Ferrari's last Le Mans winner at Goodwood Revival

It could have been Enzo's biggest failure - but in the end, the 250 LM turned out to be the last Ferrari to win the Le Mans 24 Hours

Five-time Le Mans winner Derek Bell will race a 250 LM at the Goodwood Revival Photo: Darin Schnabel/RM Auctions

The 250 series is today Ferrari’s most sought after, and while the 250 GTO is the most valuable of the lot, it is the 250 LM – of the type that Derek Bell is racing in the RAC TT Celebration at the Goodwood Revival this afternoon - which was the last Ferrari to win France’s most famous motor race.

The LM was developed from the 250 P (for “Prototype”), a car which was almost entirely unrelated to the rest of the 250 series, thanks to its mid- rather than front-engined layout. Indeed, it was Ferrari’s first mid-engined racing sports car, following hot on the heels of the first mid-engined Ferrari Formula One car, the “shark nose” 156.

The 250 LM kept the 250 P’s layout, and with the exception of the first few examples, which were powered by the 250 P’s 3.0-litre engine, all used a 3.3-litre V12 rated at 320bhp.

When it was conceived, the LM was meant to replace the 250 GTO as Ferrari’s Group 3 Grand Touring competitor for the 1964 season. However, when the company suggested it was merely a modified version of the road-going, front-engined 250 GT, the motor racing authorities disagreed, meaning Ferrari would have to produce 100 250 LMs to race the car in Group 3.

Ferrari claimed the 250 LM was a road car, but it was built for racing

That was an unattainable number, of course, for a car which was designed to be a racer. So the only way Ferrari could enter the 250 LM was as a prototype – something of a problem, because it already had the much faster 275 P and 330 P models in that class.

Consequently, the 250 LM found itself without a raison d’etre for the 1964 season. And while Ferrari did manage to sell a few to private teams, the only example entered in that year’s Le Mans, by the North American Racing Team (NART), failed to even make the start.

Instead, it was at the following year’s race that it all came good. Most of the other prototypes failed to finish due to reliability issues or crashes – even Ferrari’s cutting-edge 330 P2 Spyders. And as a result, it was a 250 LM, again entered by NART and driven by Jochen Rindt and Masten Gregory, which swpt to victory. Who'd have thought then that we'd still be waiting for another Ferrari winner 50 years on.

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FERRARI HISTORY

FERRARI HISTORY

LOOK BACK TO
THE BEGINNING

The company’s story officially began in 1947 when the first Ferrari emerged from the historic factory entrance on Via Abetone Inferiore in Maranello. The 125 S, as it was known, embodied the passion and determination of the company’s founder.

Enzo Ferrari was born in Modena on February 18th 1898 and died on August 14th 1988. He devoted his entire life to designing and building sports cars and, of course, to the track. Having been made an official Alfa Romeo driver in 1924, within five years he had gone on to found the Scuderia Ferrari on Viale Trento Trieste in Modena which assisted mostly gentlemen drivers in racing their cars.

In 1938, Enzo Ferrari was appointed head of Alfa Corse but quit the position in 1939 to set up his own company, Auto Avio Costruzioni, which operated out of the old Scuderia buildings.

This new company produced the 1,500 cm³ 8-cylinder 815 spider, two of which were built for the Mille Miglia in 1940.

All racing activities ground to a halt, however, with the outbreak of the Second World War and, in late 1943, Auto Avio Costruzioni moved from Modena to Maranello. The end of the war saw Ferrari design and build the 1,500 cm³ 12-cylinder 125 S, which made its competitive debut in the hands of Franco Cortese at the Piacenza Circuit on May 11th 1947.

On the 25th of the same month, it won the Rome Grand Prix at the city’s Terme di Caracalla Circuit. Since that fateful day, Ferrari has garnered over 5,000 victories on the world’s tracks and roads, becoming a modern-day legend in the process. In order to meet growing market demand, Enzo Ferrari sold the Fiat Group a 50% stake in the company in 1969, a figure that rose to 90% in 1988.

Ferrari’s share capital is currently divided as follows: 90% Fiat Group, 10% Piero Ferrari. After the founder passed away in the late 1980s, the shareholders decided to relaunch the struggling company, appointing Luca di Montezemolo as Chairman in 1991.

Under the latter’s guidance, Ferrari returned to predominance in Formula 1, launched a string of new models and opened up new markets whilst still retaining the core values from its past. Ferrari also embarked upon Formula Uomo, a major renovation programme that puts employees firmly at the centre of company life by creating a bright, safe, innovative and eco-friendly working environment.

