“This is the best day of my life,” said the only person to have won both F1 world championship and Indy 500 more than once. Emerson Fittipaldi was on the Pininfarina stand at the Geneva Motor Show – where he had just unveiled his own supercar.
MAR 08th 2017
Fittipaldi Motors EF7 Vision GT – the realisation of an F1 champion's dream
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Emerson – the youngest-ever F1 champion at the time when he took the 1972 title, winning it again in ’74 – said that since he was 22 years old his dreams were to race and to build his own car. The great Brazilian champion can now tick both boxes at Geneva this year seeing the launch of Fittipaldi Motors.
A champion’s racing inspiration, Pininfarina’s design purity and German manufacturing have all come together in the bright yellow mid-engined GT coupe, a surprisingly sleek design that reflects Emerson’s desire for a design like a shark.
Fittipaldi Motors’ first car, EF7 Vision Gran Turismo, has been designed by Pininfarina and made in Germany by DTM race car specialist HWA of Stuttgart. It’s a track-only supercar with naturally-aspirated 600bhp V8 in a lightweight carbon monocoque, and, as its name suggests, part of its role is to feature in PlayStation’s latest Gran Turismo Sport video game.
But be in no doubt this is a car designed for the real world. The plan is to make 39 of them, all track-only, “in commemoration of my racing career” said Emerson. Why 39? That’s the total of all his F1 and Indycar wins, plus his championship victories. “If we want to make more I will have to win some more races,” the 70-year-old quipped to GRR.
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Emerson says he will deliver each car to its new owner personally and even show them how to drive it, with one-to-one coaching available if wanted. He says his priorities with the car, which he has been working on for three years, were to make it safe, fast and forgiving for drivers of all skill levels – both men and, he makes a point of saying, also for women drivers – but with fierce circuit racing ability.
With 39 cars there will be a driver training “ladder” if not quite a one-make race series. As well, owners will be able to join the Fittipaldi Racing Club for high-performance driving and racing experiences at some of the world’s great circuits, with Emerson promising a very hands-on approach. Want to drive for the Fittipaldi team? Here’s your chance…
Emerson said: “I have tried for years to explain to others what it truly feels like to be behind the steering wheel of a championship racecar. There is adrenaline and elation all rolled into an awe-inspiring inner fulfilment that leaves you craving for more. This is what our dream team have created.”
Exclusive interview with Emerson Fittipaldi coming on GRR soon…
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