By: Tony Middlehurst
Maranello, Italy - This is not just any old Ferrari 458. It’s the Ferrari 458 MM Speciale, a uniquely hand-crafted machine built to an anonymous owner's specific wishes by the Ferrari factory's One-Off department.
One-Off was formed after long-time Ferrari collector Junichiro Hiramatsu asked the company for something special. The F430-based SP1 that was the result got Ferrari thinking about the commercial opportunity of 'specials'.
Ferrari commercial director Enrico Galliera thinks this is one of the best cars One-Off has built so far.
“The client came with a clear idea of what he wanted,” he said. “That was one of the keys to the success of the project.”
You can't just fly over to Maranello, scribble out a blank cheque and tell Enrico to get on with it. You need to be an established Ferrari owner and enthusiast.
“It is something that develops from one-to-one contact,” Galliera explained. “We try to pick those clients who live and breathe Ferrari and who appreciate how special a one-off car is.”
Take your time
Apart from money, the next thing a One-Off owner has to invest is time. The full process of creating one's own Ferrari can take up to two years, with regular meetings with Maranello's engineers and designers.
“It is like developing a house,” Galliera said. “The client becomes like an employee of the company. We receive input from them if they have any ideas - for example, if they want to have a car inspired by an historical Ferrari, or by a racing car.
Ferrari retains the standard core mechanical components - the engine and chassis - of whatever model the one-off is based upon, but everything else can be changed.
The 458 MM Speciale's aerodynamics are substantially different to those of the standard car. Don't ask for pink paint though, because Ferrari won't do it.
“It has to be consistent with our brand,” Galliera insisted. “So if somebody asks us for a pink Ferrari, or a hardcore racing GTC4 Lusso, or a specific request that we think is not fitting with the positioning of the car, the answer is no.
“It is not a matter of money; the answer is no. This is first and foremost a Ferrari, which means that the performance cannot be compromised by the design.”
Extremely limited
Just three One-Off cars will be built in any one year.
“We are sold out until 2021,” Galliera confirmed. “It has to remain something extremely limited. And that's the problem that we have so far: we still have a lot of requests that we cannot satisfy.”
Owners aren't under any obligation to show their cars off at public events, but while understanding that some will be closeted away in air-conditioned garages, Ferrari hopes they will be used.
“We prefer every single car to be on the road,” Galliera said. “The only thing we ask is that they drive and enjoy the car.”
For most of us, though probably not One-Off clients, the big question would be “how much?”. It depends on the chassis and the kind of project, but the ballpark figure is around €3 million (R44 million).
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