I can’t say I give a ton of thought to modern Ferraris these days—it took me a while to even remember the 488's replacement is the F8 Tributo—but even I can appreciate the sheer audacity and wealth needed to commission Ferrari itself to build the exact car you want to your exact specifications over a period of years. Meet the latest one of those, the Ferrari P80/C, touted as Ferrari’s “the most extreme one-off design ever.”
The car was unveiled today but the client in question was, of course, not disclosed. They are listed only as a collector who is “a great connoisseur of the Ferrari world, comes from a family of long-time Prancing Horse enthusiasts and admirers.” All I know is it wasn’t me, but I am a fan of their tastes.
This thing has been in the works since 2015. Ferrari said this client was inspired to have a “sports prototype” inspired by the 330 P3/P4 of the 1960s and ’70s, as well as the 1966 Dino 206 S. I think there’s something kind of ’80s about it too, almost 288 GTO-ish, which is probably why I like it so much.
The P80/C is purely a track car, hence no headlights, that uses a 488 GT3 chassis underneath. Ferrari says its longer wheelbase over a normal 488 GTB allowed for more design freedom.
No word on power specs, but we can assume it has the same 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 rated at around 600 horsepower. And the design shows what a 488 GT3 could’ve been like without, you know, rules. Via Ferrari:
Aerodynamic development was based on the experience gained with the 488 GT3, but was not governed by the restrictions imposed by international regulations. Thus the front splitter is specific and, while the expansion curve and vortex generators of the rear diffuser are the same as those used on the GT3, the external surfaces are all unique to the P80/C. The result is an improvement of around 5% in overall efficiency, required to make full use of the unrestricted engine.
The car also boasts a concave rear windscreen and aluminum louvres, said to be a throwback to the 330 P3/P4, and comes in both a racing setup with 18-inch wheels and an “exhibition” setup on 21-inch wheels and without the aero appendages, probably for showing off at various concours events.
This thing’s hot. I’m into it. I hope its new owner enjoys it very much. Remember kids: Stay in school, work hard or be born into a fabulously wealthy petrostate family, and you too can commission cool Ferrari one-offs.