The new Pininfarina
concept car could only be called Sergio. It is an exercise that
Pininfarina decided to undertake on a brand that more than any other
has marked the history of Pininfarina: Ferrari. The name of Sergio
Pininfarina is inextricably linked to that union conceived 60 years
ago: the Sergio, therefore, will also celebrate the importance of
Pininfarina�s contribution to the history of Prancing Horse design.
A tribute that was immediately morally supported by Luca Montezemolo
and Ferrari as a whole.
The two-seater barchetta of the
future
With the Sergio you
enter the fascinating and exciting realm of the two-seater barchetta
as a unique and extreme object. Sportsmanship in the truest sense of
the joy of driving, the passion of those who view cars as an
unequalled source of excitement, the pleasure of admiring the
essentiality of a one-off car by Pininfarina.
The sports car theme is
built into Pininfarina: the fruitful collaboration with Ferrari
which began in 1952, has generated some of the most popular sports
cars of the postwar period. Returning to the charm of the two-seater
Ferrari, compact and very sporty, is moreover, the perfect base for
bonding Pininfarina�s past to the future. The Sergio�s mechanicals
are those of the 458 Spider, which remains unchanged in its
wheelbase and tracks. The formal interpretation, from which the
dynamic, fluid and pure volumes spring, is absolutely free, in the
best tradition of that Pininfarina design vision that has produced
so many Ferrari-based concept cars recognised over time as
masterpieces, such as the Mythos of 1989 and the Rossa of 2000. This
approach also reminds us of Pininfarina�s Ferrari-based custom-built
cars such as the Testarossa Spider made for Giovanni Agnelli in 1987
or the Ferrari F360 Modena Barchetta in 2000 for Luca Montezemolo.
The result is a modern,
organic view of the mid-rear-engined two-seater barchetta. The
willingness to revisit volumes and surface treatments in a
subliminal way emerges with the Sergio, which evokes the spirit of
Pininfarina�s best achievements for Ferrari of the �60s and �70s. A
radical object, unique and essential, which rejects the superfluous
and is performance-oriented. A real open air car with an explicit
nod to racing cars, in the sense that a cupola is not fitted to
protect occupants, for which two helmets are provided.
A realistic indeed quite possible
concept
The modern
interpretation of a barchetta is a choice consistent with one of the
historical peculiarities of Pininfarina: mastery in the crafting of
exceptional car bodies, capable of stirring emotions and becoming a
future icon. The historical role of car body designers directed the
design team towards research not on a new, hypothetical product for
volume production, but on the creation of an exceptional object
capable of expressing the Pininfarina DNA imprint; its exclusivity
and development on the basis of a production car, in fact, places
the Sergio firmly in the tradition of the great Pininfarina one-offs
specifically designed for �special� clients, which makes it a real
car, not just a show car.
The design theme
The Sergio is
distinguished by a very simple and clear style, that becomes
memorable the moment you look at it. Proportions pushed to the
extreme, a dynamic front volume penetrating into a rear that is
projected forward, a sculpted, three-dimensional interpretation of
the typical barchetta. The composition of the two body masses
through a longitudinal black insert becomes the design�s guideline.
Two volumes that enfold from outside to inside the car, creating a
division/union line between back and front. Through the extremely
fluid passage from one body to another, a form that was homogeneous
in its accentuated muscularity was obtained.
The Sergio also
expresses an iconicity linked to �60s Ferraris proposing bulging and
sensual wings inspired by those of sports cars and racing cars of
that era, achieved by compacting all volume accessories as much as
possible. The extreme lightness of the Sergio, which appears to
float with the front up, is a direct result of aerodynamic research.
In the purest Pininfarina tradition, design is not an end in itself,
but integrates functionality and aesthetics. The front semi-floating
development with the spoiler under the front, expresses aesthetic
force and is at the same time functional for the stabilisation of
the aerodynamic load and the heat exchange. The aerodynamic
deflector in front of the cockpit also creates a virtual windscreen
through the deviation of the air flow, protecting the passengers
from turbulence. The roll bar, designed as a wing surface, is
perfectly tuned to the evolution of the flow coming from the front,
adding a further down force effect. Finally, the rear nolder and the
extractor close the design effectively and functionally. Still on
the subject of aerodynamics, even the rear-view mirror takes on a
fluid form that, given the flow of the front baffle, helps to divert
air from the heads of the passengers.
