Ferrari North America Unveils New 458 Speciale During The United States Grand Prix Weekend

Company press release.

The 458 Speciale Completes the Most Comprehensive Range in Ferrari History

Austin, TX November 16, 2013 - At the downtown Austin Studios, Marco Mattiacci, President and CEO of Ferrari North America, and Scuderia Ferrari Formula One Team Principal Stefano Domenicali presented for the first time to the US market the 458 Speciale, the latest creation by the Prancing Horse.

Much to the delight of racing enthusiasts, Ferrari clients, dealers and friends in attendance, Ferrari completely transformed the Austin Studios to create a 458 Speciale inspired evening. After the launch of the official video, two Ferrari 458 Speciales driven by Scuderia Ferrari Formula One test drivers Marc Gene and Pedro De La Rosa made their way to the center stage.

Marco Mattiacci said, 'We are very happy to introduce the 458 Speciale to our North-American Ferrari family. This car is inspired by Ferrari's racing DNA and technology, so there was no better time or venue to present the 458 Speciale than the Formula 1 weekend, here in Austin'.

458 SPECIALE BACKGROUND

As with all Ferrari special series models, the 458 Speciale boasts an array of technological innovations that make it a thoroughly unique model designed for owners looking for an even more focused sports car, offering extreme driving opportunities. The innovations span the entire car and include both Ferrari patents and world firsts, particularly with regard to the engine, active aerodynamics and electronic controls.

ENGINE

The engine is the most powerful naturally-aspirated Ferrari V8 ever, punching out 605 cv at 9000 rpm and delivering an exceptionally high specific power output of 135 cv/l, comparable to power units designed for the track. The engine is produced in the factory's in-house foundry using the same machinery and processes as employed by the F1 team. The F1 dualclutch transmission's new control logics deliver an even keener sense of urgency during acceleration, while the Fast Down-shift makes response to commands even more prompt when the car is shifting down through the gears.

ACTIVE AERODYNAMICS

One of the car's main characteristics is new Ferrari-patented mobile aerodynamic solutions at the front and rear of the car, which ensure that different aerodynamic configurations can be adopted in cornering, where maximum downforce is essential, and on straights where, instead, drag must be reduced to a minimum. The 458 Speciale has an excellent downforce (CI) value of 0.53. Thanks to the aforementioned active aerodynamics, the latter does not penalize at the Cd, which is just 0.35.

ELECTRONIC CONTROLS

The 458 Speciale also confirms Ferrari's leadership in vehicle electronics. Its Side Slip Angle Control (SSC) is a world first. Thanks to a sophisticated new algorithm, which computes lateral acceleration, yaw angle, steering wheel angle and speed, SSC instantaneously calculates the car's side slip angle, comparing it with reference data, and then allowing smooth, controllable power oversteer, by optimizing both torque management via F1-Trac traction control and the E-Diff electronic differential.

BRAKES AND WEIGHT

All of the components in the Brembo braking system have been evolved employing solutions introduced on the LaFerrari. Part and parcel of the Speciale's development included Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 tires, which were specifically honed for it in an intensive collaboration program to boost performance over a single lap in the dry, performance consistency over multiple laps, and grip in the wet. Weighing in at an extremely light 1290 kgthe 458 Speciale has an extraordinary weight-power ratio of 2.13 kg/cv, which translates into record-breaking performance: 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in a scorching 3.0' and a Fiorano lap time of just 1'23'5.

posted on conceptcarz.com