Ferrari SP-8 roadster joins One-off series
Ferrari has unveiled the latest addition to its One-off series, the SP-8 roadster formed as part of the Italian marque’s ‘Special Projects’ program under the watchful eye of Ferrari Styling Centre head, Flavio Manzoni.
Based upon the F8 Spider, the midengined, V8-powered SP-8 is one of very few cars built explicitly to an individual clients’ specifications.
Hand-built to the exact desires of a Taiwanese customer, the two-seat roadster retains the F8’s lauded 3.9litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine and features no roof, allowing the owner to experience the thrill of open-air driving, and of course, the unfiltered exhaust note.
Ferrari says the SP-8 roadster’s styling is themed around the ‘way in which its volumes crossover and fuse into one another’, the unpainted carbon-fibre front wrapping its way to the vehicle’s tail, creating a two-tone effect that is said to ‘create a power contrast of colour and materials’.
Removing the retractable hard top allowed Ferrari designers to radically style the rear of the SP-8 to give it ‘full volume and a taut belt line’.
Again, the car’s volume is clearly divided into two components, which are connected by a ‘functional central area’ finished in matte black, which includes functional ducting for the engine and its intercoolers – the lateral strakes a nod to Ferraris of the past.
At the front, the SP-8 is dominated by an imposing, full-width cast aluminium grille made from a single 3Dprinted mould.
It features the same strake theme, this time in a vertical movement, with the spacing widening towards the vehicle’s flanks to better channel air to the radiators.
Ferrari said it spent months perfecting the design, ensuring it was both aesthetically correct and aerodynamically functional.
Other areas of the SP-8 that were designed from scratch included headlights, which wear special masks and lenses, and tail-lights, which were adapted from those of the Roma with specific lenses. The windscreen and exhaust outlets draw their design from the 296 GTB, while the unique alloy wheels are finished in a bespoke Grigio Nart hue.
Ferrari says the directional, fivespoke wheels are exclusive to the SP-8 and offer a modern take on the classic rims found on Ferrari Sports Prototypes and the legendary F40.