What's all this about?
This is a one-off Ferrari, built for one of the Prancing Horse's 'most dedicated customers'. It's called the SP38 and it's from, appropriately enough, Maranello's 'One-Off Programme'.
What's the donor car, a 488 GTB?
Got it in one. You're good at this. Underneath that swoopy bodywork is indeed a 488 GTB that is clothed in some exquisite bespoke bodywork that harks back to Ferraris of old. Such as the integrated rear spoiler, which is a nod to the F40 of the 1980s. Or the front intake and splitter, reminiscent of a 308 GTB. Elsewhere, we've got a full carbon clamshell at the rear that incorporates three engine slats, the absence of side scoop air intakes as seen on the 488, the slimmest headlights possible under safety regulations and a design - finished in three-layer metallic red - that is supposed to visually put all the weight of the SP38 over the rear axle. Inside, there's a tailor-made cabin. It's a glorious-looking thing, though, isn't it?
Will this car be squirreled away by its lucky owner?
Unlikely. Shortly after a handover ceremony at Ferrari's Fiorano test track, the SP38 immediately went out on track for some shakedown hot laps, so the owner is clearly relaxed enough to thrash the nuts off this truly unique Fezza. And, following its debut, the Ferrari SP38 will be on public display for the first time at the upcoming Concorso d'Eleganza at the Villa d'Este, in Italy, at the end of May.
Matt Robinson - 23 May 2018