Galocha Cultural

domingo, 1 de dezembro de 2019

Ferrari FXX K 2015, Itália

Ferrari FXX K 2015, Itália
Fotografia

Following in the footsteps of the popular Challenge Series, Ferrari and their Corse Clienti division realized that there was a market to produce and sell a limited production run of a track-only Ferrari supercar not intended for racing. These would be offered only to “friends of the house,” offering a unique experience to collaborate with the factory and develop the future generation of road cars. Over the course of the summer of 2005, prototypes of what would become the FXX were shown to clients whom Ferrari thought worthy by invitation only to gauge interest. Formally introduced to the public at the Bologna Motor Show that same year, only thirty-eight examples were built over the course of production. A Corse Clienti version of the 599 GTB, the 599XX, was also introduced in 2009, offering clients the same experience as the FXX, yet in a front-engined package.

The true successor to the FXX would not be announced until after a new Ferrari hypercar; once the hybrid-electric LaFerrari broke cover at the Geneva Auto Show in 2013, it was only natural that a track-only version for use in Corse Clienti events would follow. The FXX K was first unveiled at Ferrari’s Finali Mondiali held at Yas Marini Circuit in Abu Dhabi in 2014.

Power in both the FXX K’s electric and petrol-powered motors was raised to 1,035 bhp in total, meaning 187 bhp from the electric motor and 848 bhp from the 6.3-litre V-12, an 85 bhp jump in total. Naturally, the car’s aerodynamics were also seriously reviewed and optimised for use on the track, with the nose receiving a two-part splitter and vertical fins on either end. A twin-profile rear spoiler defines the rear end visually and helps to manage downforce, which is increased by as much as 50% over the LaFerrari. Boasting a much more menacing stance as a result, the FXX K is 194 mm longer and also 59 mm wider than its road-going sibling. Finally, the FXX K tips the scales at around 1,255 kg, some 90 kg lighter than the LaFerrari. It is able to lap Fiorano in just 1:14, five seconds faster than the LaFerrari.

Painted in traditional Rosso Corsa with silver highlights and wearing the race number 7, this FXX K is offered today from the collection of its first and only owner. Since its delivery, the car has not been driven in any Corse Clienti events. It is presented in ‘standard’ guise and can be upgraded to ‘Evo’ specifications by Corse Clienti in Maranello, should its next owner choose, or can be enjoyed as delivered in its current configuration. With less than 250 km on the odometer, this FXX K is presented today in virtually as-new condition throughout.

Ownership of an FXX K truly offers a unique and exciting side of Ferrari ownership and on-track driving. Owners work in close collaboration with Ferrari’s own engineers and professional test drivers to hone and improve their driving on some of the world’s most incredible racetracks in a non-competitive format. Ready to be driven in Corse Clienti events worldwide in 2020 and beyond, this is an incredible opportunity for an enthusiast to become part of the Ferrari family.

McLaren Senna GTR 2019, Inglaterra

McLaren Senna GTR 2019, Inglaterra
Fotografia

When McLaren decides to anoint one of its models with the GTR moniker, it is not without serious consideration and forethought. Only three times in the past thirty years have products from Woking been considered worthy, and the original GTR, the 1995 McLaren F1 GTR, can claim an outright victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in its (long) list of accolades. At a time when hypercars are being unveiled with increasing frequency, each one promising unparalleled levels of performance, it is those with proven racing pedigree that deliver on the prelaunch promises and command the most respect. None come with more pedigree than a GTR version of a McLaren dedicated to the memory of Ayrton Senna, its most successful racing driver.

Whereas the McLaren Senna was conceived from the outset to be the most track-focused road car McLaren had ever built, the GTR version is intended to simply be the fastest track car McLaren has ever built, other than a fully-fledged Formula 1 car. Mike Flewitt, CEO of McLaren Automotive, summarised the ethos of the project, stating that by being ‘free from the constraints of road car legislation and motorsport competition rules, we have pushed the limits of what is technically possible to advance circuit driving capability to another level entirely’.

Somewhat conspicuously, the engine remains the same M840TR 4.0-litre turbocharged V-8 as found in the standard Senna, featuring dry sump lubrication, lightweight materials for the rods and pistons, and a pair of ultra-low inertia, twin scroll turbo chargers, equipped with electronic wastegates for instant throttle response. However, as the GTR was never intended to be made road-legal, the secondary catalysts are removed from the Inconel and titanium exhaust system, which helps free up more power, bringing the headline figures to a colossal 814 bhp and 590 foot-pounds of torque. It will therefore out-accelerate a standard Senna, meaning a 0–60 mph time of less than 2.8 seconds and a 0–124 mph time of less than 6.8 seconds.

Whereas the changes to the power train can rightly be considered as tweaks, the changes to the aerodynamics are far more comprehensive. Indeed, the GTR takes the already unparalleled levels of aero performance offered by the Senna to another level. At the front, the reprofiled front splitter has vortex generators on the outside edges to smooth airflow underneath the car, whilst at the rear, the gargantuan rear wing is now mounted on LMP1-style endplates, placed further back and higher in the airstream. Whereas the Senna could generate 800 kg of downforce at 155 mph, the GTR raises the bar to over 1,000 kg and can muster the same figures as the standard Senna at 15% lower speeds.

