Pininfarina is probably the most famous design house in the automotive world. For many years it was responsible for and still plays a role in the design of Ferrari’s majestic cars and has even developed its own supercar. Over the years the design house has created some amazing machines, but one of the more unusual and perhaps lesser-known is that of the Pininfarina Ferrari P4 / 5. This is a very exclusive, one-time version of the Ferrari Enzo, commissioned by James Glickenhaus.
Everything came about when Pininfarina approached the American film director whether he wanted to create something unique, a one-off special. Glickenhaus, a car fan and of course now with his own Le Mans hypercar team, said yes and what we got was an extraordinary car that Ferrari didn’t know about until it was actually built. It even produced a racing version of the car that was just as impressive. As unique pieces, the Ferrari P4 / 5 or Glickenhaus P4 / 5, as it is sometimes called, has to be one of the most impressive there is.
The background story and development of the Ferrari P4 / 5 from Pininfarina
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The P4 / 5 has often been called the ultimate Enzo, and for good reason. Pininfarina and Glickenhaus wanted to make sure the car was street legal. So the Italian design house got hold of the last built and unapproved Ferrari Enzo, but without a body, and built its own body on the Enzo chassis. Even the interior was completely new. In terms of powertrain, the P4 / 5 would also use the Tipo F140 B 6.0 liter V12 that had become so famous in the Enzo.
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It would have taken a long time to develop a completely new chassis and get it approved for road traffic. Hence, starting with one of the best supercars currently available, making millions for both Glickenhaus and Pininfarina was definitely a wise director and carried an absolutely huge price tag. Even the vehicle identification number, or VIN for short, is the same, unchanged number that the car had in its basic Enzo form. The car first appeared in public in August 2006 at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and was soon nicknamed “The Beast of Turin”.
A breathtaking redesign
about Glickenhaus
The design of the car is different from any other Ferrari. Made entirely of carbon fiber reinforced plastic, the car has a shape similar to the Ferrari 330 P4 prototype racing car of the 1960s. This was done at the request of Glickenhaus, who wanted every car he got to resemble this remarkable Ferrari prototype. This effectively made the car, as it was called, a “rolling piece of Ferrari racing DNA”. Other Ferraris were used to inspire the design, such as the Ferrari 512S which inspired the design of the rear window. The Ferrari 330 P3 inspired the side vents, with the nose similar to that of the Ferrari 333 SP.
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The P4 / 5 even has butterfly doors inspired by those on the McLaren F1. The interior has meanwhile been designed by Glickenhaus itself. The new interior actually improves some of the Enzo’s features, such as air conditioning, while also adding a high-strength aluminum roll bar that allows for a better view from the car. The seats themselves are adapted to the shape of Glickenhaus and his son’s body for maximum comfort. It really is a remarkable piece of engineering.
A Ferrari secret
across the road and across the road
Ferrari initially had no idea the car was being built, but asked that the car be officially labeled as Ferrari after it was seen. Glickenhaus and Pininfarina agreed, hence the full name of the car, the Pininfarina Ferrari P4 / 5. Glickenhaus then developed a racing version of the P4 / 5, which was to race in the Nürburgring 24 Hours in 2011. This would carry a Glickenhaus as Ferrari wanted nothing to do with the project. This time based on an F430 Scuderia, he won his class in the race in 2012 and finished the race in 12th place overall.
A really special one-of-a-kind
via Ferrari Motor Car Sales
One-off cars could one day be a thing of the past as we move to a more sustainable way of living and getting around. It could one day just be too expensive and polluting to build such cars, not least because the P4 / 5 wouldn’t have been very exciting if it had an electric drive. It’s hard to find this one-off, but with the foundation of one of the greatest Ferrari road cars ever built, it has to be at the top of the leaderboard. It is a really special machine that we are grateful for, was brought into this world.
Sources: Pininfarina, Supercars, Road And Track, Glickenhaus, Car Pixel
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About the author
Henry Kelsall
(1593 articles published)
From JDM cars to WWII machines. Has worked at HotCars since autumn 2018.
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