This is it: the car that up until now has been shown only to a few select guests at Pebble Beach, at a secret location ‘up in the hills’ of Monterey. Now it will be on full public view at the Paris Motor Show, along with the news that a mere 80 examples of this soft-top 599 will be made.

The new, limited-edition model is the Ferrari SA Aperta, proclaimed as a celebration of the 80th anniversary of Pininfarina: hence the model name, in which S and A stand for Sergio and Andrea Pininfarina. Hence, too, the limited number of just 80 cars which will be built. And the bad news for enthusiasts is that it’s already too late to order one. All 80 have been sold, with buyers keen to own such an exclusive and desirable Ferrari, promising 661bhp from the front-mounted V12 engine and a ‘negligible’ increase in weight over the hard-top model.

British enthusiasts who have missed out on the chance to buy can console themselves with the fact that this is a Ferrari for warm, dry weather. Raising the soft-top is designed to be only a last resort. Meanwhile, the low-slung windscreen and low, ‘crouching’ stance give the car a beautiful, aerodynamic sleekness, enhanced by two rollover-bars that mimic the outline of the seats.

Text: Charis Whitcombe
Photos: Ferrari