This is an original, unused Ferrari FXX V12 engine that’s still sitting in its factory crate. The engine was intended as a spare for use in the Ferrari FXX track-only supercar, and once fitted to a car it’ll be capable of producing approximately 789+ bhp at 8,500 rpm.
The 65º V12 used in the FXX was directly sourced from the earlier (and closely related) Ferrari Enzo. It was given a series of modifications, renamed the F140 DA V12, and by the time it was ready for installation into the FXX it had a displacement of 6,262cc and the power output had been raised from 660 bhp to 789 bhp at 8,500 rpm.
Above Video: This is the Top Gear segment on the Ferrari FXX, it includes the Stig doing a hot lap around the test circuit and it shows where the car ended up on the famous Top Gear lap time board.
The Ferrari FXX was introduced in 2005 as a high-performance track-only supercar that, controversially, would remain in the possession of Ferrari even after a customer bought it. The car was the first in the Ferrari XX range, which was a series of cars designed for a carefully selected group of Ferrari’s most loyal customers, who want to experience the thrill of driving a race-specification Ferrari on track.
The FXX was developed as a successor to the Ferrari Enzo and was designed to push the limits of automotive engineering and performance, without needing to be road legal or comply with emissions restrictions.
The development of the Ferrari FXX began in 2004 when Ferrari decided to create a new car that would be faster and more technologically advanced than anything they had produced before. The FXX was developed by the Ferrari Corse Clienti department, a team responsible for managing Ferrari’s customer racing programs. The team was headed by Andrea Bertolini, a professional race car driver who has won several championships for Ferrari.
The FXX was based on the earlier Enzo Ferrari, but it featured several modifications to improve its performance. One of the most significant features of the FXX was its advanced aerodynamics. The car featured a front splitter, side skirts, a movable rear wing, and a rear diffuser that were all designed to increase downforce and reduce drag – impressively the FXX produced 40% more downforce than the Enzo.
Here we see the Ferrari FXX on track with a number of its stablemates, the familial resemblance to the earlier Ferrari Enzo is unmistakable. Image courtesy of Ferrari.
The customers who purchased the FXX were not allowed to take the car on public roads, they were only allowed to drive it on approved Ferrari tracks, and they had to use the official team of Ferrari technicians who would travel to each track to assist the customers in setting up and maintaining their cars.
Just 30 examples of the Ferrari FXX were made between 2005 and 2007, today they remain among the most collectible of track-only Ferrari special edition vehicles.
This zero-hour Ferrari FXX V12 is due to be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s later in March with a price guide of $240,000 – $420,000 USD, and it’ll likely attract the attention of current FXX owners who want a spare engine on standby – just in case.
If you’d like to read more about this engine or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images: Neil Fraser ©2022 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
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