My DREAM is HERE! First Drive in New FERRARI DAYTONA SP3

There are good days, there are great days, and then there are the even better days when I get to drive a Ferrari Daytona SP3. Today you are going to join me for this first drive experience in the IKONA Series Limited Edition Italian Hypercar. We're here at the Selected Car Collection in Denmark where I've taken a look around at some of the extraordinary cars that are here, but today is about this one. About a car I've previously filmed when it was introduced at Mugello in Italy at Ferrari Finale Mondiale. I've also been to the Atelier in Maranello and actually put together my dream specification for one of these in collaboration with the LEGO Technic Ferrari Daytona SP3. And then at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, I got to hop into the passenger seat for a run up the famous hill climb. Today it's time to switch seats and see what it's like behind the wheel. The expectations for this are sky high. I mean it's Ferrari's newest hypercar, the IKONA Series, the second model after the Monza, featuring a naturally aspirated V12, an open top, carbon tubbed, styled car reminiscent of the Ferrari race cars of the 60s. And there are so many little design cues I want to show you, like what's going on with the eyelids on the headlights, what's it like inside the engine bay. So we're going to take a bit of a look around this here at Selected Car Group before we're going to have the roar of that V12 with the sun out outside to go and enjoy and hear and feel what it's all about. This particular example of the SP3, finished in Rosso Portofino over the Livreia Bianco Avis, the white painted stripe, and the Blue Electrico Alcantara inside, is everything that you want a Daytona SP3 to be. But that's only part of the story. We should have a quick overview of the car, then it's going to be time, like I said, for a cold start to pull it outside into the Danish sunshine and go and experience what this is like. Hi guys, I'm Shmee, hello and welcome back to the channel, where today is my first drive in the Ferrari Daytona SP3. I make no secret, this is a big one. A very big, very exciting moment to drive the Icona Series hypercar. Now there are going to be about five different models of the Icona Series, but this is really a throwback to the 1960s sports prototypes, the 330 P3 and P4, and there are so many of those design cues all around it, because back in 67, at the 24 Hours of Daytona, Ferrari dominated the podium 1, 2 and 3, taking all of the different steps. This car, however, combines a naturally aspirated V12, mid-engined, an open-top driving experience and a carbon-fibre monocoque. It's everything on paper that I should absolutely love to drive. Now, I've had some amazing experiences in its predecessor in the series, the Monzas, the SP1 and SP2. Those are, of course, the single-seat and two-seat, and one of those was with my friend Powerslide Lover, driving in his SP2, following him driving in his LaFerrari Aparta. Now I mention that because, in many ways, this is familiar to the LaFerrari Aparta, but without the hybrid powertrain, taking away the battery and electric motors, saving some weight. But what does that mean? Because it also changes the throttle response, the style of driving, the feel of the car, and today is going to be a discovery of that. When you look at the bodywork and the shapes, the sculpted lines, the way the body tucks in around the middle, but even up towards the front, and to pick out some of these cues here, for example, look at the way it's designed inside here, around the corners of the front bumper, sitting beneath these carbon-fibre bumperettes, as they're called, around the nose. All of these details are actually fairly familiar from those cars of the 60s. Moving to what's under the skin, housed in the front, and also taking a look at the engine. But firstly, check out the interior and the way that the alcantara for the seats is cloaked over the carbon-fibre monocoque, but we will go through everything there in a second. To open the doors, which of course it's keyless, key in my pocket, the handles are actually tucked in down here. Press of those, open this up, and then the button for the front is just on the inside of the door panel, because inside here, not only do we have the lovely Danish nod with the colour scheme, but we also have a lot of carbon-fibre, and this pouch, which I want to show you, because inside this is where you have the removable Targa roof panel that's supplied with the car. So carbon-fibre and fabric soft top that you can pop on if you want to drive it on a bad day, although for today, that's going to be staying well and truly inside here. We also have the toolkit, so Ferrari always present the things that you would like to have, a little bit traditional that you have inside there, plus the personalisation specifications plaque with all the details as they always do, and the factory options that were ordered on that particular car. Now I'll close this back down, make sure that's latched into place, to come and show you the rear. This entire rear clamshell opens from a lever just down here, and that of course reveals, inside here, the 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12, 840 horsepower, 697 Newton-metres of