20 Ferraris that never became reality
Not renowned as a prolific creator of concept cars, Ferrari has nonetheless produced some memorable design studies over the years, showcasing not only its future aesthetic direction, but also how the appearance of its cars could be adapted to embrace the new technologies underpinning them.
Naturally, there are flights-of-fancy concepts here, but there are also plenty of designs that show a clear path towards production reality.
And while all the cars here are in some way Ferrari-based, either by powertrain, chassis, or simply by Maranello’s marque values, not all were sanctioned by Ferrari HQ.
Pininfarina, Bertone and others have all presented their own creations, too, and these are also included in our chronological list of 20 Ferraris that never saw a production line.
1. 1965 Ferrari Dino 206 Berlinetta Speciale
Unveiled at the Paris Salon in 1965, the Dino 206 Berlinetta Speciale was not only to become the design template for the upcoming Dino 206 and later 246 production cars, but also every mid-engined Ferrari for the next 30 years, ending with the F355.
From an initial 1965 design study by Pininfarina’s Aldo Brovarone, the mid-engined GT was reworked by Leonardo Fioravanti ahead of its Paris debut, with – on the instruction of Enzo Ferrari – its engine mounted horizontally, rather than longitudinally.
As well as the pronounced curves over the front wheelarches, other distinctive cues included the now-familiar intakes carved into the bodywork’s sides, and the Plexiglas-covered quad headlights.
The Dino 206 Speciale is thought to have been the last car seen by Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina before his death in 1966.
2. 1966 Ferrari 365P Berlinetta Speciale
The Dino concept evolved further in 1966, with Pininfarina’s Aldo Brovarone’s stunning 365P Berlinetta Speciale appearing at that year’s Paris Salon.
Its slender lines and gracefully sloping rear buttresses were complemented by a glass sunroof and, once again, air scoops carved into the sides of the bodywork.
However, this time the car could accommodate three occupants, in a row, with the driver in the central seat.
The 365P was also intended as a full-on performance Ferrari, fitted with a 4.4-litre, mid-mounted V12 plucked from the 365 P2 racing car.
Two 365Ps were built, one of which was especially for Fiat’s Gianni Agnelli.
3. 1966 Ferrari Dino 206 Pininfarina Competizione
More design-prototype than pure concept, the 206 Competizione was drawn by Pinifarina’s Paolo Martin and took inspiration from Ferrari’s 206 competition car.
In fact, the prototype was actually based on a 206 S chassis, with its body – sporting eye-catching gullwing doors – reminiscent of the legendary 330 P3 racing car.
Powered by Vittorio Jano’s then-new, double-overhead-cam, 65-degree, 2-litre, V6 engine, soon to appear in the production Dino 206, the 206 Competizione prototype was unveiled at the 1967 Frankfurt motor show.
4. 1968 Ferrari 250 P5 Pininfarina
Unveiled at the Geneva motor show in 1968, the 250 P5 was a Pininfarina design which focused on the aerodynamic potential of future Ferraris.
Built on a Ferrari P4 racing car’s chassis, the two-seat coupé concept had a bank of headlights built into its front section, used gullwing doors and employed a clear outer engine cover.
Its entire upper section comprised a teardrop canopy that lifted to reveal a spartan cabin with only very basic instrumentation.
Power for the 250 P5 came from a 3-litre V12 engine, mounted amidships.
5. 1968 Ferrari P6 Berlinetta Speciale
Through the 1960s, Enzo Ferrari was resolutely against Ferrari production cars being anything other than front-engined, which is one of the reasons why the mid-engined Dino was named thus, and not ‘Ferrari’.
However, the tide was turning (Ferrari could hardly have ignored the impact made by Lamborghini’s mid-engined Muira), and Pininfarina’s low-slung P6 Speciale, revealed at the 1968 Turin show, clearly hinted at what might be from Maranello in future.
While the P6 only ever existed as a rolling chassis, it was designed to take Ferrari’s 3-litre V12, mid-mounted, and producing around 400bhp.
Ferrari rejected the concept, but, as you can see, the shape clearly has more than a hint of the 1973 Berlinetta Boxer about it…
6. 1970 Ferrari Modulo
Pininfarina’s Paolo Martin set out with the Modulo concept to create a car that was ‘the most unique, violent and conceptually different’.
