Currently reading: Ferrari P80/C makes UK debut at Festival of Speed

One-off 488 GT3-based track car has taken four years to develop; it pays homage to the Dino and 330 models

The Ferrari P80/C, a one-off track car based on the 488 GT3, has been displayed and demonstrated at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

The new supercar was developed at Ferrari's styling centre to a brief set by a “connoisseur of the Ferrari world” who wanted a modern sports prototype inspired by the likes of the 1966 Dino 206 S and 330 P3/P4. Those machines started as track cars but spawned roadgoing variants.

The P80/C is based on the 488 GT3 racing car, chosen over the 488 GTB road car because the extra 50mm of wheelbase offered more “creative freedom”. It has been extensively reworked with a pure performance focus.

The aerodynamics are based on the 488 GT3's, but without the need to meet sporting regulations, there's a new front splitter and a reworked rear diffuser. Ferrari claims the car is 5% more efficient, which is required to make use of the unrestricted engine.

There's also extensive use of underbody aerodynamics, with rear bodywork styled after the T-wings that have been seen in Formula 1 in recent years. The P80/C’s bodywork is made entirely from carbonfibre.

Because the P80/C is a track-only car, Ferrari has been able to greatly reduce the size of its headlights, while its rear features a concave rear windscreen and aluminium louvres on the engine cover. 

The car has been designed for a carbonfibre wing and 18in wheels to be fitted when in ‘racing set-up’. It can be converted to an ‘exhibition package’, with the aerodynamic appendages removed and 21in wheels fitted. 

Ferrari says the car is sculpted to create a cab forward-effect with a more aggressive stance, including a wrap-around windscreen. There are also flying buttresses that converge near the roof line, paying homage to both the Dino and 250 LM. The car’s bodywork is widest over the front axle, then narrows sharply before broadening again near the rear.

The interior is similar to the 488 GT3 donor car's, including an integrated roll cage. Elements of the dashboard have been redesigned and there are new carbonfibre shell door panels.

Performance figures for the car haven't been given, but it's likely to use an unrestricted version of the 3.9-litre turbocharged V8 in the 488 GT3. In the 488 GTB, that unit produces 661bhp.

Ferrari says work on the P80/C began in 2015, giving it the longest development time of any one-off Ferrari produced to date. The name was chosen by the anonymous collector who commissioned it. Ferrari hasn't revealed any details on its cost. The standard 488 GT3 costs around £455,000.

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James is Autocar's acting magazine editor. Having served in that role since June 2023, he is in charge of the day-to-day running of the world's oldest car magazine, and regularly interviews some of the biggest names in the industry to secure news and features, such as his world exclusive look into production of Volkswagen currywurst. Really.

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Smokescreen 26 March 2019

By any name

A GT by any other name is still a Ford GT... You only have to look at the lines to see the Ford there.

MAybe it's because the GT whipped the Ferrari for 3 consecutive years before the FIA colluded to save the Ferrari blushes... By heavily penalising the Ford.. 

xxxx 26 March 2019

Ferrari, from bad to worse

Complete and utter tosh for the posh

Cenuijmu 26 March 2019

get rid of the aero and it would look fine

The problem is that with modern aero for track it is not atteractive, something the p3/p4 did not have a problem with as they were just meant to be slippery. 

If you got rid of the baboons bottom rear difuser, as mentioned above and the too big front splitter it would be more attractive.  I know it is not a road car but lights would have helped too. 

I can still see some beauty in it though, unlike some people above.

si73 26 March 2019

Cenuijmu wrote:

Cenuijmu wrote:

The problem is that with modern aero for track it is not atteractive, something the p3/p4 did not have a problem with as they were just meant to be slippery. 

If you got rid of the baboons bottom rear difuser, as mentioned above and the too big front splitter it would be more attractive.  I know it is not a road car but lights would have helped too. 

I can still see some beauty in it though, unlike some people above.

I was thinking the same, it's all the aero addenda that ruins an otherwise attractive car, the same can be said of so many though. Great descriptions in this thread, baboons backside and prolapsed rear describe exactly what I was thinking of when looking at the car.