Up to now Ferrari’s list of racing plaudits read as follows: 15 F1 Drivers’ World titles, 16 F1 Constructors’ World titles, 14 Sports Car Manufacturers’ World titles, 9 victories in the Le Mans 24 Hours, 8 in the Mille Miglia, 7 in the Targa Florio, and 216 in F1 grands prix.

The legendary symbol used by Ferrari has heroic origins. It was first adopted as a personal emblem by a highly decorated Italian World War I pilot, Francesco Baracca, who had it painted on the fuselage of his aircraft.

At the end of the war, Baracca’s parents offered to allow Enzo Ferrari use the Cavallino Rampante (Prancing Horse) symbol. He adopted it as the logo for his racing Scuderia, placing it on a yellow shield in honour of his hometown of Modena and topping it with the Italian tricolour.

The classic Ferrari red, however, was simply the colour assigned by the International Automobile Federation to Italian grand prix cars in the early years of the last ce

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The Ferrari 458 Challenge Sports Car

The Ferrari 458 Challenge - A close look at this sports car performance, technical data, features, comparing rivals, history, used prices

from Classic to Modern

THE CAR

The Ferrari Challenge sports car was a single marque racer specifically targeted at the amateur driver. The idea was spawned in Europe in 1993, but soon spread to the US.

In 1994, Ferrari introduced the 348 Factory Challenge, which was based on the 348 TB and TS.

This was subsequently replaced by: the 355 Challenge in 1996, 360 Challenge Stradale in 1999, and F430 Challenge in 2005.

To complete this successful series of racers, the 458 Challenge was introduced in 2010, aimed specifically at the track, and continued on from where the 360 Modena Challenge track racer left off in 1999.

Based on the 458 Italia, the weight was dramatically reduced by the use of thinner gauge body panels, which consisted of carbon fibre, and replacing the window and windscreen glass with Plexiglass.

The cab was converted into a racing cockpit, and the car received a racing exhaust, tow hooks, and an air jack.

In terms of suspension, it was fitted with stiffer springs, 19 inch centre-locking racing wheels, enlarged Pirelli slicks, whilst the ride height was reduced all round by nearly 1.5 inches.

The very latest Brembo disc brakes were fitted, which included uprated pads to facilitate heat dispersal so helping to reduce stopping distances, and were linked to the ABS system.

The 458 Challenge was the first track racer to incorporate E-Diff, the electronic limited slip differential, and F1-Trac, Ferrari's in-house traction control system, which managed the level of grip to ensure optimum road-holding.

Both the E-Diff and F1-Trac systems were integrated to ensure that, when coming out of a corner, the driver would be able to generate maximum acceleration.

As with the 458 Italia, the Manettino switch on the steering wheel was used to choose the appropriate setting for E-Diff, F1-Trac, and ABS, and was the first time it had been fitted to a Challenge racer.

This enabled the driver to utilise either the wet or dry modes.

Furthermore, with road conditions that offered high grip characteristics, the F1-Trac could be turned off to deactivate that part of the system.

THE ENGINE

The 458 Challenge retained the 4.5 litre, V8 mid-engine fitted to a seven speed Getrag sequential gearbox, as used in the 458 Italia, and developed the same 570 bhp at 9000 rpm (the redline), and 398 ft/lbs of torque at 6000 rpm.

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The Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 Sports Car

The Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 - A close look at this sports car including performance, technical data, features, comparing rivals, history, used prices

from Classic to Modern

THE CAR

The 458 Italia GT2 sports car was launched in 2011, and alongside it, Ferrari launched the 458 Italia GT3 racer which, like its stable mate, was based on the 458 Italia.

Additional weight reduction methods meant that the GT3 was slightly lighter than the GT2.

The GT3's aerodynamics were improved by the addition of a different front bumper, enlarged air vents for more efficient engine cooling, very small windows, and alternative side skirts.

The interior received liberal use of carbon fibre fitments.

The Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 sports car was designed and developed exclusively with an eye to the track and, as such, was a world apart from the 458 Italia.

It was not road legal, and had a dry weight of only 1214 kg, substantially less than that of the road variant.

It was fitted with flared wings all round, whose width had been increased by 10 cm. Other additions included:

·         Full roll cage

·         Reducing the ride height

·         Modified exhaust system

·         18 inch road wheels at the front and 19 inch at the rear

·         Very low front splitter

·         Highly distinctive rear wing whose proportions almost verged on the absurd

Using the same 4.5 litre, V8 power plant, developed by Michelotto, and fitted with two 43 mm air restrictors to meet the FIA regulations, plus a compression ratio of 13.1:1, it was able to develop 550 bhp at the redline of 9000 rpm, more in line with the 458 Italia's 562 bhp than that of the GT2's 464 bhp.

