There will be no production run for the New Stratos, a one-off recreation of Lancia’s iconic 1970s rally-bread special.

The design for the modern incarnation of the Stratos originally broke cover back in 2008 with car collector and driver of historic race cars Michael Stoschek, and his son Maximilian, commissioning Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina to build a one-off technical concept.

The project received strong interest quickly, with 50 individuals interested in acquiring a recreated Stratos, originally produced in a one-off agreement with Ferrari.

The car is based on running gear from the Italian supercar firm’s F430 model and was sanctioned by Ferrari in a deal selling the brothers a single vehicle at the projects inception. However, Ferrari never had plans to supply the Stoschek brothers with vehicles for future use, and indeed the 430 has long been out of production.

As the reborn Stratos is underpinned by running gear from the Prancing Horse no cars will now be built, and the Stoscheks don’t even have plans to take the car’s design elsewhere:

“It’s virtually impossible to transfer to other companies the know-how garnered at Pininfarina during the construction of our model.

“While the chassis and body data exist in CAD [Computer Aided Design] files in their entirety, there are countless details relating to the assembly and finishing that remain solely in the minds of a number of highly qualified individuals at Pininfarina.”

The vehicle will still be exhibited by the pair of automotive enthusiasts at public events and exhibitions.

Fans of reincarnated 1970s rally car specials shouldn’t be despondent however, as Renault is reportedly considering reviving the Alpine brand as a luxury performance arm with a new Berlinette A110.

Given their success with the New Stratos, a successor to the A110 is an exciting prospect indeed. Hopefully Renault gets on board with this one – it can only do good things for their brand image. They are trying to bring back the Alpine, and an independent project could be just the trick to reviving excitement about the brand.

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Source: automoblog.net and cars.uk.msn.com

We’ve always thought that when it comes to Ferraris, the 599 would have made a lot more sense as a convertible than the 430 or 458. Think about it – roadsters are always slower, heavier and more rigid than their coupe kin, and pure supercars shouldn’t be compromised, while GT have the right sort of relaxed attitude.

This drop-top Prancing Horse is called the the Ferrari 599 SA Aperta and it was spotted by Alex Molik wearing Qatar plates. The limited production topless version of the 599 model has debuted in Paris back in 2010 and is the first application of the HELE (High Emotion Low Emissions). According to Ferrari, the SA APERTA celebrates Pininfarina’s 80th year of activity and pays homage to Sergio and Andrea. There were only 80 units of this car produced and this is just one of them.

“The SA APERTA is a new concept: a completely open-top interpretation of the architectural philosophy of the 599. It is an authentic roadster and comes with just an emergency soft top designed for use only if the weather gets particularly bad,” Ferrari says.

Just to let you know the volume of the video goes up near the end with cars revving so it might be a surprise to you. It was to me.
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Source: autoevolution.com

If the other members of your Ferrari owner’s club are simply too common for your posh, multi-million dollar Ferrari tastes, then you maybe in luck. Ferrari is reportedly looking at creating a club specifically for collectors, which could offer members the chance to buy limited-edition Ferrari models before the less rich masses can get their hands on them. How do you join this ultra-exclusive club? Just show your Ferrari collection at the door.

The idea for the new club came after the launch of  the limited-edition roadster version of the 599 GTB —  the SA Aperta — last year, which had a slim production run of just 80 units at a cost of about $545,000 each. Apparently several top  Ferrari enthusiasts and collectors were left out in the cold and were unable to  secure one of the 80 cars, which were built to celebrate 80 years of Italian design house Pininfarina. To address this problem, Ferrari CEO Luca di  Montezemolo is considering giving club members first refusal on special Ferrari  models.

“I don’t want our faithful collectors to miss the opportunity to buy one of our special series,” Montezemolo told Automotive News in an  interview.

Exclusivity when it comes to luxury cars isn’t particularly uncommon — Bugatti, for example, is thought to have a waiting list of over a year and has been known to see customers by appointment only — but automakers rarely discuss it openly.

The club will likely require members to own five or more Ferrari models. Though that may sound like a very small minority, Ferrari says there are about  300 collectors worldwide that would qualify for membership. The club would be  even more exclusive than the existing Ferrari owner’s clubs, which are made up of about 13,000 members in more than 30 countries. Those clubs are very active, keeping members busy with track days, concours events, gala dinners, and various charity outings.

