GENEVA MOTOR SHOW - This is the Sergio, a tribute from the design house he founded to the genius (and we do not use that term lightly) who led Pininfarina for 40 years.
It's a modern interpretation of the two-seater barchetta - 'little boat' in Italian, the European equivalent of the American term 'roadster'.
Widely known as the master of Italian style, Sergio Pininfarina left his mark on the history of design, from the age of the great bodyworks to modern industry, often anticipating trends. This concept car dedicated to him reflects the spirit of that leadership, translating it into a modern form.
Like all Pininfarina show cars, it's a runner.
In this case, it is based on Ferrari 458 mechanicals, which means two things:
(1) Its minimalist open two-seater body, lacking even a windscreen, is a lot lighter than the parent 458.
(2) With 420kW on tap from its 4.5-litre Ferrari V8, it goes like a scalded cat - 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds and 320km/h flat out. And before you ask, yes, it comes with two custom-built motorcycle helmets in matching red and black livery.
It follows the great tradition of Pininfarina specials, custom-built cars for favoured clients, real cars that could be built individually or in very small batches - as could this one.
If you put enough zeros on your cheque, you could have a car like this.
Company chairman Paolo Pininfarina said: "My father would be proud of this concept car because it expresses the aesthetic values that always inspired him: purity of lines, harmony of form, and balance.
"And he'd happy that it's based on a 458 platform; we are bound to Ferrari by a history that has helped define some of the world's most beautiful cars for the past 60 years, and shows no sign of ending."
As a further tribute to Sergio Pininfarina, the new concept is displayed next to one of his personal favourites - his 1965 Milan show car, the Dino Berlinetta Speciale, which later became the iconic Dino Ferrari.
This particular car has been part of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest Collection since 1967 and is usually exhibited along with other historic prestige cars in the Musée de l'Automobile at Le Mans.