Ferrari's "Icona" series pays tribute to the brand's illustrious past. The Monza SP1 and SP2 are a modern reinterpretation of the open-top V-12 barchettas Ferrari established its legend with, while the Daytona SP3 is an homage to its glorious sports prototype race cars of the 1960s. Now, it sounds like there's a decent chance Ferrari is looking to a more modern icon for the SP4.
Top Gear reports that the next car in the Icona series could be a tribute to the F40, citing anonymous but "highly reliable" sources. Typically, Top Gear doesn't write this sort of story, which makes this that much more believable. Also notable is the fact that this story was penned by the magazine and website's editor-in-chief.
Previous Icona models aren't simply retro reinterpretations of previous models. The SP1, SP2, and SP3 clearly reference the brand's past, but do so with modern styling and technology. Each were limited production—499 examples of the Monza, and 599 examples of the Daytona—and each cost well beyond €1 million. Whatever form the SP4 will take, expect similarly small production and a similarly big price.
The SP1 and SP2 were based on the 812 Superfast, sharing that car's chassis and engine; the SP3 was more closely related to the LaFerrari, albeit without that car's hybrid components. Perhaps for an F40-tribute SP4, Ferrari could pair a carbon chassis with the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 from the SF90. An appealing recipe.
Cars like the Icona series are hugely profitable for Ferrari. Since they're based on pre-existing components, they're relatively cheap to develop. But because they're limited-edition Ferrari models, customers are willing to spend big to get their hands on one. And to even get on the list to buy an Icona, you'll need to be a well-established Ferrari customer, so you've already made the company a ton of money.
But, as Top Gear points out, the thought of reviving the F40 could be seen as sacrilege. Look at the new Lamborghini Countach, which was disowned by the designer of the original and widely panned beyond that. Plus, we can't help but wonder if a car like this would take the shine off the new F80, a direct descendant of the F40.
Still, Ferrari hasn't missed yet with the Icona series, so there's nothing to suggest the SP4 won't be brilliant. F40 inspiration or otherwise.
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