Ferrari SP51 built for longtime customer

Ferrari has pulled the covers off of its latest Special Projects one-off, the SP51, a roadster based on its 812 GTS, built for a longtime customer in Taiwan.

This collector apparently appreciated the 812's 6.5-litre V12 — in that car it produces 789 horsepower, allowing it to reach 211 miles per hour (340 km/h) — but wanted something styled a little differently.

So Ferrari's team got to work, crafting bespoke headlights and tail lights, and opening up the grille so it could be filled with carbon fibre. You'll see carbon fibre in the blade behind the front wheels, too, as well as in the sleek halo-like piece behind the seats, where you'd expect the roof to be.

The striping over the unique bodywork is inspired by the Ferrari 410 S of 1955, but is laid down over an exclusive Rosso Passionale red you won't see on any other Ferrari. That colour carries over into the Alcantara upholstery inside, too, as does the blue-and-white striping.

Ferrari worked with the customer — who the automaker calls one of its “leading collectors” — on every custom touch, except maybe the aerodynamics, where engineers had the final say in ensuring the roadster wouldn't generate too much turbulence or fill the cabin with excessive wind noise.

It's not the wildest Special Projects car from Ferrari, but it's arguably one of the more handsome commissions the division has turned out.