A new version of the Ferrari 458 Italia has been announced by the Italian supercar maker: it’s more hardcore, it’s called the Speciale and it’s going to be premiered next month’s International Auto Show in Frankfurt. It’s more powerful and lighter than the standard 458 and it even comes with a couple of styling tweaks that make it even more aerodynamic.
First, let’s talk about power and performances. The car’s 4.5L V8 engine has been tweaked and reworked and it’s now able to produce 605 horsepower and 540 Nm of torque which apparently makes it Ferrari’s most powerful naturally-aspirated V8 engine ever, delivering 135 HP per liter – that’s also the highest figure achieved by a road-going naturally aspirated engine.
The weight of the Ferrari 458 Speciale is just 1,290 kg and since the car is even more powerful, it can go from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3 seconds and it could hit 200 km/h in just 9.1 seconds. The Speciale even went around the company’s test track in Fiorano and managed to do a 1m 23.5s time that’s 1.5 seconds quicker than the normal 458 Italia.
In terms of styling, Ferrari worked with Pininfarina for a couple of tweaks like moveable aerodynamic flaps for the front and rear that automatically adapt to reduce drag and balance downforce when needed. The high tech Side Slip Angle Control (SSC) system is also present on this car optimizing torque management and torque distribution between the wheels.
Even the tires have been specially developed for the Ferrari 458 Speciale – it comes with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires designed to boost performance and to provide maximum available grip in the wet. No clue how much it costs, but we all know it’s going to have a prohibitive price tag.
[Ferrari]
