The new Ferrari Icona Daytona SP3 has just been presented, a limited edition of which only 599 units will be manufactured for customers who own the previous Icona Monza SP1 and SP2 models, as well as new customers. The first deliveries will be in the last quarter of 2022, 2023 and 2024… although don’t even bother to call, because all the units have already been purchased, at a price in Italy with taxes included of two million euros
At the Daytona 24 Hours on February 6, 1967, Ferrari accomplished one of the greatest feats of his racing career, placing three cars on the podium in the first race of that year’s World Sports Prototype Championship. The 330 P3/4, 330 P4 and 412 P executed a triumphant ride before the checkered flag at the home of their historic Ford rivals. Each of them was the result of different evolutions of the 330 P3, a model that the team led by the engineer Mauro Forghieri managed to significantly improve in each of them in each of the three axes of any racing car: engine, chassis and aerodynamics. The 330 P3 / 4 perfectly embodied the spirit of the sports prototypes of the 1960s, a decade considered the golden age of motorsport and which still represents a fundamental reference that influenced entire subsequent generations of engineers and designers.
At the Daytona 24 Hours on February 6, 1967, Ferrari accomplished one of the greatest feats of his racing career, placing three cars on the podium in the first race of that year’s World Sports Prototype Championship. The 330 P3/4, 330 P4 and 412 P executed a triumphant ride before the checkered flag at the home of their historic Ford rivals. Each of them was the result of different evolutions of the 330 P3, a model that the team led by the engineer Mauro Forghieri managed to significantly improve in each of them in each of the three axes of any racing car: engine, chassis and aerodynamics. The 330 P3 / 4 perfectly embodied the spirit of the sports prototypes of the 1960s, a decade considered the golden age of motorsport and which still represents a fundamental reference that influenced entire subsequent generations of engineers and designers.
Starting from its name, the Daytona SP3 nods to that legendary hat-trick with the clear intention of paying homage to the Ferrari Sports Prototypes that helped make the brand part of motorsport legend. The limited edition model presented today at the Mugello international circuit within the 2021 Ferrari World Finals joins the ‘Icona’ segment of which the Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2 are already part.
Its design pivots on the harmonious juxtaposition of contrasts between plastic and sensual surfaces, which alternate with incisive lines that evoke the growing relevance of aerodynamics in the design of racing cars of the time such as the 330 P4, the 350 Can-Am and the 512 S. It is from the world of Sports Prototypes that the Daytona SP3 draws its inspiration by equipping a ‘Targa’ type body with a removable hardtop. This choice gives the driver unique emotions and at the same time guarantees great driving ease.
From a technical point of view, the Daytona SP3 is inspired by the refinement of engineering solutions already adopted in the racing cars of the 1960s. Both today and then the search for performance was produced by intervening in the same three areas. The car is equipped with a naturally aspirated V12 engine in a central-rear position, typical architecture of racing cars. This version of the most iconic combustion engine of the Maranello company develops 840 HP of power, which makes it the most powerful produced so far by Ferrari, 697 Nm of torque and a maximum revolution of 9500 rpm.
The chassis is made of composite materials using Formula 1 technologies that have not been seen in road-going Ferraris since the LaFerrari, the last Supercar from Maranello. The seat is integrated into the chassis to reduce the weight of the car and gives the driver a driving position similar to that of a competition model.
Finally, based on the models on which it is inspired, the aerodynamic and stylistic study was oriented towards maximum efficiency through the exclusive use of passive solutions at the aerodynamic level. Thanks to unique innovations, such as low-pressure stacks that draw air from the underbody, the Daytona SP3 is the most aerodynamically efficient car ever built by Ferrari without having to resort to active aerodynamic devices. Thanks to the clever integration of these technical solutions, the car can accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in 2.85 seconds and from zero to 200 km/h in just 7.4 seconds: pure emotional performance, extreme set-up and the heady sound of the V12. Maximum driving pleasure behind the wheel.
