The latest one-off Ferrari to roll out of Maranello is something special. Coming courtesy of the Italian marque’s Special Projects division, the Ferrari SP-8 Roadster inherits the layout, chassis, and engine of the F8 Spider. Deriving its name from the critically acclaimed 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 engine within, the SP-8 Roadster does away with the roof altogether, necessitating a revamp of the F8 Spider’s aerodynamics. While performance stats for the SP-8 Roaster haven’t been released, the vehicle it’s based on has an output of 710 bhp coupled with 568 ft-lbs of torque, and can charge from 0 to 100km/h in 2.9 seconds with a top speed of 338km/h.
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Commissioned by a Taiwanese client — it must always be sunny in Taiwan — the Special Projects division employed CFD simulations, wind tunnel testing and track testing to ensure acoustic comfort and wind feeling similar to the F8 Spider. The aggressive lines and svelte forms of its inspiration are enhanced in the SP-8 Roadster, with the removal of the retractable hard top allowing the Special Projects designers to radically restyle the entirety of the rear section, bestowing it with that Ferrari calls “a full volume with a taut belt line.”
Unlike the almost monolithic approach that defined the marque’s previous one-off, the Ferrari KC23, the SP-8 Roadster denotes the fusion of its separate volumes through a two-tone colour scheme. The unpainted carbon fibre front wraps around to the tail, with the two volumes of the car connected by a functional central area in matte black that encompasses the side air intakes with separate ducts for the intercoolers and engine. The primary colour scheme pairs glossy Blue Sandstone with matte Argento Micalizzato.
Up front, the car is dominated by a full-width cast aluminium grille, constructed from a 3D-printed mould. The grille features the same strake theme as its inspiration, albeit in a vertical format to better channel airflow to the two front radiators. Headlights were also restyled, while the rear lights were nabbed from the Roma. The windscreen and tailpipes were given the 296 GTB treatment, while the aesthetically pleasing sculpted five-spoke wheels offer a contemporary take on those used on the legendary F40.
If you’re in Italy, you can catch the topless beauty in person. The SP-8 Roadster will be on display from the 24th of October at the Mugello Circuit until the end of the Finali Mondiali Ferrari 2023. Thereafter, it will be displayed at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello from 16th of November 2023 until March 2024.
Words by John Deckard