So different, that initially the idea was sidestepped by the design house, only later to become a reality when it was built on to the chassis of a Ferrari 512S and unveiled at the 1970 Geneva show.
The Modulo – its name derived from the car’s modular body, which could be configured either as a two- or four-seater – had a simple, arc-shaped roofline, part of which slid forward to allow access to the cabin.
Measuring more than 2m (c6½ft) wide, but only 935mm (37in) high, the Modulo was unique in having front and rear overhangs equal in length.
The concept was powered by a 5-litre version of Ferrari’s 60-degree V12.
7. 1974 Ferrari CR25
Yet another concept penned by Pininfarina’s Aldo Brovarone, the CR25 was primarily a showcase for Pininfarina’s aero expertise, since the design house had opened its wind-tunnel facility in 1972.
Unveiled in 1974 at the Turin show, the two-door, four-seat coupé achieved a drag coefficient of just 0.256Cd, hence its name.
Standout design cues included sections built into its rear pillars that opened to aid deceleration, a large rear window leading to a rear spoiler that improved downforce, and a wing integrated with the front bumper.
The CR25 also had a louvred air intake across its bonnet, seen again many years later in Ferrari’s Mondial.
8. 1976 Ferrari 308GT Rainbow
Designed by Marcello Gandini at Bertone, the 308GT Rainbow pushed the production 308GT4’s wedge philosophy to a far greater level.
Revealed at the 1976 Turin motor show, the GT Rainbow was based on a 308GT4 platform, although at 2450mm (96in) its wheelbase dimension was unique.
Features of note included a roof which was hinged at the rear and when raised could slide down behind the seats, part-covered rear wheels, as well as integrated body vents with vertical slats.
Power for the mid-engined concept came from the production 308GT4 3-litre V8.
9. 1980 Ferrari Pinin
While it was designed by Leonardo Fioravanti to mark Pininfarina’s 50th anniversary, the Pinin concept looked almost like it might make production.
Set to be Ferrari’s first four-door car, the Pinin would have been a potential rival to cars like the Maserati Quattroporte and Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 in the high-performance luxury class.
Based on a Ferrari 400GT platform, but using (a dummy) flat-12 engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, the Pinin was unveiled at the 1980 Turin motor show, and at first received the nod from Enzo himself as having production potential.
However, concerns about quality in such a rarefied sector killed the project.
10. 1987 Ferrari 408 4RM
Ferrari’s first foray into four-wheel drive (hence ‘4RM’ or 4 Ruote Motrici) yielded two prototypes, one of which can still be viewed today in Maranello’s Galleria Ferrari.
First seen in 1987, the 4RM employed Ferrari’s own four-wheel-drive system, comprising a centre differential with a hydraulic coupling connected to shafts driving front and rear diffs, delivering 29% of power to the front axle and 71% to the rear.
Powered by a 4-litre V8 mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, the 4RM gained 200kg (c440lb) of extra weight thanks to its four-wheel-drive system, which Ferrari deemed too much for a sporting car, so the project was duly dropped.
It wasn’t until 2011 that Ferrari returned to four-wheel drive with its FF model.
11. 1989 Ferrari Mythos
The Mythos was not an official Ferrari production, rather Pininfarina’s take on what a dream car from the 1960s would look like when given a modern twist.
Shown for the first time at the opening of Japan’s Makuhari Messe convention centre in Chiba City in 1989, Pininfarina’s sleek and rakish, barchetta-style body was underpinned by the platform and standard powertrain from a Ferrari Testa Rossa, which meant the car maker’s 4.9-litre, flat-12 engine.
12. 2000 Ferrari Rossa
Another Ferrari-based creation from Pininfarina, but this time a 21st-century homage to one of the all-time greats: the 1958 250 Testa Rossa competition car.
Based around the platform and 5.5-litre V12 mechanicals from Ferrari’s 550 Barchetta, the Rossa’s smooth, svelte lines garnered a Design Award for Concept Cars and Prototypes at Villa d’Este in 2003.
And proving that some design cues from concepts make it to production, the Rossa’s tail-lights went on to be used on the forthcoming Ferrari Enzo.
13. 2005 Ferrari Ascari
Students from some of the world’s top car-design schools were tasked with creating a 1:4-scale model representing the Ferrari of tomorrow.
Their brief stated that the design had to retain the recognisable features and values of the Ferrari marque.