To further enrich the Ferrari ownership experience, Montezemolo is also planning an annual sightseeing and driving event for collectors. Called the “Ferrari Cavalcade,” this once-a-year pilgrimage is meant to offer Ferrari  owners a better understanding of the cars and  the country that builds them by taking enthusiasts to different regions of Italy each year beginning next spring. A total of 120 spots will be available on the tour, with a certain number allocated to each market. Ferrari owners will get to explore Italian back roads, and also get the chance to drive Ferrari’s Fiorano test track in Maranello as well as Florence’s historic race track il Mugello.

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Source: rumors.automobilemag.com and nydailynews.com

Ferrari has blocked production of a modern-day reinterpretation of an iconic 1970s rally car, the Lancia Stratos.

A one-off version of the new Stratos was designed last year by renowned Italian design firm Pininfarina for a wealthy German historic car collector and driving enthusiast, Michael Stoschek.

The concept was created using the basis of a Ferrari F430, including its 4.3-litre V8 engine, but a statement on the official New Stratos website says its plans to build a limited edition run of the wedge-shaped sports car have been halted by the Italian supercar company.

“Over 40 prospective buyers from Europe and abroad have notified us of their interest in acquiring the New Stratos,” says the site.

“Pininfarina, however, has advised us that they will only carry out construction of a limited run with the express permission of Ferrari.

“Despite Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo’s excellent assessment of the New Stratos after his test drive at Fiorano, Ferrari does not consent to construction of the planned limited run by either Pininfarina or any other Ferrari-dependent suppliers.

“Given this situation, creation of additional vehicles seems possible only via companies that are not dependent on Ferrari.”

Pininfarina has designed numerous Ferraris over the decades, including the F430 on which the New Stratos is based. The F430 has since been replaced by the 458 Italia.

The Lancia brand is owned by Ferrari’s parent company Fiat.

The original Stratos – short for stratosphere – was created to give Lancia a rally-winning machine in the 1970s. It also borrowed some components from a reluctant Ferrari – using the Dino’s 2.4-litre V6.

Only about 500 Stratos road cars are believed to have been built.

Ferrari hasn’t commented on the matter.

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Source: stuff.co.nz

Super America 45 is the name of the new coachbuilt Ferrari that is being made by Pininfarina to be showcased at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este motor show event in Italy. New York billionaire, real estate tycoon and former owner of the New York Post, Peter Kalikow, who also owns another coachbuilt Ferrari made by Pininfarina, the 612 Kappa is the one who is responsible for the commissioning of this other one-off supercar.

Most of the details of the car are being kept under wraps as of now. Speculation therefore during the rounds state that the car would be based either on the 599 GTB Fiorano or the 599 GTO. It is also being speculated that the car would be featuring a rotating central-piece roof as that found on the 2005 Ferrari 575 Superamerica. For engine there is probability that it would be a 6.0-liter V12 unit. As the car is being built to customer specification there could be some tuning that would be effected on the engine.

Pininfarnia have also been responsible for making the other coachbuilt 599 which is the Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta. This one is also owned by an American, Edward Walson. Then there is also the Ferrari SA Aperta which happens to be the convertible version of the 599 GTO. There are only 80 units of the Ferrari SA Aperta that was ever built as Ferrari’s tribute to the famous Italian design house. Also, the SA Aperta is the next best thing to have after the convertible 599. This until the Ferrari Super America 45 comes on to the scene, which is scheduled to take place on May 20th.

The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este event is to run from May 20 to 22 and other bespoke models that have confirmed their presence at the show are the Audi Quattro Concept, Mercedes-Benz Concept Shooting Break, Infiniti Etherea Concept, Italdesign Giugiaro Go!, Rinspeed Bamboo, Renault DeZir and the Ferrari Enzo-based Pininfarina P4/5.

(Picture shown above is that of the 2009 Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta.)

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Source: speedlux.com

Ferrari will limit annual production of its new four-wheel-drive FF to 800 units – and already the first year’s build has sold out, says the carmaker.

Customers who order the model now will receive their cars in the second half of next year.

