Ferrari 458 Speciale To Succeed F430 Scuderia; Frankfurt Reveal

The engine behind the seats is the same naturally aspirated 4.5 liter V8 unit, rated at 562 HP and 398 lb-ft of torque. The Speciale's engine has been uptuned to 597 HP. Torque remains the same.

At the same time, the weight of the Speciale has also been brought down to 1,290 kg. Generating 133 HP/liter the V8 powering the 458 Speciale is now the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 ever developed by Ferrari for a production car.

As a result, the car can now achieve new heights in terms of performance. 0-100 km/h is dispatched in 3.0 seconds flat and 0-200 km/h takes just 9.1 seconds.
Ferrari has released the lap time achieved by the 458 Speciale at the company test track, Fiorano. It stands thus:

• Ferrari 458 Speciale: 1:23.5 sec
• Ferrari 458 Italia 1: 25 sec
• Ferrari F12 Berlinetta: 1:23 sec
• Ferrari LaFerrari: 1:20 sec



The upgrade received by the Speciale extends beyond just a minor engine tuning and weight reduction. It now comes with adjustable front and rear flaps which alter the way air flows across the car, thus increasing downforce and reducing drag.



Ferrari also talks about something called Side Slip Angle Control (SSC) that has been integrated into the 458 Speciale's design. SSC is some sort of electronic brake force distribution and torque management system. The system analyses the tyre slip angle (the angle at which the tyres have turned while taking a turn), compares it to previously recorded target numbers and outputs optimum torque through traction control and torque vectoring.



Ferrari 458 Italia also comes with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. These are said to improve lap times as well are provide better all-round wet weather traction.