SHANGHAI: Ferrari will introduce the 458 Italia special edition to mark 20 years in China.
Only 20 units will be made and they are exclusively for the Chinese market.
The car’s livery is characterised by unique Chinese elements and is finished in a brand new colour called Marco Polo Red specially developed for this exclusive car which will be presented at the inauguration of the Ferrari Exhibition at the Shanghai Expo Park’s Italian Centre.
The inspiration behind the livery came from the longma theme, an old Chinese idiom which means “the vigour and spirit of the legendary dragon-horse”.
The dragon is a symbol of Chinese culture, standing for courage, passion and success, whilst Ferrari’s prancing horse logo is one of the most recognised symbols in the world representing Italian cultural identity and its unrivalled achievements in the design and engineering fields.
The 458 Italia is an 8-cylinder mid-rear engined car which has won over 35 awards around the world.
The most eye-catching element of the car’s exterior is the golden dragon on the front bonnet, which is offset by gold and black livery stripes symbolising a racing track.
The bonnet has an image of the dragon and the prancing horse to suggest Chinese culture and Ferrari’s innovative spirit.
The exterior is rounded off with a gold finish to the rims and the aeroelastic winglets.
The interior sports gold embroidery on the car’s head rests, while the engine start button on each of the 20 cars is inscribed with the simplified Chinese characters for ‘start’, and a ‘20th Anniversary Special Edition’ plaque is set into the dash.
This year marks the 20th anniversary for Ferrari in China since the first Ferrari, a 348 TS, was ordered in Beijing.
Ferrari will inaugurate within weeks its first ever permanent brand exhibition outside of Maranello at the Italia Centere of Shanghai World Expo Park.
Covering 900 square metres the Ferrari Exhibition will last for three years and will feature some of the best collections from the Maranello Museum divided into five topics, including Ferrari in China, Green Technology, Product, Design and Racing.
Along with current and past Ferrari models, visitors will see a rich selection of images and videos made especially for this exhibition.