Ferrari has revealed the KC23 as part of its 'One-Off' series. It is a custom-built track car based on the platform of the 488 GT3 Evo, the most successful Ferrari racing car in the company's 76-year history.
Designed in-house by the Ferrari Styling Centre under the guidance of Flavio Manzoni, the KC23 is described by Ferrari as "exuding elegance when at a standstill and thrilling the viewer once on the move."
The car made its first public appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed before being showcased at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello from August 1 to October 2.
Design
In creating the KC23, the Ferrari Design Centre had the freedom to ignore homologation regulations and restraints, instead designing the most radical one-off car it could imagine - this involved redesigning every one of the 488 GT3 Evo's lines, glass surfaces and light clusters.
This resulted in a car with several new aerodynamic features, such as a large, distinctive rear wing and motorised air intake vents, which open when the car's mid-mounted twin-turbocharged V8 engine starts up.
Thanks to the extreme nature of its chassis, engine and suspension layout, the KC23 was designed for solely non-competitive track use.
Sharp lines and angles are kept to a minimum on the car's body - which Ferrari says is to "underscore the KC23's spare, sinuous purity in the pursuit of an iconic, futuristic design that will stand the test of time."
Efforts were made to retain the downforce and cooling abilities of the 488 GT3 - a tall order considering the vast difference in shape between the two cars. Ferrari developed custom panels with tailored kinematics, activated when the engine is turned on.
For example, the panel behind the front wheel reveals a 'fence', increasing front downforce to balance the car aerodynamically. At the same time, the rear panel provides the optimal amount of intake air to the intercoolers, auxiliary components and the engine.
The KC23 is fitted with butterfly doors opening vertically on single front hinges, similar to those seen on the LaFerrari. The bonnet is of simple construction - just two pins need to be removed to open it.
The headlights and taillights are new designs, particularly the rear lights featuring methacrylate 'light blades', inspired by the Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo concept car.
The simplistic design direction extends to the KC23's glass surfaces - which are integrated directly into the bodywork with no visible pillars, frames or seals. The end design is inspired by aeronautics, intended to be as futuristic as possible.
The KC23 is finished in a Gold Mercury livery featuring specially-developed, four-layer aluminium paint, which Ferrari says gives the car an "astonishingly luminous gleam in sunlight."
Lastly, the car has two sets of bespoke wheels. There are 18-inch wheels designed for track use and 21-inch wheels at the front, and 22-inch at the back for display purposes.
Ferrari's 'Special Projects'
The KC23 is the latest creation from Ferrari's 'Special Products' programme, where one-off designs are made in line with a client's wishes.
The process involves the customer putting forward an idea for the car's design, which is then worked upon by a team of designers from Ferrari's Styling Centre.
Proportion and forms are defined and confirmed before blueprints and a styling buck are produced, beginning the manufacturing process, during which the client is closely involved and consulted.
"The result? A unique Ferrari sporting the Prancing Horse logo and engineered to the same standards of excellence that characterise all of Maranello's cars," says the firm.