The 250 GT SWB was designed by Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti. It was designed for the race track and the road. This two-seater had an aggressive stance and a wheel base 8 inches shorter than the LWB edition. The street versions were called 'Lusso' (luxury) and contained a Colombo V-12 producing as much as 280 BHP and propelled the vehicle to a top speed of about 150 mph. Modifications had been made to the engine to make it easier to work on during competition events. For example the spark plugs were moved to make them more accessible. The competition models had their body entirely made of the weight-saving metal aluminum. Also, plastic side windows were used to help keep the weight to a minimum. By shortening the wheel base, the chassis became more solid and the vehicle more agile.
The Berlinetta (litle coupe) Lusso (luxury), more commonly known as the 250 GT/L was also designed by Pininfarina and debuted at the 1962 Paris show.
There were vents located under the front head lights. These were used to cool the disc brakes. There were also vents behind each wheel which served the same purpose.