Love that design and the two tone as well as colors!
Thanks for your comments everyone. I think overall, got more positive responses than negative. Still debating if I will go through with build. Will keep you posted!
I think from a looks perspective its a "go"; but I wonder how you can handle the structural and resulting safety issues.
A couple of years back, this idea was tossed around by Vandenbrink. I can't seem to copy and past the pictures, but here is the link. http://www.vandenbrinkdesign.com/current-projects/599-gt-convertible I think these designs are as close to heaven as you can get.
I usually just lurk, but had these pics from 2010 that show the idea has been around for a while. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thanks for the images. Yes I have seen these before, I believe they were renditions that came out before the SA Aperta was released. I remember when I finally saw the Aperta, I wasn't that impressed with it. I would rather have the normal GTB. So there are these images but no one has actually fabricated one yet, I suppose.
I guess those are all good thoughts but in the end creating such a car needs a lot more than rendering pictures and to do this with a 599 or a 612, cars who are not fabricated anymore and were never designed as spiders in the first place would be quite difficult and always be a one off. I am not sure if I would feel comfortable to go maximum speed with such a car.... With modern cars like the McLaren, which are produced quite differently it might be much easier to cut the roof off - but then again, if one has the time and funds to really transfer a classic like the 599 into a spider, this would be a real nice achievement. Stefan
A few years back I asked you for your opinions on an idea. I had been working hard for a past few years, and I finally showed it this weekend. Ever since I was a kid, I just loved to draw cars. Especially, the supercars. It has been my true passion from when I was like 3 years old. I put aside that passion, and became a dentist, mostly under the advice from my father. But I always had this dream to become a car designer. For Ferrari. That was my dream. Then somehow, about 10 years ago, a man named Ken Okuyama came to my office just as patient. He is the man who penned the Ferrari Enzo, Ferrari 612, Maserati Quatroporte, and many other Iconic cars. Ken and I became good friends over the years, and he taught me how to draw better, and theories in design. I also went to ArtCenter College of Design Night School. He gave me the courage to try to realize my dream, by creating my own design on an existing Ferrari automobile. We chose the 599 GTB, and I decided, on my own, to create a one off, spyder conversion of the 599 GTB. Fastcars,Ltd, did the body work, and I worked with them in creating my design from my sketches. I did all of the sketches, 3D modeling on the computer on a scan of the car, made the hardboard bucks to guide the aluminum sheetmetal fabrication. and all the minor details in fitting and finishing of the new panels. I could not have asked for a better group of people to work with. Thank you! HRE Performance Wheels produced for me some beautiful wheels, which give the car just the right stance that i had imagined in my sketches. I unveiled the car for the first time at the The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering on Friday, and then Concorso Italiano on Saturday. The response to my project car has been overwhelmingly positive, and I can't believe it! I feel like I have made just a little bit of my dream come true! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Fantastic! Love it. Great story - dream and achieve. Resilience. Congratulations Enviado do meu iPhone usando o Tapatalk
Several years ago Newport Convertible Engineering of Placentia,CA began making a 599 convertible. Their website shows the initial work. I don't know the outcome.
Would love to see the progress photos of the car under construction. You cant go wrong with Craig from Fastcars either. They guy is a true perfectionist and gentleman
Well, I have to say unfortunately, I was the one that started the project with them, but they did not satisfy me in terms of the quality of the work, and in deadline. I was supposed to be at Quail in 2016. They would not have made it, so FastCars bailed me out. But I had to basically redo everything from scratch, due to poor quality. I paid over 2X my original budget for this project. But I think it was all worth it in the end, because we have very good quality finish on this car. It is not a Chopshop mishmash job. Fastcars just won first place in their class at Pebble Beach Concours this weekend, on their restoration of an Alfa Romeo. So they understand quality, and that is what I like about them. So I have to emphasize. FASTCARS IN REDONDO BEACH IS THE CREATOR OF MY CAR. NEWPORT CONVERTIBLE ENGINEERING DID NOT MAKE THIS. They have not worked on any other 599, and have not shown it at Pebble Beach as they say on their website.
Thank you! All of the positive comments I got at the show, and everyone that sees the car, make it really worth all the headaches and pain I had endured on this!
Looks amazing! A great custom. Have you talked about doing a run of a few of those in different configurations and selling them?
Thanks! I think we may have a few orders with Craig already. Contact Fastcars if there is any interest.
Absolutely love it, looks better than an Aperta. The last pic is especially sick... That car should have been produced 10 years ago
I love the idea and the result. Not sure on the wheels but also think that the standard and challenge wheels would look boring on this car. I wonder how the HGTE wheels would look? Maybe too small.. In any case, an amazing story!