The FF sells for €260,000 ($500,000) in Italy, where it goes on sale in May. Production is expected to reach its full speed of 70 units a month by June.

The 800 units sold in two months, after Ferrari began private previews with potential customers in mid-January. The FF, which stands for Ferrari Four, replaces the company’s 612 Scaglietti flagship. The FF is marginally bigger and roomier than the Scaglietti but weighs the same at 1790kg, despite adding four-wheel drive. At 4907mm it is fractionally longer than a Holden Commodore.

Under the bonnet is a 6.3-litre direct-injection V12 delivering a claimed 485kW at 8000rpm and 683Nm at 6000rpm.

Ferrari says the FF sprints from zero to 100km/h in 3.7sec and on to a top speed of 336km/h. The 612 Scaglietti managed the sprint in 4sec and hit 322km/h flat out.

Despite having more power than the 405kW 5.7-litre Scaglietti, Ferrai says the FF is more fuel efficient with CO2 emissions of 360g/km compared with the Scaglietti’s 470g/km.

Ferrari has been working for almost a decade on the lightweight four-wheel-drive system that debuts on the FF.

“Our four-wheel-drive system weighs about 45kg, half of traditional four-wheel-drive systems which, to transfer torque to the front wheels in four-wheel-drive mode, need a central and a front differential,” said Andrea Binotti, chief engineer for the FF.

Ferrari’s system, called 4RM, adds a second, smaller two-gear gearbox in front of the engine to transfer torque to the front wheels.

The main gearbox, a seven-speed dual-clutch unit, is mounted in a transaxle design in the rear to power the rear wheels.

The 4RM aids weight balance in the car, with 47 per cent of weight on the front axle and 53 per cent on the rear axle.

In gears from first to fourth, when needed, the FF electronically transfers up to 47 per cent of the 683Nm to the front wheels. In higher gears or on high-grip surfaces, all the torque goes to the rear wheels.

Ferrari product marketing director Marco Valentini said the FF “creates a segment of its own because no other competitors match the model for roominess and all-round versatility”.

The shooting brake-style body for the FF, which has a station wagon-shaped tailgate that gives access to the cargo area of 450 litres, rising to 800 litres with the rear seats folded down, was designed by Pininfarina. Italdesign-Giugiaro penned the FF interior and also performed some body engineering for the FF project.

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Source: nzherald.co.nz

Giorgetto Giugiaro sold out to the tedeschi at Volkswagen. Bertone is teaching budding Chinese car designers in brutally cold Changchun. And now, the last vestige of inspired Italian car design is on the auction block: Pininfarina . Actually, they had hired the Italian investment bank Banca Leonardo in August 2009, but they took their time. Now, the bidding is getting serious. And guess who wants to take Pininfarina home.

“Some 10 automakers, three of which are Chinese, are bidding for the Italian car design firm, Pininfarina, “ reports China’s Global Times.

Pininfarina shaped many, mostly high-end cars from Ferrari to Maserati, from Rolls-Royce to Volvo, from Alfa Romeo to Cadillac, from Jaguar to Lancia. If you want a designer of a luxury car, Carozzeria Pininfarina are first to call (+39 011 9438111). Now, the designer of the Ferrari Testa Rossa is looking for the highest bidder. Designing luxury cars doesn’t seem to be a good business anymore. According to Bloomberg, Pininfarina already racked-up $45.8 million in losses in the first nine months, with more red ink to come.

Global Times unearthed that “Beijing Automobile Works Co. Ltd (BAW) and Mahindra Group, from India, top the list of bidders followed by Brilliance Auto, Jianghuai Automobile Co., Ltd. (JAW), Bajaj from India and Magna International Inc.” BAW of course is part of BAIC.

This is a strange assortment of bidders. What BAW wants to do with Pininfarina remains a mystery. BAW is known a a maker of civilian and milspec off-road vehicles and trucks. Mahindra? Also known for trucks. Jianghuai is a relative nobody by Chinese standards, they made about 320,000 units last year. A lot of them trucks. Bajaj? Even stranger: The Indian company produces gadzillions of two-wheelers, and has problems coming up with a low cost car together with Renault-Nissan. Magna? A parts company that also will gladly build your car on an outsourcing basis. They want to design them too?

