An awful lot of cars have made themselves famous while using just four tires. Formula 1 teams’ tire total per race is around 140 – i.e. 35 sets of Pirellis.
With Jim Glickenhaus’ featherweight Ferrari F430 GT2-based 470-horsepower P4/5 Competizione about to tackle the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring at the end of June in the new EXP1 class, the car’s tire sponsor Pirelli is bringing, according to Glickenhaus, 800 tires along, using the occasion to test like mad whether it be daytime heat sets, night sets, wet sets, semi-slick sets, you name it.
As the P4/5 Competizione has proven itself durable so far, looks like it may last the whole 24 hours, being hampered perhaps only by the plethora of pit stops it’ll be constrained to effect while Pirelli tests the various quartets of rubber.
Glickenhaus and his Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus are awaiting word from the racing authorities to let them (or not) have active aerodynamics incorporated in the rear wings and (perhaps) along the flanks to cover the big side intakes when not needed. According to Mr. Glickenhaus, “In the corners the car is remarkable with masses of downforce, but on the straights that same downforce makes it hit a wall so far as the speed it’s capable of.” He says that the car can go just under 8’30” on an all-out Nür-lap as is, and is capable of considerably faster times if changes are approved.
He hints that if this concession is not granted for the rest of this season and perhaps into the next, the people behind the project may pull it from competition and instead create a very limited-edition street-going run of the sexy beast.
Either way, we’re just glad that types like Jim Glickenhaus are still out there and that this remarkable piece of work exists at all.
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