Is Ferrari’s no-compromise 458 Speciale A the ultimate drop-top sportscar?

SINCE it introduced the Dino 246 in the late 1960s, Ferrari has proven it knows a thing or two about mid-engined rear-drive cars.

Dizzyingly pretty, light on its feet and sporting a raucous Italian six-cylinder soundtrack, the Dino heralded a new chapter for the company, but just a few years later Ferrari started a production run of 1200 topless GTS Dinos and the Tifosi swooned all over again.

The drop-dead gorgeous drop-head Dino wasn’t officially a Ferrari with the Dino brand introduced to separate the V12 powered Ferrari’s from anything with fewer cylinders.

Skip on nearly 45 years and the Ferrari range has not once been without a mid-ship model – often with an accompanying look-at-me Spider version, but its latest offering has come on in leaps, bounds and gallops.

Last year the Prancing Horse unleashed a vicious stripped-out and tuned-up version of its 458 Italia named the Speciale, which wrung its 4.5-litre V8 out to 9000 rpm producing 445kW and 540Nm - its most powerful V8 road-car to date. Then it got out the can opener again.

Ferrari has hacked the top from its fastest road-going V8 model resulting in its fastest convertible – the 458 Speciale A.

The resulting 458 Speciale has lost its roof, while gaining an ‘A’ to its name and the title of Ferrari’s fastest convertible.

Its A stands for Aperta – the Italian for open, but where its Dino spiritual predecessor required panels to be removed for the open-top experience, the Speciale A manages the conversion with a push of a button.

Aperta for business - the A in Ferrari’s fastest convertible stands for ‘open’ in Italian.

Its folding hard-top allows in the elements in just 14 seconds but despite the convenient push-button operation, its mechanism adds only 50kg to the 458 Speciale’s weight.

As a result, when compared to the fixed-roof Speciale Coupe, the convertible’s zero to 100km performance has not suffered with the magic number coming up in a toupee-loosening 3.0 seconds.

Speciale variants of the 458 are treated to a 20kW boost over 'standard' versions, with the mid-mounted normally aspirated V8 revving out to a motorcyclesque 9000 rpm.

Ferrari says the extra weight and absence of a fixed roof panel has not removed any of the Speciale’s hardcore driving experience, and not only can the topless version match the coupe acceleration, it can’t be beaten on the Maranello test track either.

The Prancing Horse engineers attribute its uncompromised performance to its new front and rear active aerodynamics, rigid chassis incorporating 10 aluminium alloys, and electronic Side Slip Angle Control (SSC) “which guarantees unparalleled sporty driving in all conditions”.

Its active aerodynamics system has spoilers front and back that automatically adjust according to driving style and conditions, applying more downforce when needed in corners and less drag when straight-line speed is required.

Despite a hole in the roof, Ferrari says the Speciale A is its most slippery model with bespoke aerodynamics to lower its drag coefficient.

To save fuel, the 458 Speciale A employs Ferrari’s HELE (High Emotion Low Emissions) system, and while no fuel consumption figures have been provided, Ferrari is claiming a carbon-dioxide emissions figure of 275 grams per kilometre – the same as the Speciale coupe. Presumably, the fuel consumption figure is similar or not far off the coupe’s 11.8 litres per 100km figure.

Not bad for a hyper car that can smash the golden 300km/h barrier in utmost style and panache.

Its interior is a sea of lightweight suede-imitating but more durable Alcantara, and its information and entertainment systems have been left on the parts shelf to save even more weight.

Almost every interior surface of the Speciale A is draped in black Alcantara or eerie blue tinted carbon-fibre.

The abundant cabin carbon-fibre has been given an unusual and cool blue hue setting the Speciale A apart from anything else in the Ferrari range, and anything that wants to call itself a car for that matter.

Fearsome roof-down Ferrari fans had better be quick to snap one up because just 499 examples of the Speciale A will be built, with only a small proportion ending up in Australia, and as with any Ferrari, its price of $635,000 before on-roads is another factor limiting accessibility for many.

That price represents a whopping $85,000 hike over the 458 Speciale coupe, and a $46,549 premium over the standard 458 Spider, but despite the fat premium, interest for the hyperbolic Ferrari has already been strong.

Speciale A versions of the Ferrari 458 are identifiable by unique five-spoke wheels, Blu Nart/Bianco Avus stripes... Oh and no roof.

The vicious variant made its world debut at the 2014 Paris motor show where it rolled-out wearing a very conspicuous triple-layer yellow paint job, but one small sacrifice was made for the new version.

Its retractable roof sits above the glorious V8 engine hiding it from view, unlike its peep-show coupe sister, which shows off the beautiful motor through the back window.

Just like the topless Dino GTS of the 1970s, Ferrari’s newest convertible is one of the most effervescent ways to get the feeling of wind in your hair. With an angelic high-revving engine sitting behind the two front seats and driving just the rear wheels, is the Ferrari 458 Speciale A the modern-day Dino?

Dan Gardner goauto.com.au

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