Ferrari 430 Scuderia Edizione

Ferrari Car Pictures

Special Ferrari 599 supercar

Meet the Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta. Not a typical Ferrari name, but this isn’t a typical Ferrari. It’s an exceedingly bespoke version of our current favourite supercar, the 599 GTB Fiorano, and it’s the work of Ferrari’s Special Projects division.

While it keeps the 611bhp 6-litre V12 and F1 gearbox of the standard supercar, the bodywork is completely different. The P540’s silhouette is reminiscent of a mid-1970s Corvette Stingray, while the front end is a lot like the new Ferrari California. The styling is the work of Pininfarina.

Losing the roof has prompted some extra bracing to strengthen the P540, with around 20kg added to the kerb weight. The gains in mass have been kept under control via much use of carbonfibre.

It’s been made at the request of Edward Walson, son of the man who invented cable TV. He approached Ferrari in 2008, and after the company okayed his plans, its development began, the Superfast taking 14 months to put together.

Ferrari says that Special Projects is able to turn down requests, but was happy to pass Walson’s P540. Anyone who does get a one-off car this way also receives the tooling as part of the purchase, ensuring each one remains unique, although Ferrari reserves the right to buy back both cars and tooling to keep Special Projects produce from being snapped up by speculators.

This Special Projects team came bout after the Ferrari Enzo-based P4/5 (pictured, red) was produced by Pininfarina in 2007. Due to it not coming from under Ferrari’s roof it doesn’t wear a Prancing Horse badge and is ineligible for Ferrari concours events. Cars like the P540 will be.

British Ferrari supercar

The new car will take on Ferraris and Porsches and is the brainchild of top designer Lee Noble.

He is setting up the new company – Fenix Automotive Ltd – to sell the mid-engined V8 motor.

Designer of the Ferrari-beating Noble M12 and Noble M400, the Leicestershire wizard is already deep into development of his all new car.

Tantalisingly, he says the Fenix will trounce all his previous creations!

What’s more, Noble says it will sell for a relative bargain price – less than £75,000. That’s despite a promised ability to shoot from 0-100mph in under 7 seconds.

‘Our new car will offer buyers performance and dynamics that they’d normally have to spend well over £100,000 to experience,’ said Noble – ‘but at a far more affordable price.

‘It will combine simplicity, strength and agility, while its 2-seat, closed body will ensure sensible levels of refinement for road use.’

The new Fenix will hit the market towards the end of 2010, where its ‘amazing practicality’ will be revealed. Noble also says it will be useable on the road as well as on the track.

2010 Novitec Rosso Ferrari California Official Revealed

Sporty styling, a custom-tailored tire/wheel combination with diameters of 21 and 22 inches, suspension modifications, more power and exclusive interior options: NOVITEC ROSSO now also refines the new Ferrari California.

Tasteful refinements with aerodynamic benefits characterize the NOVITEC ROSSO design program for the sports car from Maranello. All aerodynamic-enhancement components are made from especially lightweight yet high-strength clear-coated carbon fiber.

The NOVITEC ROSSO front spoiler attaches to the production bumper and lends the sports car an even more striking face. Its sophisticated shape further reduces lift on the front axle for even better directional stability at high speeds.

The sides are upgraded with striking NOVITEC ROSSO rocker panel moldings for an even more clearly defined racing look. Black side markers add further individual highlights.

To reduce lift on the rear axle and thus achieve an optimal aerodynamic balance NOVITEC ROSSO equips the California with a newly designed diffuser for the rear apron and a spoiler lip on the trunk lid.

Three-piece NOVITEC ROSSO NF3 wheels also play a major role in the even more stunning appearance of the refined Ferrari. By choosing a staggered combination of size 9Jx21 wheels in front and size 11.5Jx22 on the rear axle NOVITEC ROSSO further emphasizes the wedge shape of the car. Technology partner Pirelli supplies high-performance tires custom-tailored to this Ferrari. The front axle features tires in size 255/30 ZR 21. In the rear tires in size 315/25 ZR 22 provide optimal traction.

NOVITEC ROSSO sport springs are custom-calibrated to match these ultra-low-profile tires, and lower the ride height by some 35 millimeters. At the same time the NOVITEC ROSSO specialists have developed an additional feature to further improve the everyday utility of the Ferrari California. The NOVITEC ROSSO hydraulic front lift system raises the front of the car by some 40 millimeters at the push of a button in the interior. That allows drivers to safely navigate parking garage ramps or speed bumps. At a second push of the button or automatically when reaching a speed of 80 km/h the front reverts to its original position.

Even faster throttle response and more power characterize the first NOVITEC ROSSO tuning stage for the Ferrari California, which increases power output of the 4.3-liter V8 engine by 40 hp / 29.4 kW to 500 hp / 368 kW. Simultaneously peak torque grows from 485 to 518 Nm at 5,300 rpm.

This injection of extra power comprises on the one hand a newly calibrated engine management system with custom mapping for injection and ignition, including a new higher redline speed of 8,300 rpm. The tuning package also includes the NOVITEC ROSSO stainless-steel high-performance exhaust system with metal catalysts and a flap actuator operated from the Manettino switch on the steering wheel.

NOVITEC ROSSO fulfills customer demands for interior customization with perfectly finished leather and Alcantara interiors. The choice of available colors and meticulously sewn upholstery designs is virtually unlimited.

2010 Novitec Rosso Ferrari California pictures

Ferrari Speical Edition

If you had a lot of money - and we mean, like, a lot of money, a sort of quite-close-to-infinite amount of money - with which to create your perfect, custom-built Ferrari, would you order a gold, convertible 599?

No? Well, tough. Because you don't have a swizillion dollars. But Edward Walson does. He's the son of John Walson, the man who invented cable television, and he is Very Rich Indeed.

Last year, Walson Jnr approached Ferrari's Special Projects Programme - established after Pininfarina created James Glickenhaus's P4/5 and Ferrari realised it could create an in-house division to grab a bit of the ultra-lucrative one-off market - to develop a car to his very exacting specifications and very expansive wallet.

So say hello to the Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta, a coachbuilt 599 convertible modelled, apparently, on the gold Ferrari from the 1968 short film Toby Dammit (nope, us neither).

The Aperta took 14 months to build, with much of the work going into strengthening the chassis to deal with the loss of the roof. Still, the Aperta is just 20kg heavier than a stock 599, thanks to extensive use of deliciously expensive carbon fibre.

Walson opted to leave the 599's 6.0-litre V12 (which is, admittedly, a masterwork in standard form) unchanged, which seems a touch odd to us. Surely if you were spending gazillions of dollars creating your own unique Ferrari, you'd demand a tweak or two to the engine... just to make it special, like?