March 17, 2024
Author: Zsolt Lendvay
The Big Five: Five different eras, five great sports cars. They have individual value, but will anyone pay for them all?
When it comes to Ferraris, the Big Five includes five great sports cars in a row, or five super sports cars if you will, that have passed the baton to each other at the Italian manufacturer. The first was the 288 GTO from 1984, which was intended for the legendary Group B competitions, and for homologation purposes at least 200 units had to be produced in street design, and in the end 272 units were made, all of which were sold within a year. The 2855 cc V8 was blown by two IHI turbos, giving it 400 hp in the road version.
This was followed by the F40 in 1987, which became even wilder and more powerful. The engine was lifted from its predecessor but displacement was increased, producing 478 hp using two turbines. These horses had to move a composite plastic barrel, and the Italians avoided all electronic devices, not even installing a flimsy anti-blocking device. It was a solid car, for people with rock hardness, only 1311 were assembled.
The F40 was replaced by the F50 in 1995 to celebrate the brand's 50th anniversary. Instead of the turbocharged V8, a 4.7-liter naturally aspirated V14 with 520 horsepower was added. Many technical solutions have been taken directly from competitive sports. Only 349 cars were produced, and the Enzo replaced it in 2002, with Formula 1 technology as well, including a carbon-ceramic transmission and brakes. The six-liter V12 engine had 660 hp, and production was discontinued after 498 copies. It was succeeded by the hybrid-powered LaFerrari, also based on its Formula 1 roots. This used the so-called HY-KERS system, centered around a 6.3-litre V12 engine, and the system's output was 963bhp. 499 of them were made.
Well, the bottom line: These cars are very rare, surprisingly special, and could be the centerpieces of any car collection. On the other hand, RM Sotheby's is now offering one of the five pieces for sale at the same time, with the hope that it will fetch between $2.75 million and $4.25 million, depending on the type. But if someone took it all at once, it would be a $20 million party, roughly 7.2 billion forints, based on the upper bound of estimated values. The auction takes place at the end of May and the beginning of June. Here you can see a lot of pictures of each car.
Enjoy these five amazing Ferrari cars:
Look at our gallery – 24 photos
Ferrari's Big Five – five super sports cars