However, modifications to the engine had, as their primary objective, the production of more torque, rather than an increase in output.

To this end, the GT3 developed 406 ft/lbs of torque at 6000 rpm, compared with that of the 458 Italia of 398 ft/lbs.

In terms of external appearance, the fact that the 458 Italia GT3 racer was lighter, lower, developed more torque, and had an aggressive rear wing made it a force to be reckoned with.

In a summary of its race credentials, amongst its numerous place wins was that it was a four times winner of the 24 Hour race at Spa.

 

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The Ferrari 458 Speciale and Speciale A Sports Car

The Ferrari 458 Speciale - A close look at this sports car performance, technical data, features, comparing rivals, history, used prices from Classic to Modern.

The Ferrari 458 Speciale

THE CAR

The Ferrari 458 Speciale sports car was launched in 2013 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, with a price tag of £298,000, and was based on the 458 Italia.

Externally, the most distinctive feature was the blue and white stripes along the centre of the car.

Additions that improved aerodynamics included:

·         A bonnet that contained reverse vents that helped reduce drag

·         Sills that were fitted with fins

·         A rear spoiler, with a modified shape, positioned higher up and with increased surface area, produced additional downforce

·         Restyled composite bumpers containing ducts that slowed the air and increased the ground effect

Another interesting feature involved moveable flaps at both front and rear. At slow speeds, the flaps were closed and directed cooling air onto the radiators.

However, as speed increased, the flaps opened and reduced drag by restricting the airflow to the radiators. In this way, there was an increase in downforce at the rear of the car.

Below the rear grille, the exhaust consisted of two pipes instead of the trio on the other variant, whilst a large rear diffuser further increased downforce.

An intriguing addition to the electronic control systems was referred to as Side Slip Angle Control, or SCC, which involved analysing the angle between a wheel's actual direction and that towards which it was pointing, and referring the readings to targeted values.

The result was that, by way of F1-Trac, the level of traction control in respect of prevailing road conditions could be mananged, whilst E-Diff, the electronic limited slip differential, would monitor the torque applied to each wheel.

The 458 Speciale sports car had a dry weight of 1290 kg, some 90 kg less than that of the 458 Italia, and with specific weight-saving measures, the engine itself was 7 kg lighter.

It used the latest Brembo disc brakes with improved pads, which increased heat dispersal and helped produce shorter stopping distances, such as 62 mph to zero in only 31 metres.

It was fitted with newly designed 20 inch forged road wheels which reduced overall weight by a further 10 kg.

THE ENGINE

The 458 Speciale sports car was powered by the same 4.5 litre, V8 engine as in the 458 Italia, but output was increased to 597 bhp at 9000 rpm (the redline), and 398 ft/lbs of torque at 6000 rpm.

Fitted with a 7 speed Getrag gearbox, it produced a top speed of 202 mph, and a 0-60 mph time of 3.0 secs, with 0-125 mph in 9.1 secs.

The engine was the most powerful non-turbo unit produced to date, and used a massive 14:1 compression ratio which was produced by altering the geometry of the pistons, and using lightweight components.

The F1-style paddle shift gearbox, with dual clutch, was now fitted with new software, which resulted in the time taken for the engine revs to match the appropriate gear to be substantially reduced. Technical data

COMPETITION

Typical competition for the Ferrari 458 Speciale included the following sports cars: Audi R8 GT, and Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4. Ferrari performance:

The Ferrari 458 Speciale A

THE CAR

In 2014, a year after the introduction of the 458 Speciale coupe, the convertible variant was launched, and designated the 458 Speciale A sports car, where the letter "A" referred to the term Aperta, which was the Italian for Open.

It was built as a limited edition of just 499 units, and with the same engine and gearbox, produced the same 0-60 mph time of 2.8 secs, but the top speed was reduced from 202 to 199 mph.

It weighed just 50 kg more then the coupe variant, and used the same automatically operated aluminium hardtop, as used in the 458 Italia Spider sports car, which stored itself away in front of the engine bay in just 14 seconds. Technical data:

COMPETITION

Typical competition for the Ferrari 458 Speciale A included the following sports cars: Audi R8 V10 Spider, and Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 convertible. Ferrari performance:

This marks the end of my Review of the Ferrari 458 Speciale sports car

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