Ferrari 512
Ferrari 512 S
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| Category | Group 5 sports car |
|---|---|
| Constructor | Ferrari |
| Technical specifications | |
| Chassis | Steel tube space frame with riveted aluminium panels |
| Suspension (front) | Double wishbone, outboard coil spring/Koni damper, anti-roll bar |
| Suspension (rear) | Single top-link, reversed lower wishbone, twin radius arms, outboard coil spring/Koni damper, anti-roll bar |
| Axle track | 1,518 mm (59.8 in) front 1,511 mm (59.5 in) rear |
| Wheelbase | 2,400 mm (94.5 in) |
| Engine | Ferrari 4,993.53 cc (304.7 cu in) DOHC, 48-valve, 60° V12, naturally aspirated, mid-mounted |
| Transmission | Ferrari 5-speed manual |
| Brakes | Girling disc brakes |
| Tyres | 90-24-15 front 14.5-26.2-15 rear |
| Competition history | |
| Notable entrants |
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| Debut | 1970 24 Hours of Daytona |
| First win | 1970 12 Hours of Sebring |
Ferrari 512 S is the designation for 25 sports cars built in 1969–70, with five-litre 12-cylinder ("512") engines, related to the Ferrari P sports prototypes. The V12-powered cars were entered in the 1970 International Championship for Makes by the factory Scuderia Ferrari and private teams. Later that year, modified versions resembling their main competitor, the Porsche 917, were called Ferrari 512 M (for modificata). In the 1971 International Championship for Makes, the factory focused on the new Ferrari 312 PB and abandoned the 512 which was only entered by privateers. From 1972 onwards, the 512 (as the 917) was withdrawn from the world championship following a change in the regulations, and some 512s in private hands were entered in CanAm and Interserie races.
The Ferrari 512 is named for its engine displacement, five litres, and its engine configuration, V12.
Until 1967, Ferrari raced four-litre prototypes (see Ferrari P), but due to the high speeds it achieved in Le Mans, also by the seven-litre V8 Ford GT40, the rules were changed for 1968 limiting Group 6 prototypes to a maximum engine capacity of three litres, as in Formula One. Despite having a suitable engine, Ferrari sat out the 1968 season, to return in 1969 with the Ferrari 312 P. In that year, Porsche had taken full advantage of a loop hole with the Porsche 917, making the risky investment of building 25 examples of a five-litre car to allow homologation into the FIA's Group 5 sports car category. Selling half of his business to Fiat, Enzo Ferrari raised the funds to match that investment. Surplus cars were intended to be sold to racing customers, which meant that several dozen high powered sports cars were available, and with each requiring two drivers in an endurance race, there was a shortage of experienced pilots.
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