The Ferrari SP38 Is A One-Off Gorgeous Road Rocket Based On The Outrageous 488 GTB
Witness the Ferrari SP38, which is a bespoke model that is based on the outright insane 488 GTB. It's kind of hard to see any of the 488 GTB in this one-off creation, but believe us, the chassis, suspension and engine are carried over. It's hard to say if this is a styling improvement over the 488 GTB, but it is a fetching design with throwback louvers over the mid-mounted engine.
Ferrari says that the SP38 is meant to recall the legendary F40 from the 1980s in some ways, but we’re just not seeing that connection… at all. If anything, it reminds us more of the Lotus Evora, which is a lightweight 2+2 mid-engine sports car.
According to Ferrari, the SP38 was created for "one of [its] most dedicated customers" who has a "deep passion for racing". This isn't exactly unprecedented, as Ferrari is willing to create these elusive rides for its well-heeled customers. For example, Eric Clapton commissioned the SP12 EC, which is a retro-styled take on the 458 Italia. And we can't forget the ultra-gorgeous 458 MM Speciale, which still sends shivers down my spine just looking at it.
When it comes to performance, the SP38 shouldn't stray too far away from the 488 GTB. That means that it should feature a twin-turbocharged 3.9-liter V8 engine generating skull-crushing 660 horsepower and 560 lb-ft of torque. This engine, which is paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, has enough gusto to rocket the 488 GTB from 0 to 60 mph in just three seconds. Expect similar times for the SP38. We don't know how the body modifications affect the SP38's aerodynamic performance, but the donor car won't give up until it reaches 205 mph.
Given that this is an exclusive, one-off machine, we have no idea what the price tag is. However, we'd expect that it is priced many multiples higher than the 488 GTB's $252,800 base price. If you do want to see it in person, it will be shown of at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on Saturday, May 26th.
