The Greatest Racecar to Never Race

In this episode we take a deep dive into one of the biggest "What Ifs" in recent motorsport history. This GT racecar prototype was meant to compete in the BPR and FIA GT Championships.
Rom Di Prisco remixes by @mellowsonic
Bandcamp mellowsonic.ba...
This video mentions; Ferrari, Ferrari F40, Ferrari F50, Ferrari F250 Ferrari F80, McLaren, McLaren W1, McLaren F1, F1 GTR, Porsche, Porsche Mission X, 911 GT3, 911 GT1, 24 hours, Le Mans, Formula 1, Ferrari F80, La Ferrari, Enzo, FIA GT, V12, F50, F50 GT, Callaway Corvette, NSX, Senna, Alain Prost

[@Shivsterr]

I knew it was an F50 from the thumbnail, Ask me how? It’s because I have two of them (models) Sitting on my table with the roof and the rear lid off.😀

[@Lego_Huracan_SuperTrofeo]

Got me in the first half 😂😂

[@BRAINFxck10]

For me "the greatest race car to never race" was the Lancia ECV2, nearly 40 years later and it's still pretty fururistic

[@premonemo]

Füreristic 🫡

[@arjitagarwal007]

Lancia can never be a practical road car , but McLaren was design for roads not for tracks, with few modifications it's race ready GT Race car

[@Flying_Fetus]

​@@premonemo💀

[@kantina4765]

@@arjitagarwal007 What is this mentally ill comment supposed to mean

[@JewelzTheEmeraldGod]

​@@arjitagarwal007bro is onto nothing

[@snuppssynthchannel]

F50 GT FTW, arguably the most extreme non F1 Ferrari alongside the Ferrari 612P and 712 can am. The Ferrari to crush McLaren there and then if there ever was one, a shame it never raced. Also got to love that Rom de prisco Remix music choise, Rom de Prisco set the perfect auditory example of the speed, the mystery and sleek beauty of the super car exotics of the era. Great video!

[@gabrace]

Such a cool stuff to learn about cars. Love the video and the NFS soundtrack on this documentary. Fits perfect for the era!

[@LSDdreams808]

They say the F50 GT is the fastest track focused car ferrari ever made that is not an F1 car. One of the F50 GTs is said make close to 1000hp after it was crashed an rebuilt by the owner.

[@fabiocontrera559]

It seems to me the F80 will be similar to the F50 in the sense that many Will start to apreciate the car only after some years. People are clomplaining about the engine not being a V12, but the numbers of the F80 are just mind blowing. And also It looks amazing. At least for me

[@1erickf50]

Unless the engine actually does sound high pitched and nice, I don't see it happening. The F80's aesthetics aren't as well ordered as previous generations, not even a spec of harmony like that of the sensual F50. The proper revival of the V6 Dino has already happened with the 296 GTB. If anything, the F80 would either be considered a lesser sounding street legal FXX-K or a copy of the Mercedes One concept, unlike the miracle mix of technical novelty and manual purism that was the F50.

[@juim1j]

4:22 Thank you for including the credits for the article, I wrote that with Max a few years ago, and my eyes immediately lit up when I saw my name on the screen. To his credit, that particular part was written by Max. Thank you.

[@SpecMDriven]

The thanks goes to you guys. These older articles and videos are gold and deserve to be shared and appreciated. Thank you and Max

[@evulfuson]

Thank you for this video. I'm a 90s kid and I remember watching Schumacher fighting Villeneuve for the 97 championship, then Hakkinen for the 98 and 99 championships. The Ferrari F50 was (and still is) my favorite supercar, and it's all to do with those nostalgic childhood memories.

[@mavr1ck_garage]

Using the need for speed music in the background was perfect for this video

[@benhodkinson6467]

I didn’t like the F50, the cabin shape and integrated spoiler made it look too soft. The GT however is absolutely perfect! What a treat your video was.

