Ferrari’s Special Projects division is keeping busy by developing yet another one-of-a-kind car. Commissioned by a wealthy customer from Taiwan, the SP-8 is an F8 Spider that has had its electrically retractable hardtop chopped off to create a true roadster with no roof whatsoever. It’s been painted in a combination of matte Argento Micalizzato with carbon fiber sections finished in glossy iridescent Blue Sandstone.
The SP-8 is more than just a roofless F8 Spider with a fancy two-tone paint job since it eschews many of the donor car’s parts. For example, the headlights are completely new and feature unique masks and lenses whereas the taillights take after the Roma’s rear lights but with bespoke lenses. Ferrari points out the windscreen and exhaust tips are derived from the 296 GTB. As for the retro-flavored wheels, the five-spoke alloy with a matte gray finish is a modern take on the F40’s wheel.
Then there’s the imposingly wide aluminum front grille, which is made from a single, 3D-printed mold and encompasses retro-flavored vertical strakes. This design element is also found on the engine cover where there are longitudinal strakes as a nod to classic models with their side strakes such as the Testarossa. Ferrari says it spent a lot of time perfecting the body through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to make sure the car remains comfortable and quiet even without a roof.
Although instantly familiar, the interior does host a big change since the exotic Italian marque mounted a different gear selector harkening back to the good ol’ days of gated shifters. Mind you, this setup is not new as the SF90 Stradale used it first when it came out back in 2019. You wouldn’t expect to find cloth in a Ferrari but the SP-8 combines it with laser-etched Navy Blue Alcantara. The carpets are made from twill fabric with an iridescent effect.
There aren’t any changes to the mid-mounted V8, so the twin-turbo 3.9-liter engine continues to produce 710 horsepower and 568 pound-feet (770 Newton-meters) of torque routed to the rear wheels.
The Ferrari SP-8 is already on display in Italy at the Mugello track and will remain there until the end of the Finali Mondiali Ferrari 2023 event on October 30. Its next stop will be at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello where it’s going to be exhibited from November 16 until March 2024.
