Special edition cars are never out of fashion, but Ferrari knows how to make them even more special. Now and then, Ferrari comes up with a bunch of special edition models to commemorate milestones in style. But these turn out to be extensively modified iterations of a car from their existing portfolio. The changes are so drastic that you won't even relate it with the donor car. While trends come and go, Ferrari as an automaker knows how to remain in the spotlight.
One such special car is the Ferrari J50, ten of which were made in total to celebrate 50 years of Ferrari Fever in Japan. Italian supercar makers have a very special place in the Eastern market - especially China, Malaysia, and Japan. And these marques put in their utmost efforts to showcase their love for consumers there. Ferrari with its J50 went for an artistic overhaul of the already potent 488 Spider and brought back the Targa-top design. This shows how intense the love between Ferrari and Japan is.
The last mass-produced Ferrari to have a Targa-top was the 355 GTS from the late 1990s. But, similar to the J50, Targa Tops were offered as niche products like the 575 Superamerica and the LaFerrari Aperta. Interestingly, Ferrari has filed a patent for a new 'Targa Top' body design, which indicates its return to production run cars. For now, we tell you why the Ferrari J50 remains the perfect anniversary gift for the 'Land Of The Rising Sun'.
Just 10 Ferrari J50s Were Ever Made, Confined To Japan
Limited Edition cars from Ferrari are always a notch above the rest. While most automakers combine new paint or wrap jobs, Ferrari goes to the drawing board and creates an all-new iteration. The Ferrari J50 is a very special creation made solely for Japan, to celebrate 50 years of the Prancing Horse in the country. Just 10 units of this limited-edition Ferrari were ever made and none have set foot out of Japan. While the Ferrari J50 is based on the Ferrari 488 Spider, it bears little to no visual resemblance to its donor, and that's impressive.
Ferrari J50 Packs A Tweaked V8 From The 488 Spider
Ferrari has packed the glorious 3.9-liter turbocharged V8 from the 488 Spider but with a slight bump in performance. The mill now pumps out an extra 21 horses, putting the figures to 681 HP and 560 lb-ft of torque. It continues to be an RWD layout with a quick 7-Speed DCT taking care of the power delivery. The bump in power isn't all that notable but might be able to shave a few tenth-of-a-seconds from the 488 Spider's 0-60 MPH time of 2.9 seconds. But the top speed remains unchanged at 203 MPH.
Ferrari Adds A Lot Of Nostalgia To The J50's Sharp Redesign
This is where the Ferrari has put in all the efforts to make the J50 as special as possible. The J50 has been transformed to be a lot more aggressive than your standard 488 Spider. The front fascia sees a drastic transformation with sleek horizontal LED headlamps that goes quite well with the unique dividing strip that runs in an uninterrupted manner across the front fascia and along with the doors on either side.
The front bumper has been redesigned to suck in a lot more air with its bigger mesh grille section. There are a lot of throwback design cues that remind us of iconic Ferraris like the F40 and F50. This is very much evident on the rear fascia with its quad-taillights garlanded by a black strip. This is complemented by a wild-looking rear diffuser. It gets cool 20-inch wheels that add to its sharp design appeal.
But the most important element is its Targa-top which comprises a 2-piece carbon fiber set that can be conveniently stored behind the cool-looking rollover hoops. This is a throwback to the classic Ferraris of yesteryear when Targa tops were uber-cool. Ferrari might also bring Targa tops back to series production cars, as it has filed a patent for the same.
Interior Is Taken From The 488 Spider But Gets Added Customisations
As for the interior, there aren't any new bits, apart from having added layers of customization for each of the 10 units that were on sale. Ferrari gave the J50 new upholstery for the seats, dashboard, and trimmings. Prospective customers were given the freedom to choose whatever color combination they wanted.
But apart from that, there were no new bits in terms of dashboard inserts or technology features, and everything has been carried over from the Ferrari 488 Spider. The rollover hoop adds an added level
Ferrari Sure Knows How To Celebrate An Anniversary
Making a limited-edition car is no small feat, and Ferrari sure knows how to raise the bar. It is efforts like these that show us how serious an automaker is about its presence in the market. And with the J50, Ferrari sure has garnered all the love from Japan. All 10 of the Ferrari J50s were sold in no time for undisclosed amounts. But we do know that a J50 is worth around $3.6 million because one specimen did pop up for sale via the official Ferrari Tokyo portal.
Sources: Autoblog.com, Driving.co.uk, Topgear.com, Roadandtrack.com