2022 Ferrari Daytona SP3

Ferrari has just revealed the follow-up to its first two Icona Series cars with this, the Daytona SP3. Like the Monza SP1 and SP2, this is a car that has a very limited production run, offers unique technical innovations, and is utterly breathtaking to behold. As the name suggests, this new masterpiece is inspired by Ferrari's successes in racing, and while the Italian automaker could easily have referenced one model from its illustrious past and slapped a reinterpreted design onto an existing car (as Lamborghini did with the new Countach), the people in charge of the Prancing Horse are much more introspective when it comes time to build something truly special.
There are plenty of big design elements that immediately capture your attention, but Ferrari hasn't forgotten about the little things either. As you'd expect, everything has a purpose. We start at the front, where a splitter below an expansive grille is complemented by straked side intakes that help to smooth airflow from the wheels. Those wheels are also designed to clean the air running down the side of the car, but there's a lot more going on at the front. The headlights feature retractable eyelids as a callback to pop-up headlights, and even these apertures are designed to improve the aerodynamic properties of the design. Vents in the hood help improve visual width, while the front wings lead to a pair of intakes in the front of the doors. The mirrors have been placed further forward to ensure that these intakes get enough clean air to the radiators, while the shape of the profile further improves airflow and helps keep the rear of the car planted with an integrated spoiler.
Even the targa top of the roof has been designed to smooth airflow towards the engine cover, whether the roof panel is in place or not. Ferrari promises minimal turbulence in the cabin with the roof off, so this should be enjoyable as a grand tourer as well as a supercar. At the rear of the car, those muscular rear arches, the integrated and extended rear spoiler, and a combination of vents and a diffuser that is almost like a double diffuser all work together to create an area of low pressure behind the car. Essentially, this car uses its own shape to effectively manage heat extraction, clean the airflow around the vehicle, and make driving at high speed supremely stable. The high-mounted double exhaust and the louvered fins are not necessarily to everyone's taste, but there's no doubt that Ferrari made the right call by choosing clever aero tricks over massive wings and overt aero appendages. As far as design goes, this may be Flavio Manzoni's finest work yet.