[@larquefausse3623]

14:52 There actually were some road-going versions of both the 911 GT1 and CLK GTR (eventually) which were built for homologation of the racecars. The regular 911/CLK were not the models used for the homologation process. Also, the 911 GT1 did not use the 962 engine (the Type-956), but rather the Type-M96 which uses a simliar, but different F6T layout. Drivers of both engines have noted the Type-M96 for being "torque-ier" and less free-revving than the Type-956. 15:13 The "Longtail" F1 GTR was actually VERY COMPETITIVE in the 1997 FIA GT season winning 5 of the 11 rounds being the only real competition for the CLK GTR while even the 911 GT1 factory team fell to the wayside to the other two. Even at Le Mans, the F1 GTR would win the GT1 class (beating the 911 GT1; Mercedes was a no-show) finishing 2nd overall just one lap down under the winning prototype car.

[@Hellisoy]

Good comment, I also found the quote about the 956 strange. But I was too lazy to research it

[@dannymac6368]

I loved this car. Most memorable Hot Wheel I owned as a kid. I endeavored to learn everything I could about it, but was disappointed by the lack of readily available information out there in the mid 90’s. Awesome video.

[@mikeike6823]

Great film, you earned a subscriber! I miss informative car journalism like this, as most of the bigger channels either disappeared or sold out.

[@carjourney5157]

Man am I glad that I stumbled onto your channel. What a great video about an obscure Ferrari, not many people would even think such a thing would exist. I'm very excited to see what will come next for this channel. If you keep this up, a KZbin play button will be coming to you very soon I think👍

[@briangriffith3985]

i always liked the F50 more than the F40. that V12 sound👌🏾

[@VictorPeg-x6z]

Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it.

[@senna6547]

288 wasnt built for group b rally. it was for group b road-racing in the WEC.

[@kirisaki.777]

you're wrong

[@adrianzanoli]

@@kirisaki.777 no he is right, the 288 GTO Evoluzione that exists have the CK engine designed for endurance and they are all 5 with endurance specs, there was a CR engine developed for rally but they never built a 288 rally specs for it bcs the 288 program was halted in 1986.

[@jorhop4005]

​@@kirisaki.777 You know Group B wasn't just for rallying right?

[@Schnitzer325ci]

Wow. Some of these numbers are now street power.

[@LukeCannotSkate]

Which mostly make up for excessive weight 🥲

[@spreilly71]

Can-am cars were making 1200hp back in the 60s. Horsepower has never been the limiting factor, maximizing grip has.

[@evansmith2279]

I remember seeing it in magazines and so wished it’d race - it was so awesome!

[@95mushroom]

Great vid. Ultimate fantasy; F50 GT #001 and Toyota un-mothballs the TS020 road car, and we have a lap time battle. Easily my two choices "if you could have any car in the world" that I bounce around between.

[@AugusSara]

Don't wait for your feelings to change to take the action. Take the action and your feelings will change.

[@aloniabasmerom8868]

This is by far the highest revving naturally aspirated V12 powered Ferrari ever with a roof

[@benhodkinson6467]

Thank you. 🙏

[@rancon265]

The first CLK GTR was a McLaren F1. The body even looked the same. There's a pic of it wrecked.

[@davidpedwardsiii5581]

Yoooo that was the ZL1 LM Car! The C8 makes perfect sense now.

[@carsstuffchannel8576]

THIS IS WHY I HAVE ASSETTO CORSA TO RACE 90S GT1s

[@davidpedwardsiii5581]

To this day, what happens to the F50 at birth, is tragic.

[@HoveringSombrero964]

Finally. Thank you

[@YvesHutt]

He had concluded that pigs must be able to fly in Hog Heaven.

[@idreessahadat3002]

Ferrari was always masters of strategy. The F50 was never meant to be a le mans racer. It was just ferraris flagship model at the time representing the pinnacle of its f1 efforts at the time. Today the decision is different as is evidenced by its le mans efforts.

[@peterbarkley8296]

You sound like a more serious videogamedunkey. Great video and content btw

[@steffenreimann2854]

Greatest race car that never raced was the Peugeot 905 EVO 2 "Supercopter"!

