Ferrari's hot red leaves everything else for dead

Just 80 examples of the 599 SA Aperta drop-top will be built and each car has already been sold. Photo / Supplied

Ferrari chose the Paris motor show to unveil a limited-edition convertible it built to honour famous design house Pininfarina's 80th anniversary.

Just 80 examples of the 599 SA Aperta drop-top will be built and each car has already been sold.

The SA in the name stands for Sergio and Andrea Pininfarina, whose company and work has been linked to Ferrari's most successful road-going cars ever built.

Aperta is Italian for open, because the car is designed to be driven predominantly with the top down. A light soft top which Ferrari says is "designed to be resorted to only if the weather gets particularly bad" is included.

The SA Aperta features a low-slung windscreen and suspension that is lower than the standard 599 to give it an even more dramatic appearance.

The A-pillars have been designed to retain the flying buttresses of the hard-top car, but also incorporate two roll bars that mimic the lines of the seats.

Under the bonnet, the engine is the same 493kW 6-litre V12 that powers the Ferrari 599 GTO, while the chassis has been redesigned to deliver a standard of stiffness comparable to that of a closed berlinetta with a negligible weight difference.

Prices have not been released, but a Ferrari spokesman confirmed that the car will cost in excess of £340,000 ($740,000). However, just like the 599 GTO, Aperta buyers will be encouraged to personalise their cars at extra cost, ensuring that each of the 80 examples produced is unique.