Ferrari 458 Speciale Review

The Speciale was Ferrari's farewell to the naturally aspirated mid-engined V8. Shown at Frankfurt in 2013, it took the 458 Italia, stripped the cabin, added power and moving aerodynamic flaps front and rear, and introduced Side Slip Control, software that compares how far the car is sliding with a target and manages torque through the F1-Trac traction control and the E-Diff to match. The 458's successor, the 488, switched to turbochargers in 2015, which is why this car reads as the end of a line rather than a step along it.

The engine is the high point of a very good family. The 4.5 liter V8 makes 597 hp at 9,000 rpm and 398 lb-ft at 6,000, about 135 cv per liter, and drives the rear wheels through the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox that is the only transmission. Ferrari quotes 3.0 seconds to 62 mph, 1.33 g of lateral grip and a Fiorano lap of 1:23.5, half a second behind the V12 F12berlinetta. Reviewers at launch noted that it would light up its rear tires in first, second and third on a dry road and that a Porsche 911 GT3 finds far more traction, and most counted that as part of the appeal.

The cabin is Alcantara and carbon, with carbon-shelled Sabelt seats and pockets where the glovebox used to be, and like every 458 it puts the turn signals and headlight controls on the steering wheel, a layout developed with input from Michael Schumacher. The 458's two notable recalls, for wheel arch adhesive that could overheat and catch fire in 2010 and for incorrectly fitted crankshafts in some 2011 and 2012 US cars, predate the Speciale. The EPA rates it at 14 mpg combined. It listed at $291,744 in America, and auction results have run past $800,000 since 2025.

The Speciale is the best argument that Ferrari's mid-engined V8 peaked before the turbochargers arrived. Later cars are faster; none has an engine with this response or this sound, and few have made as much of a rear-drive chassis without hybrid help. Top Gear named it Supercar of the Year for 2013 and James May made it his car of the year. Values suggest collectors reached the same conclusion.