Hello guys. Any news about Eric's Clapton Ferrari 458 V12..?? Does anyone know if the construcrion have started?? Thank you in advance..
I reported on Eric Clapton's car a couple of weeks ago in the Boxer section. I was at the factory as it was being finished and test driven, but unfortunately we just missed the car and didn't see it. My contacts in the factory told me it is a 458 that has been given a different body, a modern variant of the Boxer. It is not a V12 - to get a V12 458 on the road would be very, very, difficult and expensive because it would need new crash tests etc.. To replace the body is much easier. At least - this is what I was told. I am sure that the story of the V12 came from the fact that all Boxers are 180 degree V12's. It is a shame that we haven't seen any pictures of it so far. I do hope they surface at some point as I am very curious to see what this interpretation of the Boxer would look like. It'd be hard to improve on Leonardo Fioravanti's lines! Onno
Oh i understand. With a V12 it would be a monster and a very special spec car.. Thank you very much for the informations JazzyO
First I have heard that this special 458 was given a different body; any mention of the exterior color? Onno that is very exciting news! At least the engine is in the right place for a 'Boxer' theme design. I wonder if this 458 model has 3 tail lights on each side of the rear lic plate holder??? CH
Can't tell you anything more than I was told at the Classiche department. They do the one-offs on one side of the department. There was an SA Aperta there being customised to GTO specification, but we just missed the 458 Boxer by half an hour or so. If I could go back in time I would change my visiting hours! It's exciting news but because I haven't heard anything about it from any other source, I'm almost starting to doubt my own story.... Anyway, let's hope she surfaces somewhere soon. Onno
I saw the car very recently; it looks absolutely excellent: obvious BB themes including "two tone" (but dark red metallic not Rosso Corsa), front grill, (dummy) horizonal slats on front boot lid but curved, matt black "carb covers" on engine compartment lid etc etc. It's brilliant because it's obviously not a BB, it has all the style of a 458 on which it's based (it's certainly not a V12) but it's equally obviously 2011. Three have been made: styling dummy, one crash test car and the current (only) real one. I assume the contributor who commented on one being "test driven" must have been referring to the crash test car as the real one is not quite finished. Everyone will want one - but contractually Ferrari can't supply unless EC agrees - and why would he?
Thanks for the great details about this new one off 458 speciale. Hopefully it's story will grace the pages of 'The Official Ferrari Magazine' in the not too distant future. Maybe Elton John will get a modern rendition of the Boxer theme to.... CH
okay, so Eric Clapton said in an interview, that there is nothing quit like the sound of a V-12 ferrari engine, its music to his ears.... how is he going to accept this "new" Ferrari with a body kit etc etc and a V-8 that all of us mortals have??
Boxers are technically not 180 degree V12s; by opening the angle of the cylinder banks about the crankshaft to 180 degrees there is no "V", just an opposing (Boxer) 12.
There is no V shape but in every other way it is a V12, which is why they are classified as a 180 degree V12. This is not my invention but well documented in literature. They are NOT true Boxer engines, true Boxers have any 2 opposing pistons sharing 1 double pin on the crank so that they move towards each other or away from each other in synch. In other words, they fire at the same time. This is not the case with Ferrari's flat 12s.
Correct, but the Berlinetta Boxer and the TestaRossa did not have boxer engines in them. They had 180 degree V12s. A Boxer crankshaft as 2 throws per pair of main bearings, a V has one crank journal per pair of connecting rods. Porsche engines are 6 cylinder boxers, Ferrari flat 12s are V12s with a 180 degree angle between banks.
The car is based on the looks of a BB with 458 mechanicals. The pics I saw were really nice. I believe it's almost finished.
Sounds really promising because to me the BB shape still looks modern today and combine that with the 458 mechanicals and it the result will be something pretty special.
The car has been delivered to Mr Clapton apparently. Not seen pics of the finished car - hopefully some time in March I am told.
It's supposed to look like a rebodied 512 boxer -- not a 458. It's a 458 under the skin but looks like a boxer on the outside. That's the latest rumor.