Ferrari simply did something no one expected. After dominating Le Mans for the third year in a row with the 499P, Maranello has unveiled its first ever car designed entirely for the digital world, the F76. You can’t drive it, you can’t touch it, or you can’t see it in a showroom. Instead, it exists solely as a collectible NFT (non-fungible token), a digital asset reserved for members of Ferrari’s exclusive hyperclub, limited to just 100 customers and representing Ferrari’s most elite circle. This represents a clear shift in strategy and is aimed at younger, tech-savvy entrepreneurs who see blockchain assets as a new form of collectible ownership.
At first glance, the name might sound like just another internal code. But F76 pays homage to a milestone that defined Ferrari’s racing heritage: the brand’s first Le Mans victory in 1949 with Luigi Chinetti and Lord Selsdon in the 166 MM Barchetta, chassis number 0008M. This car also won the Mille Miglia that same year. Now, 76 years later, Ferrari uses that same competitive spirit to combine racing tradition with digital innovation.
The F76 is a digital design study led by Flavio Manzoni and the Ferrari Styling Center and explores how generative algorithms and biomimetic design can reshape performance aerodynamics. Every surface, curve and vent was calculated through a parametric design process that treats the car like a living, breathing structure. The body uses topology optimization to direct airflow, cooling and downforce exactly where they are needed.
The most striking feature is the twin fuselage arrangement, which divides the driver and passenger cells under their own glass roofs, creating a central aerodynamic channel that doubles as an active wing. If you follow classic cars, we also saw this with the wild 1967 OSI Silver Fox prototype. The airflow splits at the nose, flows over shaped surfaces, and joins at the tail under a floating wing suspended between two vertical fins. Every line is shaped by physics, not just aesthetics.
Elements from previous projects, such as the Ferrari F80, reappear here: vertical side cuts, floating front splitters and sculpted body volumes. Even the retractable headlights are reminiscent of the Ferraris of the 1970s and 1980s with pop-up lights, combining tradition and experimentation.
Inside, the two cockpits are synchronized using drive-by-wire technology, allowing both occupants to feel the same inputs in real time. It’s a new take on shared driving, something no physical Ferrari has attempted before. Hyperclub members were able to customize their F76 NFTs across multiple drops, each representing a unique, one-of-a-kind digital Ferrari tied to the brand’s endurance racing program.
NFTs are beginning to reshape the automotive space. They offer manufacturers like Ferrari a way to expand design experimentation without the cost or regulatory limits of production. Alfa Romeo and Lamborghini have dabbled in digital collectibles, but Ferrari’s F76 marks the first time an automaker has developed a fully realized concept as a functioning NFT ecosystem. The move also builds on Ferrari’s decision to accept Bitcoin, Ethereum and USDC for car purchases in the United States starting in 2023 and later expanding the service to Europe.
Owning the F76 NFT connects you directly to Ferrari’s racing program and its design studio, a level of engagement not previously possible. Maranello doesn’t replace mechanical cars with pixels, quite the opposite. But the F76 shows how design, ownership and emotions will evolve in the digital age.
Images: Ferrari
