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Ferrari SP3JC one-off channels vintage roadsters with a color-wheel twist

Not long after we posted on rumors of a Ferrari 812 Spider, we get this, the Ferrari SP3JC. This is no 812 Superfast, though, it's a one-off commission based on running gear from the limited edition F12 TDF. John Collins, owner of classic Ferrari dealer Talacrest in the UK, provided the dream, the funds, and therefore the "JC" in the open-top's name. We'll assume this being Ferrari's third Special Project this year contributed the rest of the alphanumeric. Collins said the project took 3.5 years from dream to completion, and Ferrari said the design process consumed two of them. While there have been at least six special editions and commissions based off the F12, this is the first one-off to use the F12 TDF. The Italians say the SP3JC is "designed to pay homage to company's classic 1950s and 1960s roadsters." A much wider power bulge in the hood falls all the way into the grille of the redrawn front fascia. New vents appear at the corners of the bumper. Above, instead of the F12 TDF's small hood vents, two large, transparent panels provide views of the 6.3-liter V12. At the side, instead of the modern rising fender line from front wheel to cowl, the fender descends on its way rearward akin to Ferraris of old. The redrawn panels move the donor car's vent to above the rocker panel, and erases the three vents over the rear wheels. In back, 812 Superfast taillights preside over a layered fascia with three full-width vents and a jutting diffuser. The 812 Superfast also donated its wheels. Roll hoops stand guard behind the seats. According to a poster on Ferrari Chat, the SP3JC doesn't come with a roof. About that paint scheme: There were plenty of vibrantly hued classic Ferraris, but we don't know of any that put so many hues on one body. Ferrari says the mashup here was inspired by Collins' "passion for Pop Art." Bianco Italia mixes with Azzuro Met and Giallo Modena, right down to the yellow pinstripes on the wheels and the matching blue and white leather inside. Personally, we'd rather jump off with the F12 TRS when imagining what an 812 Superfast Spider could look like, but this is probably a better place to start. View 43 Photos Related Video:

If you need a carbon-fiber-bodied Ferrari F12, meet the Caballeria

Customizing a Ferrari, or any exotic for that matter, is a tricky process. Extreme looks and performance mean tuners and designers can't push the envelope much further without getting into tacky territory. But Spanish designers Bengala have toed the line with the new F12 Caballeria. Based on the F12berlinetta, obviously, Bengala claims the Caballeria draws inspiration from Ferrari's GT3 racers. We don't see it, but sure. The all-carbon-fiber body includes numerous smaller tweaks – check out the vents behind the doors and the new hood, for example – on top of much more drastic changes. The restyled fascia, larger intake, carbon-fiber splitter, and massive rear diffuser are the most obvious callbacks to Ferrari's road-going racers, while it looks like Bengala plucked certain new elements, like the three louver-style vents on top of the front fenders, from other Ferrari production cars. Those are the rear fender vents of the F12 TdF, for example. Bengala also swapped out the wheels for an Alpina-like fan-blade design. If you have money burning a hole in your pocket and dig the Caballeria's style, it might not look like a bad purchase. But be warned, unlike some other noted Ferrari modifiers, it doesn't sound like Bengala made any changes to the F12's 6.3-liter V12 engine. The company's press release didn't call out any mechanical changes, although that means there's still 730 ponies on tap – it's probably not a deal breaker. Like most of its projects, Bengala will only build 10 F12 Caballerias. It expects to wrap up production by the end of summer 2017. Related Video:

Ferrari replaces F1 boss with Marlboro exec

Ferrari just finished its worst Formula One season in decades, and if you're thinking heads are going to roll, you're right. In fact they already have, as team principal Stefano Domenicali was dismissed earlier this year and longtime chairman Luca di Montezemolo was axed just two months ago. Now Maranello has announced a new team principal, yet again. Instead of promoting from within, however, this time Ferrari has called in an outside executive – albeit one with whom it is intimately familiar. His name is Maurizio Arrivabene, and he's served as a senior executive at tobacco giant Philip Morris International, managing (among other areas) the Marlboro brand's sponsorship of the Scuderia. In that capacity he's been sitting on the FIA's Formula One Commission as the sponsors' representative since 2010, giving him a familiarity with how the series is run. In his new capacity as Managing Director of the Gestione Sportiva and Team Principal of Scuderia Ferrari, Arrivabene replaces Marco Mattiacci, who was called up to the post from his previous position as head of the North American office just eight months ago. Back then Mattiacci replaced a similarly under-performing Domenicali. The change may very well have come at the behest (if not insistence) of Philip Morris, which remains the team's main sponsor and is undoubtedly displeased with Ferrari's performance lately. It wouldn't be the first time. After all, Marlboro similarly brokered the deal that put Ron Dennis in charge of McLaren in the early 1980s. Mattiacci's swift replacement comes at the end of a disastrous season for the Scuderia. Following yesterday's season finale in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari finished fourth in the constructors' standings behind Mercedes, Red Bull and Williams. The last time it finished the championship in such poor shape was in 2010 when Felipe Massa was injured and the team scrambled to find a replacement. But even then it managed to win at least one race and land on the podium another five times. Fernando Alonso finished on the podium only twice this season while Kimi Raikkonen struggled further back. This year marked the first time Ferrari failed to win a grand prix since 1993, and even then Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger managed more podiums than the team scored this season.