VIN: Ferrari Enzo Pininfarina P4/5 chassis 135441
History of chassis 135441
By the 1970s, tailor made coachwork had become practically extinct. Inflexible manufacturing techniques meant production runs of even the most specialist cars comprised largely identical machinery.
In the absence of traditional coachbuilders able to create one-off bodies, high end tuners filled the gap with their custom body kits, lavishly equipped interiors and performance modifications.
However, by the 1990s, bespoke machinery was undergoing a tentative revival thanks to a handful of super wealthy individuals.
Undoubtedly the most famous buyers were the Sultan of Brunei and his brother, Prince Jefri, who reputedly spent an average of nearly half a million pounds every day for much of the decade; together they commissioned an unprecedented number of specially configured cars from the likes of Bentley, Aston Martin, Rolls Royce and Pininfarina.
A trickle of other suitably well off enthusiasts ordered their own unique vehicles in the early 2000s, since which time, there has been a veritable explosion of requests for one-off automobiles as global wealth indexes have soared.
In early 2005, American collector, James Glickenhaus, came up with the idea of having Pininfarina create a cutting edge supercar inspired by Ferrari’s legendary 330 P4 and 412 P Group 6 prototypes of 1967.
The base car was Ferrari’s critically acclaimed Enzo and the project was given the green light in March 2005.
For a donor, Pininfarina sourced an unregistered US-spec Enzo that had been delivered new to Ferrari of Beverly Hills in California (chassis 135441). The as-new 2003 car was reputedly ordered by a South American customer, but when he found out how much it would cost him to import the car to his homeland, he asked Ferrari of Beverly Hills to sell it.
Once chassis 135441 arrived at Pininfarina’s Turin design studio, the transformation began.
Known as P4/5, the project was given Ferrari’s blessing and Pininfarina even received some technical assistance from Maranello.
The Pininfarina design team was led by Enzo stylist, Ken Okuyama. As part of the redesign, most of the original exterior and interior was discarded.
Considerable attention focused on the P4/5’s aerodynamics. Ride height was dropped by 1.5 inches. A shorter front overhang was utilised by switching the Enzo’s dual front radiators to a single horizontal unit which also improved the crash rating. The retro-looking chin spoiler was adjustable.
The Enzo’s active underbody aerodynamics were retained, albeit with re-profiled venturi tunnels.
Overall, the P4/5 created less drag, but more downforce than the original.
The new body was manufactured entirely from carbonfibre. It featured spectacular butterfly doors, distinctive LED lights and a host of other nice details.
Custom 20-inch wheels (9.5-inches wide at the front, 13 at the back) were each milled from a solid block of alloy. They gave slightly wider track dimensions than the original Enzo.
The interior was also heavily reworked.
Pininfarina fitted a full roll cage, racing seats trimmed in sixties-style fabric, and a simplified dash with a digital display.
There was an improved air-conditioning system, worldwide GPS, an iPod Nano stereo and an F1-style fire system with no stored pressure to enable the car to travel by air.
As with the original Enzo, swathes of bare carbon fibre were evident throughout. The plumbing and wiring were modified for easier servicing and weight reduction.
To keep the P4/5 US legal, no modifications were made to the standard six-litre V12 engine, the F1-style transmission or the carbonfibre monocoque.
The overall weight saving came in at 270kg. The 0-62 mph time was cut to 3.55 seconds and top speed rose from 217mph to an estimated 225mph.
Pininfarina released the first pictures of their $4m creation on July 29th 2006 before it went on to make its public debut at Pebble Beach on August 18th.
Afterwards, the P4/5 returned to Italy to undergo high speed testing. It was subsequently displayed at the Paris Motor Show in late September.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Pininfarina - https://pininfarina.it
