T-Top Enzo destroyed in high-speed crash
UPDATE 1
Remember the T-Top Ferrari Enzo owned by Richard Losee we featured awhile back? In a recent issue of Road and Track we read a piece penned by Losee himself describing how he cracked 200 mph in his ultra-rare Enzo. That was probably one of the last high-speed runs the Enzo experienced, as we've learned that Losee crashed his Enzo yesterday during the Utah Fast Pass Road Rally near Milfor, Utah. The accident occurred while Losee was traveling about 100 mph, and while the Enzo is completely destroyed, Losee appears to have suffered only fractured bones.
The Utah Fast Pass Road Rally involves the Utah Highway Patrol shutting down a 15-mile stretch of State Route 257 so 25 to 30 supercars can drop the hammer. Car owners pay $5,000 for the privelage of opening their cars up on public roads, and the money goes to the Honoring Heroes Foundation that supports families of UHP troopers who have fallen in the line of duty.
With Ferrari having limited the Enzo's production to only about 400 units, we've seen at least three destroyed in high speed crashes (1st, 2nd) and another one used turned into a P4/5. If you're in the market, get your Enzo now cause they're going fast.
UPDATE: Ferrari forums across the internet are gushing with well wishes for Richard Losee and condolences for his lost Enzo. Ferrerchat forum member omgjon related this report after speaking with Losee himself. Turns out he was going closer to 200 mph and the car actually rolled seven times.
From the horses mouth - Richard was going close to 200mph, and hit a bump in the road that sent him airborne. The car rolled 7 times and was flat as a pancake. Fortunetly he was wearing a helmet. He has cracked vertebrae in his neck and back, 4 broken ribs, broken sternum, some broken fingers, and the only surgery he made need is on his thumb. Nothing life threatening. He is refusing pain medication because he thinks he needs to be punished!
[Source: KSL.com, The Salt Lake Tribune]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
RossL 9:03AM (8/03/2006)
privelage?
privelage??
privelage???
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Sid 9:15AM (8/03/2006)
Maybe these Enzo drivers should spend some additional money to learn how to drive.
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DJA 9:16AM (8/03/2006)
At least he still has the original doors.. shouldn't be too hard to buff out the rest of that...
Seriously... too bad for him and the car. It was a good cause too.
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Al Eisensteinium 9:17AM (8/03/2006)
I think the correct spelling is "privilege", but the writers of this blog cannot be troubled by such details. Spell checking would cover a majority of the problems, but basic grammar and usage training would be nice, too.
So let the flaming begin. Wurds due knot half too bee speelt kurreckly two b unnastoot.
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JZeke 9:35AM (8/03/2006)
Sad, this was one well profiled Enzo.
Makes you wonder if the next Ferrari hypercar is going to be as inherently twitchy as the Enzo. Even drivers with experience used to the car have had bad luck with it -- I dont remember hearing so many stories about F50s going boom.
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Ed 9:44AM (8/03/2006)
Dumbass rich people!
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apex 9:53AM (8/03/2006)
Ive got what might be a considered a dumb question... BUT. I drive a volvo, and I would imagine that if I crashed at 100+ mph I would most likely become a plant food. How is it than a superlight Enzo made out of carbon fiber can protect its passenger in such a way that many heavy cars utilizing large crush zones and heavy duty steel cannot? Before you respond, I think I do remember reading on wreckedexotics that there was an Enzo crash (that ripped the car in half) where a driver was not so fortunate.
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gkz 10:09AM (8/03/2006)
he's lucky his stupid little t-top doors didn't compromise the structure of the passenger compartment... which, lucky for him, looks like it held up perfectly.
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Shawn 10:15AM (8/03/2006)
So what if he crashed it? When you own something like this, you HAVE to drive it hard. Even the best professional drivers crash in relatively low speeds.
I respect owners of exotics that actually go out and drive the thing instead of parking it in a garage.
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gkz 10:17AM (8/03/2006)
#6
You're right, it is a very dumb question. First, carbon fiber is much stronger when steel, and when layered a certain way, as it is in the passenger compartment of any race car, it is nearly unbreakable. This Enzo, along with the others that crashed, do have crumple zones which worked exceptionally well.
Further, the car is splits into several pieces because it is designed to do this. The rest of the car absorbs the majority of the energy of impact, while the passenger compartment is ultra-rigid and maintains its shape to protect the driver.
This is direct result of technology filtering down from F1, where carbon fiber cars can slam head on into a wall at apprx. 150 with no compromises to the driver compartment.
You are MUCH safer in a car constructed this way than in any other car in a crash of this type.
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Charles 10:22AM (8/03/2006)
Is he now bald? must have chafed his head in that crash.
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Drewboy 10:32AM (8/03/2006)
Wow, I'm surprised he's alive... I was hit from the side at about 55 and barely made it out (alive) of that one... I remember reading about his car in Road & Track, I thought it was pretty damn neat.
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apex 10:32AM (8/03/2006)
#9 By my saying "this is a dumb question" I am taking all of the point out of my statement by indicating that I dont understand. That is intended to keep people from trying to ram it down my throat seeing as I put the statement out very cautiously. I do appreciate your explaination, although i do understand the that the enzo has crumple zones... i just didnt know how MUCH space/weight was used to create them. Also, if you crashed an F1 car into a highway barrier headon at 150mph instead of the foam barriers that line the race tracks I do not think this technology would be enough.
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cowboy bob 10:37AM (8/03/2006)
Post #9, and #6- #9 Is quite correct. Energy is in play at high speed. When you suddenly decelerate/stop, the energy has to go someplace to dissipate. I once destroyed a Corvette at about 100MPH. They picked up parts and glass over 200 feet from the point of impact, (a tree). I lived thru it only because of the energy dissipation forces used when the car disintigrated. It blew apart instead of transferring the energy to me in the cabin. You see the same thing with Indy cars and the like. I lost $50,000, but not my life. The Enzo guy may fell the same. Yes, a person with a car that has this capability should learn to control it better befor this happens, but, at least he wasn't a Trailer Queen eh?
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ruggels 10:40AM (8/03/2006)
i still want to know hwo this happened, i had my jetta up to 150 last weekend with zero problems (MKV 2.0T with APR stage 1).
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BartMack 10:46AM (8/03/2006)
Pretty soon Ralph Nader will have to investigate these things as unsafe....
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emor8t 10:51AM (8/03/2006)
at this rate, even if i ever become rich to own one, i doubt there will be any left.
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Richard Warren 11:00AM (8/03/2006)
High performance car, low performance driver, always a bad combination.
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Eddie 11:01AM (8/03/2006)
#14 yea im with you. what went wrong.
I take my RSX up to 130+ on the highway with no issue. Something tells me that 100 is nothing for the Enzo.
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gkz 11:05AM (8/03/2006)
apex, the f1 test is in fact into an immovable surface. footage is shown on a history channel or discovery show, i believe. i wasn't meaning to come off like a dick in my explaination, just a little morning sarcasm.
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