Meet SP-8, the latest one-off special from Ferrari’s special projects team

The Ferrari SP-8 is the latest one-off from the brand’s Special Projects team. Based on the F8 Spider, it’s the third exclusive creation in the past 15 months after the Ferrari KC23 (based on a 488 GT3 Evo track car) and the Ferrari SP51 (built on an 812 GTS chassis).

The numeral tips the hat to the multi-award winning eight-cylinder engine. It’s also considered a lucky number in Chinese culture — the commissioning owner is from Taiwan.

Like the Ferrari SP51, the SP-8 doesn’t have a roof, which demanded extensive refining of its aerodynamics through a combination of CFD simulations, wind tunnel and track testing to guarantee a standard of acoustic comfort and wind feeling comparable to the car that inspired it. The rear has also been radically styled from the donor car.

The SP-8’s main styling theme centres on a fusion of unpainted carbon-fibre front wraps and matt Argento Micalizzato paint, creating two parts and a full volume belt line.

Dominating the front is a full-width, cast aluminium grille made from a single 3D-printed mould. Other areas of the SP-8 that were redesigned from the donor car include the headlights, which have special masks and lenses, while the rear lights are derived from those of the Roma with specific lenses.

The SP-8 rides on specially designed and directional five-spoke wheels that offer a modern take on the classic rims used on Ferrari Sports prototypes as well as the iconic F40. 

The major highlight in the cabin are seats featuring details in laser-etched Navy Blue Alcantara, gradient effect cloth, and carpets in specific twill fabric. The central console houses the F1 gearbox commands that debuted in the Ferrari SF90 Stradale, with a modified shift gate. 

Ferrari’s Special Projects programme is aimed at creating unique Ferraris. Each project originates from an idea put forward by a client and is co-developed with a team of designers from Ferrari’s Styling Centre.

Once the car’s proportion and forms have been defined, detailed design blueprints and a styling buck are produced before manufacturing of the new one-off starts. The entire process takes about two years.