Ferrari pulled the wraps off its latest special projects masterpiece during the Ferrari Racing Days at Circuit of the Americas in Texas—and it’s a complete reimagining of how a modern Prancing Horse roadster should look.
The HC25 is the latest one-off creation from Maranello’s Special Projects program, and it’s based on something you’d recognize: the F8 Spider’s familiar mid-rear V8 powertrain and chassis. But beyond those mechanical bones, this is an entirely new car. Ferrari’s Design Studio, helmed by Flavio Manzoni, has completely rewritten the visual language, creating what amounts to an alternate reality F8—the car Ferrari’s designers might have built if they’d started from scratch.
The black stripe that changes everything
The defining element is bold and simple: a continuous black band that runs the length of the car, tying front and rear together visually. This isn’t just decoration. It houses the engine cooling intakes and contains an aluminum bar that doubles as the door handle. It’s functional design that also happens to be striking.
The front end is entirely new, with headlights designed specifically for this car. A central indent echoes the split design philosophy of the super-slim rear light clusters—which themselves draw inspiration from Ferrari’s 12Cilindri. Above that sits a vertical LED signature shaped like a boomerang, mounted on the edge of each front fender. It’s a modern take on retro graphic language, and it reappears throughout the car: in the side band, in the headlights, and in the stitching pattern on the seats.
The exterior wears a matte Moonlight Grey, accented with yellow details—Ferrari badges, Brembo brake calipers, and seat graphics all in signature yellow. The forged wheels feature a distinctive five-spoke design with a diamond-cut outer rim and darker inner spokes, looking purposeful rather than decorative.
Still a V8 purist
Mechanically, the HC25 keeps the F8’s 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8, delivering 720 hp and 770 Nm of torque (that’s 185 hp per liter). It’s paired with the dual-clutch seven-speed F1 transmission, and the numbers tell the story: 0-100 km/h in 2.9 seconds, 0-200 km/h in 8.2 seconds, and a 340 km/h top speed. This is a pure thermal engine at a moment when Ferrari is moving toward electrification, making the HC25 a farewell love letter to naturally aspirated ambition—or at least its turbocharged equivalent.
The proportions follow the F8 formula: 4,758 mm long, 2,006 mm wide, 1,183 mm tall. It drinks from a 200-liter tank and carries 200 liters of cargo space. Up front are 245/35 tires on 20-inch wheels; the rear runs meaty 305/35s. Brakes measure 398 mm up front and 360 mm at the rear.
