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Inside Ferrari's Hypercar Project for the 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 'Ford versus Ferrari' film antagonist wanted to return to the scene of past glory at Le Mans.
This project sought to create a Hypercar to race in the FIA WEC and a car, the 499P, that allowed different Ferrari teams to work together, developing the best possible synthesis of technical and stylistic requirements.
It defined a paradigm that would later be the starting point for the Prancing Horse’s fashion collections.
Style and technology intersect in the design of the Ferrari Hypercar, as explained by Stefano Carmassi, Endurance Race Cars Programme and Technical Manager, Flavio Manzoni, Chief Design Officer, Carlo Palazzani, Head of Vehicle Rear Engine Exterior Design, Francesco Russo, Advanced Lead Designer, Silvia Cavallaro, Head of Colour & Trim, and Rocco Iannone, Lifestyle Creative Director.
About the Author
Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.
A member of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year jury, Dan also contributes car reviews to Popular Science magazine, serves on the International Engine of the Year jury, and has judged the collegiate Formula SAE competition.
Dan is a winner of the International Motor Press Association's Ken Purdy Award for automotive writing, as well as the National Motorsports Press Association's award for magazine writing and the Washington Automotive Press Association's Golden Quill award.
Dan, testing the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish. ANDY MORGAN/ASTON MARTIN
He has held a Sports Car Club of America racing license since 1991, is an SCCA National race winner, two-time SCCA Runoffs competitor in Formula F, and an Old Dominion Region Driver of the Year award winner. Co-drove a Ford Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost to 16 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-accredited world speed records over distances from just under 1km to over 4,104km at the CERAM test circuit in Mortefontaine, France.
He was also a longtime contributor to the Society of Automotive Engineers' Automotive Engineering International magazine.
He specializes in analyzing technical developments, particularly in the areas of motorsports, efficiency, and safety.
He has been published in The New York Times, NBC News, Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, The Washington Post, Hagerty, AutoTrader.com, Maxim, RaceCar Engineering, AutoWeek, Virginia Living, and others.
Dan has authored books on the Honda S2000 and Dodge Viper sports cars and contributed automotive content to the consumer finance book, Fight For Your Money.
He is a member and past president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers.
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