[@rogerpayne5336]

Dam shame the F50 GT got canned as it was a beautiful race car and fast as f with a glorious sound track. The fans would have loved it.

[@neddy1287]

I like the GT version of the F40 and the F50 I love the back and side view but hated the headlights as it makes it look like it have fish eyes but the sound of the V12 it eargasm by a long shot

[@aloniabasmerom8868]

18:21: A 992 GT3R on steroids

[@demenc333]

babe wake up new Spec M video dropped

[@bastianarnhardt1069]

3:25 911 Labre fight against the McLaren😃

[@TenorCantusFirmus]

I think the F50 GT actually is what the F50 should have been since the beginning, straight out the production line. That would have been a truly epic successor to the F40.

[@katana1430]

At 4:20, is that guy carrying an ANV battle flag?

[@detgoat]

curated just sold the yellow f50 for 6m.

[@ZenDrives]

With the F80 being a hybrid v6, and the W1 not having a v12, "The Trinity" is dead because now enter new serious contenders: ZR1, Tourbillon's eventual "Bolide", (yes, startup but it speaks for itself) Czinger, Mcmurty, etc... the idea that "Ferrari, Porsche, Mclaren" are some sort of standalone examples is just plain low IQ or straight up denial.

[@12onin_Gypsy]

69mm stroke should have hit 11000rpm reliably

[@k-dog7013]

I wish they would have raced it. With how fast it theoretically was maybe it could have kept up with the Porsche and Mercedes?

[@griffinfaulkner3514]

Probably not. By that point GT1 cars had evolved into prototypes in all but name, nothing that was truly production-based would've stood a chance. It might've had the power and weight of the later GT1 cars, but I guarantee it wasn't even close in terms of center of gravity or aerodynamic efficiency. It would've done well against the earlier F1 GTR, even the Longtail version, but the 911 GT1 (the Evo in particular), CLK GTR, R390, and TS020 would've eaten it alive. Even the Elise GT1 would likely beat it on pure pace.

[@1erickf50]

Nah, it was still a curbstomp in favor of the F50 GT, at least in terms of lap times. Have you seen the Ciao Italia where it could overlap a FXX with ease? In fact, Art-Z's actually overlapped a F1 GTR while in reverse... *If anything, the real problem Ferrari wasn't able to overcome without sacrificing its F1 budget would the related to the endurace itself.* Ferrari wasn't really known for reliability and there were still too few F50 GTs built to replace to compensate for any accidents happenind during the races.

[@DM-wp9vq]

Who cares what engine powers the car (cylinder count wise)? Some of the coolest sounding cars I've ever seen were 5cyl, V4's, and of course V6's like the Busso. Then of course there are a myriad of 8's, 10's, 12's, and a few insane 16's.

[@blacksheep1971]

Seems to me Enzo spent his whole life holding Ferrari back with his shady dealings with F1! 💰💰💰💰

[@alexproctor524]

Bro it’s the F80 not the F250 but I feel you tho

[@rohanalias9053]

The f250 was the project name..... before the car's final name was revealed.... The laferrari was called project f150 and f70 at different stages of development

[@alexproctor524]

@@rohanalias9053 doesn’t really matter when he made the video days after the cars been released as the F80 but ok

[@rohanalias9053]

@@alexproctor524 he prolly recorded that part way before...it's been only a few days since the launch so it's understandable imo

[@SpecMDriven]

We know it's called the F80, the voiceover was recorded like end of Sept - first week of October.

[@longsleevethong1457]

I’m the greatest race car driver to never race.

[@davidpedwardsiii5581]

Titanium Rods?? Jesus

[@zacharykelly7434]

Gm put them in production cars in the 00s 🤷‍♂️ (LS7)

[@7stiano123]

It's engine was probably insanely unreliable

[@geniferteal4178]

Such a shame Ferrari had such poor quality footage from the factory.Interesting to see the same footage shot both in film and VHS. As someone who strives for the best quality image possible in my edits, I don't understand the purpose of this. Why would you "effectively" ruin the footage? 😂😅😊

[@MisterMonsieur]

@SpecMDriven -- Buddy, your audio levels are all over the place. Maybe watch a tutorial to get it right next time?

