Ferrari decided to chop the roof off. Rumors of an open-top F80 variant have bounced around the automotive rumor mill for ages, floating between “definitely happening” and “shelved for good”. Now, the waiting game is officially over. A heavily disguised prototype of the upcoming Ferrari F80 Aperta was recently caught prowling the public asphalt just outside the legendary gates of Maranello, proving that Italian engineers simply cannot resist the siren call of wind-tousled hair at 200 miles per hour.
First brought to light via spy photos posted on Instagram by derek.photography, the prototype wears enough heavy camo wrapping to hide a small village. Yet, even under all those deceptive layers, the roofline tells the real story. Ferrari appears to be shunning complex, heavy motorized convertible mechanisms in favor of a classic, manually removable roof panel.
Borrowing a page from the LaFerrari Aperta playbook, this lightweight targa-style piece can likely be unclipped and stowed in the front luggage compartment when the weather plays nice. It is a gloriously analog, simplified approach to open-air motoring.
Underneath the revised superstructure, do not expect Maranello to reinvent the wheel. The F80 Aperta retains the monstrous hybrid powertrain of its fixed-roof sibling, marrying a twin-turbocharged V6 internal combustion engine with three high-revving electric motors. Straight-line performance and track capability should remain practically identical.
Unsurprisingly, getting your hands on one will require more than just a healthy bank account; it will require an invitation from the gods of Maranello themselves. While all 799 examples of the hardtop F80 coupe were instantly gobbled up by Ferrari’s inner circle of elite collectors, the F80 Aperta will be even more exclusive. Production is expected to cap out at just 499 units worldwide.
Naturally, that rarity comes with a hefty tax: expect the price tag to leap significantly beyond the coupe’s baseline 3 million euro entry fee. If you are hoping to see one unmasked in dealer showrooms, do not hold your breath just yet.