Ferraris are, to any car fan, as important as oil is to an engine. Whether you’re for or against the Italian manufacturer, you can’t dispute the fact that Enzo Ferrari’s exquisite creations revolutionised automobiles throughout the latter half of the 20thcentury.
But which Ferrari is the best Ferrari? Out of the hundreds of cars that have carried the Prancing Horse, which ones truly stand out? We’ve managed to narrow it down to our top ten.
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Chassis 06003 is special in so many ways. Not only was it the first Ferrari 275 GTB ever built – the prototype and development car during the first years of 275 GTB production – but it was later fitted with auxiliary lights, reinforced glass, a 75 per cent locking differential, a modified hood, a third windshield wiper and second rear view mirror, and then entered into the 1966 Rallye Monte Carlo, raced by Giorgio Pianta and Roberto Lippi.
Powered by a 3,285cc Tipo 213 SOHC V12 Engine, the potent Ferrari made 265 horsepower and featured vacuum-assisted Dunlop disc brakes and independent suspension all round.
Following 25 years in a private collection, the 1964 Giallo Prototipo (Prototype Yellow) Ferrari 275 GTB went to auction earlier this year, with a guide price of $6,000,000 - $8,000,000. Sadly it failed to sell. Still, a 275 GTB rally car – who’d have thought it?
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Yes, that’s right: a four-cylinder Ferrari is going on our list. A revised version of the previous year’s 500 TR racer, the ‘C’ was added after it was modified to comply with the then-new 1957 C-section regulations of the International Sporting Code, a process than saw designer Scaglietti introduce even lower, sleeker bodywork.
Powered by a 2.0-litre Lampredi inline-four with dual overhead cams, the 500 TRC made 180 horsepower and boasted a top speed in excess of 150mph. Not bad for the late 1950s.
Just 19 cars were built. One such example was the former Ecurie Francochamps team car, which we saw at Revival last month and notably won its class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1957. Another such model triumphed in its class in the 12 Hours of Sebring that same year.
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Introduced at the 1968 Paris Motor Show as a replacement for the 275 GTB/4, the 365 GTB/4 featured a 4,390cc bored out version of the 275's Colombo V12. Known as the Tipo 251, this engine produced 347 horsepower and 431Nm of torque, giving the model a top speed of 174 mph and 0-60mph acceleration of just 5.4 seconds.
Featuring a revolutionary Pininfarina designed body, the 365 GTB/4 ditched the classic curves of its predecessors in favour of a sharp, edgier design. Originally, it featured headlights under an acrylic glass cover, which were later replaced with pop-up units.
1,284 examples of this brutish grand tourer were produced from 1968 to 1973. Unofficially, it was dubbed the Daytona, in commemoration of Ferrari's 1-2-3 finish in the February 1967 24 Hours of Daytona with a 330 P3/4, a 330 P4 and a 412 P.
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Hailing from 1969, the Dino 246 GT was and still is one of the most iconic Ferraris ever. An improved version of the original Dino 206 GT, it featured a larger V6 engine and a lengthened wheelbase, refining what was already a hugely impressive machine.
That 2.4-litre V6 produced 192 horsepower and 226Nm of torque, giving the Dino a claimed 0-60mph acceleration of 5.5 seconds and a top speed of 146mph.
Sweeping lines and voluptuous curves made the Dino one of the most beautiful Ferraris ever, or so says Goodwood contributor Andrew Frankel, who once wrote: “Pininfarina has designed many beautiful cars for Ferrari but the Dino is rare among all cars in not having a single angle from which it is less than utterly gorgeous. Small, pretty yet also purposeful, it is a landmark in road car design.”
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Made famous by Miami Vice, the Testarossa is by far the most ‘80s Ferrari to make our list, with its angular design, pop-up headlights, and gill-like side air intakes. 7,177 units were built between 1984 and 1991, powered by a 4.9-litre longitudinally-mounted, flat-12, producing 385 horsepower and torque of 490Nm.
