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Ferrari Omologata Unveiled, One-Off Bespoke V12 GT

Another multi-million ringgit bespoke Ferrari commissioned by one super rich customer. 

Being rich beyond belief sure has its perks. One of it being that if you’re both super-rich and a Ferrari enthusiast, you could custom commission a Ferrari just to your wildest desires, much like this Ferrari Omologata you see here. 

According to Ferrari, this new bespoke Prancing Horse has been commissioned by a ‘discerning European client’, and has been developed to vibrantly evoke ‘the values that define Ferrari in relation to GT racing: a car that is equally at ease on the road as it is hitting the apex on the track in the hands of a true gentleman driver.’. Translated for the common man though, this essentially means that some rich person just wants a slightly different looking Ferrari. And credit where it is due, the client certainly got that. 

Based on a Ferrari 812 Superfast, the Italian supercar manufacturer took two whole years to transform the already decent hypercar into this one-off show piece you see here. Apparently, only the windscreen and headlights are shared between the one-off Omologata and the production car on which it is based, with the rest of the bodywork custom designed to suit the client’s tastes. 

Painted in Rosso Magma with a unique race livery, the front of the Omologata could be considered a modern reinterpretation of the Ferrari 250 GTO. Especially with the wide grille and two hood scoops that is very much like what is on that legendary Ferrari model. Down the side, the visually more tapered rear end draws the eye to the louvred rear deck out the back, ending with a subtle rear lip spoiler. 

Considering the engine is at the front, these elegantly sculpted louvres serve to only reduce rearward visibility, and act as a statement piece of course. Completing the rear design is a simple single LED tail light ring on either side, not to mention of course the quad-pipes that act as a reminder of the V12 up front. 

As for the interior of this one-off Ferrari, the cabin of the Omologata is as interesting as the exterior. Electric blue sport seats, complete with four point harnesses is not what you’ll normally find in a Ferrari, but that is what the client specified and Ferrari claims it ‘stand out against a full black interior’. Other unique touches to the interior include a crackled paint finish on the metallic parts of the steering wheel and dashboard, in addition to a hammered paint effect seen on the interior door handles and the F1 badge. 

One particularly interesting choice the client has decided against is the presence of screens within the interior. This decision, along with the lack of rear quarter lights, supposedly gives the Omologata a more purposeful cabin atmosphere, and apparently harks back to a bygone era of cars. That said, one can also shrewdly infer that the lack of screens will prevent the car from dating that much in the future. 

This point then leads to the most probable fate of the Omologata. It is presumably highly unlikely that this one-off creation will ever be seen on public roads, even if it is completely road legal. At best, it will show up at a couple of concours events before setting a record price at auction in a couple of years time. Let’s just hope the lucky owner gives this presumably very expensive Ferrari pride of place in their presumably massive car collection. 

 

The more pressing question that begs to be answered is that with tightening emissions regulations, how much longer does the V12 have to live? With the Omologata being Ferrari’s 10th one-off creation on its V12 platform, will there be another V12 platform to continue on for the 11th?

PRESS RELEASE: A unique Ferrari has been seen lapping Fiorano today during a brief yet intense shakedown. While the V12 engine note reverberating around the track may have sounded familiar, the car’s arresting looks are unique although guaranteed to strike a chord with the marque’s aficionados. With its Rosso Magma finish and sophisticated racing livery, the new Ferrari Omologata is a clear descendent of Ferrari’s great GT tradition spanning seven decades of history.

Commissioned by a discerning European client, the latest offering in Ferrari’s line of unique coachbuilt one-off models is a vibrant evocation of the values that define Ferrari in relation to GT racing: a car that is equally at ease on the road as it is hitting the apex on the track in the hands of a true gentleman driver.

The Ferrari Omologata project took a little over two years to complete from the initial presentation of sketches, starting with images that covered a variety of inspirations, from racing heritage to sci-fi and references to modern architecture. The idea from the onset was to create a futuristic design with distinctive elements reinterpreted in a fresh manner to provide potential for a timeless shape that is certain to leave a lasting impression.

To achieve this, the designers unlocked every possible area of freedom from the underlying package of the 812 Superfast, keeping only the windscreen and headlights as existing bodywork elements. The objective was to exploit the proportions of the potent, mid-front layout to deliver a very sleek design defined by smooth volumes and undulating reflections, uplifted by sharp graphics with sparingly distilled surface breaks wherever dictated by aerodynamic functions. The trickiest aspect was striking the ideal balance between expressiveness and restraint: the Omologata had to ooze street presence whilst maintaining a very pure formal language.

The designers carefully studied the stance and attitude of the car from all angles, defining a tapering front volume from the flattened oval grille. The rounded section over the front wheelarches, emphasized by a contrasting stripe wrapping across the bonnet, seems to naturally extrude from the grille. Rear of the door, the flank develops into a very potent rear muscle that neatly blends upwards into the three-quarter panel. The entire volume is rendered deliberately imposing through the elimination of the rear quarter light, while three horizontal transversal cuts in the fastback volume visually lower the rear mass. The tail is surmounted by a prominent spoiler which adds not only downforce, but a more aggressive, sporty stance. Overall, the car appears to be poised to attack the tarmac even at a standstill and, seen from the rear, the deeply set single taillights underline the tension.

Uniqueness in more than name

Satisfying every safety constraint for road homologation without interfering with any of the usability and tractability of a Ferrari is always a huge challenge for the design team led by Flavio Manzoni, the more so when starting from an existing platform. Omologata was indeed a keyword that resonated throughout the development of this, the 10th front-engined V12 one-off Ferrari has delivered since the 2009 P540 Superfast Aperta. Beyond the clear instructions coming from the client and down to every detail on the car, the designers effectively took into account countless variables to make this a bespoke model through and through, one which could easily find its place in any Ferrari showroom. The quest for the ultimate touch went as far as developing a new shade of red just for the livery, to match the fiery triple-layer Rosso Magma over darkened carbon-fibre finish.

Inside the car, a plethora of trim details suggests a strong link to Ferrari’s rich racing heritage. The electric blue seats, finished in a tasteful combination of leather and Jeans Aunde® fabric with 4-point racing harnesses, stand out against a full black interior. In the absence of rear quarter lights and screen, the atmosphere in the cabin is purposeful, reminiscent of a bygone era. Metal parts on the dashboard and steering wheel are finished with the crackled paint effect associated with the great GT racers of the 1950s and 1960s as well as with Ferrari’s engine cam covers. A hammered paint effect so often used in cars such as the 250 LM and 250 GTO finds its way on details such as the inner door handles and on the Ferrari F1 bridge.

A fitting one-off exercise, the Omologata manages to encompass a range of subtle Ferrari signature design cues without falling into nostalgia. Its hand-crafted aluminium bodywork is sprinkled with almost subliminal details, in a way that challenges the enthusiast to identify the various sources of inspiration that played a part into its inception.

Joshua Chin

Automotive journalist. Professional work on dsf.my and automacha.com. Personal writing found at driveeveryday.me. Instagram: @driveeveryday

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