Ferrari's Latest Creation 612 P4/5

Called the 612 P4/5, the amazing creation mixes the artistic talents of legendary Italian design firm Pininfarina with the searing performance of the Ferrari Enzo. The stunning car will be officially unveiled to the public later this month at the famous Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance event in California.

A year and a half in the making, the project is the dream of super-rich US movie mogul and Ferrari enthusiast James Glickenhaus. He took his Enzo to Pininfarina requesting a completely new body inspired by the P4 racing cars which competed in the Le Mans 24 Hours back in the Sixties.

The P4/5 is a complete contrast to the sharply styled, Formula One-inspired Enzo on which it’s based. It has more than 200 completely new body parts, including a whole host of luscious curves, from the front wings to the tail.

But the most amazing feature of the P4/5 is the clear glass canopy. It extends from the windscreen over the roof and engine, all the way to the rear, and incorporates a pair of gullwing doors. At the front, the Enzo’s twin radiators have been replaced by a single unit to allow a shorter nose more in keeping with the P4 of the Sixties. In contrast, the LED headlamps and tail-lights, intricate 20-inch alloys and complex reprofiled venturi tunnels which help to provide downforce are bang up-to-date.

The steering wheel features the same paddleshifters as the Enzo on which the P4/5 is based, and they’re connected to an identical six-speed gearbox. Power comes from the same 660bhp 6.0-litre V12, too, but thanks to that glass roof and new bodywork, weight has fallen by 55kg to 1,310kg.

Combined with wind tunnel-tested aerodynamics, that means the P4/5 has a potential top speed of 225mph, up from the Enzo’s 217mph. A wider track front and rear offer even higher cornering speeds, too. It should ensure an incredible response when the 612 P4/5 gets its official public launch at Pebble Beach on 20 August.