All of Ferrari’s legendary sports prototypes, from 1963 to 2023.

The 11,000 RPM flat-12 powered 312 PB was the most extreme of all the P cars, and also my personal favorite.

Ferrari has recently reintroduced the “P” moniker for the 499P, which has secured Ferrari’s overall Le Mans victory for the first time since 1965. However, before that, P (for Prototipo or prototype) designated all of Ferrari’s prototype racers, spanning a decade of wins and championships across various models. In 1963, the prototype class was created for cars that had minimal resemblance to their road legal counterparts, and Ferrari was immediately the team to beat if you wanted to win the major sportscar races. While this list only includes cars with the ‘P’ designation, there were many other prototype Ferraris, such as the 248 SP and Dino 206 S, as well as the iconic 512. It’s unknown why these cars didn’t receive the P designation, but Ferrari has never been consistent with its naming system. So, here are all fourteen P cars

1963 250 P

A 250 P at the 1963 Targa Florio. This car, driven by Willy Mairesse and Ludovico Scarfiotti, led the race until it crashed four laps in.

1963 saw the birth of the prototype class, and the 250 P was Ferrari’s challenger. Even more importantly, it was the first mid-engine car to win Le Mans overall, and mid-engine cars have won every Le Mans since, except 1980. Mauro Forgheiri was the head of the project, who would oversee the development of every P car until Ferrari phased out their sportscar program in 1973. Powered by a mid-mounted 3.0 V12, the 250 P made 310 horsepower. One of its most forward-thinking features was the use of aluminum sheets to strengthen the tube-frame chassis, which functioned like a primitive monocoque. The beautiful bodywork was styled by Pininfarina, which was rare for a racing car, but it certainly looked the part. It was fast on tight tracks like the Nurburgring and on long ones like Sebring and Le Mans. It won at all of those tracks and more, helping Ferrari crush the opposition in the World Sportscar Championship (WSC). It later became the basis for the rule-bending 250LM, but that’s a different story.

Specs: 3.0 Liter Colombo V12, 310 horsepower, 181 MPH top speed, 1,675 pounds dry weight

1964 275 P

This car chassis 0816 won Le Mans overall twice, in 1963 as a 250 P and in 1964 upgraded to a 275 P, the only Ferrari to do so. It also won the Sebring 12 Hours overall in 1964.

An evolution of the 250 P, the 275 P was introduced in 1964 along with the 330 P. The 275 P had a 3.3-liter V12 that was less powerful than the 4.0-liter 330 P, but it was lighter and had better handling. The 275 P was every bit as competitive as the 250 P, and most importantly won Le Mans despite it’s smaller engine compared to the 330 P. The 275 P also raced against the Ford GT40 at the Nurburgring and Le Mans, but the early GT40s were plagued by reliability issues. After a very successful 1964 season, in which Ferrari won all the major races except the Targa Florio (which they skipped), most of the cars were sold to customers, and six were converted to “lightweight roadster” specification, featuring a lower windshield and either a lower or no roll hoop. The roadster spec did not adhere to the FIA’s rules, but as the World Championship was over, most of the remaining races in 1964 were not sanctioned by the FIA.

Specs: 3.3 Liter Colombo V12, 320 horsepower, 185 MPH top speed, 1,664 pounds dry weight

1964 330 P

A 330 P at the Le Mans Classic.

The 330 P was basically identical to the 275 P, except for the larger 4.0-liter V12. The more powerful 330 was intended for longer tracks like Le Mans, although the 275 P took some of the significant wins, such as Le Mans and Sebring, due to the 330’s either having reliability issues or being unlucky. After the WSC season was over, many of these were converted to the “lightweight roadster” specification. Although Ferrari had steamrolled their rivals, it had no serious factory opposition. They would soon have to compete against the ever-improving GT40, so they began work on another new car for 1965.

Specs: 4.0 Liter Colombo V12, 370 horsepower, 195 MPH top speed, 1,730 pounds dry weight

1965 275 P2

A 275 P2 at the Targa Florio 1965, where a 275 P2 (not the car pictured) won the race, driven by Lorenzo Bandini and Targa Florio master Nino Vaccarella.

The new car for 1965 looked similar to the 330 and 275 P, although it was quite a step forward underneath. The 330 and 275 P2 used the same engine sizes as before but were built on a brand-new semi-monocoque frame that was lighter and stiffer than before. Unequal-length wishbones were used instead of the old independent suspension, and both the front and rear track were widened. The most notable engine change was the use of dual-overhead cams instead of the single-cam motors from the previous year’s car. The 275 P2 was at home on tight tracks and won the Targa Florio, but was beaten by its more powerful sibling at most of the WSC races, except Monza, where it was strangely faster than the 330 P2.

