What's the news?
Ferrari has been on sale in Japan for 50 years and as a result, Maranello's Special Projects department has created ten very special bespoke examples of the beauty you can see in the pictures for a lucky few collectors in the country. Say hello to the gorgeous Ferrari J50.
Exterior
Underneath the outlandishly gorgeous bodywork of the J50 is a Ferrari 488 Spider, not a bad place to start as that machine is hardly an ugly vehicle. The J50 has a targa roof, a body style that was popular on open-top Ferraris in the 1970s and '80s, but which hasn't been seen much since. Check out some of the wonderful design details of the J50, such as: that defining line running underneath the headlights and into the doors, only to disappear into the air intakes, said to be a nod to the GTO, F40 and F50 models; the slope of the side window tops with the roof off; the lower centre section of the bonnet; the glorious rear-end aesthetic; and the 20-inch forged alloy wheels that are specifically for this Japanese special alone. It's not just about beauty, though, as the SP team also worked hard on the aerodynamics, resulting in radiators positioned closer together, a completely redesigned front bumper and a windscreen header rail that has been lowered to allow more airflow over the aerofoil and thus the rear spoiler.
Interior
The interior is finished in red-over-black leather and Alcantara, in order to best play up the triple-layer red exterior finish. There is specific trim adorning the sports seats which echoes the design of the rear bonnet contour, while the carbon-fibre targa hard top splits into two pieces which can be stowed conveniently behind the seats.
Mechanicals
Mounted in the middle of the J50 is the 3.9-litre biturbo V8 found in the 488 Spider, where it develops 670hp and 760Nm; enough for Ferrari to declare it the fastest open-top it has ever made at launch, thanks to its 3.0-second 0-100km/h time, a 325km/h top speed and the ability to hit 200km/h from rest in just 8.7 seconds. And as the aerodynamic J50 has an additional 20hp to stand at 690hp all in, we reckon it should be even quicker again. Crikey!
Anything else?
The J50 was unveiled during a special celebration held at the National Art Centre in Tokyo to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Ferrari in Japan. Each of the ten cars built will be tailored specifically to the relevant customer's requirements.