Ferrari 458 Speciale A Makes Other Spiders Seem Crude
Ferrari brought the open top version of its most powerful naturally aspirated V8 road car ever to the Paris Motor Show this year.
The same advanced SCC traction control system that debuted on the Speciale is, of course, in place here and able to better predict how the car will perform in corners than past Ferrari traction control systems. Really, the only differences here are that the aluminum roof folds away, which also means there isn’t a glass window over the engine compartment anymore.
The extra equipment adds roughly 100 lbs to the curb weight, but Ferrari says that shouldn’t affect its 0-60 MPH sprint, which still happens in a scant three seconds. In fact, Ferrari says this is its most aerodynamically advanced convertible ever.
2014 Paris Motor Show Coverage
Inside you’ll find the same typical F1-inspired steering wheel, paddle shifters and center-mounted tachometer as you would expect on other products from the high-performance brand. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 tires specially designed for the car and meant for track day longevity wrap the wheels.
As is the case with all Ferraris, production is limited. There will only be 499 of these built, but if you’re on Maranello’s short list you probably knew that months ago. Take a minute to reflect on something. Ferrari says all of its future V8s will use turbochargers and that means this could be one of, if not the last naturally aspirated car it debuts at an auto show.
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GALLERY: Ferrari 458 Speciale A Live Photos
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Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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