"Azzurra" - State of the Art Ferrari by Lapo Elkann, R-M The Code

"Azzurra" - State of the Art Ferrari by Lapo Elkann, R-M The Code - TheArsenale

A unique color - developed by R-M Paint exclusively for Lapo Elkann -, leather and Solaro fabric interior crafted by Foglizzo Leather for the one-off of the Garage Italia’s creative director: the Ferrari GTC4 Azzurra is the symbol of the unparalleled and disruptive style which distinguishes all the customizations made by the Milanese atelier, the result of the contamination of styles and of the meeting between the fashion industry and the automotive world, together with design and art. The Ferrari GTC4 Lusso is just the latest model of a long tradition of 4-seater cars, whose roots were established as far back as in 1948, when the Maranello company launched into the market the 166 inter. Since then, several models have alternated in the field of luxury “family cars”, from the 250 GT2+2 to the 400i, until the most recent ones such as the 612 Scaglietti and the Ferrari FF.

Their appeal seduced Lapo Elkann too - Garage Italia’s Creative Director - who bought a 1982 Ferrari 400i for his collection in 2016, to which he has added the V12 Ferrari GTC4 Lusso in 2018. Tradition on one side - with an original car as it was conceived by Enzo Ferrari -, innovation and the future of Garage Italia’s customization on the other side; distinguished by a great attention to design and by an accurate research for technologically advanced solutions and for an attention to materials matching, with a visible inspiration from the fashion industry and a strong contamination of different styles. The new livery is marked by the painting of the front bumper in “Azzurro Lapo” (azzurro is the italian word for light blue) - a particular tonality developed by R-M for Lapo Elkann, inside the “The Code” project - which carries over the whole length of the car, with a racing-inspired strip that covers the hood, the top and the trunk; and it is precisely the two-tone contrast - between the two tonalities of blue - the leitmotif of this one-off, which can be noticed in the customization of the lateral gills and in the wheels too, fitting Pirelli tyres and painted in blue with the spokes finishing and the interior rim in “Azzurro Lapo”, as well as the strong brake calipers from Brembo braking system, branded with the Milanese atelier’s logo.

“Blue and light blue are ethereal colors associated to the sea and to the sky, such symbols of the infinite. And that’s exactly beyond this border that we would like to go with Garage Italia, with a visionary approach that would like to draw inspiration from Agostino Bonalumi and Paolo Scheggi’s ones, whose works are displayed inside the space in Piazzale Accursio. It is well known that blue and light blue - as well as being my colors - are also those belonging to “my Italy”, that I wanted on this Ferrari, among the best known symbols of the tricolor in the world. With this model, we gathered - once again - the fashion world, art, design and the car industry together.” Lapo Elkann, Founder and Creative Director of Garage Italia Inside the car, the designers let their imaginative mind run wild. The passenger compartment is the heart of this customization, handled by Lapo Elkann himself for the selection of materials and the design. It was his choice to turn upside-down the plan and to recall the two-tone issue inside the Foglizzo’s leather upholstery on all surfaces, further enhancing that effect with a neat vertical division on the seats and on the steering wheel. The seats have been customized using a leather - hand-woven with Scabal’s Solaro insertions - which has been specifically crafted for Garage Italia by Foglizzo Leather’ artisans who will Milan, 31st january 2018 “AZZURRA”: STATE-OF-THE-ART FASHION AND DESIGN ON LAPO ELKANN’S FERRARI give life to a collection in 2018 that will carry the name of the creative hub and that will be launched in the very short term: inside, there will be several kind of hand-woven items using materials such as leather, Alcantara® and fabrics coming from the fashion industry.

Each motors’ lover will immediately recognize the Daytona style on the seats, with the distinctive central thread cut by rectangular segments with circular holes. And that’s exactly inside three of these holes in the driver’s seat that the tricolor of the Italian flag has been recreated, the classy touch that underlines the love and the strong connection between Lapo Elkann and Italy. The Ferrari GTC4 Azzurra one-off underlines once again the disruptive nature of Garage Italia, able to go further the traditional interior lining work, putting the contamination of styles and languages at centre stage, highlighting the overcoming of barriers between the fashion industry, art and the design world.