The Ferrari F50 (Type F130) is a limited production mid-engine sports car manufactured by Italian automobile manufacturer Ferrari from 1995 until 1997. Introduced in 1995, the car is a two-door, two seat targa top. The F50 is powered by a 4.7 L naturally aspirated Tipo F130B 60-valve V12 engine that was developed from the 3.5 L V12 used in the 1990 Ferrari 641 Formula One car. The car's design is an evolution of the 1989 Ferrari Mythos concept car, while Pininfarina incorporated design cues from contemporary F1 racecar designs, particularly at the front.[6][7]
A total of 349 cars were made, with the last car rolling off the production line in July 1997.[1] The F50's engine predated the car; it was used in the Ferrari 333 SP for the American IMSA GT Championship in 1994, allowing it to become eligible for the stock engine World Sports Car category.
Specifications
Weight
- Distribution: 42%/58% (front/rear)
Engine
- Ferrari F130 B.jpg]]Ferrari F130 B side.jpgFerrari f50 interior (3427688771).jpgFerrari F50 4.7 1995 (30251319442).jpg: Tipo 036-derived, model SFE 4.7 VJGAEA, Tipo F130 B
- Position: rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout
- Configuration: longitudinally-mounted 65° V12
- Aspiration: naturally aspirated, with variable-length intake manifold via butterfly valve in intake manifold
- Intake manifold: carbon fibre reinforced polymer
- Block: nodular cast iron
- Heads/pistons: light-alloy aluminum heads/forged Mahle pistons
- Oil sump: aluminium
- Connecting rods: forged titanium
- Crankshaft: forged steel
- Cam covers/oil and water pump housing: magnesium sand castings
- Exhaust manifold: stainless steel
- Engine weight: 198 kg
- Valvetrain: 5 valves per cylinder (3 intake, 2 exhaust), 60-valves (total) DOHC per cylinder bank driven by low-noise Morse chain
- Displacement: 4698.50 cc[1]
- Max. power: 520 PS at 8,500 rpm
- Max. torque: 471 Nm at 6,500 rpm
- Specific output.: 81.3 kW/litre
- Weight/power ratio: 2.69 kg/PS
- Bore X stroke: 85x69 mm
- Bore:stroke ratio: 1.23:1 (oversquare)
- Compression ratio: 11.3:1
- Redline: 8,500 rpm
- Fuel cutoff: 8,640 rpm[8]
- Fuel feed: Bosch Motronic 2.7 sequential injection and Electronic control unit (controls the fuel feed, ignition timing, and variable length intake and exhaust systems)
- Ignition system: Bosch static electronic distributor-less ignition
- Lubrication: dry sump, tank incorporated within the final drive housing, 3 scavenger pumps
- Variable intake: butterfly valve in carbon fibre intake manifold closed at low rpm, open at high rpm
- Variable exhaust: butterfly valve in upper tailpipes closed at low rpm, open at high rpm
- Fuel tank: foam filled, aeronautical-style Sekur rubber bladder, 105 L
Fuel consumption
- EPA premium gasoline[9]
- Combined 8 mpgu.s.
- City 7 mpgu.s.
- Highway 10 mpgu.s.
Transmission
- Configuration: longitudinal 6-speed manual + reverse, limited-slip differential, RWD
- Gear ratios: 2.933:1 (1st), 2.157:1 (2nd), 1.681:1 (3rd), 1.360:1 (4th), 1.107:1 (5th), 0.903:1 (6th), 2.529:1 (reverse)
- Final drive: 3.70:1
- Final drive assembly: aluminum sand casting
- Remaining gearset housing: magnesium sand casting
- Support bracing: steel
- Flywheel: steel
- Clutch: dry, twin plate
- Cooling: oil-water Oil cooler between gearbox lubricant and engine
Chassis
- Type: central carbon fiber tub, light-alloy suspension and engine-gearbox assembly mounting points co-polymerised to the chassis
- Materials: carbon fiber, epoxy resin, Nomex honeycomb structure core, sandwich construction
- Torsional stiffness: 34,570 Nm per degree
Suspension
- Front: Rose-jointed unequal-length wishbones, push-rods, coil springs, Bilstein gas-pressurised monotube dampers, electronic adaptive damping, electronic height adjustment (40 mm max)
- Rear: Rose-jointed unequal-length wishbones, push-rods, coil springs, Bilstein gas-pressurised monotube dampers, electronic adaptive damping, mounting points on a spacer between the engine and gearbox
- Travel: 55 mm bump, 60 mm rebound
- Camber angle: -0.7 degrees front, -1.0 degrees rear
- Anti-roll bars: front and rear
- Max. roll angle: 1.5 degrees
