NEWS: Slotwings Ferrari 512BB

Slotwings Ferrari 512BB LM
W50101, 'Berlinetta Boxer', 24h Daytona 1982

Slotwings have finally released their first slot car, the Ferrari 512BB!  I have always loved the 512BB and own several Carrera releases of the famous race car.  I'm yet to drive one of the new Slotwing releases but hopefully they are as good as the Carrera release on the track, they certainly look fantastic!  With Sideways about to release their version of the BB LM the competition is hotting up for your slot dollar.

From Wikipedia: 'In 1974, Luigi Chinetti's North American Racing Team (NART) developed a racing variant of the 365 GT4 BB to replace the team's Daytonas for use in sports car racing. NART's car debuted at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1975 before earning a sixth place finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring two months later.

NART continued to use the car into 1978, by which time Ferrari had begun their own development of a racing variant of the updated 512 BB. Ferrari's Customer Assistance Department extensively modified four 512s in 1978, adding wider wheel arches, a roof-mounted aerofoil, and reusing rear wings from Ferrari 312T2 Formula One cars. Power from the flat-12 was increased to 440 hp (328 kW) while the cars' weight were decreased to approximately 1,200 kg (2,646 lb). The four cars, termed BB LM by Ferrari, were entered by Charles Pozzi, Ecurie Francorchamps, and NART in the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans, but none were able to complete the race.

After the failure of the first batch, Ferrari worked on fixing the BB LM with a second development program in late 1978. The flat-12's carburetors were replaced with an electronic fuel injection system to increase power to 480 hp (358 kW), a system later adapted to the 512i BB. The production-based bodywork of the first BB/LMs was replaced by a new design developed by Pininfarina which was 16 in (41 cm) longer and carried over none of the original styling cues.

The pop-up headlights were now replaced by fixed units integrated into the fascia, while the tail was lengthened to the maximum allowed by regulations. Nine of these revised BB LMs were built by Ferrari in 1979, while a further refined series of sixteen were built from 1980 to 1982. Amongst the BB LM's best finishes was a fifth overall and first in the GTX class at the 1981 24 Hours of Le Mans.'

Some absolutely stunning 512 BB LMs raced at the Spa Classic this year, enjoy!

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