Ferrari Officially Reveals One-Off P540 Superfast Aperta for American Client

Ferrari is back into the business of coachbuilding as the Italian supercar maker unveiled the second one-off special after the P4/5 it built for American collector (and millionaire...) James Glickenhaus back in 2006. The new Ferrari P540 Superfast Ferries Aperta was created for Edward Walson, son of John Walson, the inventor of cable TV.

The wealthy American approached Ferrari in 2008 to produce a modern reinterpretation of the gold-coloured 1965 Ferrari 250GT NART Spyder featured in a 1968 Fellini short film called "Toby Dammit".

"I had always dreamed of designing sports cars," Walson explains, "and when I saw this film the decision came of its own accord: one day I would have 'my' Ferrari." And well, he did.

In case you didn't notice, the Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta is based on the 599 GTB Fiorano. The car was designed by Pininfarina and built in Maranello, with Ferrari claiming that Walson was directly involved in each stage of its development.

According to the Italians, while considerable effort went into strengthening the chassis after the roof was chopped off, the increase in weight was kept down to just 20 kg or 44 pounds by employing carbon-fibre extensively.

Ferrari said that from the initial sketches to the final, road-legal car, it took just 14 months to complete the project.

Those of you with a strong memory may remember that we first showed you the P540 Superfast Aperta earlier this year, though then, we didn't know any details about the one-off Prancing Horse model.

Technical specifications

Length 4731 mm

Width 1954 mm

Height 1300 mm

Wheelbase 2750 mm

Front track 1690 mm

Rear track 1620 mm

Engine

65° V12

Displacement 5999 cc

Maximum power 456 kW (620 CV) at 7600 rpm

Maximum torque 608 Nm (62 kgm) at 5600 rpm

Transmission

F1 6-speed gearbox

Tyres

Front 245/35 20"

Rear 305/35 20"

Fuel consumption

Combined cycle 17.9 l/100 km

CO2 emissions

Combined cycle 415 g/km

Unique Ferrari 599 China Fetches €1.2 Million in Beijing Auction

The single special Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano China Limited Edition designed by artist Lu Hao was auctioned off to an anonymous bidder from Shanghai at the Red Gate Gallery in Beijing on Tuesday for €1.2 million, or approx US$1.75 million at today's exchange rates. Based on a limited version of the 599 for the Chinese market, this one-of-a-kind Prancing Horse model is distinguished by the Song Dynasty Ge Kiln pottery patterns applied on the body.

Along with the special 599, Ferrari also auctioned a few more objects from its collection including a racing overall worn by F1 driver, Giancarlo Fisichella and a helmet and a model car signed by Michael Schumacher (yes, that's him wearing the fuxia scarf), who unveiled the car to the international press this morning.

According to the Italian supercar maker, the proceeds from the auction will go to fund outstanding students and young teachers of Tsinghua University's Department of Automotive Engineering to study at Italy's Politecnico di Milano University and internship at Ferrari's headquarters.

Ferrari's One-Off 599 GTB Fiorano China Limited Edition, Video and Full Gallery with High-Res Photos

Usually, you'd expect to see something like this happening to a Fiat 500 and not to high-end supercar like the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, but there are always exceptions to the rule. This one-off creation, which is based on a small series of specially-designed 599 GTB Fiorano China Limited Edition models, is signed by Chinese artist Lu Hao and it will be auctioned the 3rd of November at a special Gala Auction Event hosted by Ferrari in Beijing.

The special 599 GTB Fiorano incorporates a number of the features of the China Limited Edition cars that will be produced in a very limited series of less than a dozen examples finished in two-tone Rosso Fuoco with silver roof and distinguished by unique design elements such as the Chinese characters on the starter button and the tachometer, and the unique luggage set.

The one-off model is further distinguished by the special exterior finish that draws inspiration from the famous Ge Kiln porcelain of the Song Dynasty. The artist used a "cracked" glaze pattern with clearly defined cracks etched at different depths to achieve the porcelain look.

"The 599 China Limited Edition model is a true masterpiece, combining rich Chinese artistic heritage with Italian design in a most spectacular way," said Marco Mattiacci, CEO of Ferrari Asia Pacific.

We'd say that while it may look cool from an artistic perspective, we find it a little too gaudy for our automotive tastes.

Novitec Rosso Tweaks the Ferrari 599 GTB, Gains More Power and New Aero Kit

If you happen to belong to the exclusive club of Ferrari 599 GTB owners and would like to spruce up your Prancing Horse supercar without going to extremes, Novitec Rosso has released a new tuning package with subtle cosmetic and performance upgrades. Starting with the V12 engine, €10,490 or about $15k (what did you expect, it's a Ferrari...) will get you Novitec's Stage 3 performance kit that consists of new engine electronics and a complete stainless-steel high-performance exhaust system.

The result is a 40HP boost in output for a total of 660HP. Furthermore, the maximum engine speed is raised to 8,550 rpm which lifts top speed by 5 km/h to 335 km/h or 208mph.

There's also a Novitec Rosso sport suspension that not only allows both ride height and damper rates to be set according to each driver's individual preferences but also features a system that raises the nose of the car by just 40mm or 1.5 inches at the push of a button to safely overcome speed bumps and driveway ramps.

Exterior mods include a front lip spoiler, new rocker panels with larger air vents, a not-so-discreet rear wing and a rear diffuser plus black taillights, side markers and auxiliary brake light as well as the new LED rear fog lights.

The 599 GTB's upgraded looks are complemented by a set of 20-inch (front) and 21-inch (back) double-spoke alloys that are shod in 275/30 ZR 20 tires up front and 355/25 ZR 21 at the rear, and are available in a number of different color combinations.

Put your hands a little deeper in the pockets and the German tuner will more than happily upgrade the 599 GTB's interior with an array of goodies including a leather/carbon-fiber sport steering wheel with flattened bottom, aluminum foot pedals and foot rest, and even custom-made leather or Alcantara upholstery.

Via: Jalopnik