Description
The Ferrari 712 Can Am was one of the most extreme racing cars ever built by Ferrari, created in 1971 for the Canadian-American Challenge Cup, a series famous for its minimal rules and massive horsepower. Can-Am had quickly become the arena where manufacturers tested the limits of engineering, with McLaren and Porsche dominating the field with increasingly powerful and radical machines. Ferrari, though primarily focused on endurance racing at the time, built the 712 Can Am as an experimental effort to enter this no-holds-barred competition.
At its core, the 712 Can Am was powered by an enormous 7.0-liter V12 engine, derived from Ferrari’s endurance racing units but heavily reworked for raw power. Producing around 680–700 horsepower in its initial form, and reportedly capable of even more with development, this engine was one of the most powerful naturally aspirated V12s Ferrari ever built. The sheer size and output of the engine gave the car explosive performance, easily matching the brutish character of Can-Am racing, where straight-line speed and acceleration were essential.
The chassis was based on Ferrari’s 512 S endurance prototype, but it was widened, reinforced, and adapted to handle the massive power and stresses of Can-Am racing. The bodywork, developed by Pininfarina and executed with Can-Am priorities in mind, was low, wide, and muscular, with huge air intakes and aerodynamic elements designed to channel cooling to the colossal V12. Its open-cockpit barchetta design followed the Can-Am formula, offering both weight savings and the aggressive look that defined the series.
On the track, the 712 Can Am was entered in select races by private teams, most notably Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Team (NART). While undeniably powerful, it lacked the consistent development and factory backing that McLaren and Porsche poured into their Can-Am programs. As a result, the Ferrari often struggled with reliability and could not consistently match the well-funded, turbocharged efforts of rivals like the Porsche 917/30. Nonetheless, when it ran at full potential, the 712 showcased Ferrari’s engineering brilliance and provided spectacular speed, proving that Maranello was capable of building a car to compete in one of the wildest racing series in history.
Only a single Ferrari 712 Can Am was built, making it a true one-off in Ferrari’s history. Today, it stands as a fascinating symbol of the Can-Am era, when rules were nearly limitless and horsepower reigned supreme. Though it was not a dominant force in competition, the 712 Can Am has become an object of fascination for enthusiasts and collectors, representing Ferrari’s rare venture into a series that celebrated pure, unrestrained power. Its rarity, extreme engine, and dramatic presence ensure its place among the most extraordinary Ferraris ever conceived.