To enhance the formal
purity of the Pininfarina style criterion, all the technical parts
of the Sergio (handles, fins, air intake holes) are concentrated in
dark parts of the body, leaving the red painted parts free.
The side
The formal harmony of
the side view is a strong feature of the Sergio, renewing the common
aesthetic denominator of many Ferraris by Pininfarina. In the
tradition of barchetta sports cars, the Sergio has no conventional
doors but half doors with vertical rotation opening for easy access
and contemporarily safeguarding the maximum rigidity of the
structure on the side, as in racing cars. The three-quarter front
view highlights the theme of the connections between floors and
different trends providing a feeling of processed continuity.
The front
On the front, the Sergio
takes up and develops the Pininfarina�s traditional integration of
the headlights by projecting it into the future in a single
transparent transversal element, as in the Dino Berlinetta Speciale
1965. Adapted to the size and technology of our own times, this
element becomes an identifying mark, resulting in extremely clean
lines. In particular, the cylindrical projectors in aluminium use
LED technology and are embedded in a crystalline block of Plexiglas
that diffuses light.
The rear
The rear lights reinterpret the circular themes of Pininfarina-Ferrari history transforming them into open functional elements whose forms contemporaneously provide the lighting function and the hot exhaust air coming out of the oil coolers.
The rear bonnet borrows the iconic round graphic holes of other historical Pininfarina achievements and the same treatment is applied to the transom to facilitate cooling of the engine compartment and represents in the best possible way the absolute perfection and timelessness inherent in Pininfarina DNA.
The interiorThe rear
The rear lights reinterpret the circular themes of Pininfarina-Ferrari history transforming them into open functional elements whose forms contemporaneously provide the lighting function and the hot exhaust air coming out of the oil coolers.
The rear bonnet borrows the iconic round graphic holes of other historical Pininfarina achievements and the same treatment is applied to the transom to facilitate cooling of the engine compartment and represents in the best possible way the absolute perfection and timelessness inherent in Pininfarina DNA.
Since this is a
realistic car that could easily be produced in limited series, the
Sergio opted for the mechanicals of a completely re-bodied Ferrari
458 spider, maintaining the original technology and its performance.
For this reason, the interiors take all the functional parts of
existing series (dashboard, seat structure, centre console and
steering wheel). The interior is essential and functional and
develops as a natural extension of the external surfaces: the black
exterior slips into the car and creates the tank where the standard
technical components are integrated. Even the engine bonnet descends
inside, wrapping round the rear part of seats. The door panels
integrate the functions of the handle and armrest and are designed
as floating elements separate from the tank.
One innovative element
consists of the floating, aerodynamic headrest connected to the roll
bar rather than to the body of the seats, almost becoming elements
of the exterior than the interior. Besides ensuring maximum purity
of the lines, this solution also acts as head fairing in the rear.
In front of the door
panel, two helmets are housed in a small recess of the channel. Made
to a specific design of Pininfarina Extra in collaboration with
Newmax, the Sergio helmets are personalised with the colour of the
car body.
Colour and trim
The upholstery is mostly
covered with light gray antique-effect leather bound to seats in a
weaving technology textile with bronze details. These finishes match
the original titanium colour of the standard technical parts. The
fabrics on the seats are complemented by the insertion of metal
studs that recall the details of the exterior design theme.
The exterior crimson
colour, was inspired by the original red of the Dino Berlinetta
Speciale, very intense and deep, developing a modern version
including metallic particles and a multi-layer depth effect.
The rims represent a
contrasting element compared to the rest of the car. The delicate
surface of the body is contrasted with technological forms based on
the quest for light weight and performance. The gilded finish is an
obvious reference to the racing berlinettas of the Sixties and
Seventies, even if the treatment is up to date and the surfaces of
the spokes are in hand-brushed aluminium.
