Skip advert
Advertisement

Ferrari J50 Special Projects supercar marks Ferrari's 50 years in Japan

Limited edition Ferrari J50 model is based on the 488 spider and marks fifty years of Ferrari in Japan

Ferrari has revealed a new special edition model to mark fifty years in the Japanese market, which will be limited to just ten examples. The eye-catching Ferrari J50 is a two-seat mid-engine roadster based on the 488 Spider, though the 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 has been tweaked to produce 20bhp extra, meaning a total power output of 681bhp.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The J50 is another product of Ferrari’s Special Projects division – responsible for cars like the 458 MM Speciale and the recently unearthed SP275 RW Competizione. Like those cars it features outlandish styling, crafted by the team at Ferrari’s Styling Centre in Maranello. All ten examples will be modified and tailored specifically to their customers’ requirements.

Top supercars 2016/17

The J50 is a low-slung roadster boasting a targa top roof and a helmet visor effect windscreen. The top itself is made from two sheets of Carbon-Fibre, which stow away behind the seats.

At the front is a redesigned, lower looking front bumper with a large chicken wire mesh intake, new aerodynamic elements and sleeker headlights.

A black dividing line is embedded within it, and swoops around the sides of the car. Ferrari says the black line is reminiscent of the F40 and F50, and it tugs the beltline of the new Ferrari downwards, making the car appear even lower. Huge, swollen wheel arches round off the muscular new look.

Around the back the re-designed rear end gets a large transparent polycarbonate engine cover and sits behind two distinctive black roll hoops. An aerofoil piece of bodywork bridges over them. A new quad-taillight setup makes the cut, sitting beneath a tweaked rear wing and above a jet engine afterburner inspired rear diffuser. It all rides on unique 20-inch forged wheels.

In the cabin, the interior is finished in red and black leather and Alcantara. These hyper exclusive special edition cars are likely to be sold to some of Ferrari’s most distinctive customers, and as such we don’t have any pricing details. A tag far above and beyond the £204k starting price of a standard 488 Spider is a given though. 

Is the J50 the best looking Special Projects Ferrari yet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Best new cars coming soon: all the big new car launches due in 2026, 2027 and beyond
Best new cars coming soon 30/06/26

Best new cars coming soon: all the big new car launches due in 2026, 2027 and beyond

Here are the most important new cars from Alfa Romeo, Audi, BMW, Dacia, Ferrari, Ford, Skoda and more
Best cars & vans
30 Jun 2026
Best 60s cars: the 35 greatest cars of the 1960s
Best cars of the 1960s - header image

Best 60s cars: the 35 greatest cars of the 1960s

The swinging sixties brought a vast array of unforgettable cars that would establish the path of the industry for decades to come. We pick our top 35 …
Best cars & vans
16 Jun 2026
New Ferrari Luce: full details on the 1,000bhp EV and why it “will take time to digest”
Ferrari Luce at Le mans

New Ferrari Luce: full details on the 1,000bhp EV and why it “will take time to digest”

Ferrari’s first-ever electric car looks unlike anything made before in Maranello, because it was styled by the former Apple design boss
News
14 Jun 2026
I studied car design and this is why the Ferrari Luce just doesn’t look right
Opinion - Ferrari Luce design

I studied car design and this is why the Ferrari Luce just doesn’t look right

Let’s cut through the outrage and just focus on the car for a second. This is the right movement, but the wrong canvas.
Opinion
30 May 2026

Most Popular

Electricity VAT axe to make EV charging cheaper, just not if you can’t charge at home
Vauxhall Astra GSE connected to a home wallbox charger

Electricity VAT axe to make EV charging cheaper, just not if you can’t charge at home

VAT on domestic electricity will be scrapped from October, thus widening the gap between home and public charging
News
23 Jul 2026
New Jeep hybrid SUV aims to out-muscle Land Rover's Defender, with some help from China
Jeep D-segment SUV - front static

New Jeep hybrid SUV aims to out-muscle Land Rover's Defender, with some help from China

Want a Defender, but can’t stretch to one? Jeep’s new cut-priced family SUV should be cheap to buy, and to run…
News
20 Jul 2026
New Dacia Spring confirmed for September reveal and super low price
New Dacia Spring - rear teaser

New Dacia Spring confirmed for September reveal and super low price

The new Spring will be based on the adorable Renault Twingo and built here in Europe
News
22 Jul 2026

Find a car with the experts