Global Times called around. Not very successfully. The PR Dept. of Jianghuai said they hadn’t received a memo yet, hence no comment. As for BAW, Global Times go a bit testy: “Constant calls from the Global Times went unanswered to BAW’s Publicity Department.”

Word from Europe is that Magna would not mind having Pininfarina, but they don’t want to pay a lot. The Italians are supposedly hoping to get more money from India or China. Or are they just playing the yellow (and brown) card to drive up the price? On the other hand, Pininfarina is already one step in China: This week, they opened an office in Shanghai. Which again doesn’t mean much. Anybody who’s somebody in the autobusiness must be present in China.

But then again, what do all these truck makers want to do with a company that designed Ferraris? Rattle presumptive bidders with the thought that Ferrari know-how could end up with Indian or Chinese truckbuilders?

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Source: thetruthaboutcars.com

This is the President of Ferrari Luca di Montezemolo test driving the new Stratos for the first time on Ferrari’s own test track Fiorano. He liked it so much he signed it!

The new one off model had been commissioned to Pininfarina by Michael Stoschek for himself and his son, Maximilian. This model designed in 2010 is exclusive and unique. A new, modern Stratos is being designed for 2011, in tandem with the 40th anniversary of the original model. The car will use the 4.3L V8 engine currently used in the Ferrari 430 Scuderia. The car’s body panels are speculated to be carbon fibre. It is further speculated that this car will enjoy a limited-production run.

The Stratos was a very successful rally car during the 1970s and early 1980s. It started a new era in rallying as it was the first car designed from scratch for this kind of competition. The three leading men behind the entire rallying project were Lancia team manager Cesare Fiorio, British racer/engineer Mike Parkes and factory rally driver Sandro Munari.

The bodywork was designed by Marcello Gandini, head designer at Bertone, and the technical layout was loosely based on a (Lancia Fulvia V4 powered) concept car called Stratos Zero which had been first shown at the Turin Motor Show in 1970. The body was wedge-shaped, and unusually short and wide, providing maximum traction. The car later appeared in Michael Jackson’s 1988 film, Moonwalker as well as in his music video for Smooth Criminal.

The car won the 1974, 1975 and 1976 championship titles in the hands of Sandro Munari and Björn Waldegård, and might have gone on to win more had not internal politics within the Fiat group placed rallying responsibility on the Fiat 131 Abarths. As well as victories on the 1975, 1976 and 1977 Monte Carlo Rally, all courtesy of Munari, the Stratos won the event with the private Chardonnet Team as late as 1979.

Automobile design consultant Chris Hrabalek has the largest Lancia Stratos Collection in the world – he owns 11 unique Lancia Stratos cars, including the fluorescent red 1971 factory prototype and the 1977 Safari Rally car.

Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. revealed the technical specs and the performance stats of the all new Lancia Stratos. The new super car sits on a 20 cm shortened Ferrari F430 Scuderia underpinning and measures 4181 mm in length, 1971 mm in width, 1240 mm in height with a 2400 mm wheelbase.

The New Lancia Stratos, which has a dry weight of 1247 kg, is expected to reach 100 km/h in just 3.3 seconds and with a top speed of 274 km/h. The company said it has reduced the top speed due to the use of a new rear axle.

The super car from the Italian automaker is powered using a 4.3L V8 engine that can generate a power of 540-hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. The new car comes with a 6 speed sequential gearbox with mechanical variable differential.

The fast moving car is stopped using a 398 mm front and 350 mm rear Brembo brakes. When it comes to controlling the vehicle, the car has an electro-hydraulic power steering pump with the new carbon steering wheel with multicolored LEDs. The Italian carmaker has equipped this super car with two outboard aluminium fuel tanks, which has a capacity of 90 liters.

Apart from these features and specifications this super car comes with various other accessories, These accessories include bi-xenon headlights, LED-Ferrari 599 rear lights, one blade front wiper system, electric switch and side indicator, lightweight regulator with anti-trap technology (Brose) and 3.76 mm and 4 mm thin window glass.

