Ferrari SP51 is the latest one-off from the Italian stable

Ferrari has  a culture of pleasing clients who are wealthy enough to commission one-off specials, officially since 2008. The entire process takes about two years on average, during which time a client is closely involved in assessing the design and verification phases to achieve an exclusive car engineered to the same levels of excellence as other Ferraris.

The latest one-off model is the Ferrari SP51 that was unveiled today. It’s a special commission for a Taiwan-based client who is also one of the brand’s leading collectors. It’s based on the 812 GTS — the open-topped cousin of the hardtop 812 Superfast.

Designed by automobile designer Flavio Manzoni, head of Ferrari Styling Centre, the roofless creation required meticulous honing of the aerodynamics used in a process involving computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, wind tunnel and dynamic testing to guarantee comfort in the cabin.

It features extensive use of bare carbon-fibre, both on the exterior and in the cabin, and a bonnet with two air vents as a stylistic feature. 

Another of the SP51’s most captivating features is its new Rosso Passionale three-layer paintwork. The colour was developed specifically for the car and further enhanced by the blue and white livery inspired by a legendary 1955 Ferrari 410 S. This particular cue not only runs the length of the car, but also  is referenced in the interior.

At the front, specially designed headlights give the SP51 an instantly recognisable and forceful identity all of its own. Also noteworthy are the wheels, which are specific to the car and have carbon-fibre wing profiles on each of the spokes that also feature a tone-on-tone diamond-cut finish on the forward-facing section.

The rear of the car is dominated by an arched theme, with the taillights inset below the spoiler. The two flying buttresses, which are visually softened by two deep carbon-fibre scoops, appear behind the cabin, as does a carbon-fibre wing, the profile of which folds over the buttresses.

The resulting effect is vaguely reminiscent of a Targa-type car in which the flying bridge elegantly conceals the anti-roll hoop, a nod to the solution adopted on Ferrari’s sports prototypes in the early-1960s.

The client was involved every step of the way and his personalisation of the cabin revolved around two ideas: to have the same Rosso Passionale colour as the main colour for the Alcantara trim, and extending the lengthwise exterior livery into the cabin.

Its white and blue stripe appear on the central tunnel and the fascia between the two seats on the firewall, as well as on the steering wheel stitching, creating a sense of seamless continuity between exterior and interior.

The special finish for the door panels, the lower section of the dashboard and the sides of the seats, comprising a blue Kvadrat — a Danish textile supplied to architects, designers and private consumers in Europe — and white cross-stitching also picks up the livery.

Glossy carbon-fibre trim has been extensively used throughout the interior, where it pairs with the Nero Momo Opaco elements — a dark slate grey, almost black, for a stylishly elegant and authoritative look. The effect is further enhanced by several white embroidered details including the prancing horse and car logo, also found on the lower rim of the steering wheel.