Japanese craftsmanship and Italian styling come together in a unique one-off project

Ferrari has unveiled a one-of-a-kind version of the Roma which was developed by the company's bespoke Tailor Made department. 

The special model features exquisite traditional Japanese-inspired detailing while retaining the clean, sophisticated elegance of the original car.

It is said that this particular car’s story began when the founders Cool Hunting (an American publication focusing on design, culture and technology) were offered the opportunity of customising a Ferrari Roma by the Italian car maker in order to explore how far Ferrari’s bespoke personalisation programme could go.

Both parties then brainstormed and decided to create a Ferrari featuring unique materials developed from traditional Japanese techniques while employing Ferrari’s customary innovation to modify them.
 

On the exterior, traditional Japanese indigo dyes inspired the Roma’s colour scheme, particularly the vivid blue exterior paint which was specially developed for this car and named Indigo Metal. 

As Indigo is featured prominently in Japanese design culture and the traditional dye is produced naturally, Cool Hunting visited Toyama, one of only five remaining indigo farms in Tokushima, Japan’s traditional indigo-growing region to create the authentic "Hon-Ai" indigo dye. 

The same colour palette is used to tie together the vehicle’s exterior and interior, as well as the sakiori fabric used for the seat trim inserts and the carpets.

The indigo theme is carried through to the Roma’s headlining as well, via a beautifully detailed piece of craftsmanship and design which is exclusively experienced by those sitting in the car. 

The Roma’s interior door handles also take their inspiration from Japan. They are enclosed in tightly hand-woven strips of black leather in an homage to tsukami, the ancient art of wrapping the grips of Katana swords.

Inspired by traditional Japanese copper tea cannisters, copper plating is found in details on the Roma’s gear shift gate surround and levers, which were plated in Japan. The outline of the dual cockpits, the wheel rims and the kamon are also made in this colour.

The unique crest on the car’s dedication plate on the central armrest and door sills is a custom-made “kamon,” a symbol passed down from generation to generation in Japan. 

Designed by Kyogen, it represents a wheel from an ox-drawn carriage combined with the eight pistons of the Roma’s V8 engine forming its spokes. The numeric theme is continued in the eight wave crests that encircle the wheel – symbols of good luck, power and resilience.

There are no mechanical enhancements though, as power comes courtesy of the same 620 PS turbocharged V8 engine as the regular Roma, enabling the car to sprint form naught to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds.

The Tailor Made Ferrari Roma Specially Crafted for Cool Hunting will be on display in the Ferrari Tailor Made Showroom during the New York Design Week.