Ferrari Monza SP2 2019

The Ferrari SP2, together with the SP1, are the forerunners in a new concept, known as ‘Icona’ (Icon), that taps into a leitmotif of the most evocative cars in the company’s history to create a new segment of special limited series cars for clients and collectors. The intention is to use a modern aesthetic to reinterpret a timeless style, with technologically advanced components and the highest performance possible through continuous innovation.

Just like on racing cars, extensive use of carbon-fibre has been made throughout the construction of the Monza SP2 to make them light and responsive and to enhance their sporty, aggressive visual appeal.

The exterior is completed by wonderfully sculptural 21” five-spoke wheels that were designed specifically to compliment the minimalist lines of the two cars.

A new tail light concept: the side lights and brake lights have been redesigned as a single unbroken line of light, seamlessly integrated into the slender gap between the two shells. This turns the tail light assembly into a theoretical line that traverses the wings and circles the bonnet, giving the impression that the upper shell is literally suspended above the rest of the volume.

A car that seems sculpted by the wind. It is the purity of the styling elements that impresses – an aesthetic that is futuristic but, at the same time, a respectful yet un-nostalgic homage to the past.

The engine in the Monza SP2 is derived directly from that of the 812 Superfast, with optimised fluid-dynamics in the intake ducts to deliver even higher performance.

The Virtual Wind Shield is essentially an aerodynamic passage underneath the driver’s side aero screen, where the upper part is shaped as an aerofoil. Part of the air flowing over the bonnet enters the air intake under the aero screen, where it is accelerated and deflected vertically ahead of the instrument panel. This generates what is known as a highly energised upwash that deflects the flow over the driver’s head creating a low-speed bubble around the cockpit.

The concept was first developed virtually using in-depth CFD modelling and then physically in the wind tunnel. A full-scale mock-up was built specifically for the Wind Tunnel in which our test-drivers alternated with dummies fitted out with pressure sensors (rake and keel probes). With no windscreen whatsoever, the air flowing over the bonnet would hit the driver’s face. The aim with adopting the Virtual Wind Shield was to minimise the negative effect of the air flow without compromising the exhilarating sense of speed and contact with the road that only a car of this kind can deliver.

The Virtual Wind Shield was patented for this car in response to the need to allow the driver enjoy it at high speeds. Although it remains below the driver’s cone of vision, it delivers maximum driving comfort for a barchetta.

The result is that the model is perfectly balanced with no roll whatsoever for almost unimaginably pure, uncompromising sports-car handling. Because there are no windscreen pillars, the driver’s view is completely unhindered and this enables them to attack corners with a freedom only experience with a Formula 1 car. The driver can thus enjoy involving and rewarding sports car responses over twisty routes: the car is always gratifying but never difficult to control.

The Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2 are the forerunners in a new concept, known as 'Icona' (Icon), that taps into a leitmotif of the most evocative cars in the company's history to create a new segment of special limited series cars for clients and collectors. The intention is to use a modern aesthetic to reinterpret a timeless style, with technologically advanced components and the highest performance possible through continuous innovation.

The Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2 are inspired by barchettas of the 1950s which were driven to victory in international motor sport not just by official works team drivers from the Scuderia, but also by a legion of gentlemen drivers who, in those years, frequently found themselves wheel to wheel with legendary professional drivers of the era.

The first ever Ferrari to be referred to as a barchetta was the open-top version of the 1948 166 MM. The name was coined by Giovanni Agnelli who, upon seeing the car for the first time at the Turin Motor Show that year, commented that it was less like a car and more like a barchetta, referring to the Italian for a small speed boat. The Touring-bodied 166 MM barchetta wrote Ferrari's name firmly in the history books, winning first the Mille Miglia and then the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1949. This model was followed by other extraordinarily successful Ferrari Sports cars, such as the 750 Monza and 860 Monza which were inspiration for the name of the new models.