There was always a wall of noise surrounding the Ferrari 458 Speciale, much of it generated by the car itself, the rest emanating from anyone fortunate enough to have either driven or owned one. Us lot, the world’s motoring press, went completely bananas for it back in 2013 – and for once it deserved all the admiration it got.
The Speciale represented a crowning moment in the evolution of the mid-engined Ferrari V8. It was also the last example of this bloodline to be produced without a turbo. As a result they are now worth zillions – you’ll need close to half a million pounds to secure one with low miles and perfect provenance nowadays – and it’s hard to see those numbers falling any time soon.
In light of which unceasing hype, we tend to overlook the car that immediately preceded the Spesh – the 430 Scuderia – despite it being one of the very best mid-engined V8s Ferrari has produced; and, more pertinently, a car that shares much of its innards with the Speciale, particularly the high-revving F136 V8 and e-diff, and can be bought for a third the price.
