Up until recently, with models like the Luce and Purosangue, Ferrari's front-engine V12 cars were among its most practical models. But have you ever wanted one that was even more usable? Netherlands-based Niels van Roij Design did, which is why the coachbuilder just revealed a one-off grand tourer called the Daytona Shooting Brake Hommage.
Built to pay homage to the 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Shooting Brake, which was itself a one-off, this new car is based on a model that's been out of production for over a decade: the 599 GTB Fiorano. The original 1972 Daytona Shooting Brake was commissioned by Luigi Chinetti, a three-time LeMans winner and major coachbuilding advocate. Niels van Roji does not mention who ordered the Hommage, or why the car is based on a 599 rather than a newer Ferrari.
Every body panel from the original 599 except for the doors has been ditched to create the Daytona Shooting Brake. It also appears to ride on original 599 wheels. The new car features a lifted roof that flows into a large, remote-controlled butterfly glass shooting brake trunk area. Trunk space looks far larger than a standard 599, and rear visibility appears to be improved thanks to copious amounts of glass. Even the hinges to open the trunk look like works of art.
At the front, the 599's skinny vertical headlights are ditched in favor of horizontal ones that include an amber reflector that harkens back to the Daytona. Since this is no longer a Ferrari, the Prancing Horses have been removed, and the car says "Daytona" at the front.
"Designing the Daytona Shooting Brake Hommage commission was an honorable task and great opportunity. The project was equally ambitious as it was demanding. Rendering the legendary '72 shooting brake into a contemporary piece of car design was complex. We intended to celebrate the classic, but ensured we were not limited by it in our creativity," Niels van Roji said.
The interior hasn't undergone such a dramatic overhaul, but Niels van Roji did go through the trouble of moving the 599's gauges to the center, like a Mini Cooper.
This car appears to have the F1 six-speed automated manual transmission, not the available gated manual. There is no mention of output, but the 599 came with a 6.0-liter V12 producing 610 horsepower. The Daytona Shooting Brake Hommage will make its public debut at the Royal Automobile Club, Woodcote Park in the UK.
Motor1's Take: This is a beautiful tribute to the Ferrari Daytona, complete with a roaring V12 engine and all.
