Ferrari introduces the 458 Speciale
Ferrari have officially announced the 458 Speciale seen as the more aggressive race-bred version of the 458 Italia and the successor to the F430 Scuderia that we have all been waiting for. It will be premiered at the 65th International Motor Show in Frankfurt next month, and excitement at the prospect of its debut is already spreading amongst petrolheads at a speed close to those reached by its 4.5-litre V8 predecessor!
Following in the footsteps of the 430 Scuderia and the 360 Challenge Stradale before it, the car will be an altogether more hardcore and dynamic example than its sibling with a sizeable reduction in weight and a peak output of 597bhp, compared to the original’s 562bhp and more specifically 133bhp per litre, delivered at 9,000rpm, and will be the highest the world has ever seen in terms of naturally-aspirated, road-legal engines. Although this claim has been disputed with the Porsche 918 Spyder said by some to boast an even higher output there can be no doubting that, record-breaking or not, it will pack an almighty punch.
Other noticeable changes on the standard 458 include favouring a dual exhaust over the triple exhaust which helped define the 458. Hand painted blue and white racing stripes and also two massive air intakes at the front and wings on the side sills are among the aesthetic innovations. The interior will feature metal plates instead of carpets and there is new technology including a Side Slip Angle Control System (SSC) which works with the Traction Control and the electronic rear differential to control slides much more effectively.
The small matter of the price is something that Ferrari haven’t yet been as forthcoming about in their releases, but insiders believe that the 458 Italia’s £178,526 price tag is about £25-30K shy of what the souped-up Speciale will be available for upon release.
If you are interested in the new 458 Speciale Romans International are one of the UK’s leading independent Ferrari dealers and will have access to the first models available so please do get in touch.