Universo Ferrari:
A little slice of
Maranello in India

There are few names in the automotive world that evoke the sort of emotion that Ferrari does. For the better part of eight decades, the little Italian manufacturer has been responsible for some of the finest machines mankind has ever laid eyes on. From winning races on Sunday to making grown men weak in their knees on Monday, Ferrari has managed to build an empire on something that cannot quite be quantified in horsepower, lap times or balance sheets. Passion. And while the world has no dearth of manufacturers building fast cars, there is only one Ferrari. For us Indians, however, this romance has largely been one from afar. We have had our fair share of Ferraris on our roads, some rather special ones too, but experiencing the marque in all its glory has often meant making a pilgrimage to Maranello. Well, not anymore!

For the first time in its history, Ferrari has brought its Universo Ferrari exhibition to India. Hosted at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi until the 1st of November 2026, the exhibition brings together some of the finest machinery to have ever worn the Cavallino Rampante. We were fortunate to be invited by Ferrari New Delhi for an exclusive preview before the doors opened to the public, and a big thank you is due to the good folks there for making it happen. The celebrations began even before the exhibition opened, with a group of Ferrari owners embarking on a five-day drive from Mumbai to Delhi. There is something particularly endearing about seeing owners actually drive these machines across the country rather than have them transported in climate-controlled trucks. After all, a Ferrari is a car first and a collectible second, although the auction houses may vehemently disagree.

Now, onto the cars!

Amongst the sea of red, carbon fibre and horsepower sat something that made us stop dead in our tracks. The Ferrari F50. What does one even say about this thing? Born from the rather outrageous idea of putting Formula 1-derived engineering into a road car, the F50 is arguably one of the most visceral Ferraris ever made. A naturally aspirated V12, a six-speed manual gearbox, practically no concessions to comfort and styling that has aged like the finest Italian wine. The F40 may have the greater cult following, but the F50 has always held a particularly special place in our hearts.

Interestingly, the example on display belongs to a private collector in Japan, who graciously agreed to send his prized possession halfway across Asia for us to admire. The Japanese have long been amongst the finest custodians of automotive history, and this little gesture only reinforces that. Arigato!

Not too far away sat another twelve-cylinder masterpiece, the Ferrari 365 GTB/4, better known as the Daytona. Finished in the achingly gorgeous Azzurro La Plata and wearing a French tricolor, this was quite the sight. The Daytona marked a rather dramatic departure from Ferrari's traditionally curvaceous designs, with its long bonnet, sharp nose and unmistakably wedge-like proportions. More than half a century later, the design philosophy found its way into the contemporary 12Cilindri. It is one thing to appreciate these lines in photographs and quite another to stand before the original.

Speaking of contemporary Ferraris, the F80 was present in all its carbon-fibre-laden glory. Ferrari's latest halo car received a fair amount of flak when it first broke cover, particularly for its rather unconventional styling and the decision to replace the holy V12 with a V6. But as is often the case with radical designs, familiarity breeds affection. The F80 has grown on us tremendously. The sheer extent to which carbon fibre has been employed is staggering, and while the engine may have six cylinders rather than twelve, hearing it through the track exhaust setup was enough to silence most objections. It sounds absolutely unhinged!

And the origins of that engine bring us to another rather significant machine on display, the Ferrari 499P. After a fifty-year absence from the top class of endurance racing, Ferrari returned to Le Mans in 2023 and promptly won the bloody thing. It then went on to repeat the feat in 2024 and 2025. The 499P shares its fundamental 120-degree twin-turbocharged V6 architecture with the 296 family, and the F80 draws heavily from the engineering lessons of Ferrari's endurance programme. Seeing a Le Mans-winning machine in India is something we would not have imagined a few years ago.

Keeping the racing theme alive were the 296 Challenge and 296 GT3. Both are purpose-built competition machines, stripped of the niceties that make their road-going siblings tolerable in everyday traffic. The GT3 in particular looks absolutely menacing, with enough aerodynamic appendages to make a commercial aircraft blush.

Amongst all these modern-day technological marvels, however, sat a Ferrari with a rather special connection to India. The 612 Scaglietti. Back in 2008, long before Ferrari had established the presence it enjoys in India today, two 612 Scagliettis embarked on the ambitious Magic India Discovery Drive. Flagged off from Mumbai by the late Ratan Tata and John Elkann, the cars traversed over 13,000 kilometres across 57 Indian cities in approximately 70 days. The drive was a consequence of Sir Tata’s friendship with the Agnelli family and his attempt to introduce the marque to India. Tata was supposed to bring in Ferrari to India officially, but that never happened back in the day.

Remember, this was India in 2008, when our highways were considerably less forgiving and the idea of taking a low-slung Italian V12 grand tourer across the country bordered on lunacy. Apart from slightly raised suspension and additional underbody protection, these were essentially standard production cars. Finished with some very desi insignia, including “Left hand drive” stickers on the rear bumpers in Devanagiri script, this car was basically Universo Ferrari for India before half the country even knew what Ferrari was. Eighteen years later, seeing one of those very machines return to India was rather heartwarming. Cars have an uncanny ability to preserve stories. Every wrinkle in the leather, chip in the paint, has a story to tell and this particular 612 has them written in India close to two decades ago. It was perhaps one of the most historically significant cars at the exhibition, at least from an Indian perspective.

