It’s called the Ferrari P80/C and it’s the most extreme one-off ever produced by the Maranello-based company. It is inspired by the prototype sports of the past and is based on the 488 GT3. Extreme, like no other prancing horse one-off before. It’s called the Ferrari P80/C, it’s the result of work that began in 2015 and finds its inspiration in the racing cars of the ’60s, a type of car with which the unknown client is madly in love.
Usable only on the track and based on the Ferrari 488 GT3, the Ferrari P80/C makes aerodynamic efficiency its main strength. The customer’s initial idea was to create a modern sport-prototype inspired by icons from the history of Ferrari, such as the 330 P3/P4 and the 1966 Dino 206 S. The result was an absolutely unique car in terms of shapes that meet the function.
The chassis is therefore that of the already mentioned 488 GT3 race car, which has a wheelbase 50 mm longer than that of the 488 GTB road car: compared to the classic system of the 488, with a line that tends to be symmetrical with respect to the cab, while the GT chassis has allowed to emphasize the effect of cab forward, or that of a line unbalanced forward with elongated tail, thus giving a more aggressive and compact character to the car.
A wedge-effect line generates the main front portion of the flank, from which the muscular front and rear lines emerge, including the cockpit. This cabin effect, fully integrated in the body, is further accentuated by the windscreen surfaces, which recall the “wrap-around” effect in continuity with the side windows, an iconic element of the windscreen of the sport-prototypes of the past. The visor roof, with the two climbing arches joining centrally, gives the impression of a flying bridge. These are some of the quotations not only from the 330 P3/P4 but also a tribute to the Dino and the 250 LM berlinettas.
The aerodynamic development was based on the experience gained with the 488 GT3, without the constraints imposed by international regulations. The front splitter is specific and, while the expansion curve and vortex generators of the rear diffuser are the same as those used on the GT3, the outer surfaces are specific to the P80/C. The result is a 5% improvement in overall efficiency, necessary to exploit the capabilities of the engine whose power is not limited by restrictors.
One of the objectives of the project was to balance the aerodynamic load of the upper part of the body in a uniform manner with respect to the two axles, taking full advantage of the underbody of the 488 GT3. This configuration, coupled with the adoption of a supporting wing profile jutting out from the trailing edge of the roof, has allowed the Ferrari P80/C to achieve a strong recompression of the flow downstream, thus maximising the deporting performance of the tail section, rear window and spoiler. The load-bearing profile, inspired by the 2017 F1 T-Wing, has the task of quickly closing the flow downstream, thus creating a very short ‘virtual’ rear window and an extremely limited separation bubble.
At the customer’s request, the Ferrari P80/C has been designed to have a double soul: a race trim, with a rather showy carbon fibre wing and 18″ single-drive track wheels, and an exhibition version, absolutely devoid of aerodynamic appendages, to enhance the purity of the forms, in which 21″ wheels stand out. The technical details are unknown, but it is not hard to imagine what extreme performance this car can be capable of.
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by Alessandro Colombo