KUALA LUMPUR: Ferrari has created a special edition Roma that pays tribute to the artisanal history of both Italy and Japan. Created by the company’s bespoke Tailor-Made department, this one-of-a-kind Roma is a blend of traditional Japanese-inspired detailing and the original car’s clean elegance.

Key highlights of the one-off Ferrari Roma -

• Development: This one-of-a-kind Ferrari Roma is developed by the automaker’s Tailor Made customization program alongside Josh Rubin and Evan Orensten (founders of Cool Hunting, a US-based independent publication focused on tech, design, & culture). Together they decided to create a Ferrari featuring traditional Japanese technique developed material along with customary innovation by the automaker

• Colour: The one-off Roma is covered in a unique blue tone called Indigo Metal, inspired by traditional, naturally produced indigo. Cool Hunting visited one of the five remaining indigo farms in Tokushima to create the authentic indigo dye, Hon-Ai. This colour can be seen on the car’s exterior and interior (headlining, seat trim inserts, and carpets)
• Unique material: The seats are made of Sakiori, a unique, upcycled material. The fabric used dates back to the 1700s when silk and cotton were very expensive. Worn-out kimonos were used; they were disassembled and rewoven with new fibers (cotton, silk, and high-tensile nylon), creating a new, warm and comfortable fabric

• No-ordinary headliner: The blue headliner seen in the image pays tribute to a traditional realm of Japanese craftsmanship. It includes two hide linings dyed in indigo using 8th-century Roketsu (a wax resist-dyeing method), and head woman with intreccio method in Italy

• Copper inclusion: Inspired by Japan's traditional copper tea canisters, this one-off Roma gets cooper plating detailing on the gear shift gate surround and levers. Also, the wheel rims and cockpit outline are sprayed in copper colour

• Custom-made ‘Kamon’: The center armrest and door sills get a dedicated plate with a custom-made ‘Kamon.’ It is a traditional representation of the ox-drawn carriage, a popular form of transportation during the Heian period
• Japan-inspired door handles: The Roma’s door handles are enclosed in tightly hand-woven black leather strips; it pays homage to the ancient art of wrapping the Katana swords grip

As for the one-off Roma’s powertrain configuration, it is powered by the same, tried and tested V8 turbo engine making 620 PS of power. It enables the car to complete the century sprint in just 3.4 seconds.

Overall, this special-edition Ferrari Roma is the perfect representation of the automaker’s Tailor Made program capability, adding unique touches to the modern Ferrari. This fine example of the brand’s customization department will display at the upcoming New York Design Week.

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