Inside limited edition Ferrari collection so rare that only SIX have been made – each with different special interiors

FERRARI has created a series of one-off cars to mark a major landmark.

It’s 30 years since the luxury car giant set up a distribution network in the Middle East, ranging from Lebanon and across the Persian Gulf.

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To celebrate, six customised 296 GTBs have been manufactured – and first unveiled at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix earlier this month.

There is nothing new mechanically in the custom cars, they all have the standard bodywork, and the almost flat ultra-low mounted twin-turbo V-6 plug-in hybrid powertrain engine.

It produces 819 hp and 546 lb-ft of torque and is paired with an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Like all 296 GTBs, the new cars boast 0-62mph in 2.9 seconds.

Instead, to set them apart, all six cars’ interior and exterior designs represent a different country in the geopolitical region: United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman.

The UAE car is white, representing the nation’s pearl diving industry; the Saudi Arabia motor is green for the country’s oases; Kuwait is brown for the “natural landscapes”; Qatar is dark red for the “strength, pride, and enduring spirit of its people”; Bahrain is black for the “mystery and allure of its nigthscape”; Oman is blue for “the enchanting beauty of its seas and coastline”.

Each then features a trim in custom colour Arabian Golden Sheen – a matte gold metallic representing “the reflection of sunlight on desert sands”.

It runs along the roof and wheels and the colour scheme continues to the interiors, which are otherwise beige and gold leather.

Meanwhile, the embroidery is gold, as is the plate of the gear selector, and gold Prancing Horse logos adorn the headrests.

The 296 GTB includes rear boot space of 113 litres, and front space for 202 litres. In the custom cars, the latter is finished in leather in a first for the model.

In a somewhat odd addition, Ferrari has also added clutch purses matching the colour schemes of each of the six motors – and with beige ultrasuede liner inside.

It is not clear how much these custom cars cost to buy or whether the buyers have already been earmarked.

However, Ferrari is currently working on an updated version of the 296, due out next year.

MIDDLE EAST

As per the Ferrari website, began its “adventure” in the Arab world to take advantage of its “diverse and mostly young clientele” of car enthusiasts.

It explains: “The Middle East has always been fertile ground for Ferrari, but it wasn’t until the 1990s – in 1994, to be precise – that the company set up a distribution network for this region that ranges from Lebanon all the way across the Persian Gulf.

“Each country has distinctive cultural and demographic characteristics.”

It adds that in the early days there were “very different expectations toward the brand and the models“.

But over the 30 years, the “profiles” of Ferrari owners, have changed and are generally in their 40s in the Middle East, younger than European clients.

They are also “keen to distinguish themselves”, translating into a demand for a “high level of personalisation”.

Giorgio Turri, General Manager of Ferrari Middle East, said: “This in itself becomes a competition, to have the first or the only version of a Ferrari, so it’s always an exciting and vibrant market.”