The History and Evolution of the Ferrari 458 Italia

The mid-engine Italian sports car, the Ferrari 458 Italia, was produced to replace the Ferrari F430. The Ferrari 458 Italia saw its official unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009. Ferrari introduced the Ferrari 488 in 2015 at the Geneva Motor Show, which then essentially became the 458’s replacement.

There aren’t many cars that could even touch the Ferrari 458 Italia when it comes to speed. Its 562-hp V-8 engine, featuring direct fuel injection, paired with the innovative F1-inspired suspension and seven-speed dual clutch, make it the absolute best and certainly fastest sports car on the road today. And, it looks it, too. The styling is intense and it has an interior to match. The body computer system was designed and developed by Magneti Marelli Automotive Lighting. And, for those speed demons who want even more speed, Ferrari also makes a very exclusive 458 Speciale A and it offers an amazing 597 hp.

2015 Ferrari 458 Italia Specifications:

2015 Ferrari 458 Italia MSRP- Starting at $239,340

Engine- 4.5 L V8
Horsepower- 570 hp
Curb weight- 3,274 lbs
MPG- 13 city / 17 highway
Dimensions: 178″ L x 76″ W x 48″ H

Ferrari 458 Speciale A

The Ferrari 458 Speciale A has an “A” on the end because it stands for Aperta, which means “open” in Italian, not awesome as some Americans might think. This particular 458 Italia is a very special exclusive version of the 458 Spider with all the bells, whistles, and special upgrades that have made it such a big hit with fast car enthusiasts. What this means is 398 lb-ft of torque and 597 horsepower provided by 4.5-liter V-8 that makes the Ferrari 458 Speciale A the most impressive spider to ever come out of Maranello. There are a number of factors that are responsible for the increase in power, including reworked intake ports and runners, a new carbon fiber airbox and manifold, higher lift for the exhaust valves and intake, a 14:1 compression ratio, and new pistons. In addition, the gearbox is a revision of Ferrari’s seven-speed dual clutch automatic and it shifts amazingly fast.

With an aluminum deployable lid that raises and retracts in a mere 14 seconds; what’s not to like about the Ferrari 458 Speciale A? According to company estimates, it will zoom from zero to 62 mph in just three seconds flat. There are a few additional carry-overs from the Speciale with a fixed-top, including Side Slip Angle Control, which measures the slip angle in real time for the purpose of adjusting the stability control and the electronic rear differential. There are also a wealth of chassis, steering, suspension, and other upgrades available.

The A model also has the 458 Speciale’s aerodynamic features, which are quite advanced and include a flap in front of the Ferrari logo on the front of the car’s fascia, which circulates air under the vehicle for creating more rear downforce when traveling at high speed. There are also spring-loaded doors in the front that will open when the vehicle is traveling over 105 mph for diverting air from the radiators to vanes that are located at the corners of the vehicle. The normal three-tip central exhaust used on the Spider has been revised to turn into two wider-set cannons for accommodating a drag-reduction setup that is motor-actuated and a large rear diffuser, both of which will be dropping from the rear end’s underside for assisting in achieving Vmax. The Ferrari 458 Speciale A coupe is capable of hitting 202 mph. It debuted in 2014 at the Paris auto show and only 499 of them were built, making every one of them very special indeed.

Ferrari 458 Speciale A Specifications:

2015 Ferrari 458 Speciale A MSRP- Starting at $300,000
Class- Sports car (S)
Available Body Styles- Two door Berlinetta
Two door spider
Engine- Ferrari 4.5 L F136 F V8
Transmission- Seven-speed dual-clutch
Length- 4,527 mm (178.2 inches)
Wheelbase- 2,650 mm (104.3 inches)
Width- 1,937 mm (76.3 inches)
Height- 1,213 mm (47.8 inches)
Curb weight- 1,565 kg (3,450 pounds)
Layout- Longitudinal RMR
Designer- Pininfarina Ferrari
Production Years- 2009 to 2015
Model Years- 2010 to 2015
Predecessor- Ferrari F430
Successor- Ferrari 488
Assembled in- Maranello, Italy

Options

The list of available options from Ferrari is quite extensive. In fact, basically, if you come up with enough cash, you can have a fully customized Ferrari 458 that is customized to your very own personal specifications. One British buyer did just that and he ended up with a one-of-a-kind Ferrari 458 Speciale MM complete with a customized body, custom styling that is much like the 488GTB combined with that of the classic 288GTO, and much more.

$900,000 Auction Price

Many automakers have been jumping on the auction bandwagon with their newest and most exciting cars, offering them at auction while they’re still hotly anticipated by the buying public. Usually, the proceeds go to charity and Ferrari was very charitable when they sent one of their Ferrari 458 Speciale A’s to auction. The car sold for a whopping $900,000 during an extravagant Beverly Hills auction event that brought Ferrari plenty of good will and priceless publicity.

So, how does that price match up to normal prices? Well, the Ferrari 458 Spider sells for approximately $260,000 and the Ferrari 458 Speciale coupe for approximately $300,000. The very first Ferrari 458 Speciale A that was made sold for $900,000, while the LaFerrari hybrid hypercar, which sold out instantly upon its availability, brought in a cool $1.35 million.