How best to celebrate half a century of automotive excellence? Ferrari knows how to celebrate an anniversary, debuting the F50 for their 50th. A successor to the F40, the Ferrari F50 is faster, more limited, and goes back to its roots with a naturally aspirated V12 (vs. a V8 turbo).
Inspired by the 1990 Ferrari 641 (driven by Alain Prost) and evolving from the 1989 Ferrari Mythos concept car, the F50 was manufactured from 1995 to 1997. The last car rolled off the production line in Maranello in July of 1997.
Developed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ferrari, the F50 was, at the time, the closest thing Ferrari had ever built to a road-ready Formula One car. Embracing a purist dedication to performance, the F50 trusted the driver for control — it was devoid of power assisted braking, anti-lock brakes, and power steering.
At its debut, the Ferrari F50 price was $475,000, but its limited production run and the increasing popularity of the Ferrari brand over time has driven collectors’ model values far higher. Recent Ferrari F50 prices have gone as high as $3 million, though not yet rivaling some of the more expensive Ferrari models.
In the tradition of the Ferrari F40 LM, the F50 GT was developed as a race-ready version of the prancing horse, but it never saw the track. Ferrari cancelled the project as purpose-built racing cars like the Porsche 911 GT1 entered the competition, choosing instead to focus on Formula One.
Here’s what we know about the F50 GT and what it would’ve brought to the track:
Three complete F50 GT chassis were built, named test car 001, 002, and 003. Chassis 002 and 003 were sold after having bodies fitted to them while anything remaining of the F50 was reportedly destroyed.
Powering each Ferrari F50 is a 4.7L naturally aspirated, longitudinally-mounted 65° V12. Cast from iron and hand-assembled in Maranello, the Ferrari F50’s V12 delivers 512 hp and 347 lb-ft of torque.
Looking for the Ferrari F50 top speed and 0-60 times? We thought it best to compare them with the F40 — keep reading.
Not only was the Ferrari F50 faster than the F40 — with a top speed of 202 mph and reaching 60 mph at 3.8 seconds — it was also far more rare. While over 1,300 Ferrari F40s exist, the F50 was limited to just 349 units. For comparison:
At Ferrari Lake Forest, we love helping Chicago drivers find the keys to the Ferrari they’ve been hunting, whether it’s the F40, the F50, or something a bit more rare. Contact us today to learn more about our Ferrari options and how Ferrari Lake Forest can help you bring one home.
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