For its latest supercar, legendary design house and coachworks Pininfarina has enlisted Emerson Fittipaldi, one of the most well-known Formula racers of all time. In the EF7 Vision Gran Turismo that was unveiled in Geneva, Fittipaldi has designed his dream track car, and the track-ready, yet street-legal EF7 will enter limited production soon.
Fittipaldi has plenty of experience behind the wheel, racing (and winning) Formula One and Indy Car, and the Fittipaldi EF7 Vision Gran Turismo will be the first car released under the Fittipaldi Motors marque. It's a collaboration between the race legend, Pininfarina, and engineering firm HWA AG, and after being teased a few days ago, has now been unveiled in all its glory.
Made largely of carbon fiber, the car is built to be ultra-light and evokes classic Pininfarina designs bearing Italian nameplates like Ferrari and Lamborghini. Underneath, though, the influence of Fittipaldi is seen in the car's extreme power-to-weight ratio and excellent wheelbase and track proportions.
The designers of this supercar have not announced the engine to be used, saying only that it's a naturally-aspirated V8. The car's weight, though, is a mere 2,205 lb (1,000 kg), which is about the same weight as an Alfa Romeo 4C. The 4C gets along with 237 hp (177 kW), whereas the EF7 will boast more than 600 hp (447 kW). That's a lot of power pushing along not very much weight.
Viewing the sculpted EF7 (named for Emerson Fittipaldi and his seven children) one can't help but think of the Pininfarina Ferrari Sergio concept shown in Geneva in 2013. The Sergio's hood and side intakes were similar to the EF7, and like most mid-engine cars, the EF7's rear half is all business.
The overall lines for the Pininfarina EF7 Vision Gran Turismo are classic. Manufacturing for the supercar is to be done at Fittipaldi Motors, itself chaired by Emerson Fittipaldi. Engineering on the EF7 was done by HWA AG, another respected name in race car engineering and high-end vehicle parts. And, of course, the Vision Gran Turismo in the name refers to the car's upcoming virtual presence in that video game.
Pininfarina and Emerson say that the EF7 will be built to order in limited numbers.
Source: Pininfarina