- Electronic adaptive damping (based on steering wheel angle and velocity, the body's vertical and longitudinal acceleration, brake line pressure, and vehicle speed)
- Maximum reaction time (from minimum to maximum damping force or vice versa): 140 milliseconds (0.14 s)
- Average reaction time (from minimum to maximum damping force or vice versa): 25 to 30 milliseconds (0.025 to 0.03 s)
Steering
- Type: TRW rack and pinion, 3.3 turns lock-to-lock, unassisted
- Caster angle: 5.5 to 5.7 degrees
- Turning circle: 41 ft
Wheels/tires/brakes
- Wheels: magnesium alloy, manufactured by Speedline
- Hubs: titanium
- Disc brake bells/suspension uprights/brake calipers: aluminum
- Upper and lower wishbones: black powder-coated steel
- Front wheels: 8.5 x
- Front tires: 245/35ZR-18 Goodyear Eagle F1 GS Fiorano at 35 psi
- Front brakes: Brembo cross-drilled & ventilated cast iron discs, 4 piston aluminum Brembo calipers, Pagid brake pads, (without ABS)
- Rear wheels: 13 x[8]
- Rear tires: 335/30ZR-18 Goodyear Eagle F1 GS Fiorano at 30 psi
- Rear brakes: Brembo cross-drilled & ventilated cast iron discs, 4 piston aluminum Brembo calipers, Pagid brake pads, (without ABS)
- Unsprung mass: 99 lb/121 lb (front corners/rear corners)
Colour popularity
- Rosso Corsa (red): 302
- Giallo Modena (yellow): 31
- Rosso Barchetta (dark red): 8
- Argento Nurburgring (silver): 4
- Nero Daytona (black): 4
Performance
Ferrari F50 GT
The Ferrari F50 GT (also known as the Ferrari F50 GT1) is a racing derivative of the F50, intended to compete in the BPR Global GT Series against other series rivals, such as the McLaren F1 GTR. After the series folded, Ferrari was unhappy with homologation specials such as the Porsche 911 GT1 being allowed in the newly formed FIA GT Championship and decided to cancel the project due to lack of funding to compete.[16]
The car was co-developed with Dallara and Michelotto.
Following the motorsport theme of the Ferrari F40 LM, Ferrari developed the F50 GT, a prototype based on the F50 that was built to compete in GT1-class racing. The car had a fixed roof, a large rear wing, new front spoiler and many other adjustments. The 4.7 litre V12 engine was tuned to generate around 750 bhp at 10,500 rpm and 520 N.m of torque at 7,500 rpm. A test held in 1996 proved the car to be quicker even than the 333 SP, but this went unnoticed as Ferrari cancelled the F50 GT project because it was unhappy with FIA allowing homologation special cars such as the Porsche 911 GT1 in the series. Ferrari instead focused on Formula One after the BPR Global GT Series folded. The company sold off the three complete chassis out of the six planned chassis that were built–the test car 001, 002 and 003. Chassis 002 and 003 had bodies fitted before being sold. The remaining three tubs were reportedly destroyed.[17][18][19]
References
- Ferrari F50 (1995) - Ferrari.com Ferrari GT - en-EN^
- Rencontre avec Pietro Camardella & Gino Finizio July 2006, retrieved 5 March 2008^
- Ferrari F50, the background howstuffworks, retrieved 2017-12-14^
- Martin Derrick, Simon Clay. Million Dollar Classics: The World's Most Expensive Cars Chartwell Books, 2013^
- Ferrari F50 engine details Ferraris-online.com, retrieved 2017-12-14^
- Mark Wan. Ferrari F50 (1995) AutoZine^
- Jay Traugot. Ferrari F50, an evolution of the Mythos carbuzz, 2013-05-11, retrieved 2017-12-15^
- Ferrari F50 Car and Driver^
- fueleconomy.gov retrieved 11 February 2016^
- John Phillips. Ferrari F50 — Why it took 13 months to get our hands on this supercar Car and Driver, January 1997, retrieved 2012-01-14^
- C/D Test Results^
- Ferrari F50 (1995) - Ferrari.com www.ferrari.com, retrieved 2025-10-10^
- Best Motoring - Platinum Series Vol. 12 YouTube^
- Best Motoring 2000 Suzuka Super Battle YouTube, 30 August 2015^
- Best Motoring Super Car Race f50, 911 Gemballa, GT2, Murcielago, NSX R YouTube^
- Michael Ballaban. All Hail the oddball Ferrari F50 GT, background jalopnik, 2016-12-30, retrieved 2017-12-15^
- Michael Ballaban. All Hail The Odd Ball Ferrari F50 GT Jalopnik, 2016-12-30, retrieved 2019-01-21^
- 1996 Ferrari F50 GT: One of three Classic Driver, 2012-12-08, retrieved 2019-01-21^
- the story behind the Ferrari F50 GT TopSpeed.com, 3 January 2006, retrieved 2017-12-17^