Ferrari has changed dramatically over the last 20 years.
Led by Italian businessman Luca di Montezemolo, the manufacturer has transformed from a struggling Formula 1 team with a side business in cars to one of the world's most powerful brands.
As di Montezemolo leaves Ferrari, we look at the five most important models orchestrated by di Montezemolo during his era.
1995 F355
Luca di Montezemolo went to Ferrari as a man on a mission. Having been disappointed by a yellow 348 he bought, the chairman was well aware of the car's shortcomings and how it could be improved. Its successor, the F355, was better in every way.
A clean modern look took it away from the Testarossa-style strakes and edges of the 348, and a mid-life update in 1997 introduced the F1 transmission option, a piece of race-derived technology that drew close links between the road and track. The original paddle-shift supercar was the catalyst for a new era of Ferraris with F1 ties and laid the foundations for the 360, F430 and 458 machines finding success in the showroom as the grand prix team reached new heights led by Michael Schumacher.
2005 FXX
Ferrari's Enzo was one of the most recognisable pin-ups of its generation.
A V12-powered technological show of force, the Enzo was the brand's first digital supercar, one that took on a new form in the track-focussed FXX. Honed by Schumacher, the FXX was part of Ferrari's Corse Clienti program, and it allowed wealthy customers to help shape the direction of the company by testing out new parts at circuits around the world. It created a new niche of track only hypercars copied by machines such as the Pagani Zonda R and McLaren P1 GTR, and pushed the boundaries of what was possible with road car roots.
2009 California
Having retained traditional gran turismo customers with the V12-powered 599 and 612 and won over hardcore track fiends with the 360 Challenge Stradale and 430 Scuderia coupes, Ferrari took on a new challenge with the California convertible.
Designed to attract new customers (particularly more female owners) through a lower price and more accessible performance, the 2+2 seat California was the first Ferrari to have a folding hard-top roof or dual clutch automatic transmission.
An updated eco-friendly HELE (High Emotions Low Emissions) model used weight-saving and stop-start tech to use less fuel than a V6 Commodore. The California was a remarkable success for the company, despite criticism centred around polarising looks and less involving dynamics.
2013 F12 Berlinetta
2013 F12 Berlinetta
Ferrari's stock in trade has traditionally been handsome coupes with a 12-cylinder engine mounted ahead of the cabin. Cars such as the 250 GTO, 365 GTB/4 and 550 Maranello hold a special place in the brand's history, and the F12 is the ultimate vision of Ferrari's iconic coupes.
Powered by a ludicrous V12 that produces 541kW and 690Nm, the F12 is capable of quietly cruising over long distances or shocking drivers with its ferocity.
2014 LaFerrari
The LaFerrari, di Montezemolo says, "is the maximum expression of what defines our company".
With a momentous 718kW on offer, the LaFerrari is one of the world's fastest and most exclusive cars. Active aerodyanamics, clever driver aids and a weight-saving regime that saw seats substituted for foam pads bonded directly to its carbon-fibre tub help make the LaFerrari one of the most thrilling machines on sale. It also represents Ferrari's future, blending a conventional petrol-fed 6.3-litre V12 engine with a 120kW battery-powered hybrid motor, the LaFerrari is proof that supercars can be green and mean. Expect to see similar technology under the bonnet of the brand's upcoming lineup.
- with Andrew MacLean and Stephen Ottley.
- Sydney Morning Herald
source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/news/10498101/The-top-5-Ferraris-of-the-modern-era
by David McCowen
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