Car Review : Ferrari 599 SA Aperta

Ferrari's highly anticipated SA Aperta (aka the 599 Roadster) has made its public debut at the Paris Motor Show.

Built to celebrate Pininfarina's 80th anniversary, the Aperta is "an authentic roadster" that features a lowered windscreen, a reduced ride height, and two aerodynamic buttresses which are integrated into the roll bar hoops.

Under the hood, a 6.0-liter V12 engine produces 670 PS (493 kW / 661 hp) and 620 Nm (457 lb-ft) of torque. It enables the 1705 kg (3759 lb) roadster to accelerate from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 3.6 seconds, before hitting a top speed of 325 km/h (202 mph).

Production is limited to 80 units and, rumor has it, they have all been spoken for.

After nearly 58 years together, do you think Ferrari management would forget Pininfarina's birthday? Not a chance. To properly wish the bodybuilder-turned-design house well on its 80th anniversary, the folks in Maranello have created a fitting tribute: the Ferrari 599 SA Aperta.

The SA in that awkward name stands for Superamerica, and like the 575M Superamerica that came before it, the new SA Aperta is a version of Ferrari's front-engine, V-12 sports coupe that exposes its occupants to the elements. Unlike the previous Superamerica, however, the SA Aperta does without a fancy flip-around top -- or any top mechanism, for that matter. Aperta is Italian for "open," and apart from a rudimentary soft top that can be deployed if needed, the SA Aperta is designed to be enjoyed en plein air.

The SA Aperta differs from its 599 siblings only above the fenders, where designers reshaped the car's windshield, pillars, and cabin in the process of chopping the top. The rear interior wall and integrated roll bar neatly flow into the elongated rear buttresses, while simultaneously echoing the shape and color of the scalloped sports seats.

Beneath the beltline, the SA Aperta picks and pulls parts from the entire 599 range. The majority of the car's body panels come straight from the 599 GTB Fiorano, although the rocker panels have been massaged to accommodate larger brake cooling ducts. Underhood, the SA Aperta is all 599 GTO. Power comes from its 670-horsepower, 6.7-liter DOHC V-12, which channels its output to the rear wheels via a six-speed automated manual gearbox. It's unknown if the suspension tuning borrows more from the GTB, GTB HGTE, or the GTO, but Ferrari does note it managed to reinforce the Aperta's chassis without adding a significant amount of weight.

Although the Paris Motor Show marks the 599 SA Aperta's first public debut, if you're on Ferrari's short list of preferred clientele, chances are you've already laid eyes on this beauty. It was a poorly kept secret that Ferrari was showing a topless 599 to VIPs this summer at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The privileged preview was a smashing success. Despite the SA Aperta's estimated price tag of roughly $456,000, all 80 examples are already spoken for.