Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta

Ferrari has unveiled its latest one-off, the P540 Superfast Aperta. Designed by Pininfarina for an American client, the new car is based on the 599 GTB Fiorano. It is the second new car created by the Italian sports car maker's new 'Special Projects' program.

Inspired by a Carrozzeria Fantuzzi-designed Ferrari built specifically for the 1968 Fellini film, Toby Dammit (itself inspired by one of the tales of Edgar Allan Poe), the car's owner, Edward Walson (son of John Walson, the inventor of cable TV) approached Ferrari in 2008 to produce a modern reinterpretation of the gold-colored car in the film.

Walson, who was involved in each stage of the car's development in Maranello, witnessed the considerable effort that went into strengthening the P540's chassis in order to transform it into an open car. The increase in weight was kept down to just 20kg by employing carbon-fiber extensively.

The development of Ferrari's latest creation went from Pinifarina's initial sketches to the final, road-legal car in just 14 months.

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