torque, dual-clutch gearbox, all to the rear wheels, and an epic, epic soundtrack that we're about to be hearing plenty of. Of course, positioned in front of the rear axle, it is a mid-engine configuration, and it is an enormous, enormous boot lid, this. The way you've got airflow being managed, this is open, bringing the airflow out. Down below, always interesting to be able to take a look at, different parts of it, where the cavalino here is floating over these full horizontal blades that wrap around the entire width of the rear of the car, again reminiscent of the 60s. Above those sits the carbon fibre bumperette, and then above that, you have the full-width taillight bar that runs all the way around. There's a lot of exposed carbon fibre back here, and the way the bumper comes around and wraps into the wheel arch surround, housing a 21-inch rear wheel. Up front is a 20-inch wheel sitting just in front of the airbrushed Scuderia Ferrari shields painted onto the door panels. Now, when you look at the bodywork itself, it's very simple, no dramatic fixed rear wing. All of the aerodynamic elements are very discreetly integrated into the body panels, and the best example of those is actually right here, by the vent that comes through. In fact, let me just come and show you this, how that intake duct works. If you look at this, it goes literally all the way through the door and into the channel here for the cooling of the engine towards the radiators. One thing to note, you have wing mirrors. They are mounted out on the wings, not just door mirrors. That'll be interesting to drive with very shortly, but even up front, it's the same story. The aero and design is all very simple, it's all integrated. Of course, there's a lot of openings here for cooling at the front of the car as well, and a very sporty, aggressive design. These horizontal lines running all the way across, which give it that sporty presence and look. Now, I do also want to show you how these work. Technically, these are called the upper mobile panel. I think to you and I, they are basically eyelids, but effectively, when you turn on the lights, these slide up into the bodywork. So, to demonstrate that, firstly, I'm going to show you the key that I have in my pocket right here, the secondary key in grey. The primary one is usually yellow, but with the badge for the Daytona SP3. And when I step into this car, which feels pretty special, I'm not going to lie, and slide in here, I can turn on the ignition, wake it up, and then at the press of the button just here, take a look at the eyelids opening up. Fun little feature, detail that this car has that you can open and close. And when you turn it off, of course, they close back up again as well. So, I guess in a second, it's going to be time to start it. But first, let me step in with the camera. Come and take a better look inside here then. Carbon fibre monocoque, similar style and design to the LaFerrari and the LaFerrari Aperta, of course. Again, with the seats completely fixed in place. So, you have a seat in here, carbon-backed seat, but it can't be adjusted. It's fixed here with the headrest as well. And the design of these is really smart, especially with the contrast embroidery. You've got lots of carbon fibre, Daytona SP3 Limited Edition, a bit of a wind deflector mounted right behind. And you can see the brackets here up on the top for the installation of the roof. One thing I will point out is that the entryway is actually quite narrow because of this wraparound windscreen design. The fact that you have the single piece of glass around the front with the side triangular pieces, almost cutting into the opening, but giving it that style and presumably a not too blustery feel inside the cabin. So, to adjust the pedal box down here, you have this piece right here between your legs. You pull that up, you've got a lever down at the bottom, give it a pull and effectively that slides forwards or you use your feet to push it away from you. In the centre is where you have your key pouch, you have your dual-clutch gearbox controls there as well, the familiar H-pad style design. But I am going to slide in here. It is very low to the ground and as I mentioned, a very narrow entryway, but this is the Daytona SP3. Lots of carbon fibre, very small cabin inside here. I like the way this is all floating over the dashboard. If we just hit the button here to wake it up for a second, you've got your light controls, your air conditioning controls, some storage pad areas. But yes, it's a special feel. The door grab pull finished in the same blue Alcantara. This is where you've got the door release button, you've got your front storage compartment and your fuel filler cap. But let's close this down, press the magic button. This is it, at the wheel of the Ferrari Daytona SP3. And I tell you what, we're just driving initially in Sport and Automatic and I've just said the name of the brand from Maranello, cancel The voice recognition kicks in instantly in all of these cars and I should know better after all of the miles I've driven with my own. But the first sensation in here is that the mirrors are a long way out to the sides. There is a lot of car to the left of me. I look at the front left mirror through this triangular window, the right side is out through the main