Ferrari Superamerica: First Look

By Feann Torr - 25/11/2004

To be publicly shown at the Los Angeles and Detroit Motor Shows for the first time in January 2005, the Ferrari Superamerica will be the "world's fastest convertible" according to the Prancing Horse PR spiel.

The new Ferrari Superamerica, of which the name was also used in 1957 as the Ferrari 410 Superamerica, is based on the current 575M Maranello, which packs an incredibly potent 5.7-litre V12 with 7500rpm redline.

The biggest difference between the 575M Maranello coupe and the new Ferrari Superamerica is the roof, which can be opened at the touch of a button.

Forget cloth fabric - the new Superamerica makes use of a rather tricky new folding roof system that uses expensive electrochromic glass.

And even with the roof folded down behind the driver, the new Superamerica looks very desirable and stylish, retaining much of the Maranello's good looks.

The fact that the car measures 4550mm in length and is just 1277mm tall gives the car a supremely long and low stance, a must for exotic cars, and particularly those who plan on surpassing 300km/h.

Of high importance to many convertible aficionados is the time it takes the roof to fold down, and the Fioravanti-patented rotating roof concept allows the driver to electrically drop the top in 10 seconds flat, which is very efficient.

On top of its rapid folding roof speed, the car's straight line speed is also impressively quick for a drop top - Ferrari claims it is the world's fastest convertible berlinetta with a 320km/h top speed.

Ferrari teamed up with Pininfarina to design the new convertible Maranello, and as a result the folding roof mechanism integrates seamlessly without taking away any of the car's previous charm, and is of course constructed of highly expensive materials. This is one drop top you don't want to prang.

Made from a combination of carbon fibre and electrochromic glass, the Superamerica's unusual electric roof has been dubbed 'Revocromico', which alludes to the the unique pairing of its rearward rotation movement and electrochromic technology. You see one of these bizarre roofs flipping, and your life will be changed forever.

The innovative Revocromico roof system has a carbon fibre structure as mentioned above and the boot capacity remains unchanged whether the roof is open or closed too, thanks to Pinifarina's perfectionism.

As well, the glass rear window acts as a wind deflector when the roof is open.

In relation to the use of electrochromic glass, this basically means that the driver can control the level of light entering the cockpit - kind of like those spectacles you can buy that automatically change their tint levels as you walk from shade to full light.

Instead of reacting to ambient levels of light however, the glass in the new Superamerica is controlled electrically, and there are five tint levels in total.

Ferrari reckons that the glass will go from dark to light in under a minute, and the five shade tint levels are push-button operated.

While the trendy new glass system and rapid-fire inverting roof are very brag-worthy features in their own right, let's not forget the kind of power the Superamerica transmits to its oversized rear wheels.

Powered by a 5748cc, or 5.7-litre V12, the Superamerica makes use of either a 6-speed manual or F1-style gearbox to ensure the engine's grunt is put to good use.

On the topic of grunt, the big red sports car generates 397kW or 540hp @ 7250rpm, which eclipses the tin-topped 575M Maranello's peak power by 18 kilowatts, as the older Prancing Horse churns out 379kW. Whether this means the Superamerica is faster than the Maranello to 100km/h (4.2 seconds) is at this stage not known.

The newer 65° V12 DOHC engine in the eye-catching, glass-roofed Ferrari makes a maximum of 589Nm of torque @ 5250rpm, which is the same as the Maranello and, like its donor car, the Superamerica can be optioned with the GTC handling package, which adds a number of track-oriented goodies including carbon ceramic brakes, perfect for flat-spotting your Pirelli's.

So, with Ferrari laying claim to the world's fastest drop top, will it be challenged by the likes of Porsche, Lamborghini and even Aston Martin? 320km/h is rather quick, but even if it is challenged, Ferrari's new Superamerica has still got that very sophisticated 'Revocromico' roof mechanism that makes good use of the rear deck, fitting snugly in the moulded recess.