Ferrari built its reputation on the circuits of Europe in the post-war period, creating its mythos through competition success and the pursuit of the top prizes in motorsport. So, it is fitting that one of the greatest roadsters of the modern period—indeed, the fastest open Prancing Horse to ever lap the firm’s Fiorano test track—was commissioned in honour of victory at the highest level.

Built in limited numbers—just 499 examples leaving Maranello in 2009—the “16M” was created in celebration of the Scuderia’s 16th Formula 1 World Constructors’ Championship, which it won in 2008 in the face of Lewis Hamilton’s inaugural Drivers’ Championship success. Based on the hardcore “Scuderia” version of the flagship F430, the exclusively open 16M borrowed that model’s electrifying 503 brake horsepower 4.3-litre V-8 engine and F1-SuperFast2 six-speed transmission—the former lightly modified with redesigned pistons and a higher compression ratio—and built on the concept.

Despite featuring significant strengthening and stiffening of the open body, Ferrari engineers nonetheless managed to slash 80 kilograms from the kerb weight thanks to a crash diet that included lightened front and rear bumpers, forged alloy wheels exclusive to the model, and re-worked front suspension and steering. As a sign of just how committed engineers were to weight-saving, even the wheel bolts were reproduced in titanium.

Finished in Rosso Corsa over Nero Alcantara with a matching Nero soft-top, this 16M was specified with smart Rosso brake calipers and with the desirable “Tricolore” stripe racing livery. A carbon fibre exterior package complements carbon fibre racing seats—sized large—while the purposeful cabin is set off nicely with the inclusion of attractive Giallo instruments. Standard equipment is impressive, with carbon-ceramic disc brakes, and a fabulous-sounding free-flow exhaust system.

As well as a desirable specification, chassis “167370” benefits from regular servicing at Ferrari, with service stamps in 2011, 2013, and 2017 at Garage Zenith in Switzerland, with a further service stamp on 5 April 2022—at 46,209 km—from Formula Automobile in Denmark. Bristling with Formula 1-derived technology, the difference between the 16M and its F430 Spider stablemate cannot be overemphasised. More visceral still than the much-lauded tin-top F430 Scuderia, the 16M is both a modern masterpiece and a machine that any true tifosi must experience at least once.