Ferrari 458 Speciale
In short, it is the hardcore variant of the 458 Italia. An improved, lighter, sharper handling version of the 458 Italia with its naturally aspirated V8 that can convert air and fuel quickly enough to produce 605 horsepower at 9000 rpm. Torque is 540 Nm and is delivered at 6000 rpm, so it is certainly not turbodiesel like. Thanks to these figures, the 458 Speciale accelerates from zero to one hundred kilometres per hour in an asphalt shredding three point zero seconds. From zero to two hundred kilometres per hour takes nine point five seconds. The top speed is three hundred twenty five kilometres per hour. The 458 Speciale weighs no less than ninety kilograms less than the standard 458 Italia.
This weight reduction is the result of an almost obsessive attention to detail, a long list of deletions and savings. The engine received new camshafts, increased valve lift, redesigned shorter intake manifolds and different pistons to handle the compression ratio of fourteen to one, an impressive figure for a road car, and different materials were used to make it eight kilograms lighter than the standard engine. The Speciale has lighter forged wheels that save twelve kilograms, a newly designed lighter body, less glass that saves sixteen kilograms and a stripped interior that removes another twenty kilograms. Together with other modifications, this equals the weight of a fairly heavy passenger.
The statistics do not do the car justice. To be honest, the theoretical weight savings compared to the standard 458 do not seem entirely worth it. Yet the Speciale feels very different from the standard Italia. Immediately. You might suspect the extra performance from the additional vents and stripes on the exterior, but only when you drive it do you realise how special the Speciale truly is. Yes, the car is docile enough for the city. If you had seen something like this in the nineteen seventies, you would have literally fallen over at the fact that a car with such performance was so easy to drive. But the moment you press the throttle on a good road, you start laughing.
First the obvious things. With the reduction of insulation, sound can penetrate your eardrums freely, and it is loud. Far removed from the explosive force of a turbo engine that shoots you toward the horizon in a series of dull surges, this engine with its nine thousand rpm seems to enjoy every revolution, every stroke of every cylinder. Every gear feels like one long sweet spot. Gently pull the large carbon paddle on the right side of the steering wheel and the car immediately selects a new gear and repeats the process until the road or your courage runs out. The seven speed F1 dual clutch gearbox appears to give even faster throttle blips than before during downshifts, but in reality you mainly feel that the downshift is slightly more aggressive.
Find a corner and you can downshift with a hard crack from the exhaust, push firmly on the brake and you travel back in time. The brakes were developed together with Brembo and apparently derive from lessons learned with the LaFerrari. Smaller front brake calipers made from hybrid HY material that grip HT2 discs with a higher silicon content than before. According to Ferrari, the Speciale comes to a stop eight percent faster than the 458 Italia.
There is more. On the worst roads, the 458 should be bouncing all over the place, but the chassis remains virtually unflappable. That is undoubtedly thanks to the special SCM E dampers, this time equipped with two coils and new software that changes the magnetic field in the magnetorheological dampers every millisecond. Incredibly clever technology that translates into impressive handling, and combined with the Michelin tyres developed specifically for this car, the grip is enormous, allowing you to push even harder. Grip is present to such an extent that you can summon eardrum shattering noises from the epic engine even in corners. Select Race or CT Off with the manettino dial and Ferrari’s Side Slip Angle Control determines how much sideways force you can handle and makes it happen. What happens in essence is that the system monitors what you do, compares it to its own reference data, and then uses torque vectoring through the electronic differential on the driven wheels to make the car behave more or less as you intended. The system turns average drivers into heroes and heroes into legends. The best part is the feeling that you are doing it all on your own. The car keeps giving feedback, so it does not feel artificial or isolated. The system does not feel like it puts an electronic wall in place. It feels more like performance enhancing technology.
On a series of beautiful wide second gear Italian hairpins or on a dry road with long third gear stretches, the Speciale howls as if it is being launched toward the top of a hill. Accelerating, braking, steering, sliding. It becomes rhythmic and the changing LEDs on the top edge of the steering wheel become the only disco lights you will ever want to see again. Again, there is a sense of balance and harmony between all elements that make up this machine. Everything fits together on a very fundamental level, allowing you to enjoy the experience freely.
The Speciale is a 458, but certainly much more than that. The steering is so finely tuned that the nose never dips toward an apex, but naturally follows your line of sight into the corner. The car settles and then you can add power and feel the g forces build until you exit the corner on the other side with a slight counter steer motion. Only when the system is completely switched off do you realise how hard the electronic aids have been working. The rear comes around much quicker and will keep going if you give it space. Thanks to the electronics, the entire experience feels less violent. It is wonderful to feel this technology in a mid engined supercar. More than anything else, the Speciale feels like the car genuinely enjoys what it does. The revving of the engine, the hard braking, the turn in and the bracing of your neck against the g forces, that is what this car is built for. The world becomes a green grey blur and your entire focus is on scanning the road ahead. No wonder the Speciale looks a bit like a bird of prey. When you enter the flow, the road becomes the prey.
The example we are offering is a remarkable Speciale finished in Nero Daytona metallic with a Grigio Corsa stripe. It comes from the second owner and is equipped with every option that could be selected during ordering. And very importantly, all the carbon options. The Speciale is in absolute mint condition and still wears its original paint. To protect it, the front section has always been fitted with stone chip protection film. In terms of quality, this Speciale is exceptionally good.
Factory options:
EXTC NERO DAYTONA METALLIC
INTC ALCANTARA NERA
CRPT EXTRACAMPIONARIO-NOT STANDARD
AFS1 AFS SYSTEM
CALY YELLOW BRAKE CALLIPERS
CEL2 ENGINE COVER IN CARBON FIBRE
CEXD REAR DIFFUSER IN CARBON FIBRE
CHIP ANTI STONE CHIPPING FILM
CRS1 CRUISE CONTROL
CSB1 COLOURED SAFETY BELTS GIALLO
CTUA ALCANTARA CENTRAL TUNNEL – ALCANTARA NERA
ELEV SUSPENSION LIFTER
EMPH HORSE STITCHED ON HEADREST GIALLO
EXAT TITANIUM EXHAUST PIPES
HAW1 HEAT INSULATED WINDSCREEN
HELE HIGH EMOTION LOW EMISSION
LANG USER MANUAL BOOKLET
LOGO ‘SCUDERIA’ FERRARI SHIELDS
MIR2 INT/EXT ELECTROCHROMIC MIRRORS
NAVC RADIONAVI SYSTEM + BLUETOOTH
PAC1 PARKING CAMERA
PAR2 FRONT AND REAR PARKING SENSORS
PNT7 RACING STRIPE GRIGIO CORSA
RPMY YELLOW REV. COUNTER
RSCH CARBON FIBRE RACING SEATS LARGE
RSFT DRIVER SEAT ADJUSTMENT DEVICE
SND2 INTEGRATED AUDIO SYSTEM
STC1 COLOURED STANDARD STITCHING GIALLO
T3D1 INTERIOR 3D FABRIC COLOUR
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