Another day, another bespoke offering. This time it’s the Ferrari Sergio, the production variant of the gorgeous Pininfarina concept unveiled at the 2013 Geneva motor show.
Created as homage to great Sergio Pininfarina, the father of the legendary coachbuilding company that bears his name and the man who forged Pininfarina’s longstanding partnership with Ferrari, the Sergio concept celebrated the spirit and core values of the historic Cambiano-based company in the 60th anniversary year of its collaboration with Ferrari.
WATCH THE VIDEO WALKAROUND WITH PININFARINA DESIGN DIRECTOR HERE
Now, Ferrari has decided to offer the car as a limited edition of just six roadsters, and the first production Sergio has now been delivered to its new owner — the SBH Royal Auto Gallery in the UAE — at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit, where Ferrari is hosting the Finali Mondiali.
Besides being hyper exclusive, the Ferrari Sergio is a radical car. Though it has gained a windscreen in the transition to production, every element aboard is focused on performance, from its roofless, open-air cockpit to the modern interpretation of its roll bar, which references iconic Ferrari design cues such as the flying buttress and negative rear window.
As with all Ferraris, the Sergio’s design was never an end in itself but is a marriage of function and aesthetics. The semi-floating development of the front spoiler beneath the hood balances downforce and optimizes heat exchange, while the air intakes for clutch and gearbox oil cooling are housed in the roll bar.
The Ferrari Sergio has an extremely simple, clear style, referencing designs from the past, such as the transparent headlight cover the 1965 Dino Special, the first car designed entirely by Sergio without his father Battista (Pinin) Farina’s help.
At the rear, the circular taillights are another modern nod to Ferrari history, a clear departure from the more modern treatment on the concept. The two-tone theme continues on both the hood and rear deck, with the latter featuring the iconic circular air vents seen on other iconic Pininfarina creations from the past.
Both its volumes and treatments of its surfaces reflect the spirt of Pininfarina’s 1960s and 70s creations for Ferrari. Its proportions have been pushed to the extreme with the front of the car seeming to penetrate the rear which itself projects forward.
The result is a sculptural, three-dimensional take on the classic roadster. The two bodyshell masses are melded together via a longitudinal black insert, the main styling cue of the design. The two sections of the car flow into one another resulting in harmonious, muscular forms.
Based on the Ferrari 458 Spider and using the same mechanicals — a 605 hp version of Ferrari’s naturally aspirated V8 — the cockpit is pared-back and functional.
Each one of the six Ferrari Sergios was configured by its owner in dedicated sessions at the Tailor Made atelier in Maranello. The example delivered to Abu Dhabi has three-layer red exterior paintwork and a cabin featuring black leather upholstery with contrasting red stitching, Alcantara seat inserts and extensive carbon dash and door well trim. It also features Sergio-specific forged wheels, which are gold in color with a diamond finish.
READ ALL ABOUT THE PININFARINA SERGIO CONCEPT HERE
