Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a legend on the soccer field and one of the greatest players of his generation. And just like David Beckham, Neymar Jr, Pele and Cristiano Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic is also a media and brand darling. His cocky personality and rags-to-riches story have transformed him into the idol of an entire generation of kids who grew up dreaming of becoming professional soccer players.
“The AC Milan star has been a survivor since his childhood, doing anything legal or illegal that would help him get a meal for the day at one point. His parents gave birth to him in Sweden, but they were refugees from Yugoslavia,” says The Very Best Top 10.
During his career, Ibrahimovic made headlines for his performance at Ajax, Juventus, AC Milan and with the Swedish national team, but also for his brash persona, outspokenness and great self-esteem. The Cult of Calcio says that the Swedish superstar “turned brashness into a brand.”
Given his swagger, it is hardly surprising that this man has some of the most spectacular vehicles that we’ve ever seen, including a fleet of spectacular Ferrari and Porsche cars. Ibrahimovic's collection encompasses cars like the SF90 Stradale, the F430 Spider, the Lamborghini Urus and the Ferrari Monza SP2. There is also his Ferrari Enzo. Ferrari built only 400 units from the Enzo, so Ibrahimovic belongs to a very exclusive club of car collectors who get to enjoy driving the best automobiles in the world. The Sun concludes that although fans have rarely seen Ibrahimovic drive this supercar, the Ferrari Enzo was “developed in 2002 using Formula One technology, including a carbon-fibre body and F1-style automated-shift manual transmission.” For all the Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ferrari fans, here’s everything you need to know about this incredible vehicle.
These Are The Best Features Of The Ferrari Enzo
Some soccer players drive the most underrated cars ever, like John Stones and N'Golo Kanté’s Mini Cooper or Thomas Vermaelen’s Nissan Figaro, while others prefer luxury vehicles that are still reasonably priced. Naturally, there are also the Ferrari fans among professional soccer players, satisfied with the entry-level vehicles of the Italian luxury car brand. And there is an exclusive group of real car collectors made of athletes like Ibrahimovic and David Beckham. The ones that belong to this group have broken barriers in business, sports and entertainment, so it is not surprising that they are also influential personalities in the automotive industry. Their taste and preferences influence the design process, so fans can expect to see them behind the wheel of the most beautiful cars. Take, for example, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, he is a big car collector who could never do with a regular Ferrari, so he had to purchase one of the only 400 Ferrari Enzo supercars ever built.
The Ferrari Enzo is a 6-liter V12 mid-engined Berlinetta developed using Formula One technology in 2002. This engine could generate 651 hp at 7,800 rpm and 485 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 rpm. As one would expect, the Enzo was a mind-blowing car, being able to speed up from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.14 seconds and from 0 to 100 miles per hour in 6.6 seconds. Additionally, the Ferrari Enzo could reach the top speed of 221 miles per hour. Furthermore, it came fitted with a carbon-fiber body, Formula One-inspired electro-hydraulic transmission, ceramic composite disc brakes and active aerodynamics.
As for the design, the mastermind behind the Ferrari Enzo was Japanese industrial designer Ken Okuyama, who back then was the head of design at Pininfarina. Okuyama also supervised the design of the Ferrari P4/5. Given the incredible performance of the Ferrari Enzo and the mind-blowing beauty of the design, it shouldn’t surprise us that the supercar won numerous honors and recognitions. For instance, Sports Car International ranked the Enzo third on the list of the Top Sports Cars of the 2000s in 2004. It was also ranked fourth among the top ten Greatest Ferraris of all time by Motor Trend Classic.
Anecdotes That Made The Ferrari Enzo Even More Popular
Naturally, it helps that celebrities like Zlatan Ibrahimovic have purchased the car for their personal collection, but there are other memorable stories that have made the car more appealing. One of the most widely disseminated stories was that Ferrari produced an additional Enzo car for the Vatican in 2004 and donated it to charity. People sometimes speculate whether the Pope actually drove the car before the Vatican auctioned it off for $1.1 million at RM Sotheby’s.
Another cool fact worth mentioning is that the Ferrari Enzo debuted in the 2003 movie Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. The Berlinetta appears in a scene with Demi Moore on the beach. Marco Mattiacci, the vice president of the Ferrari and Maserati brands in North America in the early 2000s, explained how the car made its stellar debut in the action movie: “It was a combination between us having a very strong connection in Hollywood, and knowing the dealer, Giacomo Mattioli of Ferrari of Beverly Hills, that has always been quite prominent, used by a lot of movie directors.” Mattioli also mentioned that back then, the Italian automaker “was trying to find placements for Maserati. And we had to leverage that appeal of Ferrari.”
Sources: SNL24, The Very Best Top 10, Cult of Calcio, Autoblog and The Sun.