The next new model to come out of the Maranello shop will be a roadster version of the 599 GTB supercar. Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo dropped the news himself yesterday morning during a special press gathering in Central London.
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This is a very unusual car and it will certainly surprise you," said Montezemelo. "It's only going to be available to a very select number of clients who've been asking us for an open-top version of the 12-cylinder for quite some time now. We won't be unveiling it at a show though. Instead we'll be organizing private presentations," Ferrari's boss added.
The last open-top V12 model from Ferrari was the 575 Superamerica that was launched in 2005 in a limited number of units. The Superamerica featured an electrochromatic glass roof which rotated 180 degrees at the rear to lay flat over the boot. A similar system is used today on the mainstream Renault Wind roadster.
Ferrari didn't say what type of roof system will be offered on the roadster version of the 599 GTB, though there's a good chance we may see the limited edition model using a California-style folding hardtop.
Montezemolo also talked about Ferrari's interest in new technologies, including those focused on fuel consumption reduction such as hybrid systems.
"Ferrari is synonymous with driving emotion, beautiful design and ongoing technological innovation, characteristics that are shared by all of our models. One of the focuses of our constant drive for technological innovation is emissions reduction," said Montezemolo.
"So far, we have achieved significant results that will continue to improve as time goes on. In fact, we've already unveiled an innovative 12-cylinder hybrid based on our experience with KERS in Formula 1."
Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, HGTE & GTO
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Ferrari 575 Superamerica
