Most MIG fighters are found in the air making the most of aerodynamic lift, but Gemballa's MIG-U1 takes the opposite approach. This much modified Ferrari Enzo has been finessed by the German tuning company to have more effective aerodynamics to push it into the ground with even greater force for improved handling.
Most Enzo owners are satisfied with their car's cornering ability, but Gemballa is set to build 25 of its MIG-U1 uprated Enzos. Each car will be uniquely set up for its owner, but the basics start with a new front and rear spoiler combo that generates 35kg of extra frontal downforce and 85kg at the rear. At 75mph, the rear spoiler lowers to further fine tune the aero forces passing over the car.
Other aero aids include a new front splitter and rear diffuser, while the air is managed more effectively as it works along the length of the car thanks to some of the Enzo's round bodywork edges being squared off to give a sharper, cleaner edge to better control the aerodynamics.
More work has been carried out with the aerodynamics to provide better cooling to the engine and brakes of the MIG-U1. There are new inlets and outlets for the front and rear wheels to let cool air in and hot air out respectively. Gemballa also fits new lighter wheels that shave 16kg from the unsprung weight of the MIG-U1 - compared to a standard Enzo's wheels.
Other changes to the bodywork include enclosed rear lights with added air ducts, while the whole body can be raised by 45mm using electro-hydraulics to help the Gemballa machine over speed humps. With all of the modifications made, the MIG-U1 sits 80mm wider at the front and 100mm broader at the rear than a factory fresh Enzo, making the Gemballa one of the widest cars in the world.
Of course, it wouldn't be a Gemballa if the engine hadn't come in for some attention, so the 6.0-litre V12 has been blessed with a new exhaust and retuned electronics to release 691bhp. That's up 40bhp on the standard Enzo, though Gemballa has not released any performance figures for the MIG-U1. A standard Enzo is capable of 0-60mph in 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 221mph.
Inside, Gemballa has fitted its own sports seats with leather upholstery and a new touch-screen control panel to operate the satellite navigation, stereo and MP3 player. Gemballa has not revealed the price of the MIG-U1 conversion as yet, but anyone interested in the car will need to find around £500,000 just for the base Ferrari Enzo.
Alisdair Suttie - 13 Jan 2010