By: IOL Motoring Staff
There is a hint of understatement in the name of the new Ferrari 458 Speciale, which was unveiled in South Africa this week as the local order books opened.
This, the most hardcore version of the 458 , is a lot more than just Speciale - its brag book is just littered with superlatives.
The 458 flagship's 4495cc heart is the most powerful normally aspirated V8 that Ferrari has ever created, also boasting the highest specific output of 99kW per litre from its total tally of 445kW at 9000rpm and 540Nm at 6000.
The 90-degree V8 is paired with an F1 dual-clutch gearbox with new control logics that provide even quicker snap changes under hard acceleration.
CIRCUIT SLAYER
Screech off the line and 100km/h comes up in only three seconds and you'll hit the 200 mark by the time 9.1 seconds have passed. It's also half a second quicker than its tamer Italia brother around the Fiorano test track, where it posted a lap time of 1m23.5.
This Ferrari's track-taming talent is also down to bespoke Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 rubber and tweaked aerodynamics in the form of an adaptive front splitter and rear wing that keep the downforce in check at both ends while also reducing drag.
Furthermore, Ferrari says it's easier to handle at the limit thanks to a new (world first) side-slip angle control system that constantly monitors the car's drift angle and compares it with the target value before adjusting the traction control and varying the torque distribution to provide smooth, controllable oversteer.
Yet if you do approach a corner with that sinking feeling that you're about to overcook things, you can fall back on a Brembo braking system that incorporates many of the innovations first seen on the LaFerrari .
All that's left is to check that Swiss bank balance.
Are you sitting down?
The 458 Speciale has a base price of R4.65 million.