An incredibly rare Ferrari in The Gallery
Built to commemorate 80 years of Pininfarina, this is an incredibly rare car with just 80 built. This one is particularly unique with its one-off orange Hermés-inspired leather.
How the 599 came to be
The noughties brought us some of the greatest supercars ever built - the Ferrari Enzo, Mercedes McLaren SLR, Porsche Carrera GT, and Lamborghini Murcielago just to name a few. In 2006, Ferrari added another slice of madness into the mix with the Enzo-engined 599 GTB.
Introduced to replace the 575M, the 599 followed on from its predecessor with a front-mid engine, rear-wheel drive layout, but this time with 620bhp on tap. In 2011, the 599 controversially joined a short-but-illustrious list of GTO-badged cars. Previously reserved for the 250 GTO and 288 GTO, two cars born from motorsport pedigree and a desire to go racing.
Fast in all the right places
The 599 GTO’s racing link is the track-only, 740bhp, 9000rpm 599XX. Power in the road car was bumped up to 661bhp with a number of other visual and performance tweaks including an upgraded gearbox similar to the one found in the track car.
The result was impressive, the GTO was able to lap Ferrari’s Fiorano test track a whole second quicker than an Enzo, a seriously impressive feat for a big front-engined GT car. The Italian manufacturer managed to shave 100kg from the GTB’s weight.
Though the two no longer collaborate, there’s a long list of Pininfarina-designed Ferrari which will go down in the history books as some of the most beautiful cars ever built. The 275 GTB, 365 GTB/4, 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso, F40, Testarossa, the list goes on and on.
Celebrating the Pininfarina partnership with the SA Aperta
The 599 SA Aperta was introduced in 2010 and was built to commemorate that relationship. The SA was placed in the name to honour Sergio and Andrea Pininfarina, the father and son who oversaw the majority of the relationship with Ferrari.
Not just a badge and stickers job
The SA Aperta wasn’t just a drop-top 599 GTB though. To spice it up a bit, Ferrari took the upgraded gearbox, engine and exhaust system from the bonkers GTO. The result is one of the finest naturally aspirated V12 soundtracks on the planet, complimented with a million miles of open air to enjoy it.
Spectacular spec
As per many limited-edition Ferraris, there are some wild specs floating around and this particular car has to be up there as one of the maddest. The special-order Nero Stellato paintwork may look like regular black in most lights, but it has a spectacular gold fleck that sparkles resplendently in the sunlight. As you can probably tell, the inside is where the real madness starts.
One-off interior
Orange Hermés-inspired leather lines just about every surface inside, including the gorgeous carbon-backed seats and even the floor mats. It’s a bold choice, but it works in perfect contrast set against the black paint. It gets even better once the roof is removed with light pouring in. Speaking of the roof, it has to be manually removed rather than electronically retracted, but it's just a few clips to release and then it can be stowed away in the boot.
A number of plaques are dotted around the interior to remind you of the Aperta’s exclusivity. Hermés, in case you didn’t know, is a French designer brand that is well known for its quality of leather products, predominantly its iconic Birkin handbag.
