Take a detailed look at the unique Ferrari Mythos prototype

The Ferrari Mythos wasn’t some secret special vehicle the Sultan of Brunei dreamed up. Designed by Pietro Camardella and Lorenzo Ramaciotti at Pininfarina, the Mythos began as a 1989 design study for what essentially became the 1995 Ferrari F50. Based on the Testarossa and developed by Ferrari, this 390-horsepower dream car debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show. The Mythos clearly impressed the Sultan of Brunei, who placed a custom order for at least two examples. Apparently, the pair left Cambiano sporting red and turquoise exteriors. Many people only got to know about the Mythos while playing 1990’s Test Drive III, and every now and then, the original prototype pops up at car events:

Last year, the Mythos prototype landed at the Elégance et Automobile à Monte-Carlo, along with other Pininfarina icons such as the Ferrari 250 GTO Series II, the Ferrari 275 GTB Competizione, and the one-off Ferrari 512 S Modulo. Representing Bertone was the Lancia Stratos Zero concept, while more recent icons included 1997’s McLaren F1 064, the 50th F1 built at Woking.

James Glickenhaus’ Pininfarina-built Modulo caught fire soon after the show, something his team fixed this year by fitting a new muffler design, among other hidden upgrades.

Compared to a Testarossa, the Mythos is three inches lower, nearly five inches wider and six inches shorter, with air intakes the size of a kei fire truck. Have a good look at this F50 predecessor, and tell us which Pininfarina design has aged better: