Ferrari's Special Projects program enables the automaker's most loyal customers to commission a one-off car, and the latest in the series was revealed this week as the SP-8.
It made its debut during Ferrari's Finali Mondiali event celebrating the end of the motorsport season, currently underway at the Mugello Circuit in Italy. Ferrari also used the event for the debut of the 296 Challenge race car.
The SP-8 is based on the Ferrari F8 Spider that debuted in 2019 and features styling that channels the V-12-powered Daytona SP3, a limited-edition Ferrari launched last year and built in a run of only 599 units.
Only the basic layout, chassis, and powertrain are retained from the donor car. The rest is unique. The SP-8 has even skipped the retractable hardtop roof of the F8 Spider, turning it into a true roadster. Where the roof mechanism formerly sat is now a deck sporting a pair of intakes. Ferrari said the design required intensive wind tunnel and track testing to ensure comfort when driving at high speeds.
Elements not normally found on a Ferrari include square-shaped exhaust tips, a cast aluminum grille (whose mold was formed using 3D printing), and a two-tone effect that combines a unique silver finish known as Argento Micalizzato at the rear with exposed carbon fiber at the front.
The wheels are a bespoke design inspired by classic wheel patterns used on Ferrari sports prototype race cars, as well as the iconic F40. They feature center locks, normally found on race cars and Ferrari's more extreme models.
Inside, there's blue Alcantara used for the trim, plus the manual gate-style shifter for the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, a design Ferrari introduced in 2019 on the SF90 Stradale.
Ferrari SP-8
Ferrari leaves the powertrains untouched in its Special Projects cars. This means the SP-8 is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.9-liter V-8 with mid-mounting and a peak 710 hp. This is enough to rocket the F8 Spider from 0-62 mph in 2.9 seconds and to a top speed of 211 mph—numbers that will likely be similar for the SP-8.
Following the debut at Finali Mondiali, the SP-8 will be on display at Ferrari's museum in Maranello, Italy. It will be on display until March 2024, after which it will likely be delivered to its owner, a resident of China.
Ferrari's Special Projects program results in one-off cars for loyal customers, as well as low-volume offerings such as the aforementioned Daytona SP3. For the one-off cars, the process takes around two years on average to complete, during which time the customer is closely involved throughout. The customer needs to already own a stable of Ferraris just to be invited to the program, and expect to face costs of several million dollars.
