Just after Ferrari presented their awe-inspiring Monza SP-1 and the Monza SP-2 cars, I had an idea I simply had to explore. For mine and, consequently, your good, I researched a little bit (not a little bit, but quite a bit actually) about the most amazing special edition cars Ferrari ever built. Apart from the Monza SP-1 and the Monza SP-2 I find striking, I am presenting you five other Ferrari special edition cars which proved to be as sensational as the best that ever came out of the Maranello factory. You may call me shortsighted, or whatever, but I did not include any of the V-8 powered Special Edition Ferrari cars. You know what, if you already have the money to spend on a freaking special edition Ferrari that costs millions of dollars, then go all out and buy a proper one - with the V-12. Call me mad, an idiot or just a dumb car guy, but the V-8 powered Ferrari Special Edition can’t be as good as the V-12 powered Ferrari Special Edition car. I found five mesmerizing ones.
Ferrari F90 Speciale
Starting this list is a car called the Ferrari F90 Speciale.
After the car became public knowledge, Enrico Fumia, Head of the Research and Development at Pininfarina commented with the following:
“No doubt that F90 was the most complicated and sophisticated prototype ever built by Pininfarina: a difficult technical exercise mixed with a dramatic style.”
Luckily, this guy went onto revealing the truth about the Ferrari F90 Speciale. And this truth is bizarre and riveting, to say the least.
In one of his interviews, Fumina said: “F90 it’s a long and unknown story. Still, now it’s almost a mystery. In fact, it was a top secret project from the beginning, as demanded by the Sultan of Brunei. So, all the project and the six cars were entirely developed and manufactured in Pininfarina from ’88 (when I designed the car) up to ’92.
Of course, you are still not sure what is so much important about this car. Well, apart from the fact that the Sultan of Brunei actually ordered it and Pininfarina built it without Ferrari’s knowledge, the Ferrari F90 was quite an impressive piece of kit. The car itself was based around the Ferrari Testarossa chassis. Pininfarina designed all of the exterior, basically stripping the Ferrari-built car to its bones. The drivetrain, however, remained all Testarossa with the 5.0-liter, naturally aspirated engine developing exactly 390 horsepower.
Ferrari F12 TRS
Developed according to the specific wishes of its owner, the Ferrari F12 TRS wowed the crowds at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed hill climb. Inspired by the 1957 250 Testa Rossa, the F12 TRS was a modern interpretation of the famed car. Yet, it is based on one of the most astounding modern Ferraris - the F12berlinetta.
Whether you like it or not, the F12berlinetta was the most powerful Ferrari at one time - all with the 740 horsepower 6.3-liter V-12. The F12 TRS inherited the same motivation.
With the introduction Ferrari officials noted:
“One of the 90 cars taking part in the third edition of the Ferrari Cavalcade was the F12 TRS, a one-off custom design making its public debut on Sicilian soil.
Based on the F12berlinetta, the car was developed at a client’s request as an extreme, two-seater, open-top sports Barchetta. One of the initial inspirations for the project was the 1957 250 Testa Rossa.”
Read our full review on the 2014 Ferrari F12 TRS.
Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina
This is what one can get after spending more than $4 million on a car at Ferrari. James Glickenhaus wanted Ferrari to rework and reimagine the Ferrari Enzo - the P4/5 Pininfarina is the result. Trying to evoke the spirit of the Ferrari racing past, the P4/5 is a specially designed one-off crafter with less aerodynamic drag and more luxurious cabin compared with the stock Ferrari Enzo. In fact, James Glickenhaus himself wanted the design of the interior to be his only endeavor. It was.
Yet, before he did that, Glickenhaus revealed that the Ferrari people weren’t thrilled with him doing this with the Enzo. Actually, he said, “they were annoyed.”
Glickenhaus and Pininfarina made more than 200 mechanical changes compared with the Enzo thus making the car a completely different animal.
Read our full review on the Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina.
Ferrari 250 Europa Coupe Vignale
Ferrari has been in the business of special edition models for ages, but there may be that no other car that can match the exclusiveness, the soothing allure, and uniqueness of the 250 Europa Coupe Vignale.
As RM Sotheby's reports, the 250 Europa Coupe Vignale has been quite a masterful exercise in technology and design. The car was equipped with:
“200 horsepower, 2.9-liter, SOHC 60-degree V-12 engine with triple Weber 36 DCZ/3 carburetors, four-speed manual transmission, independent front suspension with double wishbones and double leaf springs, live rear axle with semi-elliptical springs and Houdaille shocks, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.”
Obviously, a proper sports car of 1953 that’s worth millions. Well, one was sold for exactly $3.3 million. I am not making this up.
Read our full review on the 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Coupe Vignale
Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta
Ferrari's Special Project division became one of the most important staples of the business in Maranello. People associated with it are tasked with the creation of the unique, one-off cars, that Ferrari otherwise would have never produced. So, when they were asked to create something unique out of the Ferrari 599, they’ve outdone themselves. But not alone as this car itself has been completely overhauled by Pininfarina.
"I had always dreamed of designing sports cars," Walson said once, "and when I saw this film the decision came of its own accord: one day I would have ‘my' Ferrari."
Reports by Jalopnik also suggest that the car was based on top of the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. Ferrari and Pininfarina had to work overtime to find a way to cut the roof of the coupe, increase the stiffness, while at the same time keeping the mass as it was.
Interestingly enough, the Ferrari Special Project division and Pininfarina reported that the car had been in the development and production stage for a freaking 14 months. That is what was needed for the creators to make it worthy of a Ferrari badge. No wonder then that it is compliant with all the imaginable regulations all around the world.
As far as motivation goes, this seriously styled Ferrari P540 Superfast sports a 6.0-liter, V-12 with 620 horsepower. All of it goes to the back via a six-speed F1 gearbox for proper supercar performance.
Read our full review on the 2009 Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta.