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No, it’s not a Toyota 86 — it’s a Ferrari

Riley Riley

No. It’s not a hyper Toyota 86.

It’s a special, made to order Ferrari that just happens to look like an 86.

The new one-off, P80/C was conceived with “very specific” input from the client.

The Ferrari Styling Centre, under the direction of Flavio Manzoni, and the engineering and aerodynamics team worked hand-in-glove with the client, sharing principles and visions in order to create a new “Hero Car” with an absolutely unique and authentic soul.

The client comes from a family of long-time Prancing Horse enthusiasts, and is himself a highly knowledgeable, discerning Ferrari collector.

Thus he was the perfect partner for such a demanding project which required the highest level of interaction as well as emotional involvement.

The client’s basic brief was to create a modern sports prototype inspired by iconic models from Ferrari’s history — the 330 P3/P4 and 1966 Dino 206 S.

The decision was made to use the chassis from the 488 GT3 as a basis, not only for its performance, but also for its longer wheelbase which is 50mm longer than the 488 GTB — which allowed more creative freedom.

Aerodynamic development was based on the experience gained with the 488 GT3, but was not governed by the restrictions imposed by international regulations.

The fact that the P80/C is homologated only for track use meant that it could do without components deemed vital for a road car, and which heavily influence its styling.

Classic head lights have essentially disappeared, or rather they have been reduced to mere slits set into niches at the front of the car, reminiscent of the air intake housings in the grille of the 330 P3/P4.

Unlike the 330, however, in the P80/C, the housings are not set into an oval grille but look more like two pockets carved out of the front of the car.

The same styling element reappears at the rear of the car.

The adoption of a concave rear windscreen and aluminium louvres on the engine cover, a reference to the 330 P3/P4 — gives the P80/C’s tail an instantly recognisable and unique look.

At the client’s request, the car was designed with a dual soul: a racing set-up, that includes a showy carbon-fibre wing and 18 inch, single-nut wheels, and an exhibition package complete with 21 inch wheels but devoid of aerodynamic appendages — to highlight the purity of its forms.

The interior is very much the same as that of the donor car with a roll cage integrated into the bodywork.

Side sections of the dashboard have been redesigned, as have the seat upholstery and door panels – the latter are now carbon-fibre shells and no have no impact on the car’s weight.

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