Many of a certain age will have fond memories of Ferraris from their childhood. From Magnum, P.I.’s 308 GTS, to Sonny Crockett’s Testarossa in Miami Vice via the infamous 250 GT California Spyder that featured in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

While such 1980s favourites have long since been confined to the annals of nostalgia, there’s no such danger of the Italian sports car manufacturer living off former glories. The 458 Speciale is the latest labour of love to roll off the production line and it’s clear the designers have pushed themselves to the limit. We certainly approve of the paint job.

The 458 Speciale boasts the highest power density (135 cv/l) in the history of Ferrari road cars, and a weight to power ratio of 2.13 kg/cv. This has resulted in the 458 being capable of accelerating from 0-62mph in just three seconds and reaching 124mph in a pant-wetting 9.1 seconds.

The shape of things to come Many of the developments that have taken place in the construction of the 458 Speciale – following innovation and extreme technological research – look set to become the standard for the next generation of Ferraris. Good news for fans of the Prancing Horse. Bad news for the Italian car manufacturer’s rivals…

458speciale.ferrari.com