windscreen. Of course we're in seventh gear at 50 odd kilometres an hour and it's near on silent, but we'll have plenty of V12 in a moment. There's a very small opening over my head, but I'm actually surprised by how blustery it is. I'm also surprised by how many stones you hear pinging up off the carbon fibre. There is a whole lot of sound and noise that just makes you wince ever so slightly. Let's go into race and manual just for the moment because I want to just enjoy the engine. A very, very big part of this for me is that 12-cylinder soundtrack. A sound that's very familiar from all of the miles I've done in Maipura Sangue, but also in different LaFerraris, 812 Superfast, 812 GTS, 812 Competizioni, 812 Competizioni A. Listen to this. Not even 4,000 rpm and it's an absolute symphony. It feels so right instantly. There's a lot of blusteriness overhead, just like the 812 GTS. It feels almost like it catches on the headrest behind you. That's interesting because the Roma Spider, as I drove recently, actually does a remarkable job of being very calm in the cabin. It is quite a windy day here today, but thankfully the sun is out right now and this feels like absolute perfection. What a heavenly opportunity to drive this as we're going to head out of town, go find somewhere nice to enjoy it. Indicator controls on the steering wheel, which I'm fully used to, but if you're not, do take some adjusting. Things like the mirrors are actually adjusted in the computer software, which takes a little bit of time just to find and get comfortable with as well. The gear shifts are instant. It just happens. The view, because of the way the body is shaped, the arches behind, just stick out a mile to the sides. Oh, this is cool. This reminds me of driving the Laferrari Aparta. Of course, at slower speeds, you're not going to feel that difference without the electric system, of not being a hybrid, of being purely a combustion engine, but how long are we going to have a naturally aspirated 12-cylinder engine with no electrical support available in a car? Ferrari are the only ones, I think, still managing to pull it off due to low production runs and due to being their own independent company. So unlike Lamborghini, for example, who are part of the Audi and Volkswagen group and therefore subject to different rules. But as long as they can, I'm all for it. I am fully down for as much of this as we continue to enjoy for as long as we possibly can. The downshifts have a ferocity to them that only Ferrari really achieve like that. It's quite busy out on the roads today here, but we'll do what we can. Oh, it's already good. It's so good. The road opens up and long live the Ferrari V12. What a fabulous sound. And then the downshifts, they're so sharp. It's just instant. And I tell you what, the car is welcoming. Like so many of these cars from Maranello, you jump in and you can feel very at home very quickly. They're pinpoint sharp as we go through the corners here, obviously with lots of sounds of stones off the carbon fibre monocoque. But you instantly feel like you know what's going on. For sure, there's a small adaptation to the controls and things. I'm lucky that I'm familiar with all of that from my own cars and the other cars I've driven, and a slightly different setup of the fixed seats literally in the top. But look at this as we meander up through the trees with that soundtrack in the background. It's just to die for. The engine mounted and bolted right behind you. The noise and screams and wails of the engine. It goes all the way up to 9,500 rpm. It's totally ludicrous. Evolution of the engine from the other models, the most powerful derivative of this power plant. It's really the downshifts. It's always been the Ferrari V12 downshifts for me that are the most exciting thing. I'm actually going to turn around because I need to drive that road again. But this is where steering is light and easy. It feels like a very different car to the one that you open up on that road. We've got a little bump here, so I'll just use the lift system to protect the front splitter just in case we might catch it. Pop that back down, of course, it would automatically go down as well. The road is back opened up. You just let the car do the torquing. It sounds phenomenal. But like I was saying, it's easy to get to grips with. Perhaps there's a little delay on the brake pedal. You're waiting for something to happen. You need to be a bit firmer with the pedal, give it that extra push. But ultimately, Ferrari built these cars, remember, as road cars. And that's something I quite like about this. The ride is not unduly firm and uncomfortable. It's built to be a car to drive on these kinds of roads to go and have some fun with. Drive through Tuscany or somewhere in the Italian countryside or come out here or wherever in the world you might be. Of course, the 599 of these distributed pretty much across the entire globe. Just as we get a little bit more familiar and accustomed with it, this is totally awesome. Very tight steering ratio, small inputs required. And the crazy thing is you don't even need to go especially fast to have an amazing time. And at these kinds of speeds, I have to be honest, you can't immediately tell the difference by not having the electric motors, the additional early