FERRARI 458 SPECIALE

The Ferrari 458 Speciale joins the Ferrari range alongside the 458 Italia and 458 Spider and, like all special-series Ferraris, is aimed at a specific kind of owner, in this case those looking for an even more focused sports car that offers extreme driving emotions.

Whether on the road or on the track, drivers will feel immediately at one with the 458 Speciale thanks to the speed with which it responds to every input and the consequently natural control that it offers, even in extreme manoeuvres. This finely-tuned handling balance enables the car to reach the highest performance levels of any Ferrari V8.

Ferrari's core engineering philosophy centres around pushing the envelope with each new model whilst maintaining the innate chassis balance and handling that ensures that even non-professional drivers can extract maximum performance and driving pleasure. With the new Ferrari 458 Speciale all clients will be able to drive on the limit on the track as well as experience the exhilaration of genuinely sporty driving even at lower speeds on demanding roads.

The new berlinetta is, in fact, the result of the search for extreme technology, driving thrills and performance, with the application of advanced technical solutions for the powertrain, aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics. Those achievements set it apart from the 458 Italia from which it is derived, to an extent unprecedented in the previous Challenge Stradale and 430 Scuderia special series.

The 458 Speciale's performance is exceptional across the board, thanks to factors such as an extraordinary weight-power ratio of 2.13 kg/cv, 0-100 km/h longitudinal acceleration in 3 seconds, lateral acceleration of 1.33 g and a Fiorano lap time of 1'23"5. The Ferrari 458 Speciale is an extremely entertaining car to drive even in less extreme situations, too: its unparalleled agility, in fact, is reflected in a response time to commands of just 0.060 seconds.

POWERTRAIN

The 458 Speciale's mid-rear-mounted 4497 cc GDI engine is the most powerful naturally aspirated Ferrari 8-cylinder ever developed, punching out 605 cv at 9000 rpm and maximum torque of 540 Nm at 6000 rpm, while its record 135 cv/l specific power output is also the highest ever achieved by a naturally-aspirated road-going engine.

F1 technology transfer to the Ferrari 458 Speciale was of fundamental importance to its development, including the production processes. The engine is produced in the factory's in-house foundry using the same machinery and processes as employed by the F1 team for complex components with the extreme structural and dimensional characteristics needed for a naturally-aspirated engine capable of hitting 9000 rpm.

To achieve these results, Maranello's engineers have maximised the 458's V8 potential, carrying out detailed refinements to all the components to optimise combustion, volumetric and mechanical efficiency.

Maximum combustion efficiency is guaranteed by a highly evolved knock control system which senses the ionisation across the spark plug gap thereby optimising combustion across the entire rev range.

The other main challenge aside from boosting power was to improve torque across the entire power curve. This involved increasing the compression ratio to an exceptional 14:1, the highest value ever achieved by a naturally-aspirated V8, which was achieved by modifying piston geometries.

The fluid-dynamics of the combustion chamber were revised to optimise both the intake and exhaust phases. The intakes feature new geometry, both with regard to the manifolds and the cylinder heads, with shorter inlet ducts (-10 mm) in the former instance, and in the latter a higher valve lift (+5%). A new cam profile not only increases valve lift but also helps reduce average pressure during the pumping cycle.

The 458 Speciale's increased power and torque are also the result of redesigning various engine components and reducing internal friction. The pistons are made from a new material that reduces overall mass. New materials were also used for the con-rod bushings while specific heat treatment (DLC: Diamond-Like Carbon) on the piston pins makes for greater fatigue and wear resistance. The crankshaft was also redesigned to optimise and improve lubrication of the main bearings in all conditions of use.

Around 8 kg was also slashed off the engine's overall weight by the redesign of the intake (carbon-fibre plenums and air filter box as well as shortened inlet ducts) and exhaust (in aluminium) systems. Once again Ferrari drew heavily on its extensive F1 experience, particularly with regard to the intake system, which now has a new carbon-fibre plenum and filter box, new materials for the pistons and con-rod bearings.

AERODYNAMICS

One of the car's main characteristics is new Ferrari-patented mobile aerodynamic solutions at the front and the rear of the car which ensure that different aerodynamic configurations can be adopted in cornering, where maximum downforce is essential, and on straights where, instead, drag must be reduced to a minimum.

The 458 Speciale has an excellent downforce (Cl) value of 0.53. Thanks to the aforementioned active aerodynamics, the latter does not penalise the Cd which is just 0.35.

Of particular note are the innovative solutions adopted at the front of the car, with two vertical flaps in the centre and the horizontal flap below them. At relatively low speeds, the vertical flaps are closed, channelling air into the radiators to guarantee the necessary cooling for the engine. However, at speeds in excess of 170 km/h, the flaps open, reducing the volume of air flowing into the radiators, thereby cutting drag. At speeds of over 220km/h the horizontal flap lowers to balance downforce between the front and rear axles, leading to a 20 per cent shift in overall downforce towards the rear.

The turning vanes at either side of the front bumper slow the air flow which increases downforce, thereby shifting the aerodynamic balance 4 per cent over the front. Thanks to their shape, the aerodynamic fins ahead of the rear wheels increase downforce very much in the same way as the front turning vanes.

The rear spoiler has a larger surface area and more pronounced shape which has improved the efficiency of the underbody, increasing downforce. Moving the position of the tailpipes also allowed a new diffuser to be designed which optimises the extraction capacity of the underbody. The rear flaps have two different configurations: raised for high downforce and lowered to minimise drag. Sophisticated sensors and a specific algorithm allow the flaps to be lowered by as much as a 17° angle, thereby stalling the diffuser and reducing Cd by 3 points.

DYNAMICS

The Ferrari 458 Speciale's dynamic behaviour guarantees maximum driving emotions in all situations, allowing drivers to match and improve their own limits with ease and delivering an intense driving experience even at lower speeds.

Nimble and responsive, the car is at its best over really twisty routes with demanding switchbacks and camber changes. New technical features have not only improved the 458 Speciale's lap time over single laps, but also the repeatability of that performance on subsequent laps without needing to be a professional driver, offering unprecedented levels of driving pleasure.