2015 Ferrari 458 Speciale

 

2013 was the first year of production for the Ferrari 458 Speciale, making the car a decade old as of this year. Since then, Ferrari has gone on to develop two more generations of their mid engined supercar (the 488 and F8 Tributo). Although every new generation of Ferrari is developed to beat the previous one on the stopwatch, the Speciale is recognised by prancing horse enthusiasts as a pinnacle modern Ferrari for the way it ignites the emotions of the driver. 

 

The Speciale is the last mid-engined naturally aspirated V8 to leave the Ferrari factory. Ferrari certainly left their impact with the development of this engine. The flat-plane V8 produces 132.7 horsepower per-liter which is a tremendous feat for a naturally aspirated engine even by modern standards. Road and Track described this engine as feeling “sharp enough to shave with”. With a 9000 rpm redline, that old school Ferrari scream can be conducted through a wide range of pitch.

 

In 2017 Ferrari and Pininfarina decided to go their separate ways and end their collaboration. This meant that the 458 was the last V8 Ferrari to wear the Pininfarina badge. 

 

Although Ferrari has continued to push development and been able to shave seconds off of their lap times, the Speciale is known as the Ferrari to offer the perfect balance of performance and passion. Today, manufacturers are forced to comply with many government rules and regulations which in turn results in cars that don’t express themselves like they used to. The Speciale was the last car in which Ferrari could express their undivided passion to the driver.