[@davekennedy6315]

McLaren F1 is STILL the true ULTIMATE road car EVER MADE! A car that won races even though it was supposed to be a road car only! If only TVR had sorted their Speed 12 out too. A NA 7ltr quad can 48 valve V12 with power between 700-1000bhp in a car that only weighed a little over 1000kg!

[@benhodkinson6467]

Truly a beast of a car, IMO TVR didn’t have the resources to make a go of development and campaigning it. But it is nice to imagine it competing with the best…

[@Casey_E]

​@@benhodkinson6467The TVR was a straight line car..It wouldn't have stood a chance against the likes of the F1 GTR

[@sidewalkere]

7.7l, actually. Truly a big beast of an engine.

[@MyNameishidden-l2f]

V12s

[@BestKiteboardingOfficial]

Beanie nixed it, and that's why ferrari got more cash from f1 than any other team.

[@Hellisoy]

Comparing a 935 with a F50 GT seams strange And I guess the power would be restriced, see the McLaren F1. Call it the greatest ? Dont know ...

[@briangriffith3985]

that's the 935 K3. those cars were ballistic

[@1erickf50]

If anything. That gives testament on how well built the chassis was made under the care of Dallara.

[@Hellisoy]

@@briangriffith3985 A racecar from the 70s

[@idokwatcher2062]

The greatest what if is the Koenigsegg GT1

[@nick2128]

Did you RACECAR is spelled RACECAR backwards ..

[@CaolanMcmanus]

FFX Original.

[@ArnoldQMudskipper]

The F50 road car was disappointing when it came out. It wasn't good looking. Had that 90s melted cheese styling. Didn't feel special, compared with the F40.

[@briangriffith3985]

and years laters, younger journalists reviewed them and had different opinions to those older guys at the time. the styling may not be to everyone's taste (personally i love it) but it was by no means a bad car

[@1erickf50]

Actually, part of the disappointment came from the fact the F50 wasn't much of an improvement over the F40 in terms of lap times and top speed. However, let's take into account that the F50 did manage to be a few fractions faster in Fiorano, while having less power than the F40's real numbers and being heavier by almost 400lbs, *as well as giving a raw fully connected driving experience and much more confidence in cornering the track, which was only later emulated by the latter Porsche Carrera GT, th AM Valkyrie and the Cprvette C8, as well as enjoying a NA V12 F1 engine with manual transmission...*

[@deanstevenson6527]

🥝✔️

[@lsh6707]

❤i love this car❤ Forza 2 or 3 simulator game😂😅😂

[@briangriffith3985]

forza 4💪🏾

[@martincosta790]

El F50 tiene un feo diseño . Pero muy buenas prestaciones !

[@Lazerus2008]

The F40 is a way faster car than an F50. Ferrari banned any side by side tests of the two cars when the F50 was released because of the performance difference. On paper the F40 has less horsepower. In reality the F40 had about 530 hp, not the 487 the factory said it had and weighed a bit less than stated.

[@benhodkinson6467]

Disagree

[@lorenzo_1096]

Out of curiosity, is there any source out there that really shows that the F40 makes over 500hp? Why didn’t Ferrari say the real HP at the time?🤔

[@benhodkinson6467]

Regardless of the F40’s true figure, it would not have seen which way a 900bhp F1 engined, carbon tubbed race prepped F50gt went. The f40 was more impactful and beautiful, but NOT more capable…

[@clumsygarage1578]

@@lorenzo_1096if it really did make 530 horsepower, it would make it even more strange that apparently no F40 has ever reached its claimed 201 mph top speed. I’ve heard several times over the years that nobody has been able to prove they’ve got one over 200, and apparently they have very optimistic speedometers lol.

[@oliverwange8264]

By faster do you mean quicker? The F40 has better acceleration than the F50. It's 315lbs lighter than the F50 which is why it is quicker.

[@ec6843]

lol V-6 hybrid is your new hypercar....just no