torque. I'm just conscious of the very low front end. So lift up the front splitter, make this tight corner and head this way. Drop it back down. Every acceleration from a junction is special. It's just a moment to celebrate. That's what this is. It's a celebration of the Daytona success in 1967. It's a celebration of Ferrari road cars. It's an Icona. It's an iconic car reborn. Their own, I want to say almost resto mod, but not quite because it's not literally an old car. This is amazing. And that is a special place in front of us. What a property. As we head around through the trees. Nice thumbs up from the cyclist. The color of the arches when we come out into the sunshine as well. Gosh, it's quick. You can't give it 100% easily. Of course, a lighter than the LaFerrari in many ways without the electronics, but actually with the addition cancel with the addition of extra safety features and things changing with time going by, of course, a little bit more weight comes back into it from that as well. Just that pickup, I've got to say, well, we come to just pull over for a second by the lake. What a thing. I know the styling is in some ways Marmite. Some people absolutely love it. Some people question this retro throwback style, but to me, it's so different. And I truly appreciate how Ferrari have these different series of cars. You know, you have the upcoming true successors of the LaFerrari, the ultimate in, let's say, track performance in a road car. And then you also have these cars, which are about evoking emotion. You know, they're about this connection to the past, about design, about the engine, about the noise. The fact that the one brand can have a naturally aspirated V12 in this and likely I'm assuming a hybridized V6 twin turbocharged in the other hypercar that will be in the lineup. It's amazing to have those different options, different experiences, different mindsets behind it. And you look at it parked here. I mean, it's just spectacular. It's such a beautiful car and you've got to appreciate it. You just have to appreciate it. And I have to appreciate the opportunity to be here today and to be driving it because what an experience, what a place to be. Back on the road and the car is shaking out some of the stones that it's picked up in the wheels and the arches and all over. And I tell you what, that noise is very disconcerting. You just kind of have to accept that there's paint protection film there and it's going to be okay. It's a car. It's built to drive and to drive it is just the best. It's what this thing is for. And I really like, as I said earlier, that Ferrari make these to be road cars primarily. You do have a bumpy road mode. You've got the button on the steering wheel, the manatino, that you can press and soften it up even further should you wish. Although I'm not going to pretend that in the normal setting, I felt that it's particularly rough or uncomfortable. So I'm quite happy to keep it in race as it is, to be honest. Of course, there's no e-manatino here like you have on the SF90 and the 296 and the hybrid Ferraris because there's no battery pack in that way. Just the standard 12 volt that you have for the starter and your auxiliary electronics and all of those types of things. It just drives along so beautifully and you feel so cool inside it, as you'd probably expect. The steering is really nicely weighted. It's really nice in terms of the amount of turning input and the ease of driving. Back on the power, the fixed shift paddles on the column, the extended carbon fibre paddles. Of course, you can spec and do all sorts of crazy things with Ferrari's Atelier and TaylorMade divisions when it comes to specifications of cars like this. Painted liveries, bespoke interior details and touches. And it's all about making it unique, personal and special to go out and drive and enjoy like this. What a day! It's cold, it's crisp, but it's absolutely magical. This could not be. Oh, those downshift flips. It's interesting how the downshift at first isn't quite as aggressive as each of the other respective shifts, I suppose, when you consider the type of driving when you're in first gear. It's truly epic. I don't know how else to describe this experience. At the wheel of an SP3, and the naming system is confusing when you've had the Monza that was the SP1 and 2 and the Daytona that's the SP3, and I guess there'll be a 4, a 5 and a 6. And maybe another one of them will have two seats or single seat options. When it came to the Monza, a lot of people thought that the obviously two seat would be more usable, but the one seat would potentially be the more collectible. But then more people order the one seat because they think it's more collectible, so then it becomes slightly less collectible. So I like them putting that decision to customers to let the customers have to decide which way it's going to go, which way it's going to be. It's definitely windy in here. I'm perhaps surprised by that. That's the, let's say, the downside if I had to pick one, along with the sheer size of the thing. I have no idea where the front is. I have no idea how wide the front is. It's a very boxy shape, a very square shape. So what's going on up there is basically anybody's guess, to be totally honest. But just up and down through the gears, and you