The Ferrari BR20 – a creation of Ferrari’s Special Projects programme – is the latest addition to the Prancing Horse’s One-Off series. It joins the most exclusive group in Maranello’s range – absolutely bespoke cars crafted to a client’s specifications and designed as a clear expression of their own unique requirements.
The BR20 is a two-seater V12 coupé developed on the GTC4Lusso platform. Its styling references some of the most iconic 12-cylinders from the 1950s and 60s – such as the 410 SA and 500 Superfast – but without the slightest hint of nostalgia.
Ferrari’s Special Projects programme was constituted to create one-of-a-kind commissions – the so-called “One-Offs.” Each of these creations originates from an idea put forward by a client and developed with a team of designers from Ferrari’s Styling Centre.
After defining the car’s proportion and forms, detailed design blueprints and a styling buck are produced before starting the manufacturing process. The entire process lasts, on average, more than one year, during which the client is involved in assessing the design and verification phases.
For the BR20, the GTC4Lusso’s two rear seats were removed to add extra dynamism to the BR20’s ultra-sleek fastback line. The new car is three inches longer than the original, thanks to a rear overhang treatment designed to create a silhouette that beautifully emphasises its proportions.
One of the cornerstones of the design process for this one-off was the radical modification made to the cabin volume. This, in turn, gave the design team, led by Flavio Manzoni, the freedom to conceive the innovative proportions that ultimately produced a powerful yet stylistically coherent exterior design theme.
The new cabin design solution creates the impression of a pair of arches running lengthwise from the A-pillar to the rear spoiler. The rear volume of the arch has been hollowed out to create an aerodynamic channel, with the air outlet concealed by the black rear fascia under the spoiler.
This modern take on Ferrari’s “flying buttress” theme firmly connects the car to not just Ferrari’s GT tradition but also the likes of the 599 GTB Fiorano. To visually lighten the cabin, the black paint of the roof visually connects the windscreen to the rear screen, which stands above the surface of the rear tailgate as if to channel the airflow.
A muscular rear bumper melds beautifully with the aggressive look of the rest of the car. Twin taillights create a visual dialogue with the tailpipes, which are lower and set into a prominent aerodynamic diffuser with active flaps on the underbody. Even the BR20’s twin round exhaust tips were designed especially for this bespoke model.
The BR20’s many carbon-fibre details highlight the dynamic characteristics of this four-wheel-drive car. High, sinuous sills add an extra hint of dynamism to the lower section of the flanks, as well as emphasising the front air vents on the wheel arches. The wide front grille sports an upper carbon-fibre element, a note of stylistic consistency with other recent Ferrari one-offs. At the same time, unusual chrome side inserts help underline the car’s dynamic front stance.
The BR20’s unique identity is further underscored by the front grille’s striking new horizontal slats that add to its three-dimensionality. A virtually endless list of elements was designed specifically for the BR20, not least its modified headlights. They are lower in height than those of the GTC4Lusso with slimmer DRLs, making the bonnet seem even longer and sleeker. The 20″ tone-on-tone diamond-finish wheels were also created especially for this unique car.
The BR20’s interior is no less impressive, trimmed in two shades of brown leather and carbon fibre, an exquisite combination developed according to the client’s indications. The seats are trimmed in dark brown Heritage Testa di Moro leather and sport an exclusive pattern at the front, as well as silver cross-stitching. The cabin volume runs uninterrupted from the windscreen to the luggage compartment at the rear, creating a sense of unique lightness and airiness for occupants. Oak trim with carbon-fibre inserts adorns the rear bench and luggage deck, which conceals a deeper loading area when folded flat, as well as the door handles.
Designed for “a longstanding client” who was “deeply involved in every step of its creation,” the Ferrari BR20 represents a genuine return to the coachbuilder’s art – that of transforming an existing model into a unique one.
