Retro-Influenced BR20 Is Ferrari’s Latest One-Off Special

Ferrari has revealed its latest Special Projects creation, and like many of its predecessors, the BR20 is based on a modern car but references heroes from Maranello’s past.

In this case the donor model is the GTC4 Lusso, the V12-powered four-seater with the bread-van back end that recently went out of production. But for the BR20, Ferrari’s design team replaced that frumpy shooting-brake rear with a sleek fastback tail inspired by cars like the 410 Superamerica and 500 Superfast, hugely powerful GTs Ferrari built in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Unlike the one-off SP12 EC commissioned by Eric Clapton, a 458 restyled to look like a classic Berlinetta Boxer he once owned, the BR20’s retro influences are much more subtle. It could easily pass for a new modern Ferrari production model, and some might wish it was: this is arguably the best looking front-engined Ferrari since the Daytona.

Compared to the stock GTC4Lusso, the BR20 features smaller headlamps that don’t extend as far up the fenders, a wide air intake and slim DRLs that play down the Lusso’s demented grin. And the unusual design of the sills, which blend into the chrome fender insert below the Ferrari shield, gives the entire car an unusually organic look when viewed from the side.

But the big changes are at the other end, where the new sloping tail echoes the silhouette of Ferrari’s early GTs, while also referencing more recent machines like the 599 GTB with its flying buttresses. And if you’re not a fan of the squared lights fitted to new Ferraris like the 296 GTB and SF90, you’ll probably love the classically styled circular lamps fitted to the BR20. Finishing off the design is a set of 20-inch wheels created specifically for this project.

The interior of the BR20 initially appears to have received few changes beyond some elegant dark leather trim. But a glance rearward reveals the rear seats have gone, replaced by an elegant luggage area that’s semi-open to the trunk space and is beautifully finished in leather, wood and carbon fiber. It sounds like a terrible combo, but it really works. There is no mention of mechanical changes so we presume this one-off retains the same naturally aspirated 681-hp V12 and all-wheel drive hardware as the standard GTC4Lusso.

Ferrari hasn’t disclosed who commissioned the car, or what the “BR” in the name stands for, though you might speculate that the letters could be the initials of the “longstanding client” that was apparently fully involved in the design process for their very special car.

And speaking of special Ferraris, this isn’t the only one we’re expecting to see this month. We’re also waiting to get a look at the latest limited production Ferrari Icona model, a more overtly retro car believed to be based on the LaFerrari Aperta Spyder and styled to resemble the classic 330 P4 endurance racer from the 1960s.