know, of course, seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. When you're up in seventh gear, it's calm and quiet, and you can go into sport or even into wet mode. Wet mode and automatic and have effectively the softest suspension, the quietest exhaust, but still the whine of the V12 in the background, a noise I'm not complaining about in the slightest, a whole lot of fun to enjoy, to experience. But it's not about that. It's about going into race, and it's about having it in manual. And of course, we're not on a racetrack. In fact, we're in Denmark. And with Denmark's crazy driving law, where if you go double the speed limit, they literally take the car. That is the fine, even if it's not your own car. You're driving a leased car, a rental car, a bank's car, a friend's car, whatever it is. So we have to respect the speed limits, not only also because I have to respect how special and valuable the car is, but having a whale of a time, absolute, absolute whale of a time. This will never get boring. I'm sorry if I sound like a broken record, but there's not much that touches this engine. We're seeing the end of amazing engines. You know, the Audi Lamborghini V10 has now finished production in R8 form, and very soon in Huracan form. You can't even buy a 10-cylinder anymore. Naturally aspirated V8s, well, there aren't a whole lot of those either. The Ford Mustang Dark Horse, as I have as my American dream vehicle, is about the only option. Flat sixes, the flag is being very much carried by Porsche with their different cars, but who knows for how long going into the future. 12 cylinders, it's Ferrari and the Gordon Murray cars, the GMA T50, T33. There are a few other engines here and there, smaller engines, but NA engines are going to be a thing of the past. You know, Lamborghini, yes, have the NA V12 in the Evolto, but at the end of the day, there's also a hybrid system, and I'm not saying that's a bad thing. Hybrid systems for performance are actually mega. We drove down this bit of road earlier, and it's really good. Like, I'm fully in favour. I've done many miles with my SF90, and now also with the 296, and they are brilliant, brilliant cars. But it's not quite the same, is it, when you know there's a battery there, and what that means going into the future, and the technology, and keeping it running, and whether there are going to be any things that you need to deal with down the line. If you're more on the brake, it does give you a nice first gear downshift blip. It's clearly tuned to work differently depending on how you're driving, where you are, what the driving style is. Obviously, if you're on a racetrack, it's going to be more exotic. When you get further up through the revs, it just screams away at you. And the thing is, like I said, you don't need to go at Mach 10, but the way that Ferrari make these cars, the way this feels, it's so good. Oh my gosh, of course, there are flaws, the wind buffeting, and the sound of the stones. I'm not familiar with driving a car that I've heard so many stones pinging off bodywork and carbon fibre, but it's not stopping the fun. It's an absolute blast. I guess we had better head back to base, but this has been simply superb. Back at base, a few more things about the interior of the Daytona. You notice we have the four point harnesses, and the way that Ferrari do this is that your shoulder strap and waist belt are attached together. So you've got a single buckle, which makes it a lot easier than some of the six points. There's no three point seat belt in here. The seats bridge over the central tunnel. I really like the design of that, the way it makes them very much feel integrated to the car. And then, of course, this is where you can stir away the key. Right above that, you have your window switches and then the H pad, which Ferrari introduced to reminisce of gated manuals, but of course, modernised with the dual clutch. And I quite like that across the entire range of the cars with a lot of intricate design ahead. You then have the control panel here for your climate control. This is where you have some things like doing your mirrors, which is that button, your cameras, stop, start lights, all of that type of stuff before your steering wheel, which, you know, from the entire Ferrari range, wipers, lights, indicators or controls on either side. And of course, the 16 inch curved digital display in or a press of this and you switch it off and grab the key ready to step on out. There are a few other things around, but not all that much to it, because basically once you've sat in the seat, adjusted the pedal box, you're good to go. It's that simple. Super ready to rock and roll. Just all of these openings for the aero. That's the lever, by the way, to open up the engine bay compartment. And then here you have the switches just for a couple of other things as well, all fairly open to look under towards some of the components for the front axle that you have tucked in down there. The doors obviously have a fair weight to them considering the size. So you basically just drop them from just above position and they drop into place like so. And then with the car lurking over there, take a look at this. I am a big fan, as you know, of these. This is the Amalgam model, the owner's model, exactly spec matched