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The V12 Ferrari Daytona SP3 is here to break hearts and burst eardrums

The mid-engined, naturally aspirated V12 Ferrari Daytona SP3 is the third entry in Ferrari’s super exclusive Icona series and it pays tribute to one of Ferrari’s greatest motorsport victories.

Well, we certainly didn’t see this one coming - a new, naturally aspirated, mid-engined Ferrari halo car with no turbos and no hybrid drivetrain nonsense, just a good old-fashioned V12 screaming away behind your head. This is the Ferrari Daytona SP3, and it’s the third entry in Ferrari’s Icona range, following on from the Monza SP1 and SP2. Powered by the absolutely unhinged V12 out of the 812 Competizione, the Daytona SP3 makes a stonking 829 organically reared horses and revs to a stratospheric 9,500rpm. This represents a 10hp rise over the 812 Competizione, in part thanks to the inherent benefits of a mid-engined layout and some further improvements to the engine’s components. The 0-62mph sprint takes just 2.85 seconds, while 0-120mph is dispatched in a mere 7.4 seconds, after which the Daytona SP3 will race all the way up to 211mph. 

Now that the stats are out the way, let’s take a moment to soak in the beautiful design. It’s an homage to arguably Ferrari’s greatest win ever - a 1-2-3 finish at the 1967 Daytona 24 Hour, and as such it’s a wonderful combination of those three cars: the 330 P3/4, the 330P4, and the 412P that finished first, second, and third respectively. Ferrari claims the Daytona SP3 has the highest level of passive aero efficiency ever for a Prancing Horse, and the lack of an active rear wing certainly adds to the clarity of the Daytona SP3’s tail. Which brings us to arguably the focal point of this car’s design - those dramatic horizontal blades that stretch the width of the Daytona SP3’s rear. Also worth noting are the hollowed-out dihedral doors which feature enormous intakes to feed cold air to that V12 - something Ferrari appears to have borrowed from McLaren.

Inside of the custom carbon monocoque you’ll find seats that are moulded into the car’s frame, much as they were in the La Ferrari, with an adjustable pedal box to add to the motorsport feel. It’s a place very few people will ever be lucky enough to sit - just 599 Daytona SP3s will be built, each at around £2 million a pop - good value when you consider Lamborghini sells re-bodied Aventadors for more.