Ferrari reveals one-off F12 TRS at Sicily cavalcade

Mon, 23 Jun 2014

Every year Ferrari owners gather from all corners of the globe for the annual Ferrari Cavalcade. This year's edition just wrapped up in Sicily, where over 90 proud owners from 27 different countries brought their prides and joys. Some of the participating supercars were more rare and notable than others – included among them several LaFerraris – but the extravaganza included the reveal of one very unique Prancing Horse.

That would be the new F12 TRS. The one-off creation surfaced just last week, the work of the Ferrari Special Projects division for one very fortunate client. It's based on the F12 Berlinetta, but replaces its coupe bodywork with new roadster sheetmetal that incorporates a glass window to reveal the red cylinder heads from which its inspiration – the 250 Testa Rossa – drew its name and a cowled rear deck. The open cockpit is trimmed in leather, Alcantara and carbon fiber, but ditches the glovebox, air vents, carpeting, audio system and other creature comforts.

Contrary to earlier reports, the F12 TRS does not appear to have a hybrid powertrain, the conventional 6.3-liter V12 producing the same 730 horsepower as the coupe to propel this one-off roadster to 62 in 3.1 seconds and to 124 mph in 8.1 – so as you can see, it hardly needed any help in the first place. Check it out in photos above, and feel free to read more in the press release below.

A new one-off debuts in the Ferrari Cavalcade 2014

Maranello, 22nd June 2012 – One of the 90 cars taking part in the third edition of the Ferrari Cavalcade was the F12 TRS, a one-off custom design making its public debut on Sicilian soil.

Based on the F12berlinetta, the car was developed at a client's request as an extreme, two-seater, open-top sports barchetta. One of the initial inspirations for the project was the 1957 250 Testa Rossa. In fact, the F12 TRS is Flavio Manzoni and the Ferrari Style Centre team's modern, innovative take on that legendary car's spirit and pays homage to it in its moniker.

Like all one-off Ferraris, the F12 TRS is the product of Ferrari's now-classic approach of creating a truly integrated design. It thus has the same exceptional performance figures as the F12berlinetta including 0-100 km/h acceleration in 3.1 s and 0-200 km/h acceleration in 8.1 s, thanks to the massive 740 cv and maximum torque of 690 Nm at 9,000 rpm unleashed by its 6262 cm3 V12 engine.

From the leading edge of the typically sharp Ferrari nose, aggressively sculpted forms flow back over the bonnet, while a low, wraparound windscreen forms a long dark band of glass in contrast to the car's body. The V12 engine's signature red cylinder heads are visible through a window in the engine lid, a concept inspired as much by the front-engined Ferrari sports cars of the 1950s as our more recent mid-engined berlinettas. The aerobridge, introduced on the F12berlinetta, has been given a new treatment in this car, resulting in a sculptural design that runs back from the flanks along the entire length of the car.

The design of the rear marks an evolution of the T-shaped graphic that characterises the F12's truncated tail and is influenced to some extent by the cabin shape with long fuselage fairings running behind the headrests into the rear spoiler. A smooth ramp runs from the central tunnel too, linking interior and exterior and creating a longitudinal aerodynamic channel to deliver an innovative Venturi effect completed by a vent under the spoiler.

The cockpit is light and pared-back to the barest driving essentials, creating a sense of powerful, uncompromising sportiness with no concessions to superfluous comfort. Even some of the controls for the likes of the air conditioning, for instance, have been cut back, while the glove compartment, central air vents, mats, audio system, window controls and odds-and-ends holders have all been removed. Most of the materials used aboard, such as black matt carbon-fibre, leather and Alcantara, are technical, while the same multi-layer red paint developed specifically for the exterior adorns the central tunnel and the door panels.

Although inspired by the traditional Rosso Corsa, the new bodywork colour was developed using multi-layer and micalised paint technologies.

By Noah Joseph