Forza Pitpass Report: The Ferrari Collection Pt. 1

From Maranello with love.

Che Chou and Evan Griffey, 9.16.2009

In the world of motorsport and cars, the name Ferrari stirs the imagination and jump starts the heart. This legendary manufacturer’s colored heritage has produced some of the world’s rarest, most spirited, beautiful, sought after, pure bred, and expensive cars in the history of the automobile. This October, the universally recognized “cavallino rampante” of Ferrari’s prancing stallion badge makes its return in “Forza Motorsport 3,” the highly anticipated racing experience from Turn 10 exclusively for Xbox 360. Here at Turn 10, we begin our tribute to Mr. Enzo Ferrari and his prancing stallions by including no less than 29 of his most iconic creations in Forza Motorsport 3. Each Ferrari has been meticulously modeled, capturing every detail from cockpit to rear engine bay in a most obsessive fashion.

And good things come in 3’s. To celebrate our stable of Italian stallions (as well as the announcement of the Ferrari 458 Italia at the Frankfurt Auto Show this week), we’re doing a 3-part Pitpass Report series on all the Ferraris in Forza Motorspot 3 for the next 3 days. Each day we showcase a handful of Ferraris – all of which look and sound amazing – with screenshots and a bit of context. Additionally, with 29 Ferraris in the game, you’re going to need some tarmac to lay down that old country rubber. Well, we’re finally lifting the curtain on an originally designed track, the Amalfi Coast, where Ferrari fans will enjoy both point-to-point and circuit racing as they speed through the scenic landscape of Italy’s rustic coastline.

Inspired by the picturesque environments of the coastline, the originally designed Amalfi Coast track is sure to be a fan-favorite for showing off breathtaking videos and screenshots captured in “Forza Motorsport 3’s” video export and photo modes. As a circuit, the Amalfi coast runs a challenging 1.15 miles, with terrain characterized by old cobblestone roads, beachside vistas, and tunnels. In its “Rally di Positano” configuration, the Amalfi Coast is over 19 kilometers of white-knuckled tarmac rally heaven. Fans of point-to-point racing will love getting from point A to point B on the many stages of the Amalfi Coast.

But enough on all the magnificence of Italian cars and the old country. Let’s have a look at our first batch of Ferraris.

Playing the Ferrari name game, the car’s 250 moniker refers to the displacement in CCs of each cylinder of the 3.0-liter V12 while GTO stands for Gran Turismo Omologato -- or GT homologation -- which meant these street-legal cars were built to meet racing regulations. Identified by its swooping lines, long nose and three-gill ducting just aft of the front tires, the 250 GTO was a game changer for Ferrari, winning world championships in 1962, ’63, and ’64. Only 39 examples of this high-pedigreed stallion were built, making the 250 GTO one of the highest priced collectibles on four wheels today.

A four-wheeled 40^th anniversary celebration, the F40 is one of the most iconic Ferrari supercars of all time. Ferrari really pulled out all the stops, opening the Formula 1 parts bins to bring the F40 to life to make it the fastest production car in the world in 1987. The biggest F1 contributions were the composite material used to make the body and the engine technology gleaned from Ferrari’s F1 efforts. This was the turbo era in F1 and the F40’s 288 GTO-derived twin-turbo V8 lays down the law to the tune of 478 horsepower and a whopping 426 lbs-ft of torque. Weighing about 2,900 pounds the F40 could blast 3.8-second 0-60s and, with its F1-spec suspension, it explored the outer boundaries of performance on a regular basis. A total of 1,335 were built.

Miami Vice flashbacks, replete with pink flamingos, Florida palms and Don Johnson in a white tweed suit aside, this Ferrari was the last of the flat 12-cylinder cars and 2,280 units were produced. The 512 numbers stand for 5-liter V12, while TR stood for Testa Rosa – meaning red head. Distinctive ducting fed the midship-mounted 5.0-liter engine which pumps out 428 horsepower and with a six-speed manual the TR can eclipse 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. Fans of the classic Sega racer Outrun may want to relive some Sunday drive memories on the Amalfi Coast.

The Ferrari name game is a little harder to decipher with this bad boy. The 35 stands for 3.5 liter while the last 5 denotes the engine’s five-valve per cylinder design. The Challenge is a strictly racing version of the F355 Berlinetta with the only additions being race seats, a high-downforce wing and roll cage. The car was designed to run in the model-specific Ferrari Challenge Series and only 109 were produced.

Named for the birthplace of Enzo Ferrari, the two-seater’s 360 refers to its 3.6-liter V8. A successor to the F355, the 360 retains the formers five-valve design and pumps out 394 horsepower. Gearbox selection consists of a F1 six-speed semi-auto or six-speed manual. Available as a Spider or Berlinetta from 1999 to 2006, the 360 could blast to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds but it really shines when pushed through the corners, unveiling the balance and agility Ferrari is famous for.

Endowed with the best of Ferrari‘s technological might during a time when Michael Schumacher was in the middle of his five-consecutive-championship domination of F1, the Enzo sent shock waves through the supercar world. It was a F1 car for the streets that for the first time leaned more towards the F1 car than a street car. In fact, it went beyond F1 because the Enzo’s carbon fiber body employed active aerodynamic technology and a high-downforce floorpan design, both outlawed in F1 at the time. Additionally, the wind tunnel-tested under tray was so effective the Enzo has no need for a rear wing (and you probably shouldn’t install one on an Enzo either). Powered by a 6.0-liter V12 rated at 651 horsepower with a teeth-pulling 485 lbs-ft of torque, the Enzo is an exotic among exotics. Many may know of the Enzo via YouTube videos involving wrecks or other heartbreaking examples, but it’s a sad day when one of 400 are lost.

With a reference to Ferrari’s racing division in its name, there is no doubt where the soul of this prancing horse lays. A $95,000 premium over a base F430, the Scuderia is essentially a Challenge Stradale treatment for the F430, meaning that it’s a more track oriented, lighter weight version of its street car brethren. The Scuderia gets a 20-horse bump to 510 horses and its 118.6 hp/liter specific output makes it Ferrari’s most powerful naturally aspirated V8.

Paying homage to the iconic 250 California of the 1960’s, this modern version is Ferrari’s first ever hard-top convertible. Under the hood, the California boasts 460-horsepower, direct-injection, 4.3-liter V8, and seven speed auto-manual gearbox, another Ferrari first. While it looks like a sprawling urban cruiser, don’t be fooled -- the dual-clutch tranny translates to 0-60s in four-seconds flat.