The 1986 F-117 prototype, which will later be followed by a second example, was the last work Mauro Forghieri signed with Ferrari, his home for almost a quarter of a century.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Ferrari transferred the connection, the transfer of the technical experience gained in racing (fundamentally with the GT and Sport), to its “street” models. But already in the 1970s and under the influence of Fiat, owner of Ferrari, the production of cars is multiplying, while at the competition level, the activity of the “Scuderia”, of the people of the racing department, focuses on the 1974 Formula 1. There is a separation between the two worlds, that the technological transfer between rail and industrialization is being lost, a loss that becomes more and more apparent as the seasons go by. And it’s becoming increasingly clear that a new path is needed for street Ferraris to evolve.
We are in 1984. The legendary engineer
Mauro Forghieri (deceased 2 November), technical director of Ferrari since 1962, is no longer concerned with its own racing cars (at this stage we are only talking about F1) and is transferring to the Office of Advanced Studies. Two years later he became the head of Ferrari Engineering SpA. Born on July 25, 1986, this new company is destined to take over the competition when it comes to providing technology and evolution to Ferrari road cars.
Ferrari Engineering’s first mission is to test new materials used by F1’s Ferraris on sports prototypes. For example, a first convertible is being tested with the mechanics of the Mondial 2+2 (central engine), and a superstructure of composites or composite materials. A second convertible, equipped with the 412 engine in the front, will later be used in resistance tests of these materials. These experiences will serve for the sporty evolution of the 288 GTO Group B, but destined for competition and which will lead to the F40.
But Ferrari Engineering focuses on road cars and so the factory codenamed F-117 number 1 is born, a red coupe that takes the study of structures, motors, suspensions and aerodynamics even further. And it is then, when Forghieri leaves Ferrari and brutally and traumatically breaks up a long collaboration, a rift in which many circumstances coincided, including family circumstances.
Life goes on and so does Ferrari Engineering. And a second F-117 was born but now yellow. The color is not the only difference. To begin with, the central cell. One of the first prototype was laser-welded stainless steel, while the second is even more advanced: it is formed by the assembly of small boxes made by folding aluminum plates. Four different thicknesses of aluminum are part of the fabrication (depending on the torsion they encountered) and the welding, always problematic with aluminum, was done using advanced adhesives using techniques more typical of the aviation industry than Formula 1 The aim was to seek the greatest possible weight savings while compensating for the lower elasticity of aluminum compared to steel. The work was carried out in collaboration with an aluminum giant, the Canadian firm Alcan International.
This central cell had two parts on each side: behind a tubular cradle that supported the engine and suspensions, and at the front a highly rigid cast magnesium structure, steering and suspensions, in a style inspired by Formula 1.
All four suspensions were identical. And it is that it was not only an all-wheel drive, like the first prototype, but the possibility of four steering wheels was also considered.
Returning to the four-wheel drive, the torque distribution was 29.3% on the front axle and 70.7% on the rear axle. The system was of the Ferguson type.
The engine, a V8 in a central longitudinal position with an unprecedented Weber-Marelli injection, produced 300 hp, but was even more remarkable for its torque: 38 mkg at 4,500 rpm. And it was atmospheric…
The body, apart from the colour, did not differ much from that of the first prototype. It was designed in Forghieri’s research department in Fiorano before Ferrari Engineering was founded. The design was more the result of an engineer’s research into new technical solutions than of a stylist’s aesthetic search. Now the aerodynamics were excellent: a Cx of 0.274.
But the most important thing was the material or rather the materials used in its manufacture: a kind of sandwich resulting from the injection of polyamide between two fiberglass plates. The thickness of the plates varied according to the panels, but never exceeded 4 to 4.5 millimetres. And even though we were talking about prototypes, it offered a very careful finish thanks to the treatment of the outer layer using a special polyester. The advantage of this “skin” was its lightness and with that the F-117 number 2 did not exceed 1,200 kilos.
Known as 408 RM, these two F-117 prototypes never became a street model, but they would be used to develop future Ferraris. And, let’s not forget, they have the indisputable value of being the last work signed by Mauro Forghieri at Ferrari, his home for nearly a quarter of a century, before embarking on a new adventure at Lamborghini. But that, you know, is another story.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
-U56135268078nBR-984x468.jpg "Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid: performance without compromise")
