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Owner-Racer Ferrari Program Continues With FXX Evoluzione

The very idea of the Ferrari's FXX program is simply amazing. Imagine for a moment that you become a test driver for one

The Ferrari FXX Evoluzione is back and better than ever. (Photo: Ferrari)

of the world's best sports car makers, driving a vehicle that could shape future generations of Ferrari supercars and racecars. The dream continues, as Ferrari has just announced that it will be extending the Corse Clienti program for another two years with the introduction of the FXX Evoluzione.

The first wave of the Clienti program resulted in plenty of telemetry information for Ferrari's engineers to file through and improve on the FXX, as well as its racing car and road car divisions. In 2006, the program's inaugural year, the racers logged 16,500 kilometers (10,252.6 miles), and this past year another 18,500 over the course of 14 group test sessions and 14 private test sessions. The extension of the FXX program should see an additional 35,000 kilometers (21,748.0 miles) of real world testing added over the next season when the 20 cars return to race tracks around the world.

Thanks

A race car for the road? No, sorry, just for the track. (Photo: Ferrari)

to information gathered and Ferrari engineers' continual obsession with performance, the 6.3-liter V12 has been enhanced to produce 860 horsepower at 9,500 rpm, which is higher in both output and revs than before. How may more revs? Ferrari was also able to find an extra 1,000 rpm of total engine speed, which is nothing short of astonishing. What's more, the car's F1 sequential gearbox shifts even faster than before, dropping 20 milliseconds from 80 milliseconds to 60. These powertrain modifications are just a few of the many changes that allow the Evoluzione to lap the brand's home Fiorano circuit two seconds faster than before, at one minute, sixteen seconds.

One of the biggest improvements to the car is with regards to its traction control system. The digital program in charge of keeping the engine tamed has actually been tweaked to be less intrusive, yet driver adaptive. The nine-stage

The FXX Evoluzione's 6.3-liter V12 has been enhanced to produce 860 horsepower at 9,500 rpm. (Photo: Ferrari)

system can be controlled by the driver on the fly, just as in Formula One, enabling the car to adapt to both driver and track. In terms of suspension work, the Evoluzione now features new suspension geometry plus longer lasting brake pads for the carbon ceramic Brembo brakes. This update also sees the car obtain slightly different bodywork that improves its aerodynamics and downforce. Different spoiler profiles, plus a new red and white livery differentiates model year 2008 cars from those before.

Being that all of these changes are itemized, they can be added on to the existing 20 non-Evoluzione FXXs, turning them into better performing machines as well. We can't see why any of the participants wouldn't choose to upgrade their car, considering the incredible investments already made into the older machines and that for such "clienti", cost is rarely an object. Besides building up driving skill over decades and becoming a Formula One star, Ferrari's FXX program is the real racing deal.

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