777 Hypercar: New Fun for the Rich at a Higher Price Than a Bugatti

Collector and racing driver Andrea Levy had a bold idea: build a hypercar exclusively for the racetrack. Its name: the 777 Hypercar. The name comes from the "777 Club" Levy founded, which aims to create a community of collectors and enthusiasts to organize meetings and trips.

On the other hand, the name is also inspired by the fact that Levy wants to build the 777 Hypercar in just seven examples and sell it for 7 million euros ($7.5 million) each.

In an interview, Levy said he is more of a racing guy than a gentleman driver. He has won races at Monza and Imola with Ferrari 488 in the Ferrari Club Italia Trophy and Time Attack Championship at Mugello with his own Dallara Stradale.

To build this hypercar, Levy has enlisted some established partners: Dallara for the carbon fiber safety cell, Gibson Technology for the engine, and Umberto Palermo Design for the design.

Designed from the outset as a track-only hypercar, the one-seat 777 Hypercar has a carbon monocoque structure similar to that of Formula 1 cars and that used by McLaren in the Supersport and Ultimate series to which the carbon body is attached, resulting in a low weight of only 900 kg (1,984 pounds). The body design has an aerodynamic shape inspired by endurance racing cars and was created by Umberto Palermo, a designer who began his studies in Monza before creating Up Design in Turin.

The manufacturer promises a downforce of 2.1 tonnes (4,630 lb) at 370 kph (230 mph). So the 777 Hypercar could handle a substantial lateral acceleration of between 3.5 and 4 g. By comparison, the Ferrari LaFerrari can handle a lateral acceleration of only 1.16 g. The brakes, gearbox, and suspension components are similar to those used in the most important endurance races, such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona.

The mid-mounted 4.5-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine develops 730 ps (719.7 hp) at 9,000 rpm. The engine is identical to the one that won the 6-hour race at Monza of the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2022. At first glance, this isn't impressive power compared to new hybrid hypercars, but the low weight-to-power ratio of only 1.23 kg/ps (2.77 lb/hp) is truly impressive.

Levy posted a time of just 1:33 minutes at the Monza racetrack, which is very good considering Sergio Perez in the Red Bull F1 car recorded a time of 1:24.030 minutes on the fastest lap of the 2022 Italian Grand Prix.

The car has no hybrid technology to save weight. But to comply with environmental rules, the engine is designed to run on synthetic fuels, which should reduce CO2 emissions by 65%. Levy believes that "for the next decade, the best performance achievable for a hypercar, combined with maximum driving pleasure, can only be obtained with the use of an exclusively thermal engine, without any hybrid components."

The buyer pays a vast sum but can't take the car home. It stays on the Monza race track but is always ready when the owner wants to come to Monza to drive the vehicle for some rounds on the track. 777 Motors offers specific racing services, such as recording lap times using telemetry and the latest timing equipment. Owners can view the entire test session from the control room used in Formula 1 racing.

In addition to the partner companies supplying the mechanical components, Sparco will provide the seats and a complete racing outfit consisting of the suit, gloves, and customized shoes, and Stilo will supply the helmet that comes with a communication system between the driver, engineers, and mechanics just like the one in F1.

However, in addition to the car, the owner gets an advanced machine to reinforce the neck area to resist the high lateral acceleration and a state-of-the-art driving simulator that can be used to train at home in conditions as close as possible to real life.

The GT simulator is a carbon fiber chassis designed by Dallara that reproduces the car's behavior, benefiting from active seat belts, three-axis movement, customized seat, and steering wheel. The owner also gets access to Dallara's such professional types of equipment in Italy and Indianapolis that are normally reserved for Formula 1 and Indycar drivers.

Oddly, the 777 Hypercar is not homologated under any FIA category and, therefore, will not be able to compete in various championships. However, it will be available from 2025 for the rich who want to have fun on the track and improve their driving skills.

But visitors to the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza will be able to admire the new 777 Hypercar every day from spring 2023. The car will be on display a few meters from the entrance and the statue of Juan Manuel Fangio.