The latest one-off customer creation from Ferrari Special Projects has been revealed, and it’s elegant on the outside, and extreme on the inside. Called the Ferrari KC23, this track car is really a custom-bodied 488 GT3. And it’s one heck of a custom body.
Nothing on the outside of the KC23 is shared with the 488 GT3 race car. The focus was to create something clean and beautiful to behold when on display, but fully functional for track duty. Ferrari goes so far as to say that it’s a “vision of what the closed wheel racing of the future may look like,” which is a bit ironic considering it’s built on a car introduced in 2016 and set to 2020 specifications. But we won’t quibble with the results, what with its graceful curves, seamless-looking glass and slender lights and vents.
A big part of what keeps the car looking so clean are active aero tricks. The most dramatic are the covers over the rear engine intakes that slide open. Panels over the vents behind the front wheels also open up to generate extra downforce. Reducing drag and taking up less visual space are stalks for cameras to replace the side mirrors. There are also parts to be removed and/or installed between display and track modes. There’s a set of display wheels with 21-inch front and 22-inch rear pieces, and a set of 18-inch track wheels. And there’s a huge rear wing that can be installed for track use.
Opening the single-hinge butterfly doors will reveal an interior that’s pretty much the same as a 488 GT3. It does have unique Alcantara seats with the KC23 logo in them, and apparently there were some minor tweaks to the passenger-side dash and door panel. But otherwise, it’s all race car inside.
And as we mentioned earlier, the powertrain and chassis of the KC23 are the same as a 488 GT3 Evo 2020. That means it gets a twin-turbocharged 3.9-liter V8. Output varies on the race cars varies due to regulations and balance of performance changes. Presumably the KC23’s owner could have it set to whatever they like, since the car isn’t legal for any series, but Ferrari didn’t give any specific numbers.
The KC23 will make its public debut this week at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. And after that, it will be on display at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello from Aug. 1 to Oct. 2.
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