Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera turns 100 this year, and it has quite the history. The Italian coachbuilder has created limited-run models for private owners, as well as concepts and production cars for famous automakers such as the Aston Martin DB5 and Lamborghini’s first-ever car, the 350 GT. Most recently, Touring Superleggera has been creating unique takes on various late-model sports and luxury cars, and its latest is an ambitious piece of design based on the Ferrari 550 Maranello.
Superleggera Veloce12 Aperta from the rear three-quarter angleCarrozzeria Touring Superleggera
It’s Targa Time
Two years ago, Touring Superleggera revealed a redesigned and restomodded version of the Ferrari 550 coupe called the Veloce12 Coupe, which it followed up the next year with the drop-top Barchetta version. This year, it has combined the features of these two with the targa-roof Veloce12 Aperta. Whereas the coupe and convertible could reuse the factory Ferrari roof parts, the Aperta’s roofline is fully custom. It has a distinct “arch,” as Superleggera calls it, right behind the side windows, allowing for an easily removed section between it and the windshield. Superleggera further fitted an enormous bubble of a rear window not unlike what you’ll find on the 911 Targa. The arch also stands out with its bare aluminum finish, a clear nod toward targa cars of the 1970s.
Superleggera Veloce12 Aperta from the front three-quarter angleCarrozzeria Touring Superleggera
The rest of the body is quite different from the original Ferrari, too, and matches the design of the other Veloce12 models. All the panels are restyled and made of carbon fiber, and the car sits on unique 19-inch wheels with 255-mm wide front tires and 305-mm wide rear tires. Superleggera also fits new LED headlights and taillights as a modern touch. The interior is much closer to what Ferrari used, but it still has custom touches with new upholstery, leather-covered panels, and more aluminum trim. The centerpiece of the interior is, of course, the gated six-speed manual that came with the car originally.
Superleggera Veloce12 Aperta interior showing the dashboardCarrozzeria Touring Superleggera
Superleggera Doesn’t Stop With Styling
While the coachbuilder didn’t go into detail about mechanical upgrades, we can assume they’re the same as in the other Veloce12 models. The 5.5-liter V12 is rebuilt and lightly upgraded to bring horsepower up to 503 and torque up to 561 pound-feet. Superleggera quotes a 0-62 mph time of 4.4 seconds, the same as the coupe and convertible. The top speed is slightly lower than the coupe at 180 mph, compared to 199. For cornering and stopping, the Veloce12 Aperta has Brembo brakes with six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear calipers, adjustable shocks, and a reinforced chassis.
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As for pricing and availability, Superleggera didn’t give any specifics. We know it will be rare and expensive, though, based on the coupe. That car had a price higher than $750,000, and production was capped at 30 examples. The Aperta will certainly have a similar, maybe even higher, price, and similarly low production numbers.
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CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
The fact that Superleggera is on its third iteration of its Ferrari 550 restomod line shows that there’s clearly still plenty of demand for updated exotic sports cars. That’s good news for the company, and for fans of gorgeous cars from a storied company. What’s also interesting is that Superleggera revealed this car at the end of June. The last two versions were revealed during Monterey Car Week along with The Quail and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance shows. Considering the coachbuilder is turning 100 this year, we could see it revealing something extra special during that week, now that the Aperta is out.
