Coach-built Ferrari has me lost for words

Coachbuilders, Touring Superleggera, have unveiled their latest creation, the Aero 3, a rebodied Ferrari F12.

Touring Superleggera is/was a coachbuilding firm from Milan, who from the 1920s built bespoke bodywork for mostly Italian sports-cars.

This was a time when coachbuilding was big business, as you would buy a chassis and drivetrain from a manufacturer and then the body could be styled and built by a design house of your choice.

As manufacturers began doing more and more of their own styling in-house, coachbuilding became more niche and then eventually a redundant industry, which caused Touring Superleggera to shut-shop in 1966.

However, a new millennium dawned. As car's became increasingly more generic, the rise of customisation began. Options lists are now longer than War and Peace, with manufacturers offering everything from infinite paint colours to back-lit galaxies in your headlining.

Options are one thing, but to really stand out from the crowd, a whole new design is the real way to make a statement.

This idea was not lost on some clever investors, who got together and purchased the Touring Superleggera name in 2006 and began coachbuilding cars once more.

Touring, in this new modern guise, have made several one-offs for customers with large bank accounts, but they have also produced some infamous, limited-run models that they sold in small numbers.

The Touring Disco Volante

One being the Disco Volante, a redesigned Alfa 8c; and the Mini Superleggera Vision. An open-top roadster, based on a Mini Coupe. Both of which were quite striking designs, managing to be both modern and retro without being twee.

Now, Touring Superleggera has shown us it's latest creation, the Aero 3, a redesigned Ferrari F12 Berlinetta. And, it's, eh, well...striking alright.

The F12 is a rather pretty car. It replaced the 599, which was a car with presence, but not what you would necessarily deem beautiful. The F12 was classic, front-engined, V12 Ferrari. All sculpted and purposeful.

The F12, before Touring get involved

The Aero 3 redesign is none of those things. It's all awkward proportions and fussy shapes.

The first design no-no they've hit, is they've massively increased the front overhang, which gives, or should I say adds, to the car's overall clown-shoe appearance. That overhang must be necessary for attaching all the additional crap they've stuck to the front.

There are two rectangular air ducts on the nose, that look like they were fitted incorrectly. These must have been rushed in last minute, when they realised the openings for the front grilles were too large and needed breaking up.

Speaking of grilles, the one in the centre. What's the first thing that pops into your mind when you look at it. I can't be the only one who thought, "Alfa Romeo".

Who wants to own a car, which will carry a hefty premium over an already expensive Ferrari, that when people see it will go, "Oh, is it that an Alfa Romeo?"

"NO YOU BASTARD, IT'S A FUCKING BESPOKE FERRARI".

Ok, I'm clearly getting a bit hot and bothered about this. Each to their own. If someone wants it and it's their money....but wait, what....this isn't a one-off commission?

Nope. Touring Superleggera are going to make 15 of these monstrosities.

One plus to be taken, because there has to be something, is it's actually quite light. Superleggera is Italian for 'super light'. Touring has at least stayed true to that. With the restyled body being made extensively of carbonfibre, making it 150kg lighter than a standard F12.

Touring don't make any performance claims, but that sort of weight-loss must aid in making the already eye-opening performance figures even smaller.

Style is subjective; and no doubt there are 15 people who will want one, even if they just sit in a garage as an appreciating asset.

Oh and the number 19 this launch car is wearing, that refers to the Touring-bodied Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B LM Coupé Berlinetta Aerodinamica that raced at Le Mans in 1938.

NO, IT'S A FUCKING FERRARI!!!!