>>Ferrari SP12

Ferrari SP12

Ferrari SP12 Manufacturer Ferrari Production 2010-2012 (1 unit) Assembly Maranello, Italy Body style 2-seat Berlinetta Layout Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive Engine 4.5 L V8 Transmission 7-speed dual-clutch Designer Ferrari in-house The Ferrari SP12 is a mid-engined sports car produced by the Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari. The SP12 is a one-off car built on musician Eric Clapton's request to Ferrari's Special Projects (Portfolio) division. The project has reportedly cost £3 million (USD $4.7 million), and has taken the best of 2 years to complete. That would make it more expensive than the Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina commissioned by James Glickenhaus. Aesthetically, it resembles the Ferrari 512BB, and other late 1970s and early 1980s Ferraris. The door handles, air intakes, rear end and two-tone paintjob are all part of maintaining the aesthetic tribute, in contrast it retains the headlights from the rather modern Ferrari Enzo. It's expected that more details will become public in a future edition of the official Ferrari Magazine. Specifications The SP12 was first unveiled for a closed audience at the London based retailer H.R. Owen on March 21, 2012. It utilizes the mechanical platform from the Ferrari 458 Italia, including the V8 engine, and not a V12 as many rumors first reported. According to inside sources, the abandonment of a V12 is because the fitting of a new engine would mean the SP12 would have had to undergo all the testing that a completely car model in the EU is subject to. That includes crash testing, which would be hard to implement considering a one-off car. The inheritance of the 458 platform means that the SP12, in theory, should boast the same performance specifications; however the SP12's weight is for the time being unknown, which could be a key factor performance-wise. It is a right-hand drive car, and features the registration plate "SP12 EPC", which is a tribute to its owner's full name, Eric Patrick Clapton. The number 12 is believed to symbolize that the car is Ferrari Special Projects' 12th car; however, that is not confirmed, as there is no evidence that there even exist 12 "SP" cars. The number plate was also the reason for speculation into the SP12's power plant.