Everything you need to know about the Ferrari 333 SP

Posted on 09-11-2015 at 21:58 by dizono – 19 Comments”

This would just even the least famous Ferrari from the 90’s can be, it is high time for a little brush up.

For years dominated Ferrari with sportscars, especially with racing cars in the prototype class. In the mid – ’60 is Ford looking at the corner with the cast GT40, while in 1970, the Porsche comes out with the seemingly unbeatable 917. Ferrari tries valiantly to maintain with cars like the 512M and 312PB, but stops in the 1973 final, with the development of prototypes for the sportwagenracerij. Instead, they focus completely on Formula 1, where in 1973, a few races had to skip because of a lack of speed and reliability.

In the early ’90s is racing with prototypes, mainly in the US playing, anyway at the point of death. The IMSA GT championship for the season of 1994, a lot on the shovel with the introduction of the new prototypeklasse World Sports Cars (WSC). More important for the revival of the IMSA GT championship, however, are the rumours that Ferrari is working on a return. Ginapiero Moretti, founder of Momo, it would be Piero Ferrari have convinced a racing car to build.

During the third race of 1994 the world for the first time acquainted with the Ferrari 333 SP. And how! The car occupied the first two podiumplekken during his debuutrace and continues throughout the season, excellent sporting performance. Since Oldsmobile the first two races quite a number of points to address, know Ferrari in 1994, just not the constructeurstitel to attract.

Dalara-chasis with Ferrari F1 engine

The Ferrari 333 SP, so to speak, with the name themselves and explain if the content of one cylinder, with the addition of the initial letters of a Sports Prototype. Not Ferrari but Dallara developed chassis of the car. The block is, of course, be at Ferrari come from. The Italians use the V12 from the Ferrari 641, the F1 car from 1990, as a basis. The engine displacement is increased from 3498 to 3997 cc. Since in those days F1 engines have exactly one race + uitrijronde needs, the life span of the block is stretched by the power which back to screws. Where the V12 in the 641 still good for about 680 bhp, there delivers the enlarged block in the 333 SP is still fine for 600 hp at 11.500 rpm. The tank is indeed sequential, but has only 5 gears.

It is striking, incidentally, that with the advent of the WSC class, the used engines had to be derived from those in production models. The Ferrari 641 is certainly not a production model, but the Ferrari F50. Also this one has a V12 that is derived from the block out of the 641, with a capacity of 4.7 instead of 4 liters. Who are Ferrari facts, though, a little at a glance, know that the F50 was not until 1995 that appeared. The Italians knew their racecar to approve with a ‘productiemotor’ of a car that is still at least a year in coming… The car was just to purchase, but you had to be around 1 million dollar over the bridge. Certainly at that time a hefty sum, all you got for that money or an extra V12, some spare bodywork and fabrieksondersteuning.

Everywhere successful, except at Le Mans

Back to the circuit, because there remains the Ferrari 333 SP high performance. In 1995, Ferrari the title and win, they also the 12 hours of Sebring. Twice as long to race at Le Mans turns out to be not successful, the 333 SP scores never better than a sixth place in 1997. Ferrari with 9 victories, still third on the list of most successful brands in Le Mans, but the last victory dates back to 1965.

From 1997 season to start the few years to count for the 333 SP. There is still the car raced until 2003 (in the last year with a Judd engine), since then the car only in action during events such as the Finali Mondiali and races for historical cars. Overall, the 333 SP part 144 kampioenschapsraces, of which 56 were won and 69 times the batter was laid on poleposition. In total there are 40 copies were built, of which a large number has never participated in official races and the last pass in 2001, was built. This one was last year on auction for 2,365 million dollars.

Gallery: Ferrari 333 SP

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