New CZ26 special reinvents the PHEV supercar with cues inspired by ’70s industrial design
Ferrari has reinvented the SF90 as the supercar of the future – and it could provide a hint at the brand’s next styling direction.
The new CZ26 represents a total transformation of the brand’s previous plug-in-hybrid flagship, which has since been replaced by the 849 Testarossa. The new look was penned by Ferrari’s design boss Flavio Manzoni, working with a special client based in the US.
It is said to have a “technological” design with a “forward-looking vision”, suggesting it may serve as a testbed for ideas being considered for the next generation of Ferrari supercars.
Most notably, its front end is a near total departure from that of the SF90 on which it was based, replacing its C-shaped lighting signatures with thin LEDs set into a gloss-black panel that runs across the width of the front end. The treatment is also reminiscent of the Luce, though it remains to be seen whether that car – designed by Sir Jony Ive and Mark Newsom – will have a greater influence on mainstream Ferraris in the years to come.
Ferrari said the new look draws on Italian industrial designers of the 1970s, with a cleaner, more minimalist aesthetic. It also boosts downforce, thanks to new ducts in the front end, a redesigned rear diffuser and a more prominent rear spoiler.
The CZ26 is the latest in a run of one-offs built for Ferrari’s most special clients, following the SC40 and HC25. The firm does not disclose prices for these models, but given their exclusivity, they are likely to run into the millions.
The CZ26 is making its debut as part of Monterey Car Week in the US, a hotbed for rare and high-value cars.
