Ferrari 512

Ferrari 512 S was a sports prototype car produced by Italian manufacturer Ferrari from late 1969 to 1970. As its name suggests, the car had a 5.0L V12 engine, and was homologated as a Group 5 Sportscar of which a total number of 25 units had to be made. Porsche had already done the same in April 1969 with the Porsche 917, while other Sportscars in the 5-litre class, Ferrari 250 LM, Ford GT40 Mk.I, Lola T70, had been built mainly in 1964, 1965 or 1967.

Several 512S 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 From 1972 onwards, the 512 (as the 917) was withdrawn from the world championship following a change in the regulations; some 512s in private hands went on to compete in the Can-Am and Interserie races.

History

In the mid-1960s, Ferrari had competed in sports prototype racing with the Ferrari P series of 4-litre V12 cars, winning the Le Mans consecutively until 1965. Only very few of the works cars, named 330P4 in 1967, had been handed over to customers teams, often with a simplified engine and named 412P. In 1966 and 1967, the Ford GT40 Mk.II and Mk.IV won Le Mans, using a 7.0-litre engine, and achieving speeds considered too high by the rule makers of FIA/CSI. For 1968, the rules were changed limiting Group 6 prototypes to a maximum engine capacity of 3.0 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. For that year, Porsche had taken full advantage of the Group 4 rules, like they already had done in 1966 with making at least 50 Porsche 906 and later 25 Porsche 910, as they were sure they could sell these 2-litre-cars to customers, while Ferrari had failed to build more than 18 of the Dino 206 S which this never earned the S. In late 1968, Porsche made the risky investment of developing and building 25 examples of the 4.5-litre Porsche 917 to allow homologation into the FIA's Group 4 (5 in 1970) sports car category for 1969.