How would you like driving instruction from a man who won the Formula One World Championship twice and then went on to take two checkered flags at the Indianapolis 500?
What if he also developed the car for you, with the help of the legendary Pinninfarina design firm and some German engineering?
At the Geneva auto show, retired Brazilian racing driver Emerson Fittipaldi revealed his Fittipaldi EF7 Vision Gran Turismo by Pininfarina, a carbon fiber track car motivated by a 600-horsepower 4.8-liter V-8. The car, which features a carbon fiber monocoque and body, was drawn up by the Italian design firm Pininfarina and engineered by the German firm HWA AG.
HWA AG will provide both the engine and transmission. The engine will be naturally aspirated, feature a flat-plane crank, and be bolted directly to the carbon fiber tub, along with the transmission. The suspension will have a wishbone design front and rear, with inboard-mounted coil-over shocks.
Fittipaldi Motors, the name of Fittipaldi's new car company, says the car will offer forgiving handling and performance. The weight target is less than 2,200 pounds.
Fittipaldi EF7 Vision Gran Turismo by Pininfarina
Fittipaldi EF7 Vision Gran Turismo by Pininfarina
Fittipaldi EF7 Vision Gran Turismo by Pininfarina
The EF7's look is pure supercar. It was Fittipaldi's idea to give it a shark-like theme and Pininfarina's job to make that happen. Highlights include massive air intakes in front of the rear wheels that also give the car wide haunches, a large rear spoiler, and a forward-mounted cabin that flows into the fast front end. Buyers will be able to choose their interior and exterior color schemes, as well as the racing number and wheel options.
Only 39 cars will be built (one for each of Fittipaldi's Grand Prix victories) and no price has been announced yet. Each buyer will get personal driving instruction from Fittipaldi and move up a driver-training ladder that Fittipaldi designed. In addition, buyers will be eligible to join the Fittipaldi Racing Club, which offers VIP high-performance driving and racing experiences at tracks around the world.
Fittipaldi plans to release a series of cars in the future.
Those who won't be able to afford this certainly high-dollar track-only car will be able to race it in the Sony PlayStation video game "Gran Turismo."
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