Ferrari’s Technological Innovations Part 17: F50. When Formula 1 Became Road-Legal

The universal success of the F40 – it’s worth remembering that it was originally announced for a production run of 400 units, but to prevent unacceptable speculation, many more had to be produced, around 1,250 – meant that the F50 needed to have extraordinary and unique characteristics. Introduced in 1995, the F50, created to celebrate Ferrari’s 50th anniversary, was truly surprising. It was Piero Ferrari, son of the great Enzo, who put forth an idea that no other manufacturer could have suggested: To create a true road-legal car conceived exactly like a Formula 1 car. And so it was.

The F50 was presented in 1995 to celebrate Ferrari’s 50th anniversary.

As we know, Formula 1 cars feature complex and innovative technical solutions, often chosen with one goal in mind: Winning races. These solutions, due to their cost and complexity, could have discouraged project leaders. But that was not the case: The engine was the same one used in the victorious 640 F1 in 1989 with Mansell and Berger and in 1990 with Alain Prost, who came close to winning the World Championship. From its original displacement of 3,500 cc, the beautiful 65° V12 was increased to 4.7 liters to ensure power levels similar to the F1 car, delivering 520 horsepower—an impressive figure at the time. But the most extraordinary feature was its intake system with three valves per cylinder plus two exhaust valves, and a structural design with special castings that enabled the most unique characteristic of Formula 1: Making the engine a load-bearing structure for the entire rear end.

The F50’s engine is the same as the 640 F1 single-seater, with an increased displacement of 4.7 liters for 520 hp. A true road-going Formula 1.

Ferrari had previously introduced this technique in its F1 cars, as we discussed in previous weeks, but no one had ever imagined applying it to a road car. What did it involve? Formula 1 cars—and thus the F50—feature a carbon-fiber monocoque that supports the front suspension and houses the driver in the cockpit. Behind the driver, this structural shell ends, and it is up to the engine, firmly attached to the chassis, to support the rear suspension, the rear wing, and everything else at the back of the car. This was the bold solution Ferrari adopted to create a car destined to make history.

The Ferrari F50 inherits the technical solutions of Formula 1 cars, adopting a carbon-fiber monocoque and a load-bearing engine.

And indeed, it has: Produced in only 399 units, the F50 today has a collectible value significantly higher than that of the F40 and is a must-have for anyone who loves the Prancing Horse and its history. Let’s stop here: The original solutions present in this model are numerous, starting with the suspension system that perfectly replicates that of a Formula 1 car. But the choice of a load-bearing engine is a unique feature worth knowing and admiring.

Produced in just 399 units, the Ferrari F50 was designed for road use with an approach as if it were a Formula 1 car.