FOREWORD:
We wrote this whole article below before realizing that the new, six-copy Ferrari Sergio is altered significantly verse the 2013 concept. Therefore, check the next article shortly for the full 70-photo extravaganza of the Pininfarina Sergio.
The production car is, regretfully, extremely lame. It carries almost all the worst parts of the Sergio concept, and none of the best. At least the headlamps are not the nasty reflector-beams from the concept. But the entire exposed cockpit is gone, the windshield is directly from the 458 and the overall grey plastic still dominates in a fug nasty way.
We call BS.
Bait and Switch.
Aka: The new Barchetta Speedster from Pininfarina.
Sergio would be very displeased.
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2013 Pininfarina Sergio Concept
When the Pininfarina Sergio arrives as a concept for Geneva 2013, we were less than enthused by its overall design.
That is not a terrific reaction to car named for and honoring one of the most brilliant industrial designers of all time: Sergio ‘Pinin’ Farina.
The headlights from an old Chrysler? A grey lower cladding design that takes over the hood, flanks and rear engine cover? Yuck!
But there are nice details to be found elsewhere, not least the windshield-less design that uses a blast of upshot airflow to keep things mild in the cabin, the floating rear headrests and an overall deconstructed feel versus the 458 Italia Spyder. The ‘virtual windshield’ is probably the coolest part of the design.
Pininfarina was always eager to build a few copies of its new baby, its homage to its fallen leader. One to inspire future generations in a time when design boutiques are reeling from costs and, arguably, falling behind the best in-house studios of all major manufacturers.
Six orders have indeed been secured of the Sergio, and it is now officially branded the Ferrari Sergio. This is a nice gesture on Ferrari’s behalf, and helps offer the car to Ferrari’s deep client pool — forever clamoring for bespoke models at any price.
Is the design better today, with time to appreciate its subtleties? Not exactly. The nose and tail are still nightmare-messy and uninspiring and cheap-feeling.
But often Pinin’s ideas were far ahead of their time. Let’s touch base in ten years and see how we feel?
2013 Pininfarina Sergio Concept
2015 Ferrari Sergio by Pininfarina
The first Ferrari Sergio arrives in the UAE
Just six of this limited edition roadster are being build
Abu Dhabi, 5th December 2014 – The first Ferrari Sergio has arrived in the United Arab Emirates. It has been delivered today to its new owner, the SBH Royal Auto Gallery in the UAE, at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit, where the Finali Mondiali Ferrari are being staged and which is home to the Ferrari World theme park.
Designed by Pininfarina, just six of this incredibly limited edition roadster are being built. The car was created to celebrate the spirit and core values of the historic Cambiano company in the 60th anniversary year of its collaboration with the Prancing Horse. Needless to say, Sergio was the only possible choice of name for the model, in homage to great Sergio Pininfarina, who sealed the unique, longstanding partnership with Ferrari.
The Ferrari Sergio is a genuinely radical car. It is both exclusive and spare in the sense that every single element aboard is focused entirely on performance. An authentic open-top, it explicitly references the track, underscoring and intensifying its sense of sportiness, fun behind the wheel and the pleasure of design at its purest.
The Ferrari Sergio’s performance and dynamics are excellent in the extreme too. It is based on the 458 Spider and retains the latter’s technological content as well as all of the functional aspects of its cockpit. It is powered by the latest 605 hp version of Ferrari’s naturally aspirated 4497 cc V8 which has won the International Engine of the Year award on three consecutive occasions. This power unit also guarantees the car sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3 seconds.
The Ferrari Sergio has an extremely simple, clear style. Both its volumes and treatments of its surfaces reflect the spirt of Pininfarina’s 1960s and 70s creations for Ferrari. Its proportions have been pushed to the extreme with the front of the car seeming to penetrate the rear which itself projects forward. The result is an exceptionally sculptural, three-dimensional take on the classic roadster. The two bodyshell masses are melded together via a longitudinal black insert, the main styling cue of the design. The flank is also characterised by the same black longitudinal element which acts as both a dividing and unifying element between front and rear. The two sections of the car flow effortlessly into one another resulting in sublimely harmonious yet extremely muscular forms.
As with all Ferraris, the Sergio’s design was never an end in itself but is a marriage of function and aesthetics. The semi-floating development of the front spoiler beneath the bonnet balances downforce and optimises heat exchange. The roll-bar is a modern take on the classic Ferrari flying buttress and negative rear window. Integrated into the roll-bars are the air intakes for clutch and gearbox oil cooling. Lastly, the rear nolder and rear extractor generate downforce, adding an efficient finishing flourish to the car’s design.
At the front of the car, Pininfarina has integrated the headlights in a classic move, turning them into a single transparent transverse element, a signature of the car’s extreme formal purity. At the rear, the circular tail lights are another modern nod to Ferrari history. The two-tone theme continues on both the front bonnet and rear deck with the latter featuring the iconic circular air vents seen on other iconic Pininfarina creations from the past.
2013 Pininfarina Sergio Concept
The cockpit is pared-back and functional in the extreme with the engine compartment actually hugging the backs of the seats. The example delivered to Abu Dhabi has three-layer red exterior paintwork and an extremely sporty cockpit with black leather upholstery with contrasting red stitching, Alcantara seat inserts, and extensive carbon dash and door well trim. It also features Sergio-specific forged wheels, in this instance gold in colour with a diamond finish.
Each one of the six Ferrari Sergios was configured by its owner in dedicated sessions at the Tailor Made atelier in Maranello where clients are invited to personalise their cars to their own individual tastes. The atelier offers enormous freedom of choice in terms of colours, materials and finishes. As a result, every detail is extremely exclusive, thereby continuing the Prancing Horse tradition begun in the 1950s and 60s of creating bespoke cars minutely tailored to each client’s wishes.
The Numbers
Maximum length: 4550 mm
Maximum width: 1940 mm
Maximum height: 1140 mm
Boot capacity: 110 litres
Power train (original Ferrari 458 Spider): 4499cc V8; Sequential gearbox 7M + RM
Package: 2 doors, 2 seats
Chassis: original 458 Spider
Cx XS: about 5% lower than the original car
Weight: about 1280 kg
Maximum speed: approx 320 km/h
Acceleration from 0 to 100: less than 3.4 seconds
Tom Burkart is the founder and managing editor of Car-Revs-Daily.com, an innovative and rapidly-expanding automotive news magazine.
He holds a Journalism JBA degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Tom currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina with his two amazing dogs, Drake and Tank.
Mr. Burkart is available for all questions and concerns by email Tom(at)car-revs-daily.com.