► Emerson Fittipaldi designs a car!
► In collaboration with Pininfarina
► First shown in Geneva, now in Qatar
Most F1 drivers retire to a life of punditry, after-dinner speeches and maybe the odd side project, such as Farmula One’s Jody Scheckter upmarket food enterprise.
Not for former world champion driver and two-time Indy 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi. He’s lent his name to his very own supercar, created by Pininfarina and revealed in full at the 2017 Geneva motor show.
Our full A-Z review of the Geneva motor show
Now he’s taking the car to one of its most likely target markets: the Middle East. This new rendering was released to show the car from above, to coincide with its appearance at the 2017 Qatar motor show from 18-22 April.
Fittipaldi EF7 Vision Gran Turismo by Pininfarina
Emmo’s fledgling business Fittipaldi Motors has teamed up with Italian design house Pininfarina and German race and engineering consultancy HWA to design the start-up supercar.
Three years in development, the EF7 is designed as a high-performance track car with friendly handling, so drivers of all experience levels can get the best from it, with multi-stage traction control and ABS.
‘What was important to me in creating the EF7 is that the car not only provides pure passion and adrenaline but will also be forgiving and safe for drivers of all skill levels,’ said Fittipaldi.
‘Owner-drivers can expect reliability, lower maintenance cost and minimal mechanic and tech teams – which means more time and elation on the track.’
Quick-fire tech spec
- Carbonfibre monocoque chassis, and carbonfibre bodywork
- Double-wishbone suspension front and rear, adjustable anti-roll bars
- Mid-mounted 4.8-litre naturally aspirated dry-sump V8 with 600bhp, an eight-into-one exhaust system and a 9000rpm redline – what a recipe!
- Paddle-shift sequential gearbox
- Rear-view camera screen in lieu of an interior mirror
- Racing seats fixed in place, pedalbox and wheel adjust
Is it going into production?
A total of 39 cars are planned to be built – one for each of Fittipaldi’s F1 Grand Prix wins. And how’s this to sweeten the deal – each customer will get personal coaching from Emerson himself (below!).
The finished production car is set to appear in spring 2018, and is said to look similar to but not quite the same as this concept. Although the car has been in development for a couple years, Pininfarina apparently did the styling in just six months.
It will also appear as a playable car in the Gran Turismo PlayStation game, as part of the Vision Gran Turismo concept car series.
Anything else I should know?
Pininfarina’s designed the EF7 to look a bit like a shark, at Emerson’s request.
Each customer can choose from a lengthy option list, including interior and exterior trim, wheel designs and racing liveries and numbers.
‘I have tried for years to explain to others what it truly feels like to be behind the steering wheel of a championship racecar,’ said Fittipaldi. ‘There is adrenaline and elation all rolled into an awe-inspiring inner fulfillment that leaves you craving for more. This is what our dream team created in the EF7 Vision Gran Turismo by Pininfarina.’
Intriguingly, this is ‘the first in a series of cars’ – pointing to more race-inspired cars to come from Fittipaldi Motors. Watch this space…
Click here for more post-F1 careers for grand prix racers
