The Shurlock Collection Enzo

Having now successfully created three limited-edition, competition-bred and race-inspired supercars, Ferrari did not wait another decade for its next halo car. In 2002, just 7 years after the release of the F50, the Enzo was launched. But in spite of this shortened gap, the Enzo was lightyears ahead of its predecessor both in terms of the technology it employed and performance that resulted, and it was the first of what would later become known as a ‘hypercar’.

By the end of the 1990s Ferrari had finally broken a fifteen year spell without an F1 constructors world championship title, a long-awaited turnaround that would herald a six-year domination of the sport with the winning combination of design chief Ross Brawn and driver Michael Schumacher. Ferrari’s success on track meant that its previous ethos of creating an F1-inspired road car was taken to another level with the Enzo. Pininfarina’s Ken Okuyama created a design that mirrored that of an open-wheel racing car, a shape that was then refined in Pininfarina’s own wind tunnel. The Enzo’s design was angular and futuristic compared to the flamboyance of the F50, and its clean lines were achieved by eliminating spoilers and a fixed rear wing, with the required downforce instead being achieved by an angular nose section, and a flat floor, rear diffuser and small retractable rear spoiler.

A new naturally-aspirated V12 engine was developed, code-named the F150, which would form the basis for all future Ferrari V12s. It provided the Enzo with a huge leap in power over its predecessor, with 650bhp and 485 lb ft of torque, and performance figures to match. Semi-automatic gearbox technology was by now moving fast, and the Enzo was equipped with a dual-clutch 6-speed unit providing lightning-quick changes via the column-mounted paddles. The spectacular power was tamed by a traction control system accessed via buttons on the steering wheel.

The Enzo set a new benchmark in supercar performance, heralding a new era in technological development, and a power and performance arms race between manufacturers. A total of 400 Enzos were built, with the final example being gifted to Pope John Paul II in 2005. The car was auctioned for $1m, with the proceeds donated to the survivors of the South Asian tsunami.