A very defining line inspired by the red prototypes of the 60s.
vintage and modern style
Although inspired by the stylistic language of the racing cars of the 60s, the Daytona SP3 has very modern and original shapes. In fact, the plasticity of the car recalls the evocative volumes of the Sports Prototypes, reinterpreting them in a contemporary key. It goes without saying that such an ambitious project required design director Flavio Manzoni and the team at Ferrari’s Centro Stile, who guided stylistic choices based on a carefully considered strategy.
exterior in dome
The Daytona SP3’s wraparound windshield cabin takes on the look of a dome set in a sensual sculpture whose equally sinuous fenders jut out decisively. The overall balance is enhanced by the monolithic appearance of the volumes that convey the characteristic craftsmanship so typical of Italian bodywork. The sensation is that of being in front of an object where the fluidity of the masses is combined with more incisive surfaces to create that aesthetic balance that has always characterized the history of the House of Maranello.
The smooth, double-ridged fenders refer to the plasticity of other Ferrari Sports Prototypes such as the 512 S or the 312 P. The shape of the wheel arches effectively connotes the geometry of the side, where the front arch is more structured and, not following exactly to the tyre, it creates a strong link between wheel and bed, while the rear hugs the front of the wheel, running towards the tail, creating a muscular shape and energizing the three-quarter view.
Another key element is the wing-opening door which, thanks to the integrated air box, channels air towards the side radiators. Its sculptural form is characterized by a pronounced shoulder in which an air intake has been obtained that is optically linked to the vertical cut of the windshield. The door surface helps manage airflow from the wheel well. This surface treatment is related to that of cars like the 512 S, which helped create the styling codes of the Daytona SP3.
The mirrors are located in a forward position with respect to the doors, in another clear reference to the Sports Prototypes of the 60s. This positioning was chosen to ensure greater visibility and reduce the impact on the airflow directed to the intakes. door air. Its shape and support have been perfected using specific CFD simulations to ensure that the airflow to the air intakes is not interrupted.
But it is the three-quarter rear view that is most significant, as well as the one from which the great originality of the Daytona SP3 can be fully appreciated. The door looks like a faceted volume that creates a dihedral in soft relief and, in conjunction with the powerful rear fender, creates an unprecedented side cut to the side. The door extends the surface of the front wheel arch, creating a counterbalance to the musculature of the rear, producing a change in volumes at the side and giving the car a distinctive cabin-forward effect. This architecture, typical of sports cars, is possible thanks to the displacement of the side radiators.
The front of the Daytona SP3 is dominated by two powerful fenders divided into an external and an internal section. The latter plunges into an air duct in the hood, increasing the volumetric perception of the fender. The relationship between the perceived mass of the outer section and the aerodynamic function of the inner section highlights the link between technique and style that distinguishes the car.
The bumper has a generous central grille, framed by two pillars on which horizontal slats delimited by the outer edge of the bumper stand out. The headlights are characterized by a movable cover that recalls the typical retractable headlights of vintage supercars, a theme of special fondness in the Ferrari tradition, and which gives the model an aggressive and minimalist appearance. Two bumpers, which refer to the aerodynamic movements of the 330 P4 and other Sports Prototypes, emerge from the external profile of the headlights, increasing the expressiveness of the front.
The brutal fender emphatically presides over the rear of the SP3.
The rear part highlights the volumetric power of the fender thanks to the use of a two-section element and is embellished with a streamlined pocket that increases the three-dimensional effect. The compact and tapered passenger compartment creates at the rear, together with the fenders, a powerful backrest in which there is a dorsal element that shows the naturally aspirated V12 at the end, the beating heart of this new Ferrari ‘Icona’ .
A series of horizontal slats complete the rear structure, where the resulting light, radical and structured monolithic volume gives the Daytona SP3 a futuristic look where they include
typical elements of Ferrari DNA. The taillights consist of a horizontal light bar arranged below the spoiler and hidden in the first row of slats. The pair of exhausts sit on top of the diffuser in a central position, contributing to its aggressive look and completing a scheme that tends to optically enlarge the car.
The interior finishes, how can it be otherwise, are worthy of a Gran Turismo.
A very refined interior
Even for the interior, the Daytona SP3 takes inspiration from Ferraris like the 330 P3/P4, the…
Facebook Comments
Disqus