I understand why you stayed with the Greenhouse but if you could have changed it what would you have done?

Best

 

Thanks, I like it and it is better in the "flesh".

Very simple ground effects are planned with a flat bottom and a main central tunnel/venturi leading to a 3-finned diffuser. Real world testing & tuning will be done on the north-south highway in Malaysia (no wind tunnel here).

Ah, if only.
The original Mondial 8-t (not 500) has a poor (apparent) glass height to body ratio, i.e., the windows look too tall. They don't need to be as there is ample headroom for all but the pro-basketball players out there. This design visually changes that appearance without sacrificing ground clearance.

Furthermore the windscreen wipers are way out there in the airflow - an outdated layout (by about 20 years).

As a minimum I would like to have dropped the screen, windows and roof line by 2+ inches, which would have allowed me to flow the body/bonnet line much better and kept the (now single central) wiper arm tucked away. Ideally I would have started from a blank sheet; radiused the screen more, increased the rake a few degrees and changed the rather flat roof. I would also have increased the tumblehome and curve on the side windows. I quite like the rear glass angle on the C pillar as it is reflecting the rising line running through the ends of the side intakes (also a feature of the Mondial 8-3.2 range). That also suits the modular roof concept that I plan for the Cabriolet.

The basic idea was to update the Mondial as I think it is a good concept (mid-engined 2+2) that no-one makes anymore.

If you pass by this way you are welcome to see it in person as are any F-chatters. I would be interested in the opinion of your friends who penned the Mondial 8 and successors...

Brgds
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