"The P 4/5 pulls away and vanishes into the distance
like an F-16 launching from a carrier deck" proud new
owner Jim Glickenhaus recently shared his thoughts on
his dramatic first drive of the Enzo-based,
Pininfarina-built bit unfinished Ferrari P 4/5 on the
FerrariChat.com forum. The completely unique Ferrari P 4/5 by
Pininfarina, which pays tribute to the legendary 330 P4
racing car, is due to be officially unveiled at next
month's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
"She was sitting in the sun when we pulled up," recalled
Jim Glickenhaus. "Seeing her outside with a PROVA Plate
attached to her tail took all of this to a new level. We
walked around her slowly admiring her lines and the
interior that was starting to come together. We slipped
in, strapped down, and set off. The first thing I
noticed was that the reduction in front overhang made a
huge difference compared to the
Enzo. The next thing was the panoramic vision
through her fighter cockpit greenhouse. Her newly
sculpted interior seemed very roomy as we pulled out of
the driveway without any problem and turned onto the
road. You've heard the expression 'Traffic Stopping'?
This time it really did. Even The Sport bike stopped and
let us enter the road. The Babe on the Back looked over
and down as we pulled by. She smiled and slowly raised
her thumb straight up.
"We were running without ABS or traction control because
the computer hadn't yet been
programmed for the new sized wheels and tyres. We
were also running in low downforce
mode because one of the actuator motors hadn't awoken
properly from it's 3 year sleep.
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This
fully "street legal" (it has been built to US DOT/EPA
standards and the new components were crash tested via
computer for crumple and roll over ability)
but one-off
supercar, which weighs 1,200kg,
is very closely based around the chassis and mechanicals of
the Ferrari Enzo |
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The unique Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina, which pays
tribute to the legendary 330 P4 racing car, is due
to be officially unveiled at next month's Pebble
Beach Concours d'Elegance. |
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The amount of engineering to get to this point boggles the
mind and The Pininfarina Special
Project Team continues to amaze me with their ability to
meet all of these challenges. I'm also very happy to report
that Ferrari is very pleased and is giving full technical
support as well.
"We continued on to the secondary road and set off.
Pininfarina had already put on a
few hundred test miles and reported all was well so when it
came time to pass I rolled on the throttle and felt the hand
of God push me back into the seat. You immediately feel just
how light she is. The brakes are SUPER and the wider tyres
really grip. The suspension feels great as it works and the
motor sings. When you get to 3000rpm the exhaust shunts to
the new system and it sounds like that the horn that blows
before the Four Horsemen ride into view.
"We headed to the Autostrada and
put her though a few gears as we left the toll gate. The
Video Jesse shot from the chase vehicle is unlike any I've
seen. P 4/5 pulls away and vanishes into the distance like
an F-16 launching from a carrier deck. As she vanished the
only thing than seemed strange is that she was still on the
earth not standing on her tail in afterburner mode shooting
towards the heavens...'Ground Control to Major Tom...' "
Text:
FerrariChat
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