Ferrari J50 unveiled in Tokyo

Based on the 488 Spider, only 10 units of the J50 will be produced. Celebrating Ferrari’s 50th year in Japan, the Italian car maker has unveiled the J50 at a special celebration held at the National Art Center in Tokyo.

Based on the 488 Spider, only 10 units of the J50 will be produced

Celebrating Ferrari’s 50^th year in Japan, the Italian car maker has unveiled the J50 at a special celebration held at the National Art Center in Tokyo. And the stage couldn’t have been better, this bespoke piece of art harks back to the to the targa body style much like the Ferrari’s from the 1970s and 1980s. Crafted by Ferrari’s Special Projects with design inputs from their Styling Centre in Maranello, only 10 units of the J50 will be built. Each of these examples will be custom tailored to suit the customer’s requirements.

With the J50, Ferrari wanted to build a low-slung roadster that not only stays true to their DNA but also has an exclusive personality to suit the taste of its clientele. To achieve this, Ferrari sketched the J50 with two distinctive lines along the sides – the edge of the window tilts towards the windscreen and the swage that continues from the front fascia onto the sides. Ferrari has also worked towards better aerodynamics on the J50. The radiators have been brought closer together and the front bumper has been entirely redesigned. The height of the windscreen header rail has been reduced to ensure more airflow over the aero foil and over the rear spoiler. The quad-taillight design along with the protruding spoiler makes the rear look wide and aggressive. The interior too gets some custom touches but much of the parts remain the same as the 488 Spider.

While it might seem like an all-new car, it shares its underpinnings with the 488 Spider. The J50 sports the same 3.9-litre V8 unit from the 488 Spider but in this state of tune it makes 681 horses. This is the same engine that won the overall International Engine of the Year award this year.

Even if you have an extremely deep pocket and want to buy the Ferrari J50, chances are you are already too late. Ferrari would possibly have offered the J50 to its most elite clientele in Japan even before the car was unveiled. All we can do then is drool over how sexy it looks.