The Ascari – named in tribute to Ferrari’s 1950s works driver, Alberto Ascari – was one of four winners, and the work of Manuele Amprimo, Werner Gruber and Yu Jae-Cheul from the Instituto Europeo di Design in Turin.
14. 2005 Ferrari GG50
Created to mark Giorgetto Giugiaro’s half-century as a car designer (hence ‘GG50’), the striking concept was revealed at the 2005 Tokyo motor show.
Based on Ferrari’s then-current 612 Scaglietti GT, the GG50 was 9cm (3½in) shorter than the donor car, its fastback profile cleverly concealing a tailgate unique to the concept.
Inside, while the 612’s instrumentation remained, the dashboard design was bespoke, as was the car’s additional practicality, with fold-down rear seats liberating extra stowage space.
15. 2007 Ferrari Millechili
The Ferrari Millechili (which means ‘thousand kilos’) was first shown at a 2007 technical symposium at Ferrari’s HQ in Maranello.
A collaboration between Ferrari and the University of Modena aimed at developing lightweight chassis for high-performance cars, the Millechili’s design closely resembled a scaled-down Enzo model.
At only 3.88m (12ft 8¾in) long, the concept had an aluminium structure, titanium transmission case and various aero aids to reduce drag.
16. 2008 Ferrari F430 Spider Biofuel
In 2008, Ferrari was as keen as any other car manufacturer to display its green credentials as environmental lobbies increasingly held the auto industry responsible for violating the climate.
The F430 Biofuel was, claimed Ferrari, the start of an ongoing strategy to reduce its range emissions by 40% over the following four years.
Thanks to the engine’s modified fuel feed and CPU, the Biofuel was able to run on E85 bioethanol (fuel with an 85% ethanol content), reducing its carbon-dioxide emissions by 5% down to a still considerable 399g/km.
However, at the same time, it happily increased the 430’s power and torque.
17. 2010 Ferrari 599 HY-KERS
Following on from the Millechili and F430 Biofuel, Ferrari’s 599 HY-KERS was the next step towards reaching its reduced range-emissions goal by 2012.
While the 599’s V12 was still present and correct, it was supplemented by a small electric motor that compensated, Ferrari claimed, for the additional weight added by the hybrid system.
The fact that most of the extra weight comprised the lithium-ion batteries located below the floorpan meant that the 599 had a lower centre of gravity than the regular model.
There was also the benefit of a small, electric-only range, as well as a short boost in power for overtaking.
18. 2013 Ferrari Sergio
Unveiled at the 2013 Geneva motor show, the Ferrari Sergio commemorated not only Ferrari and Pininfarina’s 60-year relationship, but also the death of Sergio Pininfarina, the carrozzeria’s founder, the year before.
Based on Ferrari’s 458 Spider, the Sergio was powered by a 4.5-litre, naturally aspirated V8, that helped the car achieve 0-62mph in 3 secs.
Reception to the Sergio was so positive that, despite being conceived purely as a concept, six customer cars were produced, each costing a reputed £2.5m.
19. 2014 F80 Concept
Flight of fancy? Italian designer Adriano Raeli created his own F80 Concept (not to be confused with Ferrari’s own, limited-production F80 model launched in October 2024) while studying automotive design in Pasadena, California.
Raeli’s F80, dreamed up without any affiliation to the Prancing Horse brand, claimed to embody the spirit of Ferrari and Pininfarina in a road car equipped with Formula One technology and performance.
Fitted with a twin-turbocharged V8, the F80 would have used an F1-style KERS to boost output to c1200bhp, delivering 0-62mph in 2.2 secs and on to a claimed top speed of 310mph.
20. 2022 Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo
The first Ferrari created for the virtual motorsport world, the Vision Gran Turismo – as its name suggests – was a concept designed specifically for the Gran Turismo video game.
Penned in-house at Ferrari’s Centro Stile under the direction of Flavio Manzoni, the Vision Gran Turismo’s design was said to be inspired by that of Maranello’s sports-prototype racers from the 1960s and ’70s.
With no regulatory restrictions to worry about, the virtual car’s 3-litre V6 – a more extreme version of that used in the 499P – was tuned to produce more than 1000bhp, with an additional 300+bhp from its trio of electric motors, operating on each front wheel and the rear axle.