Ferrari creates one-off SP12 for Eric Clapton

Few who have driven it or even clapped their eyes on it would dispute the Ferrari 458 Italia is a sublime car... so why on earth would you want to change anything about it?

Answer: your name is Eric Clapton, and you have vast sums of money that enable you to do whatever the heck you want.

The result is the one-off vehicle pictured alongside, allegedly dubbed the SP12, which started off as a 458, but has ended up as a tribute to the 1970s Ferrari 512 Berlinetta Boxer – right down to its alleged V12 powertrain, which replaces the donor car’s 4.5-litre V8.

The car is the handiwork of Ferrari’s Special Projects Program, which in the past has created one-offs for other well-heeled customers, including a rebodied Enzo for renowned collector James Glickenhaus and the P540 Superfast Aperta based on the 599 FTB Fiorano platform.

The SP12 was unveiled earlier this week at prestigious London Ferrari dealership HR Owen, where these pics were snapped, and its SP12 EPC number plate spells out its own identity (Special Projects 12), as well as that of its owner (Eric Patrick Clapton).

According to reports, Clapton himself was on hand for the reveal of the car, about which little is known at this stage. However, the dealership’s own Twitter account retweeted a post identifying the car as a V12, so at least that much appears clear.

What we don’t know is whether the V12 in question was sourced from the 599, the FF or the new F12.

We can at least pass some comment on the styling, which seems quite a successful modern-day take on the lines of the iconic 512 BB, which used flat-12 power to combat the more radically designed Lamborghini Countach back in the day.

The SP12 faithfully retains many of the Boxer’s design elements, including the flying buttresses, blacked-out rear section, triple exhausts and gracefully sculpted front end with its prominent grille section.

Winner or dunger? Let the debate begin…

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