V12 Speciale?

Mysterious Instagram posts show what appears to be a 458 with a V12 in it - start guessing!

Given how some of them turn out, it would be understandable if you're not all that excited about every unique Ferrari that's now made. Some are more exciting than most though. And then there's this: what appears to be a 458 with a LaFerrari V12 in it.

Just what is this then?

Don't get too excited just yet. All that exists so far are a couple of Instagram posts from one of those wealthy types you were happily ignorant to until social media arrived. And now you're quite jealous of. But what they show is a car under covers that is very 458-shaped, plus an engine shot captioned "Does that engine look familiar?! #V12". It looks extremely similar, from the angle provided at least, to the LaFerrari engine. Yes, the one that makes 800hp at 9,000rpm. Some rumours suggest that this car was a test mule for the LaFerrari, which could explain the clips for the engine cover and the matt paint as you see on so many prototypes.

Otherwise it could be a specially commissioned build, where an owner has requested that incredible engine to be used in a car other than the LaFerrari. At a guess this car is a 458 Speciale, which supports the idea of both this being an old mule for the hybrid hypercar but also the one-off; if you're going to make a track special (those clips can't be road legal) with a V12, why not start with the most circuit focused version?

That's before there's any discussion of whether this car carries any of the hybrid technology seen in the LaFerrari. That V12 is an evolution of what was used in the F12, so perhaps this was a prototype to test that before the hybrid was introduced.

Whatever, it looks like a fascinating project. Hopefully there will be something official from Ferrari soon but, in the meantime, it's probably worth giving the guy greg.b23 a follow on Instagram. Best not if you're an envious type though...