Emerson Fittipaldi is a legend in the sport of Formula One, as well as Indy Cars, so it’s safe to say he knows a thing or two about cars. Especially ridiculously fast ones. After driving some of the world’s highest performing cars for most of his life, getting into a “regular old supercar,” like a Ferrari F430 for example, just didn’t give him that indescribable feeling anymore. So Emerson decided to take matters into his own hands and set out to build his ultimate dream track car.
It’s called the Fittipaldi EF7 Vision and it’s absolutely stunning. In order to bring his dream car to reality, Emerson called upon some of the best designers and engineers in the industry. He contacted Pininfarina to handle most of the design work and what they came up with is nothing short of spectacular. Apparently, Emerson had been inspired by a shark and that became the design theme for this aggressive, yet sleek looking supercar. Pininfarina specializes in creating those beautiful body lines while maintaining the highest aerodynamic efficiency possible.
When you have a car that looks this fast even when it’s standing still it better have the performance to back it up. And to make sure that was the case, Emerson called in the Germans, specifically the HWA-AG engineering firm. Diehard Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts may recognize that name immediately, but for the rest of us, that’s HWA, as in Hans Werner Aufrecht, which is the “A” in AMG.
Providing the power for the EF7 is an exclusive naturally aspirated 4.8L V8 that’s been designed and race prepped by HWA-AG. It has a Ferrari like redline of 9,000rpm and will produce 600hp and 376lb-ft of torque. Since it’s essentially a race motor providing the oomph, Emerson decided to use a race inspired transmission as well. He contacted Hewland, which specializes in building transmissions for Le Mans Prototype cars (LMP1) and Formula One cars.
The EF7 also gets a full race spec suspension that comes with adjustable anti-roll bars, diffuser, and fully integrated adjustable rear wing. That should equate to a substantial amount of downforce to help keep you flat and planted through the corners. Thanks to a carbon fiber monocoque and polycarbonate windows, the EF7 only weighs 2,205lbs which means the power to weight ratio is going to be stellar.
However, just because it’s lightweight, that doesn’t mean it’s “flimsy” or weak. As a matter of fact, the carbon fiber monocoque safety capsule exceeds FIA standards by itself, but then HWA-AG and Pininfarina took it to the next level. They integrated a full roll cage, tailor-made fixed racing seats with six-point harnesses, as well as race grade crash elements in the front, rear, and sides.
Unfortunately, the EF7 is going to be expensive and will be built in very limited numbers. Most reports estimate a total of 40 or less. Official pricing has yet to be released but it’s estimated to be over $1 million. But Emerson has gone out of his way to make sure that every person that buys one of his cars will receive one on one lessons on how to properly drive it by the man himself. Some people would pay close to a million just for that alone.
There is however, a small silver-lining for the moto enthusiast that wants to catch a glimpse of what it might feel like to drive the EF7. It’ll be featured on the upcoming release of Gran Turismo Sport for the Play Station 4, and Polyphonic Digital claims it will have the same personality as the car in real life. It’ll be interesting to see how it performs on the track, and even more interesting to see it lines up against the competition like the new Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus’s SCG 003 S, or even the AM-RB 001 (now referred to as the Valkyrie).
“I have tried for years to explain to others what it truly feels like to be behind the steering wheel of a championship racecar. There is adrenaline and elation all rolled into an awe-inspiring inner fulfillment that leaves you craving for more,” said Fittipaldi.
Photo: Motortrend