Specs: 3.3 Liter Colombo V12, 350 horsepower, unknown MPH top speed, 1,741 pounds dry weight

1965 330 P2

A 330 P2 at Le Mans 1965, driven by John Surtees and Ludovico Scarfiotti. None of the five P cars that were entered finished, but a 1-2-3 finish from a 250 LM and two 275s meant Ferrari still had something to be proud of.

The 330 P2 continued the success of the P cars, but it was not quite as dominant as its predecessors. The 330 P2 made its debut at the 1965 Daytona 2000KM in Lightweight Spider configuration, where it was easily the fastest car, but had to retire due to a tire blowout. In 1965, Le Mans was won by a N.A.R.T.-entered 250 LM after all the prototypes broke, but it was still a 1-2-3 finish for Ferrari. This must have pleased Enzo, who was furious over the FIA’s refusal to homologate the 250 LM as a GT car. But this was the beginning of the end for Ferrari’s dominant streak at Le Mans.

Specs: 4.0 Liter Colombo V12, 410 horsepower, 205 MPH top speed, 1,807 pounds dry weight

1965 365 P2

The yellow on this Ecurie Francorchamps-entered 365 P2 is a nice change from the red of the Works cars.

While all of the previous P cars were only raced by the Works team in the major races, the 365 P2 was intended for privateer teams. It was the same car as the 330 P3, except for its 4.4-liter V12. The 365 P2 lacked the dual-overhead cams that gave the Works cars an advantage, as Ferrari wouldn’t want their customer teams to have a car that could outpace them. The P3s weren’t as successful as their Works rivals, with the Reims 1000KM being the P3s’ only major win. However, the most interesting aspect of the 365 P2’s history was the 365 P Berlinetta Speciale, a supercar based on the 365 P2 that featured a central-seat driving position, clad in Pininfarina-designed bodywork. Only two were built, and they went to two of the most important people in the Ferrari world: Luigi Chinetti, Ferrari’s only North American importer, and Gianni Agnelli, the chairman of Fiat who had owned many bespoke Ferraris. The 365 P2 was also upgraded for the 1966 season to near-P3 spec, but these cars didn’t achieve any notable results.

“You didn’t have time to stop before people were immediately around it. But it was fun. It had monstrous acceleration. You just had to get used to the driver’s seat in the middle, because it gave an ideal any reference points to either side, right or left.” – Gianni Agnelli on his 365 P Berlinetta Speciale.

Specs (365 P2 racecar): 4.4 Liter Colombo V12, 374 horsepower, 186 MPH top speed, 2,328 pounds dry weight

1966 330 P3

While asking people what the most beautiful racecar ever made would get you many different answers, the 330 P3 or P4 will be a very common one.

By 1966, Ferrari was working hard on their new 3-liter F1 car, so the sports car program was a smaller effort than in previous years. However, Ferrari created yet another new prototype for 1966: the 330 P3. Thanks to new styling by Piero Drogo, the 330 P3 was inarguably the most beautiful P car so far, resembling a concept car more than any other race car before it. Underneath, the 330 P3 was similar to the P2, but it was upgraded with a brand-new 5-speed ZF transmission and Lucas fuel injection, which increased power to 420 horsepower. The P3s were also the first P cars raced in coupe form, along with the spider configuration. Ferrari had mixed results for the first couple of races, winning Spa and Monza but losing at Daytona and the Nürburgring. However, Le Mans was the most important race, and Ford brought eight 7-liter GT40s to Le Mans, which were now quite reliable. 1966 marked the end of Ferrari’s six-year-long win streak at Le Mans, as Ford finished 1-2-3, with the highest-placing Ferrari a 275 GTB in eighth. After being crushed by Ford, Ferrari would return with another new car for 1966.

Specs: 4.0 Liter Colombo V12, 420 horsepower, 192 MPH top speed, 1,876 pounds dry weight

1967 330 P4

The 330 P4 looked absolutely surreal. If the GT40’s design represented the pinnacle of technology at the time, then the P4 was the peak of natural design, something that could only have been created by the Italians.

