By: Dave abrahams
Abu Dhabi - Last year visitors to the Geneva motor show were drooling over Ferrari's Sergio roadster concept - now one lucky owner is drooling over the first of just six production examples.
Okay, it's not quite as radical as the show car - it's constrained by roadworthy requirements, for starters - but nobody is ever going to mistake it for a 'standard' Ferrari.
Named for the late Sergio Pininfarina, the concept was created to honour his memory on the 60th anniversary of the iconic studio's long-standing partnership with Ferrari.
It's based on the 458 Spider, pared down to the basics for extreme performance, with styling cues from the Pininfarina show cars of the 1960s and 70s, especially in the rear treatment, with its cut-off 'Kamm' tail and round tail lights.
But the front treatment is pure new-millenium, with projector headlights recessed in a dramatic slash of black across the nose, above a full-width mesh grille and a 'floating' spoiler.
TAILOR MADE
The Sergio has the latest version of Ferrari's naturally-aspirated 4497cc V8, three-times winner of the Engine of the Year, rated at 445kW - good enough for to launch the lightweight Sergio from a standstill to 100km/h in a quoted three seconds flat.
All six cars are already sold, and each has been configured by its owner in a personal visit to the Tailor Made studio at the factory in Maranello with their personal choice of colour and materials.
The car in these pictures was bought by the SBH Royal Auto Gallery in Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina, which is where the Finali Mondiali Ferrari are being held.
It’s finished in a special three-layer red paint and has black leather upholstery with red contrast stitching, alcantara synthetic suede seat panels, and carbon-fibre trim elements on the dashboard and in the door-well trim. It rolls on special forged-aluminium rims, gold-anodised with a diamond finish.