Many auto enthusiasts, including myself, feel like Ferrari has lost some of its brand identity over the last decade. While they still make fire-breathing V12-powered supercars, such as the Ferrari 12Cilindri, they lack the analog feel found in prancing horses of the past.
Not to mention, they offer an SUV (which they say isn’t an SUV), and their flagship car at the moment, the F80, uses a hybrid-assisted turbocharged V6.
This begs the question – when did Ferrari truly peak? While some argue that the Enzo or the LaFerrari is the Italian powerhouse’s greatest 21st-century creation, I’d say that honor goes to a much less expensive, limited-edition, V8-powered, mid-engined sports car.
The Ferrari 458 Speciale
Some of the most important V8-powered modern-day Ferrari cars include the 360, F430, 458 Italia, 488 GTB and F8 Tributo. Ferrari offered limited-edition versions of these models (except the F8) by gutting their interiors, tweaking their engines slightly, and revitalizing their appearances, too.
These included the 360 Challenge, 430 Scuderia, 458 Speciale, and 488 Pista. All these cars are exceptionally rare and cost an absolute fortune nowadays. Without a doubt in my mind, the best of the bunch, and the peak of 21st century Ferrari is, and will most probably remain, the Ferrari 458 Speciale.
To the untrained eye, the Speciale may appear similar to the “normal” 458 Italia”. However, once you start looking with a magnifying glass, you’ll see Speciale bespoke details that set it apart. Aggressive vents on the side of the hood to complement its revised facia, forged wheels, pointy side skirts, as well as a cheeky rear spoiler and dual exit exhaust tips integrated into the redesigned rear bumper are what separates it from the normal Italia at face value.
On the inside, you’ll also notice it contained just the bare minimum. It lacked floor mats and sound insulation, had manually adjustable bucket seats with harnesses, and, of course, a sea of carbon fiber. What you don’t see is the active aerodynamics practicing voodoo without you knowing. But there’s much to this prancing horse that piques my interest.
Speciale Powertrain And Tech
Most importantly, its naturally aspirated flat-plane crank 4.5-liter V8 engine had some magic done to it, too. Just like the normal 458 Italia, the V8 sits right behind your head and has a ridiculous redline rated at 9,000 rpm, making it one of the highest-revving V8s of all time.
The upgraded Speciale has 597 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque on tap — 35 ponies more than the Italia. Sure, it might not sound like a world of a difference, but couple that with its new 3,000-lb curb weight, and it all makes sense.
Ferrari claims the Speciale takes only 0.06 seconds to respond to steering input and achieves up to 1.33 g of lateral grip when pushed to its limits. In the real world, this means the Ferrari 458 Speciale catapults from 0 to 60 mph in a scant 2.8 seconds and tops out beyond 200 mph. On top of being ferociously fast, it stops as if it hit a wall, reaching zero from 60 mph in less than 100 feet.
Ferrari added gimmicky technology to make it as fun to drive as possible – a piece of tech they use to this day. The system is called side-slip control; it uses both the traction control and rear differential to determine how far your tail can slide out. Some may call it a bit of a cheat mode, but I like to think of it as a sophisticated drift mode.
Like other Ferraris, the Speciale has a leather-wrapped carbon fiber steering wheel with a strip of LED lights to tell you when to shift. You know, if you happen to overlook the monstrous analog tachometer that takes up most of the gauge cluster.
It’s Rare And Expensive
Chances you’ll see one in real life are pretty slim, with only 3,000 examples of the 458 Speciale ever made. Even more exclusive is the topless version of the Speciale, called the Aperta, which had a retractable hardtop. Ferrari only made 499 Apertas, so it is somewhat sensible as to why they sell for $675,000 on average as per Classic.com.
The Ferrari 458 Speciale is the greatest creation to leave Maranello since the Enzo, as it hits the sweet spot between modern technology with an analog feel. Despite the 488 Pista and F8 being objectively better, faster cars, the Speciale remains more, well, special. After all, it’s the last-ever Ferrari to showcase a naturally aspirated V8 engine. Should Ferrari continue to go down the money-hungry, hybrid-assisted path, I fear the prancing horse brand may cease to exist as we know it.
