Back in 1966, a 275 GTB became the first ever Ferrari to be officially registered in the Land of the Rising Sun. 50 years later, Ferrari is celebrating it's association with Japan, and how? During a special event held at the National Art Center in Tokyo recently, the Italian manufacturer revealed the new J50, a strictly limited series of bespoke cars to commemorate the occasion.
Based on the 488 Spider, the J50 is a two-seat, mid-rear-engined roadster that marks a return to the ‘Targa’ body style that adorned some of the most-loved Ferraris of the seventies and eighties. Powered by a 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 shared with the 488, the J50 delivers 681 horsepower wrapped in a radical and futuristic body work.
Created by Ferrari’s Special Projects department and designed by the Ferrari Styling Centre in Maranello, the J50 impresses the moment you set your eyes on it. Sporting ultra-slim LED headlights, raised wheel arch crests, two carbon-fibre air channels in the hood, quad taillights and one of the best diffusers we have ever seen, the J50 is a stunner. Of course, how can we not talk about the black swage line that rises from the nose and wraps around the car on either sides? Apart from looking fantastic, it is a novel interpretation of a design cue that iconic Ferraris like the 288 GTO, the F40 and the F50 had in the past.
If this is where Ferrari’s design is headed, we will have to prepare ourselves for visual treats more often from Italy!
The interiors of the J50 are shared with the 488 Spider as well with a few custom bits thrown in for exclusivity. Trimmed in fine leather and Alcantara, the red-over-black interior is a perfect match to the exterior’s three-layer red paint with black accents. For those rainy days, there is a detachable two-piece carbon-fibre targa hard top that can be stowed behind the seats.
Just 10 of these would be made, each of them tailored specifically to cater to the tastes and needs of the individual customers who are likely to shell out six digit figures for this ten-of-a-kind Italian super car. The rest of us mortals shall wait and save until the next round of Ferrari celebrations.
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