We really couldn’t find a precise purpose for the Ferrari 458 Speciale during our review, but we can be sure of one thing - this thing will leave a standard 458 trailing in its wake. Well, as the video below comes to show, we can’t exactly file this under “certainty”.
The clip brings a 458 Speciale and a 458 Spider next to each other during the drag event of this year’s Vmax200 event that took place in the UK. While the result of the race itself is rather predictable, they way in which this is achieved makes for quite an interesting case.
The Speciale driver is the first to react to the “start man” signal, with his rear wheels already in motion while the guy in the Spider hadn’t released the brake yet. We do not know this for a fact, but we can assume the two used launch control- judging by how the engines are revved ahead of the start and the moderate amount of wheelspin at the rear.
Despite this, the Speciale doesn’t seem to find traction and the Spider manages to get ahead. The open-top 458 even kept the lead for a while. Eventually, the 458 Speciale caught up and left the Spider behind.
In case you were wondering, the Speciale can be translated into a 2.13 kg per hp equation, while the 458 Spider comes with a power to weight ratio of 2.51 kg per hp. For instance, 458 Spider needs 10.8 seconds to hit 200 km/h (124 mph), while the 458 Speciale handles the same job in 9.1 seconds.
Perhaps this reasonable difference between the two explains while the 458 Speciale gets so far ahead of the 458 Spider once it catches up. Or maybe the drivers weren’t in their best shape...
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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