It's like an Advent calendar: almost every day a new creation...
About this creation
Just in time comes our third and final contender for the Group of respected Car Builders' first contest. Regarding our last entry, the 1957 Testa Rossa, the new car bridges a 46 years gap. That's quite a long period of racing history - and in racing technology as well.
Now, here it is: the 2003 Ferrari 575 GTC (Gran Turismo Competizione)
Ferrari did not earn its legendary status by selling expensive high-performance cars to the upper class - it is based on the very successful racing history. Therefore it seems rather odd we don't feature almost any racing cars on our page (aside from modified F430s and the FXX as well as a F1 car). So, here we go for something very new...
History
"After Ferrari had withdrawn from all racing but Formula 1 in the early 1970s, customers modified various models for competition use. Some with more success than the others, but with both the 365 GTB/4 Daytona Competizione and 550 GTS Maranello, class victories at Le Mans were scored. The success of the latter in the 2003 Le Mans race inspired Ferrari's client race department, 'Corse Clienti', to build a race ready version of Ferrari's latest Grand Tourer, the 575M Maranello.
Of the 550 Maranello, various independent developers produced competition versions, starting with the XL-Racing 550, but none were as successful as the Prodrive prepared examples. In 2003, 550s won their class at Le Mans and were victorious in the FIA GT Championship. With the 575 GTC, Ferrari aimed to give their customers a chance to race a fully factory prepared race car, but there is no intention to return to GT racing as a works team in the foreseeable future.
The road going 575M Maranello was extensively modified to suit the needs of racing in the GTS class. The Most important changes were made to the chassis and body. Although the basic tubular frame chassis was retained, it was strengthened and a roll-cage was added. A wider track and the extensive use of carbon fibre were also major modifications. The engine was enlarged to displace just under six litres and produce just over 600 bhp with the mandatory air-restrictors fitted.
In its racing debut at the 2003 Estoril FIA GT race, the 575 GTC scored a very promising first victory by beating the Prodive 550s, who finished in second and third. Unfortunately the success could not be matched in the following races, which is not uncommon considering the 575 GTC was a completely new racer. One thing the new car proved to be immdediately, was reliable.
Over the 2003-2004 winter months, a new team was formed to run two 575 GTCs, Barron-Connor. The main man behind the outfit is John Bosch, who won the European Ferrari 360 Challenge in 2002 and the FIA Sportcar Championship in 2003. He has been a long-time collector of Ferrari racing cars and has many modern F1 racers in his collection, but also races a Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Competizione in the Historic Ferrari/Maserati Challenge.
The new team and cars made their debut in the 12 Hours of Sebring race in March of 2004. Although they were not on pace with the class-winning Chevrolet Corvette C5R, the car's reliability granted the team its first class podium with a second place finish. The second car did not manage to finish after a suspension failure. The 24 Hours of Le Mans test day saw the European debut for the Barron-Connor team."
The lower side skirt hosts the rather tine exhaust pipes
Fuel-fillers
Diffuser
I ordered 4 new 2x2 tiles with middle stud to give the rear lights a sleek look... turned out even better than expected IMO
Rear tow hook. The tiny blue thing connects to the integrated air-jacks.
As said, the track is 17 studs wide, the cockpit section 15... resulting in excessive use of "cheese" slopes
The huge rear wing accentuates the car's racing-genes.
Ducts and vents to provide internal air-flow and thus cooling.
NOT suitable for the LEGO® purist: a red 4x3x1 panel experienced a unhappy encounter with a very sharp knifeblade... This thin strut gave me headaches!
Opening features and Interior
Incorporating opening doors were a bit tricky on this one: due to the 17-wide front I couldn't just use normal hinges. Then I recalled an ingenious technique by Ralph Savelsberg . All credits go to him!
Lengths of flex tubing,pneumatic hoses and 14 minifig hands were used in the roll cage. I went for blue to add some color to the black & gray drabness.
The "Passenger"'s side holds the fire extinguisher system, intercom and electrics. The control units and switches on the center console connect to a single wiring harness.
A multi function display and a whole variety of switches dominate the center console. A simple lever operates the 6-speed sequential gearbox.
OMP ultra-light racing seat with increased head support and 4-point seatbelts provide comfort as well as safety. Certainly FIA-homologated ;-)
^ That was tricky, hehehe...
Rear hatch
Where the roadcar has its rather small trunk, the racing car holds the gas cylinder for the integrated air-jack system. Unfortunately it's not THAT detailed. I ran across some superdetailed pics
after taking these photos; the only pics I had first were dark, blurry and showed a Kyosho 1:18 model...
Engine bay
Not much to see here: the 6-liter V-12 lies concealed under the huge air filter
Anyway, lots of possibilities for detailing...
605 bhp, 0-100 kph in 3,5 sec. and a top speed of 335 kph... impressive numbers!
Paddock area
The above mentioned door hinge technique allow to easily detach the doors - just like when working on the real car.
Some equipment to accompany the racer, including stands, pneumatic impact wrench with bottles and moveable tire rack
For comparison
I hope you'll like it...this time NO opera ;-)
I hope you enjoyed this creation. It was a fun but tricky building process, the 17-wide structure and particularly the rear were a head-scratcher but after all, I think it's one of my best so far.