Remarkably, the refinements come with no cost to the drag coefficient, which remains the same as the road car. The carbon-fibre Monocell III-R tub also remains the same of that as the road-going variant, however front track is increased, and new ultra-lightweight forged alloy wheels wrapped in bespoke slick Pirelli P-Zero tyres take the place of the heavier road-going variants, themselves shod in rubber naturally compromised for street use. Since the car had no requirement to navigate speed humps or road imperfections, the suspension was fixed and also optimised for the track. The result of these changes is a marked improvement in mechanical grip to improve performance in slower-speed corners, where aerodynamic performance is less important.

Active aero elements also remain a feature at the front and rear, with nose winglets to guide air either underneath the body for downforce, or through the radiators and oil coolers when required. In addition, the aforementioned enormous rear wing is controlled by hydraulics and moves constantly to suit the driving scenario, either to act as an airbrake, increase downforce, or trim drag as part of an active ‘Drag Reduction System’ (DRS). With the wing acting purely as an airbrake, the car is capable of 3 g of decelerative force, a full 20% more than the Senna road car.

The race-optimised changes continue inside the cockpit as well, where a VBOX HD data logger, car-to-pit radio system, and FIA-approved six-point racing harnesses replace road car necessities such as the airbags and handbrake. Plexiglass replaces glasses, and even the signature transparent ‘sideblades’ from the road-going Senna are swapped for purely carbon-fibre panels, all in the name of saving weight. The result is that despite carrying extra racing essentials like its pneumatic jacking system, it actually weighs 11 kg less and tips the scales at 1,188 kg without fluids.

This particular example is offered for sale as a brand-new car with zero miles on the odometer. It is the ultimate version of McLaren’s current hypercar and may well be the most powerful and track-focused non-hybrid car that the factory ever builds. Being just one of 75 examples makes this a truly unique opportunity to acquire an incredibly special machine.

Lamborghini Countach LP400 S Series I 1979, Itália

Lamborghini Countach LP400 S Series I 1979, Itália
Fotografia

Whereas recent Lamborghinis have been named after bulls or bullfighting, the word Countach has its origins as a phrase used by Piedmontese men to describe the moment of laying eyes on a beautiful woman. No wonder, then, that Lamborghini chose it for its groundbreaking supercar when it launched the Lamborghini Countach LP400 in 1974.
Few cars have caused such a stir in the automotive world, and the man responsible for the outrageous design was a then relatively inexperienced Marcello Gandini of Bertone. Unconstrained by trivial matters like user friendliness or ergonomics, Gandini let his imagination run wild for the Countach, and the result was one of the most striking cars of the 20th century. Impossibly low, wide, and angular, it was poles apart from anything that had come before, and it changed the design ethos for nearly every supercar that followed, especially those from Lamborghini. The mid-mounted V-12 engine, forward-located cabins, and scissor door arrangement of the Diablo, Murciélago, and Aventador can all trace their origins to Gandini’s Countach.
Perhaps the most significant innovation was the arrangement of the powertrain; where the Miura had already pioneered a mid-engined V-12 layout, the Countach engineering team, led by Paolo Stanzani, chose to take the concept one step further and installed the engine longitudinally. What’s more, they also managed to mid-mount the transmission by moving the output shaft to the front of the engine rather than the rear. Drive was then channelled via a propshaft that ran through the engine’s oil sump to a rear differential and through to the rear wheels. This format not only increased stability by keeping mass in the centre of the car, but also allowed the gear linkage to be shortened, thus improving its action, whilst also permitting far easier access to engine ancillaries for servicing and maintenance.
This 1979 Countach is a Series I LP400S, and it is noteworthy for its optional V-shaped rear wing and its engine upgrades. Lamborghini had experienced reliability issues with early Countach prototypes, and the original intention to launch the car with a 5.0-litre version of the V-12 was scrapped in favour of using the same 3.9-litre V-12 as used in the Miura. However, due to the packaging requirements of the engine bay, the downdraught Webers were changed for side-draft Weber 45 DCOE carburettors, and peak power output was slightly lower than that of a Miura SV as a result. This obviously mattered to Heinz Steber, a former owner of this particular car in the 1980s who also owned a Miura, as he chose to have the engine fettled by a specialist in Luxembourg to have the same downdraught 40 IDL Webers as used in the Miura. The car retains this unique configuration today.
It has spent the majority of its life in Germany and Switzerland before being purchased by its current owner in 2014, when it had just had a new clutch fitted and had its engine thoroughly overhauled by Lamborghini specialist Rene Ruch. Soon after the sale, the car was sent to KP Performance in Bahrain, where it was given a full respray in original colours. It has been lightly used since but always looked after, and it benefits most recently from having a comprehensive service, during which the fuel lines were replaced and carburettors tuned. It presents very well indeed, its paintwork blemish-free, and its original navy blue interior is a testament to a life of care and attention. Just 50 Series I LP400s were produced, and few are likely to be as tidy as this example, or have such an interesting history.

Nota do blog: Data e autoria das imagens não obtidas.