Auto Trader

THERE'S nothing like a sexy redhead to get your pulse racing - and the Ferrari F50 is the cream of the crop. Each week, Stuart Milne looks at the greatest cars for sale on autotrader.co.uk. Say "Hi" to the Ferrari F50...

In a world where sensibility rules, there must always be room for a little craziness; so thank heavens for Ferrari.

The Prancing Horse is responsible for more automotive fantasies than any other, and its incredible F50 is no exception. And Auto Trader is currently featuring two for sale.

You might need to part with upwards of £285,000 to get your mitts on one, but let's face it, that'd only buy you a tiny flat in London. For your readies, you'll get a 203mph cruise missile in a body that has more swoops than a painting of rolling hills.

Built to commemorate fifty years of the Italian marque, the F50 went back to Ferrari's original ethos of offering Formula 1 thrills in a useable road car. It was almost its hypercar swansong, as Ferrari's president, Luca di Montezemolo told the world's press that it would be the last Ferrari based around a Formula 1 engine due to tougher American emission regulations. (Though Ferrari-philes while know that the F1-chasing Enzo managed to get around these rules)

The confidence that Ferrari shows in its products can never be overstated. At the time, a spokesman said of the F50: "Our studies showed a market for 350 cars like this, but Ferraris are something cultural, a monument. They must be hard to find, so we will produce one less car than the market."

They were right too. Of the 349 cars made, over half were reserved before the car was introduced. Hardly surprising, given that it had a rear-mounted 520-bhp, 12-cylinder, 4.74-litre engine and a carbon-fibre body, which meant a face-bending 0-60mph dash of just 3.7 seconds.

If your idea of automotive nirvana is Rosso Corsa with a double ton top speed, then the F50 is for you.

If you've £285,000 burning a hole in your pocket, check it out now.

Read previous Look at the Wheels on That columns.