The SP48 Unica is Ferrari’s latest brainchild

By: Guilherme Marques

Ferrari’s latest creation, the SP48 Unica, is part of the extreme customisation programme called Special Series Project

Not all Ferraris are the same. And neither are Ferrari clients. Only a very small number of fans of the Italian brand manage to join the highly restricted circle of privileged people who can develop a unique car just for themselves, based on one of the models in production at the time.

Sometimes those clients are celebrities, such as Eric Clapton, for whom Ferrari produced the exclusive SP12 EC in 2012, but more often the transalpine icon does not disclose the name of the owner. This is the case with the new SP48 Unica, Ferrari’s latest collaboration with one of its illustrious customers, which has resulted in a car that is more work of art than transport vehicle.

This extreme customisation programme is called Special Series Projects. Each idea must come from the client, who then works alongside Centro Stile Ferrari, under the guidance of Flavio Manzoni, the brand’s head of design, whose task is to make their initial wishes come to life. The brand makes a commitment to the customer to produce just one car, in a process that usually takes more than a year but less than two.

The name SP48 Unica indicates that this is the 48th One-Off Series that Ferrari has developed so far. Built over the platform of the F8 Tribute, it should deliver the same extraordinary performances, thanks to a 3.9-litre, 720-horsepower V8 Turbo coupled to an eight-ratio, dual-clutch gearbox. The unique personality of this car based on an existing model must be well marked and, in this case, Manzoni opted for a redesigned front end, with dedicated headlights and repositioned the brake cooling ducts.

Advanced 3D modelling techniques were instrumental in adapting the front grille and air intakes for the engine to a new aesthetic approach. Visually, the strong form is emphasised by the transitions between black and red on the windows, roof and engine bonnet. Making the windows smaller and taking out the rear window leads to greater overall dynamics and, according to Manzoni, makes the car appear sculpted from a single block of metal.

Although Ferrari did not release images from the interior, they did reveal that they developed a specific laser-perforated Alcantara technique for the seats and upholstery, underpinned by an iridescent orange fabric and complemented by a matte finish for the carbon fibre. The coloured details are painted in Grigio Canna di Fucile, one of the historic colours of the Maranello brand. Magnificent is an understatement.