Ferrari is giving well-heeled track enthusiasts the chance to own what is essentially a clone of its Le Mans-winning 499P LMH race car, and it's unleashed from all racing regulations.
The new car is the 499P Modificata, and it made its debut over the weekend at Ferrari's Finali Mondiali gathering at Italy's Mugello Circuit, where the automaker also presented the 296 Challenge race car and one-off SP-8 supercar for the first time.
Production of the 499P Modificata will be limited, though Ferrari hasn't said just how limited, and the cars will be offered via a new Sport Prototipi Clienti program sitting alongside the F1 Clienti program.
The price is set at 5.1 million euros (approximately $5.4 million) and includes a two-year membership in the Sport Prototipi Clienti starting in 2024. The membership includes all servicing and logistics for the car and even an engineering team for track day events organized by Ferrari.
The 499P Modificata is based on the same carbon-fiber monocoque chassis as the 499P race car, complete with pushrod suspension and brake-by-wire technology that allows the front-mounted electric motor to recover energy under braking. Ferrari said the suspension has been recalibrated to deliver a more enjoyable experience compared to the setup on the race car that drove to overall victory at this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Special Pirelli tires have also been adopted for the track car. They're designed to be more forgiving than the tires on the race car, including delivering more predictable handling, more feedback, and quicker warm-up times, according to Ferrari. They measure 310 mm up the front and 340 mm at the rear and come on 18-inch wheels.
The biggest change made to the 499P Modificata is in the powertrain department. It still consists of a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 driving the rear wheels via a 7-speed sequential transmission, and a single electric motor driving the front wheels. However, free from racing regulations, the 499P Modificata sports a peak output of 697 hp (858 hp with temporary Push to Pass system), versus a capped 670 hp in the race car. Unique engine mapping also delivers more torque lower in the rev range.
Ferrari 499P Modificata
Also gone is the regulation that allows for use of the front motor only at speeds above 118 mph. Drivers are also no longer restricted to when they are able to use the car's Push to Pass system. In the 499P Modificata, this delivers an extra jolt of 161 hp for seven seconds, temporarily taking peak output to the 858-hp mark. The Push to Pass system is still limited by the state of available charge in the battery and will automatically deactivate below a certain charge threshold.
The result of the upgrades, according to Ferrari, is the brand's highest-performing car outside of a dedicated race car.
More versions of the 499P could be coming in the future. In addition to the 499P Modificata name, Ferrari is known to have filed trademarks for 499 GTB, 499 GTS, 499 Speciale, perhaps hinting at tamer road-going versions of the 499P. GTB stands for “Gran Turismo Berlinetta” and is sometimes used by Ferrari for coupe models. Similarly, GTS stands for “Gran Turismo Spider” and is sometimes used by the automaker for convertibles, while Speciale is sometimes used by Ferrari for hardcore models, like the 458 Speciale. It's possible the names will be used for Ferrari's LaFerrari successor that's currently out testing.
