Probably won't be named the Speciale Spider

According to a recent report, only 458 examples of the Ferrari 458 Speciale Spider will be produced.

4WheelsNews says the vehicle, which is rumored for a 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance debut, will probably not wear the Speciale Spider moniker, but the information is still unconfirmed. The car will be offered with two new wheel designs and with new stripes which are different from the ones found on the coupe version.

The report also says the machine will become the new fastest open-top sports model of Ferrari, at least until the LaFerrari Spider arrives. The interior of the Speciale Spider will gain new sports seats and carbon fiber mats. Reportedly, the supercar won’t be offered with the see through engine cover featured on the coupe version of the Speciale.

It is believed the Italian car will be powered by the same 4.5-liter V8 engine delivering 605 PS (445 kW) and 540 Nm (398 lb-ft). The 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint will take 3 seconds, while the 0-200 km/h (0-124 mph) run will be done in 9.1 seconds. The top speed will be around 325 km/h (202 mph).

No injuries reported

The driver of a red Ferrari 458 Italia recently had a serious crash after fighting with his girlfriend.
WreckedExotics reports the man behind the wheel had a big fight with his girlfriend when she got into the Italian supercar. Soon after, the driver decided to leave but immediately crashed his ride into a house at a T-junction.

Luckily, no one was hurt during the accident and the driver managed to escape with no injuries. The source also says he got out of the vehicle very quickly to apologize to the owners of the house.

Judging by the photos, the 458 Italia suffered some serious damage at the front end.

The covers were only recently taken off the Novitec Rosso Ferrari 458 Speciale and one stunning grey example recently made an appearance at a Cars & Coffee event in the United States. Some revving ensued and it sounded absolutely incredible doing so!

Novitec Rosso developed a special carbon fiber body kit for the 458 Speciale, which consists of a new front fascia and front lip spoiler, rocker panels, a rear wing and a rear diffuser. Special carbon fairings for the rear side windows, hood vents and engine cover are also available. Novitec claims their carbon body pieces are functional and work to minimize lift on the front axle, benefitting directional stability at high speed.

he tuning company also directed their attention towards the Speciale’s 4.5-liter V8 engine. In its most potent form, Novitec’s performance upgrade kit for the Speciale will push output to 636 horsepower at a sky-high 9250 rpm, a significant bump from the standard car’s 597 horsepower. Peak torque will also increase from 540 Nm to a substantial 572 Nm. These figures are achieved through a remapped ECU and a lighter, louder exhaust system.

Also available will be special Novitec Rosso ‘NF4’ 21-inch forged wheels shod in Pirelli P Zero rubber measuring 255/30 in the front and 325/25 in the rear. Finally, Novitech developed a special suspension with an integrated lift system, which can raise and lower the front of the car by 40 millimetres to help it get over a curb or navigate a parking garage ramp, for example.

Could be introduced at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show

We've been hearing about the Ferrari 458 M for months but here are the first spy photos of the upcoming model.

Caught wearing a 458 Italia body, the prototype looks fairly ordinary until you get to the rear end and notice the car has a dual exhaust system instead of the usual center-mounted triple exhaust. The system appears to be hastily mounted, so it remains unclear if it will carry over to the production model.

While we can't see too many changes, there should be plenty as previous reports have indicated the car will use a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 engine that develops approximately 670 bhp (500 kW). If this number pans out, the car will be 108 bhp (80 kW) more powerful than its predecessor which can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in less than 3.4 seconds and hit a top speed in excess of 325 km/h (202 mph).

The much-lauded Ferrari 458 is due to undergo its mid-cycle refresh next year and our spies have caught on with what we believe to be a test mule in Germany.

With turbocharging technology spreading like a wildfire in the automotive industry these days, the rumors about Ferrari developing a force-fed V8 for the 458 facelift shouldn’t come to as a surprise. After all, the updated California opened the road recently with its new 560PS (552hp) 3.9-liter turbocharged V8.

A re-worked version of the same boosted V8 lump is believed to power the revised 458 Italia, making some 670-horses or 100hp more than the current naturally-aspirated 4.5-liter V8.

While this particular prototype replaces the 458's three center mounted tailpipes with twin units and may be housing added vents behind the doors, it doesn't look any different than the existing model, which leads us to believe that it's a test mule, as Ferrari will no doubt refresh its appearance both on the outside and the inside.

As for the car's name, Ferrari could follow the example of the California and call it the 458 T, it may use the 458 M (for Modificata or modified) moniker, or perhaps, it could surprise us with something entirely different.

Ferrari could present the revised 458 as early as next year at the Geneva Motor Show.

Could be introduced early next year

Work continues on the Ferrari 458 M as our spies have caught coupe and roadster variants undergoing testing in Europe.

Essentially an updated version of the 458 Italia / 458 Spider, the 458 M features a new dual exhaust system that echoes the one used on the 458 Speciale.

Additional changes appear limited but the model is expected to adopt a twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 engine that develops approximately 670 bhp (500 kW). This is 108 bhp (80 kW) more than its predecessor, so expect the coupe to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in less than 3.4 seconds and hit a top speed in excess of 325 km/h (202 mph).

Still nothing is official

According to a recent report, the Ferrari 458 Speciale Spider will be officially presented at the Paris Motor Show.

First shown during a private event at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the supercar will receive its public debut in the French capital. 4WheelsNews also says a private unveiling took place this month at Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters.

Rumored to become the new fastest open-top sports model of Ferrari, at least until the LaFerrari Spider arrives, the 458 Speciale Spider will have a 4.5-liter V8 engine delivering 605 PS (445 kW) and 540 Nm (398 lb-ft). Thanks to it, the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint will take only 3 seconds, while the 0-200 km/h (0-124 mph) run will be done in 9.1 seconds. The top speed will be around 325 km/h (202 mph).

Production will likely be limited to 458 units but nothing is official as of yet.

The stunning Ferrari 458 Speciale is the closest thing to a 458 racecar in terms of performance, but you can also drive it on public roads.

That’s a pretty good deal, but the question remains: how close is the 458 Speciale to the 458 Challenge racer in terms of lap times? To find out, Auto Express drove the two cars back to back on Ferrari’s private Fiorano circuit.

Both cars are powered by a 4.5-liter naturally-aspirated V8 engine, but while the Speciale has 597hp, the Challenge has to settle for “just” 562hp - exactly like the standard 458 Italia road car.

However, the 458 Challenge is lighter than the Speciale and has a more focused aerodynamic package developed specifically for the racetrack. Taking all these factors into account, which of the two 458s will set a quicker lap time? You’ll have to watch the video posted below to find out.

Will likely debut at Paris Motor Show

Several low-res images have surfaced the web showing what appears to be the Ferrari 458 Speciale Spider.

The model will likely go official in less than two weeks at the Paris Motor Show but it seems we are getting a sneak preview courtesy of a few screenshots from the configurator. Chances are a prospective buyer was fiddling around with the private configurator only shown to customers at a Ferrari dealership and someone decided to grab a few pics.

Production is believed to be capped at 458 units and all will feature a 4.5-liter V8 engine outputting 605 HP (445 kW) and 398 lb-ft (540 Nm) of torque. It should be enough for a 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) run in less than 3.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of more than 199 mph (320 km/h).

As you would expect, the Ferrari 458 Speciale Spider will command a premium over the fixed roof version which kicks off at $298,000.