The 330 P4 looked very similar to the 330 P3, but it had several important upgrades, most notably a new V12 designed by Franco Rocchi. The new engine had a three-valve cylinder head that was very similar to their F1 cars, and it made 450 horsepower, only 30 less than the GT40 MK II’s 7-liter V8. However, it weighed 1,000 pounds less than the GT40 MK II. A new 5-speed Ferrari transmission replaced the old ZF, and the suspension was also upgraded. Ferrari’s 1967 season was significantly better than the previous year, with wins at Daytona, Monza, and Brands Hatch, on the way to winning the World Championship. Le Mans was an intense battle between the 330 P4s and the new MKIV GT40. Ferrari drove their cars hard to keep up with the immensely powerful Fords and ended up finishing in second and third to a GT40. 1967 would mark the end of the current prototype rules, and displacement limits would soon be introduced to prevent another 7-liter monster like the GT40. Because the new rules rendered the 330 P4 obsolete, two were converted for use in the Can-Am championship, becoming the 350 Can-Am, although they were no match for the unlimited-horsepower cars of the series.

Specs: 4.0 Liter V12, 450 horsepower, 192 MPH top speed, 1,746 pounds dry weight

1967 412 P

This 412 P was part of a 1-2-3 Ferrari finish at the 1967 Daytona 24 Hours, which Enzo was so proud of that he supposedly kept a photo of the finish in his office for the rest of his life.

The 330 P3/4 was the name used for the new customer-spec P car, but inside the Ferrari factory, it was known as the 412 P, and the name stuck. These cars were actually the 1966 330 P4s, but with a slightly modified chassis, a V12 that lacked the fuel injection of the Works cars, and a new name. Four were sold, to N.A.R.T., Maranello Concessionaires, Equipe National Belge, and Scuderia Filippetti. They managed some top-five finishes, but never beat the Works team or Ford.

Specs: 4.0 Liter Colombo V12, 414 horsepower, 192 MPH top speed, 1,840 pounds dry weight

1969 612 P

The 612 P started without a wing, but it was added later to help it keep up with its rivals.

You may be surprised to learn that Ferrari ever made a Can-Am car, as the 612 and 712 P had short careers with only a few podium finishes. However, Ferrari did briefly compete in the Can-Am series from 1968 to 1971. Ferrari recognized the importance of the US market for their road car sales, so the decision was made to enter the Can-Am series. After the previous 350 Can-Am was nowhere near the purpose-built Can-Am cars of McLaren, Ferrari would need to go back to the drawing board. The resulting 612 P was a beast, with a 6.2-liter V12 making more than 640 horsepower, but it was heavy by Can-Am standards at 1,750 pounds. The engine’s lack of torque was also a weakness compared to its big-block Chevy rivals. Aerodynamically, the 612 P was quite advanced, featuring flaps connected to the brake pedal that functioned as air brakes, and the rear wing could be adjusted with a button on the wheel to reduce drag on straights. The bodywork wasn’t wedge-shaped like most Can-Am cars, and it was incredibly wide, measuring over 85 inches —a foot wider than the McLaren’s. The 612 P was driven exclusively by Chris Amon. Delays meant that it did not compete until the last race of the 1968 season. That race was a disaster, as it spun out on the first lap and could not be restarted. But the 612 P had serious pace, and it was often the only real challenger to McLaren. Sadly, Ferrari never provided the support it needed to be a winner.

Specs: 6.2 Liter V12, 640-660 horsepower, 211 MPH top speed, 1,543 pounds dry weight

1969 312 P

The most obvious design trait of the 312 P is its remarkably low roofline.

With 1968 came a new set of prototype rules, and now engine displacement was capped at three liters. The FIA didn’t consult any manufacturers before changing the rules, and many (but especially Ferrari) felt it favored Porsche, which had lots of experience building smaller displacement prototypes. Ferrari didn’t participate in 1968 due to budget concerns and frustration with the new rules. Ironically, the 1968 championship was won by the Gulf GT40s, which were raced in the Group 4 category, thanks to a loophole. Ferrari’s new car for 1969 was very much an F1 car with sports car bodywork, and the engine was a detuned version of the 312 F1’s V12. The 3.0 liter V12 made 420 horsepower at a screaming 9400 RPM, and it was also a stressed member of the chassis, which was years ahead of its time for a sportscar. The 312 P was rapid and managed several class wins in 1969, although notably not at Le Mans. Porsche was already racing their 917, a 5-liter monster that used the same loophole as the Gulf GT40s had. This meant the 312 P was very unlikely to win races overall, and Fiat had just acquired Ferrari, so Ferrari sold the two 312 Ps to N.A.R.T. and began work on a 5-liter car to challenge Porsche. The 312 P’s were raced for several more years by N.A.R.T., sometimes with spider bodywork, to some success, including a class win at the Daytona 24 Hours.

Specs: 3.0 Liter V12, 420 horsepower, 190 MPH top speed, 1,499 pounds dry weight

1970 712 P

The only 712 P ever made rips up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The 712 P has made many historic racing appearances over the years.

