You might remember the car seen in the picture above as the radical Ferrari concept that made its debut last year at the Geneva Motor Show and was built as a tribute to the legendary Italian designer, Pininfarina Sergio. A man who led Pininfarina for 40 years and conceived some of the greatest car legends, brings a new icon. But unlike other extreme concepts that are built just to be taken to the different auto shows and later retiring to a spot at one of the museums, the Pininfarina Sergio concept has in fact got the go-ahead by Ferrari to enter production. Ferrari has very quietly announced on an “ask-and-you’ll-be-told” basis that it has approved the building of six Pininfarina Sergio roadsters. But Ferrari themselves won’t build the cars, and Pininfarina will do the job.
From a Legend rises an Icon
The Sergio, in fact, is a two-seater barchetta that looks to the future, very compact, very sporty, racy, pure and sensual. An exercise that Pininfarina decided to undertake on Ferrari 458 Spider mechanicals. Its formal interpretation is absolutely free, in the best tradition of the Pininfarina research which has produced so many Ferrari-based concept cars or unique models now recognised as masterpieces. The result is a modern, organic view of the mid-rear-engined two-seater barchetta. The willingness to revisit volumes and surface treatments in a subliminal way emerges with the Sergio, which evokes the spirit of Pininfarina’s best achievements for Ferrari of the ‘60s and ‘70s.
A radical object, unique and essential, which rejects the superfluous and is performance-oriented. A real open air car with an explicit nod to racing cars, in the sense that a cupola is not fitted to protect occupants, for which two helmets are provided. Its exclusivity and development on the basis of a production car, in fact, sets the Sergio in the tradition of the great Pininfarina custom-made cars specifically designed for “special” clients. It is therefore a real car that can easily be produced in limited series of a few units
The roadster will be based on the Ferrari 458 which will be used as a donor car giving all the mechanical and electrical components as well as all the structural components for the interior. Pininfarina will do the entire coachwork to turn the radical concept into a fully functional and completely road-legal roadster. There is no word on the pricing as it has been kept strictly confidential but according to some reports, the price-tag on this rare machine exceeds $2 million.
THE ITALIAN PROJECT
