There's no question that the Ferrari 458 Speciale will be outstanding to drive. There's no question that it will be one of the fastest cars on the road today. It only looks, uh, kinda bizarre.
Now, I should say that the regular Ferrari 458 is a gorgeous vehicle, no matter what anyone else says. Park a standard 458 next to a classic Italian sports car of the 1950s or '60s and it stands up as an intricate, well-proportioned piece of automotive sculpture.
This new Speciale, however, isn't unquestionably beautiful. It's weird.
The hood of the car doesn't meet the front clip, dropping down to help air vent over the car. There are deep, dark grills venting more air around the headlights, looking a bit like heavy, tired eyes. The front and rear grills have grown wider, but the width of the car looks the same. The whole thing comes across a bit scrunched.
And I love that.
Remember, this is a car with 605 horsepower at 9,000 rpm pushing 2,843 lbs of dry weight. The Speciale should sprint to sixty miles an hour in three seconds flat and to 124 mph in only 9.1 seconds. That last stat is better than the McLaren F1.
There are enough beautiful cars in the world today. If you really want a gorgeous car, buy a 1960s Alfa Romeo. If you want a car that bludgeons the road to submission and carves through the air like nothing else on the market, get this Ferrari Speciale. The vents, scoops, raised exhausts, broadened grills, and somewhat-continuous stripe (painted in the dark blue and white of Ferrari's legendary North American Racing Team aka N.A.R.T.) are a slightly hideous statement of intent, and a very effective one. The car means speed, power, and efficiency.
It's not pretty. It's better than that.
Photo Credits: AP, Getty Images, Newspress