This past weekend was the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este held on the shores of Italy's Lake Como, and though the annual event is a hotbed for classic cars one of the standouts this year was a very modern design. In fact, it was only revealed to the world a week ago.
We are of course talking about the one-off Ferrari SP38 based on the bones of a donor 488 GTB. The stunning supercar is the latest creation from Ferrari's Special Projects and features a design inspired by a handful of celebrated Ferraris, namely the F40.
Proportionally, the SP38 is similar to the 488, but the numerous details, highlighted in the video taken at the car's Villa d’Este debut, give it a distinct look and feel. From the narrow headlights to the fluid surfacing and vented engine cover, it's hard to mistake the SP38 for anything else. The video also provides a glimpse of the interior whose design looks to be much closer to the donor 488 than the exterior.
Interestingly, the video also reveals a small “Kessel” logo at the rear, suggesting the SP38 was commissioned by someone linked to Loris Kessel. The late Swiss racing driver ran a number of high-end dealerships, including a Ferrari dealership in his hometown of Lugano.
No changes have been made to the powertrain, which means there's a 3.9-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 at the back pumping out 660 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque. Paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and spinning the rear wheels, the engine should see the SP38 hit 60 mph in under 3.0 seconds and top out above 200 mph.