to the very car that I've just been driving in 1 to 8 scale. Everything, paint color, livery, hand-painted shields, brake caliper color, interior details, stitching, and it looks magnificent. That kind of thing is a really nice touch. The icing on the cake for a car as special as this. Let's reflect on this drive. Some time has gone by. I've gathered my thoughts and I want to share a bit of a critique of the Ferrari Daytona SP3 and especially when we're discussing the LaFerrari. When LaFerrari launched, I have to confess it was number three for me behind the P1 and the 918, but over time I've grown to appreciate how that car really does everything exceptionally well. It's hard to summarize it, but it's an amazing piece of kit and I think it's probably the best modern Ferrari full stop. This is a car which, of course, it's a V12 engine, it has an open roof, it's a limited special series Ferrari, it has looks which I know some people don't fully like these different design elements from different cars brought into one, but I think it looks amazing. The thing that I want to talk about though is the comparison because the LaFerrari has 963 horsepower. It's a 6.3 V12 with the hybrid setup and this is 840 horsepower from the V12 alone. It's 123 horsepower difference. You notice it, especially because the LaFerrari's power delivery comes with the boost in the lower end of the rev range from the electric motors, which give you the instant torque and there's a lot more of it. So when you accelerate fast in a LaFerrari, it is scary fast even today, 10 years later. When you accelerate fast in here, it's quick, don't get me wrong, but being spoiled to drive a lot of quick cars, it's not scary quick. So you notice it's a fair chunk less fast. The other thing to touch on is, therefore, do you tell that it's a lighter car because it doesn't have the electric motor in the battery? And to be honest, not really. And this is something I had been told before, but I was kind of thinking, nah, no way. Maybe this is just perception, placebo, that type of thing. But the reality is the LaFerrari actually doesn't feel heavier. It just feels quicker and faster onto the power. So looks is obviously down to each individual person. The LaFerrari Apertas command an incredible price these days because they only made 200 or so of them. They're not exactly common on the market. And it's very, very interesting to talk about that because from LaFerrari to Daytona, there's eight years or so between the two cars from the LaFerrari Aperta to Daytona. It's a more like four year difference. I love this thing, but it feels very big on the road. It doesn't feel small and nimble like a 458. It's nothing like that at all. The idea of taking out the electrics, I say taking out, it's not literally a LaFerrari without the electrics. It's not that simple, but that's the perhaps layman's terms ways of looking at it. Doesn't make it a spectacularly nimble car as a result. It's an amazing sound. It's a phenomenal gearbox. It's an incredible engine, but it's a car that I think is more about the emotion that you get from it, the excitement of it and how it sits in the Icona series. Whereas to me, I think it's just reaffirmed that LaFerrari and LaFerrari Aperta are the Ferraris of the last decade. And it's going to be very interesting to see what comes along next. I have very much enjoyed today. Would I get one of these? If I somehow had a way to get one of these, you bet I would. To be able to order something like this would be a dream come true. And hey, who knows what happens next in the Icona series. Today, however, I would like to say a massive thank you to the team here at the Selected Car Collection. What an amazing place to be. We've taken a look around at Selected Car Leasing, at Selected Car Investment, at the Selected Car Group, and I've been lucky enough to drive one of these, one of my dream cars without question, to share with you that first drive experience, to soak in what this offers. And yes, there are peculiarities like the way that windscreen line goes down towards the side and you have to kind of squeeze in as you get around it. The fact that there's nowhere to put any luggage once you're inside, nowhere to put your phone, nowhere to put anything basically. And the fact that you hear every single stone bouncing off every part of the bodywork and it makes you cringe while it's happening. And in fact, most of that is probably what's going on back here with this carbon fibre, literally around the wheel arch. That's probably what you're hearing most of the pings coming off once you're driving. But it's an amazing looking thing. It's a wonderful story and bring it on. I love that they make it. I love what I said earlier, that they have the Icona series and there'll be a new hypercar that sits alongside it as well. Hypercar, mega car, ultra car, who even knows what category that sits in these days. What a day it's been. So thank you very much for watching. I hope you've enjoyed some insights and thoughts on a first drive in the Ferrari Daytona SP3. That's it for now though. Thank you very much for watching as always, guys. I appreciate your support an awful lot and stay tuned for more to come with the Selected Car Collection in future. That's it for this time and I'll see you soon. Cheers!