That’s gold Jerry! Gold!

This is the new Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta, and it’s the only one in the world. The car was built for Edward Walson, son of the man who gave the world cable television. Clearly, Ed isn’t struggling for a buck and this fact didn’t escape Ferrari’s Portfolio program who were only too happy to assist sir get what he wanted.

The P540 is based on a Ferrari 599 GTB but those paying attention will have noticed Ed’s creation doesn’t have a roof. That means extra strengthening and diluting of what makes the 599 such a great car. Well, doesn’t it? Apparently the reinforcing material only added 20kg to the car’s overall weight. Not too bad, and it shows what clever stuff carbon fibre really is.

So why the gold? Over forty years ago Federico Fellini made a film called Toby Dammit. It was inspired by an Edgar Allan Poe story and Fellini’s film featured a one-off Fezza made specially for the flick. That prancing horse made quite an impression on a young Walson who, now with more money than he knows what to do with, had Ferrari and Pininfarina build him a car to honour his memory of the movie.

You can see the car from Toby Dammit by clicking here. Although, be warned it’s a little bit strange and has a gruesome ending. Let’s hope Ed doesn’t go off recreating that, too. There’s also a couple of screen grabs after the break.

It took the Portfolio team a bit over a year to develop the P540 from sketch to finished product. It doesn’t look too bad, actually. What do you reckon?

And, more importantly, if you had an undisclosed wad of cash burning a hole in your pocket, what movie car would you like to see come to life? As a product of Generation-X I’d have to toss a coin to decide between the Ferris Bueller Ferrari or Doc’s Delorean.

FERRARI DELIVERS THE ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS PRESENT

Ferrari has delivered the ultimate Christmas present, a unique one-off Ferrari built to the specific requirements of its new owner using Ferrari’s Portfolio programme that enables Ferrari’s most discerning clients to design and own cars that are, quite literally, unique.

Dubbed the Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta, the unique supercar has been built for Edward Walson, the American son of John Walson, the inventor of cable TV. His inspiration for the car was a 1968 Federico Fellini film, “Toby Dammit” inspired by one of the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, which contained a unique Ferrari built by Carrozzeria Fantuzzi specifically for the film.

“I had always dreamed of designing sports cars,” Edward Walson explains, “and when I saw this film the decision came of its own accord: one day I would have ‘my’ Ferrari.”

Although based on the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, considerable changes were required as 599 GTB is a Coupe and the P540 is an open topped car and, like all Portfolio projects, the unique Ferrari had all the same safety and homologation requirements of normal production road car. The car was designed by Pininfarina and built at the Ferrari factory in Maranello. The client was directly involved in each stage of its development. As the 599 GTB Fiorano donor car is a coupé, considerable effort went into strengthening the chassis by using finite element analysis in development and the increase in weight was kept down to just 20 kg by employing carbon-fibre extensively. From the initial sketches to the final, road-legal car took just 14 months.

As the Edward Walson took delivery of the car at the Ferrari test track, Fiorano, his excitement was understandable: “This is the most special Christmas present of my life!”

Technical specifications

• Length – 4731 mm
• Width – 1954 mm
• Height – 1300 mm
• Wheelbase – 2750 mm
• Front track – 1690 mm
• Rear track – 1620 mm

Engine

• 65° V12
• Displacement – 5999 cc
• Maximum power – 456 kW (620 CV) at 7600 rpm
• Maximum torque – 608 Nm (62 kgm) at 5600 rpm

Transmission

• F1 6-speed gearbox

Tyres

• Front – 245/35 20”
• Rear – 305/35 20”

Fuel consumption & CO2 emissions

• Fuel consumption – Combined cycle 17.9 l/100 km
  CO2 emissions – Combined cycle 415 g/km

Cinematic Background

This special car’s colour was inspired by the film ”Toby Dammit”, one of the three episodes of the film “Histoires Extraordinaires” made in 1968 based on stories by Edgar Allan Poe.

“Toby Dammit”, the third of the three episodes, directed by Federico Fellini, with Terence Stamp Salvo Randone and Milena Vukotic, based on the story “Never Bet The Devil Your Head”.

The other two episodes, ”Metzengerstein” and “William Wilson”, were directed by Roger Vadim and Louis Malle.