Ferrari, the renowned Italian sports car manufacturer, may be developing a new model inspired by its successful race car, the 499P LMH. The 499P LMH recently achieved an overall victory at the prestigious 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. Building on this success, Ferrari is now rumored to be working on a road-going hypercar based on the 499P LMH.
CarBuzz, an automotive news website, has uncovered that Ferrari has taken steps to secure trademarks for names such as 499 GTB, 499 GTS, 499 Speciale, and 499P Modificata. These trademark applications were filed by Ferrari in Italy earlier this July. The first three names suggest that Ferrari is considering creating road cars inspired by the 499P LMH, while the fourth name hints at a potential track car based on the Le Mans-winning race car.
The GTB designation stands for “Gran Turismo Berlinetta” and is often used by Ferrari for its coupe models. Similarly, GTS refers to “Gran Turismo Spider” and is used for Ferrari’s convertible models. The term Speciale is typically used by Ferrari to denote hardcore versions of their vehicles, such as the 458 Speciale.
Ferrari’s potential model, the 499P Modificata, could follow a similar concept used for the 2020 488 GT Modificata, which was closely related to the 488 GT3 and 488 GTE race cars. However, it is worth noting that Ferrari has previously named road cars after race cars that had little in common with each other. For instance, the SF90 Stradale was named after Ferrari’s SF90 Formula 1 race car from 2019.
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It is also common for automakers to trademark names to protect their intellectual property, even if they have no immediate plans to use those names for production vehicles. Trademarking a name allows an automaker to keep the option open for future use should they decide to develop a vehicle that aligns with the trademarked name.
In addition to the trademarks related to the 499P LMH-inspired models, CarBuzz has discovered several other trademark applications by Ferrari. One of these names could potentially be used for the successor to the LaFerrari, Ferrari’s flagship hypercar. The additional names include F80, Drake, La Rossa, 12 Cilindri, 6 Cilindri, 296 Mugello, Milano, Montecarlo, Dolcevita, and 500 Testarossa.
Out of these names, F80 seems to be the most suitable for a LaFerrari successor. Ferrari has previously used the F40 and F50 designations in their flagship range. Furthermore, the automaker has introduced models like the F60 America in the past, and the LaFerrari was initially known as the F70 during its development phase before being renamed as F150.
While these trademark applications provide insight into Ferrari’s potential future models, it is important to note that automakers often trademark names as a precautionary measure without any immediate plans for their usage. Consequently, it remains to be seen which of these trademarked names will ultimately be associated with new Ferrari models.
In conclusion, Ferrari’s recent trademark applications for names like 499 GTB, 499 GTS, 499 Speciale, and 499P Modificata suggest that the company may be developing road cars and potentially a track car inspired by its victorious 499P LMH race car. Additionally, the trademark applications for other names like F80 hint at the possibility of a LaFerrari successor in the works. However, it is important to approach these trademark filings with caution, as they might not necessarily translate into actual production vehicles. Only time will tell which of these names will be associated with future Ferrari models.
