Tuesday 1st July 2014

Ferrari 312PB: Time For Tea?

Petrolicious and Ferrari again. Put the kettle on and turn the volume up!

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Rumours continue to persist that Ferrari will make a return to LMP racing at Le Mans very soon. The prospect of Ferrari v Porsche back on La Sarthe again is surely a tantalising one before the presence of Audi, Toyota and potentially McLaren is even considered.

The Ferrari 312PB featured in this new Petrolicios video was in fact Ferrari's last sports prototype before it turned motorsport attention to Formula 1 only. It should have raced at Le Mans (and probably would have done quite well given it won every other race in the 1972 World Sportscar Championship) but Ferrari didn't enter a car for fear that the engine wouldn't last. Seriously. Even Ferrari didn't have total faith in the flat-12's durability.

Having seen images of many mechanics surrounding a 312PB (or 312P as it was officially titled), Steven Read was understandably a little apprehensive about purchasing one. But as you can see and hear from this video, he certainly hasn't regretted the decision. And if you don't want to listen to his testimony, the Ferrari's noise should win you over.

Enjoy!

 

[Source: Petrolicious via YouTube]

[HorneyMX5]

What an engine note, what a car.

[Lost soul]

Form and function :clud9:

[benjj]

Taxi for Steven Read.

Destination: An apex. Any apex.

Superb car and video though as always from the Petrolicious dudes.

[365daytonafan]

The 312Pb did run at Le Mans in 73 and finished 2nd.

[Fantuzzi]

The prototypes of this era a just a dream, 500-600kg weight 300-500bhp, designed for tracks like Nurburgring and targa florio so they aren't unusable on the road like the later prototypes designed for smoother tracks, so a brilliant honing machine as well as classic racer!

Perfect.

Here is some more early 70s aural brilliance courtesy of Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/2.5 (I think or it might be the 3litre v8)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPzR028chmw

[Schermerhorn]

Wow. Stunning.

Is the Ferrari 333 SP the grand child of this car?

They look so alike despite the 20 year age gap.

Anyone remember that crazy chap who build a scaled down EXACT replica of the Ferrari 312 PB?

[sisu]

Yep
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeUMDY01uUA

[HorneyMX5]

Schermerhorn said:

Anyone remember that crazy chap who build a scaled down EXACT replica of the Ferrari 312 PB?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeUMDY01uUA

[Housey]

One of the best races I ever saw was the historic sports car race supporting the 1981 British GP at Silverstone. Albert Orbist, who used to have one of these amongst his collection and could peddle well started to walk away from the entire pack at a rate of knots, well all bar one car starting from the very back of the grid after some issues. That car was a silver 917 driven by Mr D Bell who gave chase at a pace you simply don't see today in historic 917's. I don't recall lap times but I can't imagine he was far off the real pace of the 917 and eventually he caught the 312PB with only 2 or 3 laps remaining. It was a hell of chase and fantastic to see and remember.

If anyone is in doubt about how quick the 312 was, Ickx put one of these on pole at the old Spa (I think in 73) for the sports car race there. It's lap speed....163.679mph!! Yea that's right, that is his LAP speed.

[B.J.W]

Wow!

Not a lot else that can be said about that

[dandare]

Good film, nice car, and spine-tingling soundtrack.
Lovely. What a lucky chap.

[Shuttle Cock]

Oh that noise, there really isn't anything better, and a top man for taking it out and using it .

[Shuttle Cock]

Oh that noise, there really isn't anything better, and a top man for taking it out and using it .

[DeltaEvo2]

Yeah pretty epic...

[EggsBenedict]

no no, sounds gash. I much prefer today's diesel hybrid KERS stuff, they sound like proper race cars.





/sarcasm

[renorti]

that engine sound, pure raw race car noise.superb

[sideways man]

The first 20-30 seconds of this video made my spine tingle
Beautiful car. Love watching these and other machinery of that era.

[sisu]

I like the key. I have seen the lightening thing done on a few cars now.

[loudlashadjuster]

Steven Read said:

Nuremburgring

Guy's a huge motorsports fan.

[iwantcheese5]

loudlashadjuster said:

Steven Read said:

Nuremburgring

Guy's a huge motorsports fan.

I hear that track is a real trial...