Ferrari hasn’t been particularly inspired lately in naming its cars. After the awkwardly-named LaFerrari hypercar comes the 458 Speciale, which is the more hardcore version of Ferrari’s mid-engined sports car.

The automaker states that the 458 Speciale is much more different than the 458 Italia from which it is derived, than what the previous 360 Challenge Stradale and 430 Scuderia special series were to the 360 Modena and F430, respectively.

The 458 Speciale features a high-performance 4.5-liter V8 engine developing 597hp (605PS) and 540 Nm (398 lb-ft) of torque at 6,000 rpm. The upgraded engine features an impressive ratio of 135 hp/liter. Weighing in at 1,290kg (2,844lbs), the hardcore 458 Speciale is 90kg (198lbs) lighter than the 458 Italia, boasting a power-to-weight ratio of 2.13 kg/PS.

The sprint from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) takes 3 seconds, from zero to 200 km/h (124 mph) 9.1 seconds, while top speed is 325 km/h (202 mph). The Speciale lapped the Fiorano track in 1 minute 23.5 seconds, 1.5 seconds faster than the standard 458 Italia.

Ferrari says the 458 Speciale has an “extraordinary aerodynamic efficiency”, with the aerodynamic coefficient of at 1.5 being the highest in Ferrari production car history. Drag coefficient is 0.35, while the downforce value is 0.53.

The car features an array of performance-enhancing systems including the Side Slip angle Control system (SSC) which improves handling at the limit and active aerodynamics, which are explained in the one of the videos posted below.

By Dan Mihalascu

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