My special thank goes to Malte Dorowski, whose stunning creations inspired and encouraged me to take an initial step into the world of motorsports... very appealing, so prepare to see more racing cars coming from us B-)
Das ist ist wirklich ein unglaubliches Auto, angefangen mit dem gelben Abschlepphaken bis hin zum Käfig. Es ist alles so schön gebaut das ich echt neidische werde, Ich wünschte ich wär nur halb so talentiert wie Sie. Kurze Frage: Sammeln sie ihre Autos oder werden die früher oder später für ein neues atemberaubendes Auto zerlegt? Ich hoffe nicht, würde mich über eine Antwort tierisch freuen
Wow...it's been 7 months since you guys posted an MOC...I hope Sven Bode will start building again. Jens, I heard you say that you're thinking of building a Saleen S7 race car, and I hope you haven't changed your mind. You guy's cars are amazing! BTW if you're having trouble with the butterfly doors, maybe you could check out my Enzo's doors and perhaps comment (hint). :)
Hey sven and jens. Awesome caar you built! Love Ferrari, and did you take that picture (with the FXX) By yourself? Anyway, I like your commentary, I create cars I develope in my mind, and I call them MCC's, Mind Car Concepts. Could you please check out my group and put on a few comments on my cars? (You can also find them on my account).
Quoting Ryan Link
Well, I already commented but I had to come back for another look; this is one of the most complex cars I've seen from you, and again, I have to say it turned out fantastic! Also, thanks for the comment on my Noble, and for for the info about the fenders. Hope to see more from you soon; I'm working on something you may like, not sure how long it will take though.
Merry Christmas to you as well!
Good to hear that...looking forward on what you'll bring up next.
Thank you guys for your kind words. Your comments are highly appreciated as they enable me to make better cars in the future - say 2011! Wishing you all a Happy New Year, Jens
Quoting Malte Dorowski
2x Danke! Und "... initial step into the world of motorsports …" Mit Hannibals Worten: "Ich liebe es, wenn ein Plan funktioniert!" So jetzt zum Wunderschönen 575GTC: Ich sehe hier den Grund warum ich diesen nie fertig gestellt habe - es gibt Dinge, die sollten Profis erledigen. Scuderia Ferrari ist und bleibt "Sven Bode & Jens Matuschek"-Gebiet. Freue mich das ab sofort mehr Wert auf Sicherheit bei LEGO-Sportautos gelegt wird ;-)
Hey Malte... soso, du hattest da also 'nen Plan? Hm, dann werde ich mal in Kürze nach dem initialen auch einen weiterführenden Schritt ins Motorsportgeschehen tapsen - könnte dir ja vielleicht gefallen B-D
Quoting Bing-Bong Brothers
This is an amazing model. You did an awesome job of recreating the 575's curves and the whole rollcage looked like a pain to make
Well, the flex hoses and me are good friends now... but you have so many possibilities using them!
Quoting Patrick L.
Jens, mir fällt nix mehr ein.Da steckt doch bestimmt ne Wahnsinnsarbeit drin.Fantastisch im Detail. Yepp, nu hab ich einen neuen Favoriten von Dir.
Danke Patrick. Natürlich steckte da ne Menge Arbeit drin, aber das ist bei den "Dingern" doch normal, oder? Deine kann man ja auch nicht grad aus Draht nachbiegen ;-)
Well, I already commented but I had to come back for another look; this is one of the most complex cars I've seen from you, and again, I have to say it turned out fantastic! Also, thanks for the comment on my Noble, and for for the info about the fenders. Hope to see more from you soon; I'm working on something you may like, not sure how long it will take though.
Merry Christmas to you as well!
Well, I finally got the time to scroll completely through this page, and well this is easily the best car you've ever made. Ever. You've even gone and painted the tyres! The amount of stickers you've put on it is astonishing. How on earth did you fit them all? I'm still struggling to find an angle that it does not look good from! Pretty much every bit of plastic on that car is pure genius. The cutting bit probably bended the rules a bit but I can't seem to care! How dare you say "it's not that detailed"! Well I can't wait so see more race cars from you soon. How about a GT1 Murcielago?
I love it! The details are incredible, and I love the "extra-wide" feel of the 17-wide structure; very impressive. The building techniques are very clever here, I have a hot wheels version of this car and you were quite accurate. Also, I like the headlights. Great work!
OMG. That is one of the most detailed LEGO Ferrari I ever saw! I love the real car and I love this replica aswell. Great job! You deserve more smilies, :) :) :) :) :) x100
2x Danke! Und "... initial step into the world of motorsports …" Mit Hannibals Worten: "Ich liebe es, wenn ein Plan funktioniert!" So jetzt zum Wunderschönen 575GTC: Ich sehe hier den Grund warum ich diesen nie fertig gestellt habe - es gibt Dinge, die sollten Profis erledigen. Scuderia Ferrari ist und bleibt "Sven Bode & Jens Matuschek"-Gebiet. Freue mich das ab sofort mehr Wert auf Sicherheit bei LEGO-Sportautos gelegt wird ;-)
Well alright then.. FORZA FERRARI! (ahem). Great car, super build quality and while I don't normally like slicing Lego pieces up sometimes it's the only way..
I was starting to think you wouldn't enter, just on time!! every time i say to you how amazed i am with your cars, and this time I have to do it again i think. i'm absoluteley speechless. You've put many details into this that I wouldn't even think of to do, because they seem impossible. that's just soo stunning. And i haven't even started about the colorheme yet, what a beauty!! If i were a judge, I would know who would win this time, thanks for joining and participating in gorcb first contest hope you enjoyed it!
