"Extreme 596 hp Ferrari 458 Speciale Unveiled in San Diego"

As always, another awesome example of what the folks in Maranello are capable of when they put their heads together.

I do have to wonder - Are we taking a trip down the road experienced by the Asiana pilots in San Francisco where operator skills become secondary and there is an evolutionary lose of touch with how a car (plane) behaves.

"It's smarter than professional drivers. Reports indicate it's the first Ferrari that's faster with the active control technologies enabled, even in the hands of expert drivers. In addition, it uses advanced active aero technology. Computer-controlled spoilers increase or reduce drag automatically, depending on need. Plus, it's Side Slip Angle Control (SSC) is a world first. This new technology automatically adjusts the traction control system and torque distribution between the rear wheels."

Pretty soon us Water Mitty's will just have to press the accelerator and steer a line and the car will do the rest. We'll be setting lap records.

Just wondering . . .

 

That TDF blue is the best looking 458S I have seen! The color and stripes make the 458S look good.

 

Interesting that the stripes extend on the front bumper. Not sure which style looks better

 

Attended this. A very nice affair. As for the S, I thought that the interior is a knock out that doesn't show up in the photos. But the front looks no better in person than the photos, appearing not to fit the rest of the body and is too heavy looking. The side view is the best, conveying a nice aggressive stance while retaining the basic 458 form.

As for the technology, I am not sure that a good driver with the system inactive will still not beat it. But I look forward to the reports and perhaps driving one myself....

 

Hideous hood treatment.

 

Very beautiful in blue!

 

The stripes appear "disjointed", as though the lower portion were an afterthought. I don't know but would believe stopping the long stripes and not adding the smaller stripes would work better. Best

 

Well I'm not in the market but I have some thoughts....a couple of things....the hood looks like they're trying to hard....and the lower valence stripe is ridiculous....I love the 458 Italia but I'm thinking the Scud behind the Speciale is nicer looking....maybe I need to see it in person....

 

The engineering of the performance parameters sounds fantastic. And frankly although I have strong complaints about the styling, it is not a disaster. More worrisome to me is what the styling might mean for the 458 replacement. We have now seen two examples of Ferraris with strong, heavy "beaks" come out of Central Styling -- the Speciale and LaFerrari. One yearns again for Pininfarina designs.