A Childhood Dream: The Ferrari Enzo

"The-Ever-Socially-Apathetic TBAL" (tokyobayaqualine) 02/10/2014 at 14:33 • Filed to: oppositelock, tbal, ferrari, enzo, story, jalop, japan, osaka, steve, neill

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The first time I saw an Enzo, I didn't like it.

I specifically remember seeing the press photo of it, with a watery type background, and thinking that it looked like an ungainly piece of origami crap with wheels. Then again, I was 13, and in my then immature mindset I thought that even boobs of any kind and any stature were unobtainium and of the utmost importance, so what did I know?

When the allure of the Enzo really sunk in, I was on my Grade 8 end of year field trip to Ottawa Canada. I was in the Rideau Center (a place I would later come to familiarize myself with in a drunken stupor many a time as I came back from nightclubs in University) and I was walking around with this girl whose boobs I likely wanted to see or touch. At least, that's the likelihood behind me hanging out with her. I don't know.

It was on the then new cover of Road&Track, the July 2003 issue to be exact. I know that it was dated that month and year because I still have it. It's tossed amongst all my boob magazines that I collected as a youth.

What really made that issue special though, was how good the car looked. The front cover featured an overhead front view shot of the car, on the Salt Flats in Utah. The owner too was from Utah, and would later see his car converted to a Targa from the factory, and then burn to the ground as he was driving it through a charity parade (Save the Enzo's!). Nonetheless, what really made me squeal like the immature, dumb, schoolkid that I was, was all the gorgeous photography. They had found every nook and crevice of the car and presented it in a gorgeous, undiluted state.

I remember reading that it would be the "MM" Enzo, short for Most Miles. It would later become a regular column in the magazine, as the owner discussed his travels with it.

When I saw an Enzo in person for the first time, it was at the Ferrari dealership in central Osaka, and I was 23. I had my Nikon at the ready this time, and was ready to take some "R&T style" shots of my own. These are the fruits of those efforts, and they're all summed up here for your pleasure.

Also, somewhere along the way between being 13 and 23, I went from liking just boobs to liking the entire girl. But we'll save that for another time. In the mean time, here are some of the photos I shot.

Disclaimer: I've never had to write a disclaimer before, so this is probably going to sound half assed, but uh... please don't use these pictures on another site, and please keep them for your own personal use. If you have any questions, email me at !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and I'll get back to you asap.

Manuél Ferrari > The-Ever-Socially-Apathetic TBAL 02/10/2014 at 22:05

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A local dealer in my area just got a black one in stock. I got informed via email blast.

Price not disclosed.

If only I had millions of dollars in the bank...

Manuél Ferrari > Manuél Ferrari 02/11/2014 at 02:21

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so i found the price. it wasn't in their email but on their website

http://www.cncexotics.com/detail-2003-fe…

yowza

twinturbobmw > The-Ever-Socially-Apathetic TBAL 02/14/2014 at 14:27

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I never really liked the Enzo's styling, even when I saw one in person. It's cool they let you sit in that one and everything! Nice shots too! I love the small details.

Danger Ranger XLT > The-Ever-Socially-Apathetic TBAL 02/14/2014 at 15:00

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Nice pictures! The Enzo was kind of a "grower" for me. I always respected it for its level of performance, but for a long time I wasn't sure about how it looked. You called it "origami", but I just called it "funky."

An interview with the man who designed the Enzo, Ken Okuyama, went a long ways toward changing my perspective. The source of the interview escapes me (England's Car Magazine, perhaps?) but I remember him saying that the Enzo's appearance was largely due to form following function. Functionally, the Enzo had to be the ultimate expression of a Ferrari's performance. Thus, the Enzo's form had to follow what that function entails. I was deeply impressed, and came to view the Enzo's looks in a slightly different light. Sure, it looked a little funky compared to the 288/F40/F50*, but only because it HAD to.

From a visual perspective, the Enzo is still my least favorite Ferrari supercar. But that's like saying I prefer one Playboy Playmate over another... I may have favorites, but I wouldn't kick the Enzo out of bed for how it looks.

*I'm one of the, like, six people who likes how the F50 looks...