This potent powertrain allowed the Testarossa to accelerate from 0-62mph in 5.3 seconds, with an estimated 180mph top speed. Some really hate the Testarossa’s looks, but, to our eyes, it oozes the very best ‘80s cool.
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No Ferrari favourites list would be complete without the F40, an iconic model that signalled the birth of the modern supercar and embodied Ferrari’s motorsport history and spirit in a road car. Built between 1987 and 1992, the mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive car was designed to celebrate Ferrari's 40thanniversary.
At the time of launch it was the fastest, most powerful and most expensive Ferrari ever, with an enlarged, 2.9-litre version of its 288 GTO predecessors twin-turbo V8 engine, producing 471 horsepower and 577Nm of torque.
The Pininfarina-designed body featured panels made of Kevlar, carbon-fibre, and aluminium, with advantages to the car’s strength and a reduction in weight, while the windows were made of polycarbonate plastic.
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On the more exclusive side of limited edition, just 400 examples of the Enzo were built. Inspired by Formula 1 technology, and in part developed by seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher, it featured advanced composite bodywork, a carbon-fibre and aluminium honeycomb sandwich chassis and extremely advanced aerodynamics, giving it incredible downforce.
Powering the epic Enzo was a 5,998cc, 65-degree V12 producing 660 horsepower and 657NM, coupled to a semi-automatic, F1-style six-speed gearbox with flappy paddles behind the steering wheel. Thanks to this incredible powertrain, the Enzo could accelerate from 0-60mph in just 3.2 seconds (although owners were warned that three or four full-throttle starts might result in the clutch being deposited to the road in thousands of tiny pieces…).
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Launched in 2003, the Challenge Stradale was a ‘track-focused’ version (20 per cent track day use, 80 per cent road use) of the 360 Modena, and was produced in a limited run of 1,288 units. Inspired by the 360 Modena Challenge racing car series, it featured Brembo carbon ceramic brakes from the Enzo plus improved handling, a sharper throttle response and a more aggressive set-up. A 20 horsepower boost combined with a 100kg weight reduction gave an improved power-to-weight ratio over the Modena and allowed the Challenge Stradale to accelerate from 0-62mph in just 4.1 seconds. Without the 360 Challenge Stradale we likely wouldn’t have seen the F430 Scuderia or the car that’s next on our list…
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Unveiled in 2013 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the 458 Speciale was designed as a high-performance variant of the already potent 458 Italia, with forged wheels, a vented bonnet, finned side sills, a taller rear spoiler, and front and rear movable flaps and other aerodynamic elements. Together, these aspects gave the Speciale a distinctly muscular yet sleek appearance. In terms of performance, a revised engine produced 605 horsepower at 9,000rom and 540Nm (400lb ft) of torque at 6,000rpm, allowing the car to accelerate from 0-62mph in 3.0 seconds. At the time of its launch, the 458 Speciale’s power output of 133hp-per-litre set a world record for a road-going naturally aspirated engine. Understandably, improved electronic systems were called for to deal with this level of power, while side slip angle control (SSC) was introduced in order to improve car control on the limit. It is, undoubtedly, one of the greatest Ferraris of all time.
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If you buy any new Ferrari today you’ll notice that there are just two pedals: the throttle and the brake. Ferrari last gave buyers the option of three pedals and a gear lever in the old Ferrari California and, sadly, no one seemed to care. Of the thousands of Californias built, less than 20 were said to have been made with manual transmissions. So that gorgeous gated manual we’ve seen in Ferraris for decades? That’s long gone. Which makes the 599 manual even more special.
A California manual is cool. The Ferrari F430 manual is cooler still. But the 599 manual trumps them both because it’s the last front-engined, rear-wheel-drive manual Ferrari ever made. Just 30 manual 599s were sold, of which just 10 were said to have been delivered to lucky European buyers. Just imagine dropping down through the gears and letting that 6.0-litre, 615 horsepower Enzo engine scream?
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