From the 612 to the 12Cilindri Spider. Finished in Blu Swaters over a Cuoio leather interior, this was possibly one of the most tasteful specifications in the entire hall. There is something eternally elegant about a dark blue Ferrari with a tan interior, particularly when the car in question has twelve naturally aspirated cylinders sitting ahead of its occupants. The combination reminded us of Shalin's Ferrari back in Bombay. Clearly, the man was onto something long before the rest of us caught up!

The white Purosangue parked nearby was a reminder that Ferrari has learnt to accommodate the family man too. Four doors, four proper seats and sufficient practicality to make it a rather compelling everyday proposition. Yes, it is a considerable detour from the traditional two-door Ferrari, but when the manufacturer has had the good sense to retain a naturally aspirated V12, who are we to complain? Call Racetech, ask them to stick up some Novitec pipes up its ass and you become the coolest parent in your kid’s school. And all neighbouring schools as well.

One car that particularly piqued our interest was the 12Cilindri Manuale. We absolutely love the idea behind this machine! Ferrari's attempt at resurrecting the manual experience through an electronically simulated shift mechanism has understandably attracted criticism from purists. An electric manual? Blasphemy? Think about it for a moment. We are talking about an 830-horsepower, 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 that revs to an astonishing 9,500 rpm. Could one realistically plonk a conventional analogue manual gearbox into such a machine without making it a complete handful (and legful) to drive? Perhaps, but the compromises would be considerable. If technology can recreate some of that tactile involvement without sacrificing the extraordinary performance of the modern V12, we are all for giving it a chance. The proof, of course, will be in the driving.

Another fascinating exhibit was the SP3 Mulotipo, a development mule that concealed Daytona SP3 engineering beneath modified LaFerrari bodywork. There is something delightfully mischievous about manufacturers disguising their future masterpieces as existing cars. In a rather peculiar way, we managed to see both an SP3 and a LaFerrari without actually seeing either of them!

What is Ferrari without racing. We had a piece of Formula 1 on display.

Ferrari had brought along the SF-26, the machine campaigned (sometimes into a wall) by Charles Leclerc in the current season. Charles' car, in particular, received a little divine intervention from us. We placed a Lord Ganesha idol on the machine in the hope that the Gods might look favourably upon the Monegasque's fortunes for the remainder of the season. If Charles enjoys a spectacular run from hereon, you know whom to thank. If things go south, however, we would strongly recommend directing your grievances towards the race engineers. We had absolutely nothing to do with it.

The exhibition also saw Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna present the new Luce, the marque's electric offering. We shall reserve our commentary on the car itself for the 31st day of November, but Vigna is a particularly fascinating gentleman. A physicist by education, he was instrumental in developing the miniature three-dimensional accelerometer that eventually found its way into everything from automobiles to consumer electronics. It isn't every day that one gets to have a conversation with a man who has helped shape modern technology and now finds himself steering one of the world's most emotional automotive brands into an increasingly digital future. Quite the juxtaposition!

Beyond the cars themselves, Universo Ferrari represents something far more consequential for the Indian automotive enthusiast. For decades, India has been a relatively small market for Ferrari, and in the grand scheme of Maranello's global operations, it continues to be one. Yet the decision to bring an exhibition of this magnitude to our shores speaks volumes about how seriously the manufacturer is beginning to take the country. The impending India-EU Free Trade Agreement makes the timing particularly interesting. With the anticipated reduction in import duties, models such as the Purosangue, Amalfi and 12Cilindri are set to become considerably more accessible. Accessible, of course, being a relative term when we are discussing automobiles that cost several crores of rupees. But a few crores saved is a few crores earned, isn't it? If you find yourself suitably tempted, Sanyam at Ferrari New Delhi would be more than happy to assist in making your bank balance a little lighter and your parking space a little more interesting.

There is also the tantalising prospect of a more hardcore 296, rumoured to resurrect the Challenge Stradale nameplate. If the whispers of a non-hybrid V6 prove true, it could benefit from the same favourable tariff treatment while offering something akin to a Porsche 911 GT3 RS with a generous helping of Italian flair. Now that is a proposition we would love to see materialise!

As we walked away from Universo Ferrari, what stayed with us wasn't merely the sight of the F50 or the astonishing engineering of the F80. It was the fact that an Indian enthusiast could now experience such a remarkable cross-section of Ferrari's history without having to leave the country. From a Daytona that represents the romantic excesses of yesteryear to an electric Ferrari that promises to redefine the marque's future, Universo Ferrari was a celebration of everything that makes this little manufacturer from Maranello so special. Ferraris will inevitably become faster, cleverer and perhaps even quieter. The world around them will change, as will the people who buy them. But as long as there are grown men willing to travel hundreds of kilometres just to stand before a thirty-year-old Italian machine, the romance will remain very much alive.

Here's to Ferrari bringing a little more of Maranello to India. And here's to hoping that someday, some of the machines we admired behind velvet ropes will be seen doing what they were built to do, out on our roads, with their engines singing away.

For there is no greater exhibition of a Ferrari than a Ferrari being driven.