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Source: rallybuzz.com and nitrobahn.com

Sergio and Andrea Pininfarina would be proud. The Ferrari SA APERTA has made its global entrance, so stare at it while you can because you might never see one in person. Just 80 sans-roof examples of the front-engined V12 hot-rod will be built. That number serves to honor the 80th anniversary of Pininfarina, just as the letters S and A honor Sergio and Andrea Pininfarina.

It’s not entirely topless, though. It does come with a lightweight soft-top which can be installed if the rain begins to fall. We imagine the procedure for putting that top on is surprisingly difficult and it would be smarter to just drive faster and evade the weather. It would be a shame to muffle the open-air song from that 6.0-liter 12-cylinder engine, even just a little bit.

The Ferrari SA APERTA (aperta is Italian for “open”) is a wonderful way to pay tribute to two men and a company that have played an important role for Enzo’s company. 

Ferrari Press Release:

Paris, 30th September – At the Paris Motor Show Ferrari is presenting the SA APERTA, a strictly limited edition of just 80 cars, and the Ferrari California sporting the first application of the HELE (High Emotion Low Emissions) system which is designed to enhance driving pleasure whilst reducing environmental impact.

The SA APERTA celebrates Pininfarina’s 80th year of activity and pays homage Sergio and Andrea. The SA APERTA is a new concept: a completely open-top interpretation of the architectural philosophy of the 599. It is an authentic roadster and comes with just an emergency soft top designed for use only if the weather gets particularly bad.

The SA APERTA features a lowered windscreen which, combined with the fact that the ride height has also been reduced, makes the car lower and sleeker. In profile the A-post creates an arc that ends with two aerodynamic buttresses integrating the two roll hoops which follow the outline of the seats. Each individual detail of the SA APERTA, designed by Ferrari Centro Stile in collaboration with Pininfarina, has been chosen to highlight the craftsmanship involved in its creation, with the finest materials – such as leather, carbon-fibre and Alcantara – used throughout from the dashboard to the roomy boot.

The SA APERTA is powered by a V12 producing 670 CV at 8250 rpm and maximum torque of 620 Nm at 6500 rpm, while gear changes are effected in just 60 milliseconds. These figures translate into absolutely outstanding performance. Backing up the performance is a chassis that has been redesigned to guarantee the same structural rigidity of the berlinetta without adding weight.

Also on the stand is the Ferrari California equipped with the HELE system. In an urban driving cycle that realistically reproduces a clients’ use of the car, these solutions reduce emissions by 23 per cent compared to the 299 g/km announced at launch. Over the homologated combined cycle (ECE+EUDC) CO2 emissions are cut to a best-in-class 270 g/km. This is thanks to a finely tuned balance between energy demanded (vehicle efficiency) and the increase in energy generated (engine efficiency), a result achieved through the introduction of innovative solutions and the optimisation of numerous technological features.

HELE also incorporates the Stop&Start system designed specifically for sporty driving – intelligent engine fan and fuel pump control, electronically-controlled variable displacement air-conditioning technology and gear shifts that adapt to driving style. These solutions combine to reduce emissions and boost driving pleasure. The Stop&Start system restarts the car in just 230 milliseconds, guaranteeing maximum rapidity in getting underway again.

The Ferrari California thus seamlessly melds sportiness and versatility. The latter attribute, in fact, extends not only to its use, but also to the now even richer array of trim and personalisation options possible. As well as the 16 standard exterior colours in the range, clients can also opt for two-tone finishes or three-layer paint technology. Other options include an even wider choice of leather finishes, including water-repellent leather. Along with the SA APERTA and the Ferrari California on the stand at Paris will be the 458 Italia and the 599 GTB Fiorano with the HGTE pack, as well as the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro Formula 1 car that Alonso drove to victory in the last two Grands Prix.

