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[ The CAR ]
SIMPLY UNICA The latest creation from Ferrari’s Special Projects programme is proudly Italian – right down to its brilliantly apt and evocative name. Just one example of this masterpiece will ever be built, making it authentically Unica by Diego Tamone - ph. courtesy by Ferrari
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The futuristic SP48 Unica. Ferrari used 3D prototyping during its development, which resulted in completely redesigned, perfectly 3D front grilles that seem carved from a solid volume
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[ The CAR ]
F
or quite some time there has been a trend amongst the great Made in
Although based on the F8 Tributo platform, the
Italy exponents to export not just their products and culture of beauty
car incorporates a slew of innovative design
but also their mother tongue. Because any ambassador for the Bel Paese
solutions. This is particularly true of the tail
(and its legendary elegance) really should be Italian in name also. Although
where the absence of the rear screen creates
sometimes undervalued, the musicality of Italian can be the perfect universal
a sense of continuity. It is powered by a mid-
communications tool. Its idioms are much loved and, more importantly still,
rear-mounted twin turbo V8. Facing page, the
understood the world over. That most iconic and instantly recognisable of
SP48 Unica’s lines reveal the impressive aero
Italian brands, Ferrari recognised this potential and gave its recently-launched
development done by Ferrari’s technicians.
car a proudly Italian name that requires no translation: the SP48 Unica. A
This angle reveals the striking visor effect
feminine adjective used as a proper noun. The perfect instantly recognisable
of the front with its wraparound windshield
and understandable name for what really is a one-off creation, a car designed
complemented by exceptioanlly small side
and built to the specifications of a single client. This is a privilege reserved
windows. The engine cover ahead of the spoiler
for the very few by Maranello, which produces these absolutely bespoke cars
is made from carbon-fibre
solely for its most loyal clients. The kind of people who have spent years buying and collecting Ferraris out of pure passion – never, ever for speculative reasons. These cars are not just prizes but also a demonstration of Ferrari’s faith because historically, its bespoke cars have proved its most enduring in terms of value and popularity. This fate is written in the stars too for the SP48 Unica, a two-seater sports berlinetta developed by the team headed by Chief Design Officer Flavio Manzoni on the F8 Tributo (another Italian name!) platform. However, its styling has been cleverly evolved to make a client’s dreams a reality whilst still retaining the marque’s DNA and aesthetic language. The whole operation took over a year with the team using 3D 72
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[ The CAR ]
prototyping to develop components such as the wraparound front grille. The
SP48 Unica, an understandable name for what
area above the beltline hails a real break with tradition as the elimination of
really is a one-off creation, a car designed and
the rear screen and the reduction of the size of the side windows have created
built to the specifications of a single client. This is
a sense of continuity that underscores the car’s powerful masculinity and
a privilege reserved for the very few by Maranello,
character. This extreme styling also aimed to boost performance and was
which produces these absolutely bespoke cars
underpinned by meticulous thermo-fluid dynamics research that influenced
solely for its most loyal clients
the car’s aero efficiency. In short, the SP48 Unica is a masterpiece. The product of Ferrari’s Special Projects programme, even its superbly styled cabin encapsulates its owner’s tastes whilst still retaining the F8 Tributo’s technical identity. www.ferrari.com
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