Back in the 20th of November 2021, the Italian automotive manufacturing giants Ferrari S.p.A took the covers off of their next avatar under the Icona series, one of the limited production exclusive models from the company, the Ferrari Daytona SP3. At the time, the cover was broken for the 2023 model year which means that they have Showcased, or as we may call, the pre-production version of the Daytona SP3 model. The Daytona Sp3 is the third addition to the Icona Series where the other two avatars are the super luxurious and the super exclusive Ferrari Monza SP2 and SP1. According to the company reports, 599 examples of the Daytona Sp3 will be built and the minimum price for a unit will be 2.25 M dollars. Mind boggling price for a piece of artwork, but it is totally worth it, lets check why.
The officials at the Ferrari office at Maranello Italy has planned to build the Daytona SP3 in order to pay homage to some of the iconic Ferrari moments and some of the Ferrari’s greatest car concepts which were formed back in the years. The Daytona SP3 pays tribute to the iconic moment when Ferrari took the top three places in the first round of the International World Sports Car Championship, at the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona. Back then at the first round of International WSCC Daytona 24 hours, the 330 P3/4, 330 P4 and 412 P, the three Ferrari cars famously shot past the chequered flag side by side and marked one of the iconic moments in the history of the sport, happened during the decade which was considered as the golden era of motorsports or the closed wheel racing, the 9160s. Specifically according to the company, the Ferrari Daytona SP3, is technically the second car to join the limited edition Icona series, pays homage to the mid-rear-engined Ferrari V12 sports prototypes that earned the marque its unparalleled motor sport status.
The third avatar to the Icona series is designed in the Ferrari Styling center under the direction of Flavio Manzoni, assembled at the famous factory at the Ferrari Quarters at Maranello Italy. 2 Seater, 2 door targa top, or the removable top sports car paying homage to the old racing icons from the Italian automaker. It was properly showcased to the world at the Finali Mondiali Ferrari even which had the Corsa Clienti cars back in 22 November 2021 at Mugello circuit. At the circuit, where the Daytona SP3 was taken on a lap, Ferrari also did the recreation of the iconic moment with two 330 P4s one the chassis 0856 and chassis 0858 being the other and a 412 P in photo finish in order to commemorate Ferrari's 1-2-3 win at 24 Hours of Daytona in 1967. The design of the Daytona SP3 is the same as the concept it is derived from. The design reflects many of the 1960’s race cars, and the Daytona SP3 is aerodynamically optimized in design that it blends the elements of Ferrari’s historic styling with cues from current models. The low-set, wraparound windscreen is a link to the P3/4, while the "double-crested" front wings nod to sports prototypes like the 512 S, 712 Can-Am, and 312 P. The rear view mirrors are mounted on the top of the front wheel fenders which is an inspiration from the P3 and P4 series.
Basic design of the Daytona SP3, even though it is having many of the characteristic elements of some of the iconic Ferrari racecars, is based on the Ferrari 330 P4 endurance race car which won at 24 hours of Daytona in 1967. The design is a modernization of the 330 P4, with the body work consisting distinguished low driver's seating position, raised front and rear wheel arches, and the Targa top design. All carbon construction with the seats integrated to the carbon fibre chassis, same as that of the La Ferrari, one of the other iconic prancing horses ever made. The rear air vents are some of the many parts that drew inspiration from the 330 P4 which are the signature appearance on the rear of the SP3 consisting of a series of horizontal fins in the front and rear. The front design consists of partially hidden headlamps, or lets say pop up headlamps, because that is what they are meant to be, and a light strip along the front edge lines of the car. The radiator cooling duct design is revised and now located inside the door trim similar to McLaren P1, which does not require external cooling ducts behind the door, as seen in previous Ferrari models.
The design language of the Daytona SP3 is a classic inspired modern design language which clearly showcases the legacy of the company in the motorsports segment, specifically in endurance racing. Some of the subtle changes that were given to the Daytona SP3 are, the repositioning of the wing mirrors from the doors to the front wheel arches, which is another inspiration from the endurance racing cars. The rear end feels like it is from another universe, the slatted rear end is taken from the 9168 Ferrari 250 P5 concept car by Pininfarina. The front end is clean and minimal which reminds you of the old times when Ferrari was the unbeaten team of motor racing. The side profile looks clean as well, a continuation of the minimal and aerodynamic design from the front end. The Daytona SP3 is featured with the removable targa roof, butterfly doors and a supercar looking front side and rear profiles, subtle supercar features are spread all over the car. The rear end has the aforementioned slatted grille and the tailpipes lifted up to accommodate the diffuser, multi level to extract more downforce. The rear end has a low sloping roofline which takes you to the central spine, where you can have a peak to the iconic and the most powerful Ferrari V12 ever made.