The 712 P stands alone for having easily the largest motor Ferrari ever built, a massive 7-liter V12 good for more than 700 horsepower and 740 (!) pound-feet of torque. But the 712 P wasn’t just the 612 P with a larger engine. In fact, the 712 P was based on the chassis of a Group 5 512 M, with quite a few changes. The engine was also from the 512, but with several upgrades, making around 680 horsepower. The 712 P was supposedly a test bed for an all-new Can-Am car, but that car was never built. Its Can-Am debut was solid, finishing fourth at Watkins Glen, entered by the Works team in the hands of none other than Mario Andretti. However, its handling wasn’t good, and Andretti later said it was one of the worst cars he had ever driven. It was entered in several more Can-Am races by N.A.R.T. between 1971 and 74 with no significant results, and the 712 P never got the improvements many of its drivers thought it needed. The 712 P has always been obscure, and even its name is debated, with some calling it the 712 P and others the 712 M due to its 512 M chassis.

Specs: 7.0 Liter V12, 680 horsepower, unknown MPH top speed, 1,821 pounds wet weight

1971-73 312 PB

The 312 PB’s radical wedge-like profile was very different from any of the Ferrari’s that came before. It’s 13 World Sportscar Championship wins make it the most accomplished of the P cars.

After only two years of the rule-exploiting 917 and 512 battling it out in the World Sportscar races, the FIA decided to only allow 3-liter prototypes for the 1972 season. Meanwhile, Ferrari had experimented with a new 3-liter prototype, now powered by the 1971 F1 flat-12 engine. It was known as the 312 P, but the press called it the PB to differentiate it from the 1969 car. 1971 was a development year that had some highs, but the 312 also suffered from many reliability issues. Like the 312 P, the 312 PB was basically an F1 car with closed wheels. It was incredibly quick with more than 460 horsepower in a car weighing only 1,400 pounds. By the time 1972 came around, Ferrari was ready to start winning races. But Ferrari (or anyone else) probably wouldn’t have guessed just how many they would win, as the 312 PB won every single race it entered in 1972, from Daytona to the Targa Florio to Watkins Glen to the Nürburgring. But Ferrari didn’t enter Le Mans, as they felt that the 312 PB wasn’t built for 24-hour races. Matra, Ferrari’s main rival, had significantly upgraded its M670s for 1973, and they beat the Ferraris in most of that year’s races. The 312 PBs were entered in Le Mans for 1973, despite what Ferrari said the year before, where one finished second and the other two retired.

The wild 312 PB Evoluzione never raced, thanks to Ferrari’s decision to focus solely on F1.

Ferrari had planned to continue with the 312 PB for 1974, and the new, very strange-looking 312 PB Evoluzione was tested at Fiorano. However, Fiat didn’t want Ferrari to continue, so the sportscar program was scrapped, and F1 became Ferrari’s full focus. But no one would have expected that the 312 PB would be the last works Ferrari prototype for 50 years.

Specs: 3.0 liter Flat 12, 460 horsepower, 199 MPH top speed, 1,433 pounds wet weight

2023 499 P

The 499 P is absolutely stunning, and it has won Le Mans twice in arguably the most competitive era ever.

When the 312 PB was built, traction control, carbon-fiber monocoques, and hybrids didn’t exist. The fact that the new 499 P has all of those features shows just how long it has been since the last P car was built. The Hypercar era has seen a spectacular number of manufacturers competing, and Ferrari’s return with a Works team to top-class endurance racing demonstrates just how successful the regulations have been. The 499 P is an LMH (Le Mans Hypercar) built on a bespoke monocoque, instead of an LMP2 monocoque like the LMDH cars. It is powered by a 671-horsepower 3-liter V6 from the Ferrari 296 road car, with an electric motor on the front axle that makes 268 horsepower, although the actual power output depends on the Balance of Performance at any given race. The 499 P was expected to be a winner, but it won Le Mans the first time out in 2023, in the first overall win for Ferrari since 1965. It won Le Mans again in 2024, beating out cars from Porsche, Toyota, BMW, and many other serious opponents. The 499 P won only one other WEC race in its first two seasons, but the 2025 season has gone incredibly well for Ferrari, with three wins in the first three races.

Specs: 3.0-liter V6, 671 horsepower plus 276 horsepower electric motor, 217 MPH top speed, 2,270 pounds wet weight

Photo Credits: 250 P2: unknown, 275 P2: Girardo & Co 330 P2: unknown 365 P2: Ultimate Car Page 330 P3: Ferrari 330 P4: Ferrari 412 P: Ferrari 312 P: Revs Institute, 612 P: unknown 712 P: RM Sothebys 312 PB: Girardo & Co 312 PB Evo: unknown 499 P: Ferrari