Friday Drool – Time for your Dose of Ferrari Red

Everyone needs a red Ferrari in their life, and today this 458 Speciale is filling that need for me. Hey, sometimes that Rosso Corsa supercar has to be on our screens rather than in our garages. That’s why we brought you such a special car to drool over today. This is not just any Ferrari 458; this represents the high-octane version of the already spectacular V8 supercar. Ferrari went to great lengths to ensure the 458 Speciale was significantly better than the base model, so let’s examine what all that entailed.

The Ferrari 458 Speciale is all about performance. Let’s start with the engine, then move to the other features that make this car so, erm, special. Revisions to the standard car’s 4.5 litre V8 such as a higher compression ratio and new pistons and manifolds bumped power up from 562 to 597bhp at 9000 rpm. The torque figure stayed the same at 540 Nm. The 458 Italia’s engine was a revelation, so naturally the Speciale’s revised V8 was even more exciting; brutal, razor-sharp, and animalistic. The combination of increased power and lower weight (90 kg lighter, to be exact) dropped the 62-mph dash from 3.4 to a nice round (and insanely fast) 3.0 seconds. Track performance was also improved by using firmer springs, updated carbon-ceramic brakes, and a faster steering ratio. Amazingly, the stiffer ride never becomes overly harsh, even on rough back roads. The 458 Speciale resultingly laps Fiorano about 1.5 seconds faster than the 458 Italia.

This Speciale is currently for sale at Bramley Motor Cars. Here is what they say about it:

We are delighted to be able to offer for sale this Exceptional Ferrari 458 Speciale. Finished in Rosso Red with Nart Racing Stripe and Tessuto Blu Racing Seats. Supplied with the balance of the 7 year Service Plan.

It’s not often you see immediate appreciation on your vehicle purchase, but that seems to be the case here. The £329,850 asking price represents a healthy £120,000 increase over the base price for a new Speciale back in 2015. And that’s with over 7,000 miles on this car. Time will tell if this upward trend continues for the Ferrari 458 Speciale.