Overall, the design looks so subtle, but not so good, kind of wired, beautiful. It is actually a mixed feeling when talking about the design of the Daytona. As I said, somewhere it looks subtle, around the front end, and the side profile, you will have that aggressiveness of the classic Ferrari racecar. That endurance race character is clearly kept along the design. The overall appearance is kind of appealing, mostly it depends on what mood you are in, sometimes it is appreciable, sometimes they are not. The rear end is where I think they lost it because it is pretty polarizing. I was in love when I saw it for the first time. But now I am not really a big fan of it. The front end feels like a proper race car, the side profile is arguably a race car but kind of like a hyper car but the rear end feels like a mismatch. Something feels off with the slatted rear end in some angle, but in some other angle they are looking beautiful and fits in really well. Overall I think this as a pretty way to pay tribute to the old age heroes of Ferrari.
The Daytona SP3 is having in the heart the most powerful Ferrari V12 ever made, the Naturally Aspirated 6.5 L Ferrari F140 HC V12 revving up to a screaming 9500 rpm, the engine from the 812 Competetzione with upgraded internals like the titanium comrods . The power figures of this V12 is as same as that of the 296 GTB, which may sound a bit small, but it is really 829 hp at 9250 rpm and 697 Nm of torque at 7250 rpm and you have double the number of cylinders inside a good looking car to play with. The Daytona SP3 is the first road-going Ferrari to feature a mid-mounted 12-cylinder engine without electric hybrid support systems since the Ferrari Enzo in 2002. . The engine is mated to a quicker-shifting version of the 812 Competition's 7-speed automatic dual-clutch gearbox, this combination makes the car pull all the way up-to 340 kph or 211 mph. To enable the car to put the power down efficiently, Ferrari has equipped the transmission with an electronic-differential and lots of electronics including Side Slip Control shortened as the SSC 6.1 which helps you to drift like a pro with Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer (FDE). The Daytona SP3 can do the 0-100 under 3 seconds, to be accurate 2.85 seconds, 0-200 in 7.4 seconds and as mentioned earlier can pull up all the way to 211 mph or 340 kph.
The SP3's bodywork sits on the LaFerrari chassis, with carbon fiber used for the shell, chassis and certain bodywork elements. The car weighs 1,485 kg dry, giving it a power-to-weight ratio of 566 PS per ton, while the mid-engined layout allows optimized weight distribution between the axles. The body work makes use of a removable "Aperta" style roof which can be removed and stored separately. The chassis also consists of butterfly doors, as mentioned earlier, similar to the LaFerrari and Enzo. According to Ferrari, the car has a weight distribution split of 44% front and 56% rear. The Daytona SP3 also features the all car features like the electronics systems such as: ESC or the Electronic Stability Control, high performance ABS and EBD; F1-Trac; Electronic Differential 3.0; SCM-Frs and the SSC. Daytona wears the shoe, made by Pirelli, the P-Zero Corsa tires on custom Ferrari wheels with 265/30 ZR 20 J9.0 in the front and 345/30 ZR 21 J12.5 in the rear combined with the Carbon Ceramic Brembo Breaks to stop the car at the right time. The Daytona, even though is designed aerodynamically, have no active aero parts integrated into it. The side profile houses an air intake for the radiator which starts from the front door and runs all the way down to the radiator.
The interior of the Daytona SP3 is as same as the exterior, pretty minimal and race inspired. Extensive use of carbon can be seen on the interior with the dash board, being carbon fibre with Alcantara finish on top and LED display system for data and other technical information. Touch controls on the steering wheels helps the drivers to control about 80% of the Daytona SP3’s functions without moving their hands, while a 16" curved HD screen relays instantly all driving-related information. The steering column also has vertically adjustable to accommodate additional leg room for taller drivers. The center console design is inspired from the gated manual transmission design of the classic Ferraris and consists of performance control switch clusters. The steering wheel is where you see some more carbon fibre added. The flat-bottom steering wheel sculpted out of carbon fibre is an advanced version of the Ferrari Roma, integrated with multiple performance and feature control touch buttons. It retains the traditional Manettino dial for selection of various driving modes. It is also incorporated with the iconic Ferrari gear shifting light strip at the top of the wheel showing you the optimal gear shifts.
The seats are where you will find the ergonomic element standing out, which is emphasized with the wraparound design. The seats provide a snug fit for the driver and passenger for a comfortable and secure seating position. The seat design consists of a two-piece setup with the main seat bucket and the headrest as a separate unit. As the seats are not adjustable, similar to the Enzo and LaFerrari, the pedal box can be adjusted by moving front or back to adjust to the drivers leg space, something we have seen on the iconic Ferraris as mentioned above and also on one of the iconic makes from the German automaker, Mercedes, in their AMG ONE.
So as a verdict on the Daytona SP3 we candefinitly say that it is one of the best ferraris that has been around, the prancing horse with the most powerful heart and I personally think, it does the job wonderfully well, it is a perfect homage to the original classic Ferrari Race horses which are the reasons for some of the best and iconic moments in the motorsports history. Following the DNA line of the best Ferraris to ever hit the ground, the Enzo, La-Ferrari and the 812 Superfast, the Daytona SP3 is another shining jewel in the crown on the head of the prancing horse. A wonderful piece of artwork, apart from some mismatches as I mentioned earlier, honestly.
