Pirelli OE on Ferrari Monza retro-inspired roadsters

PARIS — Italian sports car maker Ferrari S.p.A. has tapped Pirelli Tyre as its OE partner for the launch of its Monza SP1 and SP2 retro-inspired limited-edition open-top two-seaters, the first Ferrari street cars with 21-inch rim diameter tires as standard equipment.

These limited-edition models, which represent Ferrari's new "Icona" range of cars drawing on past influences, reinterpret the "barchetta" style open-top sports cars that competed in the Mille Miglia and World Sports Car Championship events in the 1950s and '60s.

The cars — the SP1 is the single-seater with a tonneau cover while the SP2 gets a second seat and second roll hoop/cowl in the back — debuted at the Paris Auto Salon, which runs through Oct. 14.

The P Zeros that Pirelli designed and built for the Monzas — size 275/30R21 front and 315/30R21 rear —provide the usual levels of stiffness, comfort and performance that is synonymous with Ferrari, despite the 21-inch size rim diameter, while also helping to save weight.

Pirelli said it modified the standard steel-wire bead package for the front tires, a change that trimmed weight by more than 2.6 pounds.

Ferrari said weight reduction — the cars have 100-percent carbon-fiber bodies — and the barchetta open-top configuration "guarantee unique vehicle dynamics: perfectly balanced with no roll whatsoever for pure, uncompromised sports-car handling."

Both models are powered by Ferrari's 6.5-liter V12 making 798 hp at a 8,500 rpm. Weighing in at about 3,300 pounds, they have a rated 0-62 mph acceleration 2.9 seconds and 124 mph in 7.9 seconds