The new Ferrari Daytona SP3 inspired by Maranello's classic race-winning prototypes

Road Cars

The latest in the Ferrari Icona series, the Daytona SP3, takes inspiration from the classic 330 P3/4, 330 P4 and 412 P Scuderia endurance prototypes

Daytona lead

The new Daytona SP3 was announced at the the Ferrari Finali Mondiali, flanked by the '60s prototypes form which it took inspiration

Ferrari

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Ferrari’s latest production car met the legendary prototype racers that inspired it on track at the weekend, in a celebration of the V12 engine that spanned the generations.

Leading the parade was the new Daytona SP3: its mid-mounted, naturally-aspirated V12 the most powerful internal combustion combustion engine that Ferrari says it has ever built.

Behind the limited-edition two-seater were the cars that it pays tribute to: three Scuderia machines which took a historic 1-2-3 at the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona.

The 330 P3/4, 330 P4 and 412 P, which sailed over the American enduro classic’s finishing line in that order, have lent engineering and styling cues to the latest instalment in Maranello’s Icona road car series which aims to recapture the magic of classic Ferrari competition cars through the years.

Central to this limited edition car – announced at last weekend’s Ferrari Finali Mondiali – is the 6.5-litre V12, blasting the thrill of full-blooded, naturally aspirated combustion engines as the clock ticks towards a ban on their sale.

Daytonaaaaa

A 6.5-litre engine producing 830bhp will be the most powerful Ferrari has ever produced

Ferrari

The three Mauro Foghieri-designed competition cars represented the peak of the Ferrari 330 P’s development and, though Le Mans success ultimately eluded them, they have gone down in history as some of the most iconic sports car prototypes of all time.

From the archive

The svelte passive aerodynamic lines are reimagined in a modern incarnation for the Daytona SP3, made with contemporary composite Formula 1 materials – previously utilised in Maranello’s last hypercar, the LaFerrari. According to Ferrari, this makes it the most aerodynamically efficient road car not to use active aerodynamics that the manufacturer has ever produced.

Various styling cues hark back directly to those classic prototypes – double-crested front wings recall the 512 S, 712 Can-Am and 312 P, whilst the surface treatment of the butterfly doors can be linked to the 512.

Wing mirrors which sit ahead of the doors and top of the wings is another late ’60s prototype calling card and two mini bumpers emerging from the outer edge of the headlights imitates the aero flicks of the 330 P4.

A minimalist interior also mimics the prototype cockpits, with adjustable pedals and a seat integral to the chassis to save weight and give the driver a similar position to that of a competition car.

The cockpit tapers and combines with the wings at the rear in an attempt to recall the 330 P4.

Ferrari Daytona 333

That power unit combined with lightweight F1 materials means the car can do 0-100kph (62mph) in 2.86sec.

Propelling the car forward is the most powerful engine ever made by Ferrari, the F140HC. The 6.5-litre V12 produces 830bhp and revs to 9,500 rpm, and when combined with the car’s lightweight materials and aerodynamics, will take the car from 0-100kph (60mph) in 2.85sec and 0-200kph (125mph) in 7.4sec. The gearbox is a seven-speed F1-style paddle shift with a dual clutch.

Each car from the production run of 599 examples will – quite predictably – not come cheap, priced at €2 million (£1.68 million) each.