Ferrari does really know how to surprise us. Their introduction of a brand-new ultra-limited-edition targa version of the 488 named Ferrari J50 definitely came out as a big surprise to everyone in the automobile industry. This is a more powerful version of the 488 and in addition to that, the J50 comes with more style and exclusivity to immediately make a good impression out of everyone.
The company decided to give the J50 a power boost although in our opinion the Ferrari 488 don’t really need such kind of improvement but they still did it anyway. The Ferrari J50 is a special limited-edition car that it completely based on the 488 but packs with more power thanks to the 3.9-litre V8 cranked up to 681bhp – 20bhp.
And you say special limited-edition, it definitely is a limited-edition car with only 10 production units being built to honor the Ferrari’s 50th anniversary in Japan. This means that this is car is going to be sold at a considerably high price tag and that it will be sold out before it can even come out of the factory.
Serious improvements to its body construction includes a “helmet visor”-style glass area, a bonnet that’s lower than standard at the centre and a black ‘dividing line’ that circles the new front bumper below knee height. All of this improvements tells us that Ferrari aims to make the J50 to resemble a lot like a barchetta.
We have new LED headlights as well as an all new wheels and interior trim. To make space for the much improved front end, the radiators are now moved closer together. The windscreen header rail is also lowered to make air flow up much better from the lower nose.
The Ferrari J50 also has a two-piece carbon-fibre hard top that stows conveniently behind the seats in case there’s a rain or if the sun is just too hot for you.
The Ferrari J50 is built by Ferrari’s Special Projects department and designed by their very own Maranello team. The J50 is definitely going to be a special collector’s item. With only 10 of this made getting one of these is going to be just a car collector’s dream.
Ferrari J50 Press Release
During a special celebration held at the National Art Center in Tokyo to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Ferrari in Japan, Ferrari revealed a new strictly limited series of bespoke cars, the J50.
The Ferrari J50 is a two-seater, mid-rear-engined roadster that marks a return to the targa body style evocative of several well-loved Ferrari road cars of the 1970s and 1980s. Created by Ferrari’s Special Projects department and designed by the Ferrari Styling Centre team in Maranello, just 10 examples of the J50 will be built and, in the spirit of Ferrari’s fuori serie tradition, each one will be tailored specifically to the customer’s requirements.
Based on the 488 Spider, the J50 is powered by a specific 690 cv version of the 3.9-litre V8 that won the overall International Engine of the Year Award this year.
The bodywork is all new and heralds a radically futuristic design language, with a highly distinctive personality that suits the tastes of a clientele that seeks the utmost in innovative styling. The design approach was led by the desire to create a very low-slung roadster, encapsulating intrinsic Ferrari values of nimbleness and agility. To achieve this, a strong dynamic was imprinted on the flank of the car by the converging interplay between two main guiding lines: the slanted top edge of the side window, continuous with the windscreen, and the raked black swage line which dramatically rises from the low-set nose until it vanishes in the air intake aft of the doors.
While the “helmet visor” effect, which spawns from the window graphic, is reminiscent of Ferrari’s open competition barchettas going as far back as the 1950s, the black dividing line is a novel interpretation of a recurring Ferrari styling cue seen on iconic models such as the GTO, F40 and F50. Circling around the front of the car below knee height, it is a key element which alters the perception of the beltline, setting it at a much lower height than usual, transforming the J50 into a barchetta.
The bonnet section is lower at the centre with raised wheelarch crests giving the emphasized muscularity typical of Ferrari mid-engined sports cars. Two carbon-fibre air channels in the front bonnet create an even more diminutive and sharper looking front mass underlined by the full LED headlights that feature a specific and very dynamic profile.
The J50 benefits from detailed aerodynamic development with a number of significant functional solutions. Firstly, the radiators have been positioned closer together, and the front bumper has been completely redesigned. The windscreen header rail has been lowered allowing more airflow over the aero foil and thus over the rear spoiler.
The sophisticated tail section is dominated by the artful interplay of graphic design themes and three-dimensional elements. The engine is framed by a transparent polycarbonate cover which is intricately shaped to provide a visual extension of the two separate roll hoops protecting the heads of driver and passenger. A transverse aero foil projects as a bridge between the hoops, effectively revisiting one of the most distinctive features of Ferrari sports prototypes of the 1960s.
The rear is decidedly aggressive in nature, with the quad taillight design widening the car visually under a high-downforce wing profile. The rear diffuser features an extractor shape inspired by jet engine afterburners, giving the car a powerful stance. 20” forged rims of unique design were crafted specifically for this limited-edition model.
Inside the cabin, specific trim adorns the sports seats, echoing the design of the rear bonnet contour to provide a unmistakable signature feature. The carbon-fibre hard targa top is divided into two pieces which stow conveniently behind the seats.
The J50 presented at the launch in Tokyo is finished in a special shade of three-layer red with a red-over-black interior trimmed in fine leather and Alcantara.
Ferrari J50 Photos
