Ferrari SP48 Unica reflects subtle design exploration
The new one-off model by Ferrari, the SP48 Unica, includes a number of details that suggest the company is exploring new design ideas
Ferrari has unveiled a new one-off series two-seater sports car called SP48 Unica. The model is based on the F8 Tributo, and while it draws on aspects of the original, it includes a variety of unique details that make it stand apart.
The SP48 Unica was specially designed at Centro Stile in Italy to meet a client’s brief under the direction of chief design officer Flavio Manzoni. Initial sketches depict an aggressive model that is extremely low to the ground with a flat greenhouse and giant wheels, and although some of these features have been toned down, the finished product is not far off.
Familiar proportions and shapes make it undeniably Ferrari, with flaring wheel arches flanking the classic dome-like greenhouse and large air inlets and outlets to maximise aerodynamics. A redesigned front grille area was created using 3D prototyping, with a fine honeycomb pattern in the body work running beneath the sharp C-shaped headlamps before disappearing behind a thin panel that includes the silver prancing pony at the centre. Two cavernous scoops in the bonnet funnel air over the greenhouse, aided by the protruding wheel arches.
Sharp lines are etched into the body panels on the sides, resulting in chunky intakes that push air behind the back wheels. The side windows have been made smaller on the Unica when compared to the F8 Tributo and the rear window has been eliminated as Ferrari hopes to emphasise the models’ “powerful muscularity.” There are also intercooler intakes positioned behind the side windows, allowing engineers to reduce the dimensions of the intakes lower down. At the bottom, black carbon-fibre sills grow taller as they reach the door shut lines, reflecting the shape of the roof and adding a feeling of height.
It’s a very aggressive rear design, but also symmetrical and pleasing to look at
The rear of the car is characterised by a large oval shape in the body work, with the floating spoiler extending to wrap behind the back wheels and continue downwards. It continues as an angular slice of metal that runs through a large air outlet area. At the centre of this oval is a lightbar, spanning the entire width of the rear. Lower down, two circular exhaust outlets are positioned above a giant diffuser. The central strip on the sloping roof, with its dotted black pattern, dissects each component of the rear apart from the lightbar. It’s a very aggressive rear design, but also symmetrical and pleasing to look at.
Images of the interior have yet to be published, but a video posted by Ferrari shows that the general design and layout of the Unica’s cabin is almost identical to the F8 Tributo apart from the fact that there is no longer a rear window and the side windows are smaller. There are also numerous new features and upgrades to enhance comfort, like black laser-perforated Alcantara material used to clad the seats and several other surfaces.
A “reddish-orange fabric” is present beneath the Alcantara on the seats, patterned to match the hexagonal honeycomb motif of the grille, while red stitching along the IP also brings an injection of colour. Matte carbon-fibre and splashes of chrome are used to accent certain components, like the circular air vents below the A-pillars.
The SP48 Unica is Ferrari’s 48th one-off model. When the F8 Tributo was revealed back in 2019, CDN noted that it could be a “bridge to a new design language”, and while the company is yet to venture too far from its comfort zone, the Unica clearly shows intent to evolve a longstanding design language.