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After winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time in almost six decades, Ferrari has announced it will build an undisclosed number of track-day only versions of the historic racing car – at a significant price.
Italian car-maker Ferrari is celebrating taking victory in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans by allowing its richest and loyalist customers to buy their own version of the race-winning car.
In June 2023, Ferrari won the 100th anniversary of Le Mans, with the trio of Alessandro Pier Guidi, Antonio Giovinazzi and James Calado taking the flag first in their Ferrari 499P sports prototype – breaking the five-year stranglehold on the event by Toyota.
The victory also marked the first win for a Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 1965 when its 250 LM sports car took victory – a car which anyone with enough money could buy at the time.
At its annual gala evening in New York last week, Ferrari revealed the ‘499P Modificata’ – a more powerful version of the car which won at Le Mans, but it isn’t allowed to be raced.
Instead, customers who pay the rumoured €5.1 million ($AU8.48 million) pre-tax price tag can have the 499P Modificata delivered to their local race track or taken to dedicated events run by Ferrari and serviced by a team of mechanics – a program known as the ‘Sport Prototipi Clienti’.
Similar programs exist for Ferrari’s range of ultra-exclusive ‘XX’ and GT-style racing cars, though the 499P Modificata is likely to be one of the fastest models the company is willing to sell and service for the well-heeled general public.
While the 499P Modificata looks identical to the car which took a historic victory at Le Mans, a number of tweaks under its bodywork means it is (in theory) even faster.
The Ferrari’s 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 engine – shared with the 296 road car – produces 520kW while its front electric motor can now deploy an additional 120kW for up to seven seconds with a ‘push-to-pass’ system.
Racing versions of the 499P are restricted by regulations to only use their electrical power at speeds of 190km/h or higher, but the Modificata – which has not been designed to run in any series – can do so at any speed, even from a standstill.
Inside, the driver’s seat is wider than the one found in the original racing car, while a digital rear-view mirror has also been added.
In the World Endurance Championship, all competitors in the Le Mans Hybrid (LMH) class are forced to run on Michelin tyres, though Ferrari’s partnership with fellow Italian brand Pirelli sees the 499P Modificata using slick tyres which the brands claim can warm up easier.
Other details from the racing car such as a seven-speed paddle-operated transmission, traction control and adjustable brake-by-wire remain to allow private owners to feel like they’re driving the closest thing to a Le Mans winner as possible.
Ferrari has not yet detailed how many examples of the 499P Modificata it plans to build, though expect low production numbers due to its high price and the resources required to keep the fleet running.
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