The 458 Speciale: Ferrari's Most Advanced and Fun to Drive Mid-Engined V8
Ferrari's latest creation, the 458 Speciale, is the fastest and most advanced mid-engined V8 that the Italian luxury sports car manufacturer has ever built. With a price tag of just over £200,000 when it reaches the UK next February, this new model promises to deliver an unparalleled driving experience for its owners.
The engine in the 458 Speciale is truly exceptional, boasting an incredible 14:1 compression ratio and a rev limit of over 9,000. This powerplant produces a whopping 597 horsepower, significantly more than the standard 4558 model. Moreover, it provides even more torque across the entire rev range, making it a true powerhouse on both road and track. To achieve this level of performance, Ferrari has implemented various weight reduction measures, such as a 90 kg decrease in overall weight, which further enhances the car's agility and responsiveness.
The Speciale's suspension has been tweaked to provide a sharper and more precise ride, while the steering remains largely unchanged from the standard 458 Italia. However, with the front suspension modifications, the steering now feels even more pinned and responsive. The power assistance in the steering rack might be slightly too strong, but this does not hinder the car's ability to navigate any corner with precision. Perhaps the most notable difference, however, is the braking system. Ferrari has fitted the 458 Speciale with a bespoke braking system from their LaFerrari model, featuring different materials in the pads and discs, larger calipers, and other tweaks to optimize performance.
The brakes are indeed one of the most impressive features of the 458 Speciale. They allow for incredible stopping power, rivaling even that of GT3 cars. The car's responsiveness and handling have been enhanced by a combination of aerodynamic modifications, improved tires, and a specially developed SSC system. This advanced feature enables drivers to control the vehicle's rear-end slip angle while still maintaining stability. The SSC system is essentially a new setting within the Manto system, allowing drivers to intentionally slide the car sideways without disengaging the electronic stability control.
The 458 Speciale's performance capabilities are truly awe-inspiring. When driven aggressively, it can outperform even the standard 4558 model on both road and track. The engine's response to throttle input is immediate and visceral, making it feel almost like a racing car. Moreover, the SSC system enables drivers to push the limits of their driving skills without worrying about the vehicle turning around or losing control. This results in an exhilarating experience that leaves even the most seasoned drivers grinning from ear to ear.
What sets the 458 Speciale apart from its predecessors is not only its incredible performance but also its refined and enjoyable handling. The car's balance is sublime, making it both sharp and friendly at the same time. Whether driving on a twisty mountain road or carving through a busy city street, the Speciale feels incredibly agile and responsive. Ferrari has managed to strike a perfect balance between delivering an intense driving experience and providing ease of use, ensuring that even novice drivers can enjoy the thrill of this magnificent machine.
In many ways, the 458 Speciale represents the pinnacle of what Ferrari has achieved in terms of mid-engined V8 performance. With its incredible power output, advanced technology, and sublime handling, it truly sets a new benchmark for the company's high-performance models. Whether you're a seasoned racing enthusiast or simply a car aficionado seeking an exceptional driving experience, the 458 Speciale is undoubtedly worth considering as one of the most exciting road cars available today.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthe 458 Speciale is the fastest most advanced but also the most fun to drive mid-engined V8 that Ferrari has ever built and those are Ferrari's words not our it'll cost just over £200,000 when it reaches the UK next February and in reality it will be one of the most exciting road cars there has ever been here is a little taster as to why the engine in the Speciale is the most potent non-turbo V8 that Ferrari has ever built with an incredible 14:1 compression ratio and a rev limit of over 9,000 it thumps out not just more power than the regular 4558 in this case a whopping 597 vhp but also more more torque right across the entire rev range dialing a 90 kg reduction in overall weight plus various other bits of twery to the brakes the gearbox the tires the aerodynamics and the suspension and what you end up with is a car that can run rings around the standard 458 Italia on road or track and the last time I drove one of those it didn't exactly strike me as being slow so what does all that feel like out on the road the moment you start driving the 458 espe on the road all these instant things just come flying at you which Define it as being different and something sharper and Superior even than a regular 4558 Italian the suspension has been tweaked quite heavily to just be sharper every everywhere the steering isn't actually that different but because there have been changes to the to the front suspension it does feel that much more pinned that much more precise it's very light though the power assistance is I don't know possibly a little bit too strong given how urgent the rack is but you can still put the put the nose of this car just where you want to in any corner but the really big difference is apart from the SSC system which we'll come to are the brakes the engine and most of all I think the gearbox upshifts are now 20% faster than in the normal Italia and down shifts of 44% sharper and that just means it on the Move It feels like you think about downshifting and the thing has downshifted almost before you've made a physical movement at the paddle it is incredible how fast and how well this thing changes gear the statistics of the engine we've already talked about but what you can't ever experience until you actually drive this thing is just the urgency of response at the pedal to what you do with your feet it's it's incredible it feels like it feels like a proper racing car almost the way it responds there's also more noise as you can probably hear inside but not outside they know full well that this car is going to be used at track days an awful lot and there's no point having making a track day car that blows all the noise regulations to Pieces the brakes let's talk about the brakes basically what you get on this car is the braking system from laf Ferrari you got different material in the pads different material in the discs themselves much bigger calipers and as a result add in the 90 kg weight reduction this thing just stops on a six it really does outside of a GT3 and I think possibly even including the new GT3 I don't think I've driven a road car that stops as well as this one does and as you can also see you can Muck about with the handling of this car with the chassis of this car to your heart's content and that is because it's just so nicely balanced it's sharp but it's also friendly perhaps the special's best party trick is its new SSC system which stands for side slip control it's basically a new setting within the Mantino system that allows you to go sideways in the car but with the ESP system still engaged so it'll save you if things get too far out of shape you can still turn everything off and go complet completely sideways if that's what turns you on but with SSC engaged Ferrari reckons the car is actually faster and more thrilling to drive for most people than it is with everything Switched Off here's how that works on the track okay third gear Corner that is just absolutely amazing I mean that's an 85 90 mph corner there once once you've got the car where it needs to be at the Apex that's when this system really works well for you cuz then you can just whack the throttle open without fear of the thing turning around I mean watch that's amazing I mean that is making me look like some kind of superhero but it's not me that's doing that it's allowing me enough throttle to get the back end out but not so much that turn the car around it's amazing hard though it might be to believe but the special really does make the regular 458 Italia feel like yesterday's car it's so much faster and more urgent than the standard car when you're going for it and yet it's almost as civilized if you just want to Potter about in it and that's probably its greatest trick of all being epically quick and exciting but also and I know just so damn easy to drive there's no fight to be had when driving this car in other words just pure pleasure whatever will they come up with next\n"
