Ferrari has extensively redesigned its F8 Tributo mid-engined supercar to create the SP48 Unica for a long-standing client. The latest entry into the ultra-exclusive One-Off series, after last year’s V12-engined BR20, uses the mechanicals of the F8 Tributo, including its mid-mounted 719hp twin-turbo V8.
The SP48 Unica is built through its special project program, which allows top clients to create one-of-a-kind vehicles in tandem with Ferrari’s design team. The anonymous owner worked with Flavio Manzoni, the company’s chief design officer, to come up with this bright-red supercar based on the F8 Tributo. It has that car’s twin-turbocharged V-8 engine and likely gets the same 710 hp and 568 ft-lbs of torque, but it’s also got some standout changes.
While creating the one-off, Berlinetta, designers used 3D prototyping extensively, which allowed them to redesign bits like the front grille and engine air intakes digitally. Maranello hasn’t given a price for the SP48, but it will have cost its owner in excess of the now-discontinued Ferrari F8 Tributo.
The A-pillar and central top of the car are painted black, giving the roof a floating effect. Another change comes in the form of smaller side windows and the elimination of the rear screen. Looking at the car from the top will highlight the strip running through the centre of the car. There is a carbon-fibre engine cover, beneath which is the 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 engine. There has been no mention of any changes to the engine and we presume it still puts out roughly 710bhp and 770Nm.
Details and specifications
While it rides on the F8’s platform, the SP48 Unica’s design feels more in line with Ferrari’s newest hybrid offering, the 296GTB. The front grille has been overhauled with an intricate honeycomb pattern, sitting beneath horizontal headlights that incorporate a vent, just like the 296. The SP48 also mimics its hybrid V-6 sibling with a blacked-out A-pillar, creating what Ferrari calls a “visor effect” with the roof. Ferrari says the side windows are narrower, while the rear windshield is gone, replaced by a patterned strip that extends back into the rear wing. Air intakes just ahead of that wing echo the design of the front grille and roof graphic.
While images of the interior have yet to be released, the official video shows the cabin has been largely carried over from the F8 Tributo. Aside from the missing rear window, the unique build proudly carries the “SP48 Unica” badge on the passenger side of the dashboard. In addition, the seats make use of laser-perforated Alcantara, which has also been applied to other areas of the otherwise familiar interior, and there are pops of red-orange fabric that match the Unica’s exterior color.
The SP48 was created for a long-time Ferrari buyer, and there’s no word on price, but we imagine it was a hefty sum on top of the F8’s $283,950 starting price.