There are many reasons why Ferrari can count itself one of the most illustrious and decorated manufacturers on the planet. Its motorsport pedigree for one, as well as its dedication to the V12 engine and the story of how it came to be.
What’s also undeniable is that the “prancing horse” has a distinct track record for producing some of the world’s most influential, ground-breaking supercars. The 250 GTO helped foster today’s prevailing “race car for the road” sports-car mentality. The F40 was the poster supercar for an entire generation. And then there’s the Enzo.
Released in 2002, it could be argued the Enzo helped to forge the entire hypercar genre. Its naturally aspirated 6-litre V12 made a claimed 485kW and 657Nm from the factory — dwarfing its main rival of the period, the Porsche Carrera GT.
Photo / Matthew Hansen
What the Enzo also had that the Carrera didn’t was lashings upon lashings of Formula 1-inspired know-how. The Enzo’s extensive carbon-fibre and Kevlar construction, semi-automatic paddle-shift clutch-less F1 gearbox, and active aerodynamics prodded it into a new realm of supercar. And — perhaps ironically, given how divisive it was at the time — the styling remains as fresh today.
Almost 20 years on from its creation, one of the world’s best examples of the limited edition Enzo has landed in New Zealand as an addition to the Ferrari collection of Gut Cancer Foundation co-founder Grant Baker. And it’s set to be a star attraction at this week’s Big Boys Toys event at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds, kicking off on Friday.
Any Enzo, particularly the rare few depicted in any colour other than Rosso Corsa Red, are scarce and special enough to begin with. But Baker’s striking Giallo Modena Enzo has another rather significant secret under the skin; it’s essentially a new car.
“It’s still a brand new Enzo. It was bought by a guy in Denmark, and they’ve got really high car taxes there — about 300 per cent. He decided that he didn’t want to pay that, so he bought it new and basically kept it in a bonds store, so it’s hardly been driven,” he explained.
Read more: Me & My Car — living life in Ferrari heaven
It means this Enzo has rarely been pushed to its limits. Its screaming V12 and F1-derived gearbox are designed to hurl it from a standstill to 100km/h in just over 3 seconds, with a top speed in excess of 350km/h.
“I had an Enzo before this one, which I managed to get close to those sorts of speeds with over in Europe. So I can attest that they do go that fast,” Baker laughed.
Photos / Leigh Elford
The Kiwi entrepreneur is one of the most prolific Ferrari owners in the Southern Hemisphere and also owns a LaFerrari Aperta, an F12 TdF, and an 812 SuperFast among other examples of the breed. But none of these will join the Enzo at Big Boys Toys. Instead, it will sit alongside Baker’s other recent acquisition — one of the smallest and most humble Ferraris produced; a car that, in its early years, wasn’t considered by many to be a Ferrari.
The Dino 206 GT debuted in the late 60s, featuring small dimensions and sleek curves inspired by the race cars of the time. Instead of a rorty, heavy V12 it used a more compact 2-litre V6 designed by Enzo Ferrari’s son, Dino.
Over time, the size of its engine grew, with the 246 GT successor taking on a 2.4-litre V6 good for 143kW and 226Nm. And it’s a prime example of the latter, restored by DK Engineering in the UK and painted in Blu Scuro, that has just joined Baker’s collection.
“At the time when this came out I think Ferrari were quite worried about having a small-engined car, not a big 5.0-litre fire-breathing V12. And they decided for those reasons to call it a Dino instead of a Ferrari Dino,” said Baker.
Despite being the subject of purist ire in its early years, the Dino went on to become a highly respected fixture in Ferrari’s lineage. And these days they retain a high level of demand and intrigue.
“If you want a 60s Ferrari, it’s a reasonable price compared to what you could pay for anything else. And it’s a beautiful car.”
To see more of Grant Baker’s Ferrari collection follow him on Instagram @grantkbaker. To learn more about the Gut Cancer Foundation visit gutcancer.org.nz. For more information on this week’s Big Boys Toys event, and to buy tickets, visit bigboystoys.co.nz.