Autoportal India

As far as we’re aware, Ferrari does not have a space program. So if you’ve got space-travel-level funds, and you want to spend $2.2 million of it with the Prancing Horse marque, maybe you’re one of the excessively fortunate 599 clienti who will be purchasing a Ferrari Daytona SP3. If so, go ahead and buy a matching space suit in Rosso Corsa. We won’t judge.

The SP3 is rolling theater, and crowds form every time you stop. It is the kind of thing that commands phones to start recording and elicits excited noises from children. And you can play your part by pulling both shift paddles to temporarily select neutral, allowing you to rev the 6.5-liter V-12 to its 9500-rpm redline.

Although great art shouldn’t need rationalization, you may wonder the reasoning behind the SP3. It goes back to 1966, when Ford took first-, second-, and third-place finishes with its GT40 at both the Daytona 24 Hours and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, much of this dramatized in the film Ford v. Ferrari. It wasn’t until eight months later, back at Daytona, that Ferrari delivered its riposte and finished one-two-three with its reengineered prototypes.

The Daytona SP3, which looks back to those late-’60s race cars, is the latest in Ferrari’s Icona Series, reserved for ultra-limited-production cars inspired by standout moments in the brand’s history (the Monza SP1 and SP2 were the first Icona models). This merger of retro ’60s design with modern vehicle shapes results in bulging wheel arches, fender-placed side mirrors, a three-piece wraparound windshield, and the striking horizontal bars crossing the rear. The result looks like something out of Cyberpunk 2077.

But perhaps most impressive of all is how the SP3 eschews modern performance equipment. Sure, it features carbon-fiber bodywork and has a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, but there are no large wings or active aerodynamic pieces, the steering is hydraulically assisted, and the 829-horsepower V-12 is free of forced induction or assist from electric motors.

The SP3’s body has its origins with the 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari and its roofless Aperta variant, sharing similar measurements for wheelbase and length. The SP3 is slightly taller due to its larger-diameter wheels (20-inch front and 21-inch rear), and it’s significantly wider at 80.7 inches—that’s even wider than a Ford F-150. Modifying the A-pillar to mimic a wraparound windshield required large changes to the structure, which like the body is made from carbon fiber. Despite the increased size, Ferrari says the SP3 is lighter than the LaFerrari, with a claimed dry weight of 3274 pounds.

Further differences continue underneath. The V-12 is derived from the engine in the 812 Competizione, but with 10 more prancing horses. That makes this V-12 the most powerful in Ferrari history, but you’ll be more impressed by the sound: a glorious shrieking wail in its upper register but also lovely in its mechanical-ness at lower revs. You can feel its inertia even under light engine braking and see its heat waves through the rearview camera. The V-12’s sound and vibration are ever present, so it’s jarring when the auto stop-start system kills it at a light. (Pro tip: Disable stop-start immediately upon firing up the SP3 by hitting the button marked HELE.)

For all the V-12 sweetness, it’s the steering that truly stands out. The hydraulically assisted rack might be the best part of the car. The wheel is stable enough that you have the confidence to maneuver it one-handed, yet it still faithfully transmits the road texture. The effort is light but so controlled that it builds immediate confidence in this rolling showpiece.

Confidence at the wheel of the SP3 is key, lest you become a highlight on someone’s social-media cringe reel. While stealing eyeballs may seem like the goal of the exterior, Ferrari designers explain a different desire: to produce the same aerodynamic performance as modern supercars, but without wings or active elements. They say they’ve succeeded, although it’s hard to imagine many of these cars will be driven quickly enough to challenge that claim. The only active bits on the exterior are the headlight covers that move up and down depending on the light setting.