About what year did Ferrari prototypes were able to exceed 200 mph?

I am pretty sure Jim G. will tone in here, but I will just take a wild guess that it was probably the P3 cars. I don't think that the 275 LM (which actually won the race) could have made that speed.

 

I would say between 67 and 70 cars were consistenly at 200MPH or more. I think the 330's were 190 -195MPH... The Mark 7 Fords were right at 200 MPH.. 917's and 512's were consistenly up in the 225 ish top end at Mulsanne corner - long tails...

 

Certainly by 1971...

As an aside does anyone know what max speeds ever were there? I thought I remembered 917's doing 240...
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These two cars helped push the 200 MPH barrier.

The brutal 450S at 193 MPH .

The "Costin" 450S at LeMans in 1957, at 199 MPH. Juan Fangio and Sterling Moss driving.

It wasn't just Ford and Ferrari that were braking the barriers then!!!

~just my .02 Lira on the pasta plate.
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Corrected that for you.


Onno

 

Translate in Ferrari language:
200.0 mph = 321.869 km/h

 

Also corrected that for you.


Onno

 

That Costin Zagato is superb

 

I think the wm peugeot made it past 400 km/h, can´t recall the year, probably the late 80's.

 

I think it was about 405 or 406 km/h and it was in 1988 or 1989 if i´m not mistaken...

 

from Wikipedia:

In 1989 too a W.M.-Peugeot set up a new record speeding at 406 km/h (253 mph) in the Ligne Droite des Hunaudières, famous for its 6 km (3.7 mi) long straight. Mazda would be the only Japanese manufacturer to succeed, with their unique rotary-powered 787B winning in 1991. For 1992 and 1993, Peugeot entered the sport and dominated the race with the Peugeot 905 as the Group C formula and World Sportscar Championship were fading in participation.

The circuit would also undergo one of its most notable changes in 1990, when the 5 km long Mulsanne was modified to include two chicanes in order to stop speeds of more than 400 km/h (249 mph) from being reached. This began a trend by the ACO to attempt to slow the cars on various portions of the track; although speeds over 320 km/h (199 mph) are still regularly reached at various points on a lap.

 

IIRC Peugot's goal in the 1989 race was purely to break the top speed record. They taped up all the cooling ducts to improve aerodynamics and basically destroyed an engine reaching the 406kph. They also claimed an even higher, but unofficial, top speed during a practice run.

 

In 1957 no less. Way ahead of its time. Maserati just had horrible luck though.

 

The Maserati 450S couldn't reach 200mph; for the Mille Miglia the gearbox was fitted with overdrive on top gear which, according to Stirling (not 'Sterling', please!) Moss, was calculated for 180mph at 6,700rpm.

The Ferrari 335S had similar power but was no faster, and the Jaguar D-Type 3.8-l had less power but a more slippery shape and reached 178mph at 6,200rpm.

The Costin/Zagato Maserati 450S Coupe should have been faster than the open ones but wasn't; it had been hurridly built and was missing a designed full-length undertray (amongst other things).

I believe the 1963 Aston Martin DP214 coupes were given the accolade of being the first to clock 300kph at Le Mans, which is 186mph.

In 1964 Richie Ginther in an early Ford GT40 is said to have briefly touched 200mph through the Mulsanne radar trap as he slipstreamed past 3 works Ferrari 330Ps, all clocked at about 190mph. The 7-litre 427 cu.in. GT40s in 1965 were probably the first to hit a genuine 200.

The P4 may, nay does, have the most beautiful shape ever, but it wasn't very efficient; none went over 197mph in 1967 on 450hp, when the Ford MkIV was doing 215mph on 525hp, and photos at the time of P4s on the Mulsanne show them all nose-up and riding high.

The first Ferrari definitely over 200 was the 512S longtail in 1970, doing 215 on test.

 

Paul, I never said it reached 200 MPH. Maserati S.p.A. quoted the top speeds in MPH; in theory or practice I do not know.

My apologies to Mr. Moss for the spelling error. The last time I discussed the misspelling of Mr. Moss's last name, he was very understanding. "Not to worry,...it happens all the time".

 

1967 330 P3/4

VEHICLE TYPE: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door targa

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 36-valve V-12, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 242 cu in, 3967cc
Power (SAE net): 450 bhp @ 8000 rpm
Torque (SAE net, C/D est): 320 lb-ft @ 6000 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 5-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 94.5 in
Length: 164.8 in
Width: 71.3 in
Height: 39.4 in
Curb weight: 1950 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Top speed (drag limited): 200 mph

A decent read...

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/instruments-of-war


http://www.**************/cars/556.html


In Detail
tags pcar
submitted by Richard Owen
type Racing Car
built at Modena, Italy
engineers Mauro Forghieri
engine Aluminum, Type 237 60º V12
position Mid Longitudinal
aspiration Natural
valvetrain DOHC, 3 Valves per Cyl
fuel feed Lucas Fuel Injection
displacement 3967 cc / 242.1 in³
bore 77 mm / 3.03 in
stroke 71 mm / 2.8 in
compression 11.0:1
power 335.6 kw / 450.0 bhp @ 8000 rpm
specific output 113.44 bhp per litre
bhp/weight 568.18 bhp per tonne
body / frame Aluminum Body over Tubular Steel Chassis
driven wheels RWD
front brakes Ventilated Discs
rear brakes Ventilated Discs
f suspension Double Wishbones w/Col Springs, Damper Units, Anti-Roll Bars
r suspension Double Wishbones w/Col Springs, Damper Units, Anti-Roll Bars
weight 792 kg / 1746 lbs
wheelbase 2400 mm / 94.5 in
front track 1488 mm / 58.6 in
rear track 1450 mm / 57.1 in
transmission 5-Speed Manual
top speed ~338.0 kph / 210 mph
Read more at http://www.**************/cars/556.html#SMIYzr7dyRkVYoXd.99

 

In 1988 too a WM Peugeot Driver Roger Dorchy at 405 km/h

Top speed record at Le Mans

1961 - 280 km/h - Maserati
1963 - 302 km/h - Ferrari
1967 - 343 km/h - Ford
1971 - 362 km/h - Porsche
1983 - 371 km/h - Porsche
1988 - 405 km/h - WM

See : http://www.lemans.org/fr/aco/presentation-aco.html

 

Just for fun...
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PiN34fwwyQ[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE2KSn8J_4A[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWld48zLk2I[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYF_Jyf8YW0[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2W6LCOYGQE[/ame]

 

The first car to reach & exceed the coveted "200" mph at LeMans was the Ford GT40.....Mark