Ferrari SP48 Unica

TGR Staff - 05/05/2022

Ferrari has unveiled the latest one of a kind from the Special Projects program, the SP48 Unica, a bespoke car, built to the specifications of one client. Designed under the watchful eye of Flavio Manzoni, Ferrari's Chief Design Officer, this two-seater sports berlinetta is draped over the F8 Tributo platform.

The car was designed using procedural-parametric modeling techniques and 3D prototyping, allowing designers to create new shapes and styling elements never before seen on any roadgoing car. The car's signature feature is the unusual grilles and scoops that seem to almost organically appear and fade into the body of the car.

The central section of the roof includes a graphic representation of the air intakes set into the rear part of the carbon-fiber engine cover before the rear wing, connecting how the air flows over the car and through the openings in the body. Ferrari calls this thermal-fluid-dynamic design, which not only looks amazing but provides optimal cooling and aerodynamic balance. 

The biggest changes compared to the F8 Tributo’s styling include the air intakes for cooling flows for the engine on the front bumper and beneath the rear spoiler. Each has a deep procedural grille, every section of which is optimally angled to maximize the amount of air passing through. The car’s configuration also allowed the engineers to locate an intercooler intake immediately behind the side windows, which in turn enabled them to reduce the dimension of the intakes on the flanks. The longer rear overhang reduces suction from the roof area, boosting rear downforce.

Although the cabin retains the F8 Tributo interior, the designers touched every surface. A good example is the specially developed black laser-perforated Alcantara used on the seats and most of the cabin trim, beneath which are glimpses of iridescent reddish-orange fabric that match the exterior color. Its motif picks up the hexagonal motif of the grilles and the procedural livery on the roof, creating an appealing continuity between the car’s interior and exterior. In the SP48 Unica cockpit, the eye is immediately drawn to the polished sill covers with the same laser-embossed hexagonal motif. Matte carbon fiber imbues the cockpit with a sense of technicality and exclusivity and is complemented by the Grigio Canna di Fucile accents.

Designed for a long-standing client who was deeply involved in every step of its creation, the one-off Ferrari SP48 Unica is sure to be one of the most collectible Ferrari cars of this era.