Ferrari will tap the romance of Italian geography in naming its upcoming models.
Ferrari has filed several trademark applications for new model names with the Italian trademark office, and a couple of them apply to the magnificent 296 GTB while others appear to be destined for more luxury-focused models in the supercar manufacturer's range. CarBuzz recently discovered this and the trademarks for other new models, including a production-bound range of models based on the 499P hypercar, which was recently victorious at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
For the V6-powered Dino successor, Ferrari has indicated a more hardcore supercar by trademarking the name 296 Speciale, and this will naturally be offered as a Spider too. But that won't be the only remix for the 296.
Ferrari has protected the name 296 Mugello as well. As motorsport nerds will know, the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello is a Tuscan racetrack owned by Ferrari. One wonders where a car named after a famous circuit would slot into a lineup that already has a Speciale variant on the way, and it's somewhat irregular for Ferrari to produce more than two versions of a single model.
This suggests to us that the 296 Mugello and 296 Mugello Spider could be range-topping limited-edition variants even more hardcore and exclusive than the Speciales. Alternatively, Ferrari may still be deciding between the two names for a single special edition.
But what about much older cars in the Ferrari range, like the 812?
Ferrari Montecarlo calls to mind Monegasque motorsport, the world's most exclusive casinos, and a marina full of hundred-million-dollar superyachts. Thus, we think this is a suitable name for a grandiose tourer that implies old money. That means a traditional V12 in the front, power going to the rear, and loads of luxury in the middle – traits that suit the 812 (and surely its successor) perfectly. Again, a Spider variant is also planned.
We've also found that Ferrari is protecting the Milano and Milano Spider names, which sound tailor-made for a Roma replacement. Remember, Ferrari tends to give updated models new names: the 458's effective facelift was the 488, and that car was updated again to become the F8.
However, Ferrari has yet another name to look after, and that's Dolcevita. As you may know, Ferrari markets the Roma with the tagline La Nuova Dolce Vita (The New Sweet Life). Dolcevita could be a car, but with no Dolcevita Spider trademark yet unearthed, “the sweet life” still seems to apply to a lifestyle and a new way of looking at luxury.
Finally, Ferrari is trademarking the name 500 Testarossa. Yes, indeed. There are also applications to protect the 500 TR name, along with the Spiders of both. In this case, it seems unlikely that Ferrari will be going retro and launching a new car with an old name – this isn't Lamborghini, and the Testarossa is not a Countach. We suspect Ferrari is simply ensuring it maintains control of an iconic nameplate. But if Maranello were to relaunch the nomenclature, it wouldn't be the first time it changed its own naming rules.
Whatever the case, Ferrari is clearly building toward an onslaught of new models, and one of them will be the LaFerrari replacement. We can't wait to see what's in store.
Keyword: Ferrari Mugello, Milano, And Montecarlo To Succeed Ferrari Roma, 296, And 812