WHEELS
Northwest Herald / NWHerald.com
Friday, May 30, 2014 • Page D15
Speciale comes with more power than Italia • SPECIALE
At a glance
Continued from page D1 The former are generally grand-touring cars, ideal for zinging across Italy on the Autostrada, while the latter are best on the racetrack, where agility and low weight matter most. The mid-engine placement affords ideal balance, allowing deft changes in direction. It also sounds fabulous keening at 8,000 revolutions per minute just behind your head. Since the early 2000s, the Fiat SpA unit has produced hard-core versions of these mid-engine V-8 models, including the Challenge Stradale based on the 360 Modena and the 430 Scuderia from the F430. Still, after first driving the “conventional” Italia several years ago, I couldn’t imagine how Ferrari was going to one-up itself. Then, hubris, they called it the Speciale. Way to point out where you’re going to hit a home run before you’re even at bat, Ferrari. Best bring the goods. So, yes, I’ll be needing a racetrack to squeeze all the juice from this car. The Ferrari 458 Speciale has a V-8 cylinder engine in the center, behind the driver. A couple of hours later, observed but unmolested by the local conquestion is, what makes it that much the car has no carpeting, no radio stabulary, I arrive at the Monticello more special than the $234,000 Italia? and no navigation system. There’s Motor Club in upstate New York. More power, clearly, as sure an no leather, bolt heads are exposed, There is a small commotion among ingredient as cream and butter in and most things you touch are made members. The Speciale is like a speany French dish. The Speciale gets of carbon fiber. Your feet rest on a cial-grade weapon out here, and this 597 horsepower and 398 pound-feet sheath of aluminum. is the first time anyone has seen it. of torque from its 4.5-liter V-8, which Ferrari was relentless in pursuit Look, multimillionaires are taking is truly significant for an engine of weight savings, so the Speciale is mobile-phone pictures of my car. without the aid of turbochargers or almost 200 pounds lighter than the Owners won’t race the Speciale. superchargers. Italia thanks to criteria like the minFerrari has a 458 model for that, the It also looks more intense than imalist interior. (Asking owners to Challenge, and its own race series. the Italia, with a big scoop in the lose a few pounds would be rude, one Instead, many will drive it up to a sexy hood, dartlike fins hanging off supposes.) Yet, unlike its predecesprivate racetrack such as Montithe side that help channel air, and a sor, the track-oriented 430 Scuderia, cello, spend the afternoon slinging flipped-up trunk/spoiler. Ferrari is the Speciale still feels luxurious and it around at phenomenal speeds, knee-deep in aerodynamic R&D, and precious. then amble slowly back home. It’s like an airplane, the Speciale emBut ultimately, this isn’t a car to like a day of golf, only with helmets, ploys a series of flaps that variously gawk at or brag about. It’s a car to spiking adrenaline and paramedics open, close or deploy to keep the car drive hard, to pummel, to fall in love always on call. better planted on the asphalt at high with at 150 mph. The Speciale’s $288,000 starting velocity or make it easier to turn at I strap on a helmet, switch the price is before gas guzzler taxes or lower speeds. steering-wheel-mounted control to destination charges. My test modVery cool and trick and all, but “race,” and roll out. The V-8’s song is el comes to $336,210. The obvious the stuff you’ll actually notice is that already tickling my limbic system.
Engine: 4.5-liter V-8 with 597 horsepower and 398 pound- feet of torque. Transmission: Seven-speed double-clutch automated manual. Gas mileage per gallon: 13 city, 17 highway. Price as tested: $336,210. Best feature: Massive fun to drive on the track. Worst features: Trying to find a legal road worthy of its potential.
Bloomberg News / Ferrari
Much of the joy of driving a Ferrari comes from the sound alone. Yes, it’s fast. Yes, the carbon-ceramic brakes are great. But it’s a technical uphill corner when the Speciale suddenly comes alive underneath me. I’ve taken this turn in real race cars and in McLarens and Porsches and Corvettes. You always have to let off the gas here and be patient. In the Ferrari I’m still on the accelerator, left wheels riding the curbing, gaining speed instead of shedding it. What manner of physics is this? Call it Maranello magic. The brains of cars are becoming ever more like artificial intelligence, using electronic stability and traction control to keep drivers out of trouble. This usually means cutting power at key moments.
Yet Ferrari has specifically tuned the electronics to allow the car to slide, to wag its tail out, to let the driver have more fun, while still keeping the car in check – and from spinning off the track. They know there are limits to buyers’ driving skills, and the might of a car such as the Speciale would put most of us well over those limits. So the system basically intuits what a driver wants to do, and then arm-wrestles with physics to make it happen. Ferrari dubs this “Side Slip Angle Control.” Most owners will simply call it fun. It lets you get away with things you might not think possible, or that are less than prudent in a car this expensive. After I’ve done a number of efficient, fast laps, I start to play – a little extra gas at the exit of a corner here, a quick waggle of the steering wheel there. The car gets a little sideways, drifts through corners. It’s not the fastest way around, but it’s earning me all kinds of imaginary style points. I expected the car to be fast and hard-core. I just didn’t expect it to be so playful, so much silly fun. So, well, joyous. Plenty special enough to earn its name.
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