Everything you need to know about the one-off Ferrari SP-8

The Ferrari SP-8 is the latest one-off from the brand’s special projects team. Based on the F8 Spider, it’s the third exclusive creation in the past 15 months after the Ferrari KC23 (based on a 488 GT3 Evo track car) and the Ferrari SP51 (built on an 812 GTS chassis).

The numeral tips the hat to the multi-award winning eight-cylinder engine. It’s also considered a lucky number in Chinese culture — the commissioning owner is from Taiwan.

Like the Ferrari SP51, the SP-8 doesn’t have a roof, which demanded extensive refining of its aerodynamics through a combination of CFD simulations, wind tunnel and track testing to guarantee a standard of acoustic comfort and wind feeling comparable to the car that inspired it. The rear has also been radically styled from the donor car.

The SP-8’s main styling theme centres on a fusion of unpainted carbon-fibre front wraps and matt Argento Micalizzato paint, creating two parts and a full volume belt line.

Dominating the front is a full-width cast aluminium grille made from a single 3D-printed mould. Other areas of the SP-8 redesigned from the donor car include the headlights, which have special masks and lenses, while the rear lights are derived from those of the Roma with specific lenses.

The SP-8 rides on specially designed and directional five-spoke wheels that offer a modern take on the classic rims used on Ferrari Sports prototypes as well as the iconic F40. 

The major highlight in the cabin are seats featuring details in laser-etched Navy Blue Alcantara gradient effect cloth and carpets in specific twill fabric. The central console houses the F1 gearbox commands that debuted in the Ferrari SF90 Stradale, with a modified shift gate. 

Ferrari’s special projects programme is aimed at creating unique Ferraris. Each project originates from an idea put forward by a client and is co-developed with a team of designers from Ferrari’s styling centre.

Once the car’s proportion and forms have been defined, detailed design blueprints and a styling buck are produced before manufacturing of the new one-off starts. The entire process takes about two years.