Former Formula 1 and IndyCar champion Emerson Fittipaldi develops his ‘dream car’ – the EF7 Vision Concept – in partnership with Gran Turismo and Pininfarina
The last time two-time Formula 1 World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi put his name to a product, it didn’t go particularly well. Sure, its was the only Formula 1 team to ever operate out of Brazil, future World Champion Keke Rosberg finished on the podium in his first race for the team, and Emerson’s departure from McLaren to drive for his family team on the eve of the 1975 season opened the door for one of the most famous rivalries in F1 history. But otherwise, it was bog awful. Financed by Brazilian sugar and alcohol cooperative Copersucar (and so called for its first two seasons of competition), the Fittipaldi team took eight years to score just 44 points and it brought Emerson’s F1 career to a screeching halt in 1980. It was not a success.
With the support of Gran Turimo however, we’d hope Emerson Fittipaldi’s latest venture will prove more prosperous. Established three years ago, it’s the EF7 Vision Gran Turismo concept, in-line with the Vision Concepts Gran Turismo released in 2015. It’s also Fittipaldi’s dream car, designed to offer ‘fierce track-racing capabilities, for drivers of all skill levels.’ Y’know, virtually…
Though there is quite a bit of Ferrari 488 GTB, the Lamborghini Huracán and the Pagani Huayra in the design, the inspiration behind EF7 actually comes from a shark, hence the ‘commandingly sleek design’. Beneath the bodywork lies an ultra-lightweight, all carbon fibre chassis, a 600bhp naturally-aspirated V8 and a sequential race-spec gearbox, with the whole package weighing in at around 1000kg. Developing the EF7, the former F1 and IndyCar champion (who’s also a two-time Indy 500 winner) also worked with Italian design house Pininfarina and race-bred German engineering firm HWA AG.
Quite how Fittipaldi’s ‘dream car’ will handle the track will only be answered in the upcoming Gran Turismo Sport for Playstation 4. Perhaps more interesting is the personal coaching each owner of the limited edition EF7 will receive from Fittipaldi himself.
