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Ferrari files patent for new targa top design

Prancing horse brand aims to reduce air turbulence when the roof is off


Ferrari has made a filing with the European Patent Office for an updated targa top setup that seeks to reduce aerodynamic turbulence inside the cabin when the car is being driven al fresco.

As with other targa designs, Ferrari's new version features a removable roof panel "often made of a plastic material to have a reduced weight and therefore be easily handled by one person", which when in place is supported by the windscreen frame at the front, and a "robust full-width roll bar" incorporating a transparent window at the rear.

In order to reduce internal air turbulence, Ferrari has come up with a new protection panel (item 15 in figure above), which is built into the rear parcel shelf, and is connected to number of inlets (13) and vents (14).

According to Ferrari, air flows in over the top of the windshield, but sinks before it can hit the rear roll bar due to the presence of the protection panel.

Thanks to this new design, Ferrari says it doesn't need to make sure the top of the windscreen is higher than the roll bar, which is the traditional method of reducing internal air turbulence in a targa vehicle.

The company says the new design is "easy and inexpensive to manufacture" as it only adds a few static elements to the vehicle.

Ferrari's last high volume production model available with targa option was the 355, although limited-run models, such as the 575 Superamerica, LaFerrari Aperta, and J50 have been available with a targa top.

If the design in the patent is close to production, it's not clear which model it will end up in, but our guess is the 488. Given the company used the F430 in the filing's sketches, it's clear we're not meant to know just yet.

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