SA  APERTA  Technical  Specifications:

Electronics

CST with F1-Trac system

Control for stability and traction

TPTMS

Tyres Pressure and Temperature Monitoring System

Engine

Type

65° V12

Bore and stroke

92.0 x 75.2 mm (3.62 x 2.96 in)

Unit displacement

499.9 cm3 (30.51 cu in)

Total displacement

5999 cm3 (366.08 cu in)

Compression ratio

11,9:1

Maximum power**

493 kW (670 CV) at 8250 rpm

Maximum torque**

620 Nm (63 kgm – 457 lbft) at 6500 rpm

Performance

Top speed

325 km/h (202 mph)

0-100 km/h (0-62 mph)

3.6 sec

Gearbox

F1

6-speed + reverse

Suspensions

SCM

Magnetorheological damping control

Fuel consumption

Combined ECE*

17.5 l/100 km

CO2 Emissions

Combined ECE*

411 g/km

Note

*

European market version

Note 2

**

Engine power is quoted in kW, in accordance with the International System of Units (SI) and in CV for reasons of homogeneity.

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Source: ferrari.com, autoblog.com and zercustoms.com

The star Ferrari at the Paris Auto Show next month will be the gorgeous SA Aperta, which Ferrari bills as the “most exclusive Ferrari ever.”

Just eighty will be built. The special-edition V-12 roadsters — based on the 599 GTO coupe — honor the 80th anniversary of Carrozzeria Pininfarina, the famous Italian auto design and coachbuilding house that’s long worked with Ferrari. The SA in the name pays homage to now honorary company chairman Sergio Pininfarina, 84, and his son Andrea, who ran the company before his death in 2008. 

Aperta is Italian for “open” and that’s how this front-engine, rear-drive roadster is intended to be driven. It has a simple soft top Ferrari says is “designed to be resorted to only if the weather gets particularly bad.” Anything more complicated would have added weight, and Ferrari proudly claims the chassis was given the necessary stiffening to be topless, but brought in at the same weight as the coupe. 

The powertrain it shares with the 599 is a 670-horsepower, 6.7-liter V-12 mated to a six-speed automated manual — good for 0-60 in under 3.5 seconds in the coupe. The open SA Aperta sits slightly lower and features aerodynamic fins that sweep back from the roll bars. Ferrari says there are enough color, material and trim choices that no two cars will be alike.

Typically when a new Ferrari comes along, particularly a special edition model, the company gives its longtime customers the first shot at buying them. For those willing to wait, the cars usually wind up selling at a discount within a few years.

To really save a few bucks you could settle for a 550 Barchetta, the open-top special edition car Ferrari rolled out a decade ago to mark — you guessed it — Pininfarina’s 70th anniversary. They originally sold out quickly at the list price of about $258,000 and shortly thereafter began changing hands at nearly $500,000. Today you can get one for less than $200,000. Of course they are not as rare as the SA Aperta, as Ferrari built 448 Barchettas. So the new car probably will suffer less from depreciation.

But don’t get your heart set on one. Ferrari gave a private showing at this summer’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and apparently all 80 of the roughly $450,000 cars are taken.

Press Release:

Maranello, 24th September 2010 – Ferrari is delighted to announce the presentation of the SA APERTA at the Paris International Motor Show 2010. This is a special series model of which a strictly limited number of just 80 will be built. All have already been sold. Ferrari chose to build 80 SA Apertas in celebration of Pininfarina’s 80th anniversary. The SA nomenclature also pays homage to both Sergio and Andrea Pininfarina whose company and work have been linked to the most successful road-going cars ever built at Maranello.

The SA APERTA is a true roadster which allows its occupants to enjoy the superlative emotions afforded by our signature front-engined V12 architecture in a completely open-top setting. In fact, it has just a light soft top designed to be resorted to only if the weather gets particularly bad. A low-slung windscreen and the fact that it crouches lower to the ground than our other models lend the SA APERTA an exceptionally aerodynamic sleekness. Its profile arches back from the A-post to two aerodynamic fins beautifully integrating the two roll-bars which themselves cleverly mimic the outline of the seats.

The chassis has been redesigned to deliver a standard of stiffness comparable to that of a closed berlinetta and there is a negligible weight difference also, thanks to work done on the chassis structure.

Thanks to the 670 CV engine beneath its bonnet, the SA APERTA beautifully embodies the sporty spirit of the 599, incorporating Ferrari’s most advanced technology to deliver absolutely benchmark performance and superb driving pleasure. Its interior too is stylishly sporty with particularly sophisticated materials, trim and colours used throughout. The virtually endless combinations available guarantee that each and every SA APERTA is absolutely unique.

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Source: content.usatoday.com and blogs.wsj.com