Meet the Ferrari P80/C, a one-off masterpiece

ABU DHABI: Ferrari took the wraps off their latest project, say hello to the P80/C. This beauty was four years in the making and is entirely a track-focused machine. This means that it is free from all the homologation requirements of an on-road car and thus gave the creators the freedom to do something a little extreme. An unnamed collector commissioned the P80/C.

Possibly the most extreme one-off yet from Ferrari, the P80/C has a strong backbone. It is based on the 488 GT3, which in itself is a thoroughbred racing machine. In terms of dimensions, the P80/C is 50 mm longer than the 488. This allowed the visual balance to be shifted forward and in turn accentuate the rear. Apart from elements on the rear diffuser (which is shared with the GT3), the external surfaces and front splitter are all unique in the P80/C. This resulted in a 5% improvement of overall efficiency, compared to the 488 it is based on. The entire body of this one-off Ferrari is made of carbon fibre whereby the functional elements are left bare, the rest of the car is covered in Rosso Vero.

According to Ferrari, the aerodynamic elements (especially the area over the engine bay) was inspired by the T-wing found on their 2017 Formula 1 car. What this does is help reduce the length of the flow over the rear, providing “strong recompression of the flow rearwards, reinforcing the downforce generated by the tail and the wing.”

Design wise, Ferrari was instructed to develop a modern sports prototype. With this in mind, the P80/C has taken inspiration from some of Ferrari’s iconic race cars like the 330 P3/P4 and Dino 206 S. Since this is a track focused car, the headlights have been replaced by simple slits which are reminiscent of the air intakes in the grille of the 330 P3/P4. The large rear wing grabs your attention immediately when viewed from the back. Even with this, the gorgeous 3.9-litre V8 can be viewed clearly (covered with aluminium louvres).

The P80/C can be presented in 2 forms. The first is the race form, which retains the rear wing and uses 18-inch single nut wheels. In the showcase form, the car loses most of its aerodynamic elements and wears larger 21-inch wheels.
The owner of this one-off Ferrari must be someone steeped in the company's history. The P80/C is not some visual overhaul, it was designed to bring together a culmination of Ferrari’s best.