Ferrari adds V12 1960s throwback

New Daytona SP3 combines 812 Competizione hardware with retro-futuristic styling

FELIX PAGE

Shortened manifold gives more power at high engine speeds, while variable-geometry inlets optimise torque delivery throughout the rev range.

The top edge of the windscreen cuts the cabin in two to divide the ‘functional area’ of the dashboard from the seating, in a reference to the car’s intended dual character.

The wing-mirror covers and stems were refined using computational fluid dynamics to increase airflow to the rear intakes.

The latest entry into Ferrari’s ultra-exclusive Icona model series is the Daytona SP3, a limited run mid-engined V12 roadster that pays tribute to one of the company’s best-known motorsport victories.

It’s named in reference to the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona, at which Ferrari achieved a one-two-three finish with its legendary 330 P3/4, 330 P4 and 412 P racers – a highlight of what Ferrari calls “the golden era of closed wheel racing and an enduring reference point for generations of engineers and designers”.

As with 2018’s 812 Superfastbased SP1 Monza and SP2 Monza, production will be tightly limited and – although pricing has yet to be officially confirmed – it’s expected to command a premium over its £1.6 million Icona range-mates, given the bespoke nature of its design and technical make-up.

The Daytona SP3 is the first road-going Ferrari to feature a mid-mounted 12-cylinder engine since the LaFerrari hybrid hypercar bowed out in 2018, and with the output of the 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 boosted to 829bhp and 514lb ft, it’s the most powerful non-electrified model that Maranello has yet produced.