Ferrari J50: Limited-edition targa Christmas surprise

Ferrari has celebrated its 50th anniversary in Japan with a strictly limited edition, highly bespoke Christmas present to its Japanese customers based on the Ferrari 488 Spider.

Just 10 J50s will be available, and, in the spirit of Ferrari's fuori serie tradition, each one will be tailored specifically to the customer's requirements.

A creation of Ferrari's Special Projects department and designed by the Ferrari Styling Centre team in Maranello, the Ferrari J50 is powered by the 488’s 3.9-litre V8 but with power increased to 508kW.

The Marenello team hasn’t held back either, coming up with brand-new bodywork that heralds a radically futuristic design language while including a Targa body style that pays homage to popular models from the 1970s and 1980s.

They’ve also drawn inspiration from the F40 and F50 and added a bold black trim line which rises dramatically from the low-set nose and runs into an air intake behind the doors.

The mid-engined roadster has functional changes design changes over the Ferrari 488 for improved aerodynamics, which included completely redesigning the front bumper, positioning the radiators closer together and lowering the windscreen rake angle to allow more airflow over the airfoil and rear spoiler.

The aggressive rear end features a quad taillight design and rear diffuser with an extractor shape inspired by jet engine afterburners giving it a “more powerful stance” atop bespoke 20-inch rims.

The carbon-fibre hard targa top is divided into two pieces which stow conveniently behind the seats.

The pictured Ferrari J50 presented at the launch at the National Art Centre in Tokyo is finished in a special shade of three-layer red with a red-over-black interior trimmed in fine leather and Alcantara.