How Can You Get Your Hands on a Ferrari J50?

Ferrari is undoubtedly a legend in car manufacturing, and it rarely needs an introduction. For the budding supercar enthusiast or even the most curious aficionado, Ferrari will always be a source of fascination. The Italian car manufacturer has created some of the industry’s best machines, including the 2015 Ferrari 488 GTB. During that time, the 488 became the manufacturer’s entry-level car after the 458 Italia. The Ferrari 488 has also become inspiration for one of Ferrari’s most exclusive models—the Ferrari J50. If you’ve been curious as to how you can get your hands on a Ferrari J50, keep on reading to find out.

Ferrari J50

The Ferrari J50 is basically a redesigned Ferrari 488 Spider. It was created to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Ferrari’s existence in Japan—hence the J50 connotation. The supercar was revealed during a special celebration held at the National Art Center in Tokyo in 2016. Although Ferrari has created special country edition cars in the past, the J50 is a unique limited edition Ferrari car in a sense that it gets more than just its country colors. The Ferrari J50 was designed by the Ferrari Styling Centre Team in Maranello and was created by the manufacturer’s Special Projects Department. It’s surely one of the most coveted limited edition Ferraris in the world and for many reasons too. It also happens to be one of the most difficult to come by.

J50 Specs

One of the biggest reasons why the J50 is special is because of the extensive redesign on the exterior. Although this supercar is based largely on the 488, you won’t be able to tell this by just looking at it. The Ferrari J50 exterior echoes much of the designs from the 70s to the 80s, which marks the popular return of a reimagined targa body style that was prominent during those decades. One unique aspect of the J50 that’s reflective of its Japanese customers was the futuristic look of the supercar. Designed to favor aerodynamics, the J50 also borrows from a few other Ferrari designs. The dividing lines across the doors were taken directly from the F40 and F50 Ferraris. The J50 also borrows the helmet visor design from early Ferrari sports cars. The chassis on the J50 is the same one you’d find in the Ferrari 488. In addition, the front bumpers and radiators were both designed to allow efficient airflow to the rear spoiler. The rear diffuser is even inspired by jet engine afterburners. So much about this vehicle is created for efficiency and speed, especially the 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 with 690hp engine.

The interior of the J50 isn’t as changed as the exterior. It still reflects much of the Ferrari 488 designs, characterized by sleek curves and fine leather. The Maranello team did design new upholstery and trimming for the seats and the side door panels, and there’s a slight increase in Alcantara use. However, that’s just the short story. While the red and black production model is as striking as any Ferrari supercar could be, there’s nothing better than having a tailored supercar. In true special-edition fashion, buyers of the J50 could have a personalized supercar to fit their fancies. The first couple of Ferrari J50s were spotted in 2018 in a Ferrari Racing Days Japan event held in Fuji. One supercar was red and the other was silver. A third J50 design was featured in Ferrari’s own magazine. It had a stunning blue exterior and a matching blue leather interior. Gold wheels that embody even more luxury complemented the blue of the vehicle. Only a buyer’s imagination would be the limit to a J50’s design.

Price and availability

Ferrari vehicles are known for prices that reflect their quality in make and design. In fact, the most expensive Ferrari ever sold was a 1963 GTO that cost the buyer about $70 million. The Ferrari J50 will not cost you nearly that amount, but you should be willing to part with at least $3 million USD to own one of these supercars. That amounts to the base price of the J50. If you wanted to add extra specifications to the vehicle, you can count on that base price to increase as needed.

Ferrari was slated to only produce 10 of the J50 supercars. That’s the true mark of a limited-edition vehicle. It also makes for a much sought-after production as well. There are many reasons a buyer might want to jump in on the Ferrari J50. If not for pure Ferrari obsession, the J50 can also be a healthy investment as the value of limited-edition supercars can increase with time and utmost care.

How to buy a Ferrari J50

Since there are only 10 Ferrari J50 cars in the world, these supercars happen to be one of the most rare Ferraris you could ever try to buy. Although that may be the case, you can surely find them with proper timing and the right seller. Occasionally, you might be able to find a seller from the US, but the J50 is predominantly found in Japan. In addition to its limited production quantity, the Ferrari J50 also presents a few buying conditions that might make it even more difficult to purchase. Apart from costing a few million dollars to boot, you also have to be Japanese in order to purchase a Ferrari J50. And if that’s not limiting enough, you also have to be an old Ferrari customer and a loyal one at that in order to buy J50. That’s all up to the Italian carmaker to decide. So even if you wanted a J50 badly as you might already do, it’s likely that you can’t anyway because of the conditions stated above. If you happen to fulfill all the qualifications to purchase a Ferrari J50, then consider yourself lucky as the rest of the world could only admire the vehicle from afar.