Yesterday

Perfect thing for Festival of Speed is for sale

Perfect weekend at Goodwood? It would have been more perfect with this...

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The idea of the perfect summer car quite often coincides with what would be the perfect car to take to Festival of Speed, given the latter often manages the knack of occurring on the hottest weekend in July. Granted, with mercury creeping beyond 30 degrees - and in the face of that colossal, apparently unsolvable traffic jam - the correct answer might be a tractor with industrial air conditioning. Several OEMs, with VIPs to transport, have been known to exploit off-road routes that spit you out onto or in very close proximity to the Duke of Richmond’s lawn. If you really want to push the boat out, you can’t really beat a helicopter. 

But assuming you’d like to go down the deep-pocketed, show off-y route with a supercar that a) rouses your undersides on the way there, b) turns knowledgeable heads on your way to Performance parking, c) confirms your impeccable taste once there, and d) sends a cooling breeze over your bonce on the return journey, you could hardly do much better than a Ferrari 458 Speciale Aperta from 2015. Thuddingly predictable, perhaps, but there are just 49 right-hand-drive, UK-supplied examples on the road - so thuddingly rare, too. 

This, clearly, is one of them. DK says POA, but rest assured, we’re talking mega bucks, especially for one in Bianco Italia with Nero Stellato stripes. Not the Speciale you’d take to the track if lap times were the primary reason for attending - removing the roof of a mid-engined Ferrari is never free from consequence - but of course you're really buying a front row seat to the car’s primary asset: the 4.5-litre V8 in its end-of-the-road F format, where the red line appears at a euphoric 9,000rpm. 

Ferrari didn’t stop building great V8s after it retired natural aspiration in favour of forced induction (better ones, potentially, if you favour the journey-quickening advantages of torque), but even they cannot capture the unbridled, manic frenzy of the final F136 in full flight. The Speciale version was the last throw of the dice too,  generating 605hp when, ten years earlier, the F430 had made do with 490hp. Its 398lb ft of torque didn’t arrive till 6,000rpm. 

The perfect thing, in other words, for those capillary-like stretches of B road that throng the sunny side of the South Downs. And the perfect thing for reminding you why you started liking cars in the first place. The spec doesn’t hurt either, and nor does the clockwork-like service history - one that has only had to take account of 1,200 miles in the last decade. An inevitably low total, perhaps, for a supercar worthy of any collection - but you could easily afford the annual pilgrimage to Goodwood if you were similarly miserly with the mileage. 

Hopefully, you’re not. The 458, host to Ferrari’s fantabulous V8, deserves to be driven and seen and admired endlessly. We’ve even got the perfect garnish to hand: ‘458 SA’, is due to make its way under the hammer later this week. And if an Aperta is just too rich for your blood, there’s always the (significantly cheaper) prospect of a 488 Spider for less than £200k. Funnily enough, we’ve got the matching plate for one of those, too. No stone unturned, eh? 

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See the original advert

[Bright Halo]

Peak Ferrari?
Certainly to me in terms of looks.

[Water Fairy]

Nope not for me. Rubbish colour scheme and not manual.

I'd happily take a power cut to get a manual 430 coupe. Even a 360 Modena.

[kambites]

Bright Halo said:

Peak Ferrari?
Certainly to me in terms of looks.

Certainly not for me. The 458 is a horrible looking thing to my eyes! I think every previous small mid-engined Ferrari was prettier (although the Mondial runs it close).

[trevalvole]

Article said:

The perfect thing, in other words, for those capillary-like stretches of B road that throng the sunny side of the South Downs.

At 20cm narrower (excluding mirrors), an MX-5 might do it as well, for a bit less money. In fact, think of how much longer you could use full throttle and all the revs in the 1.5 litre version of the Mazda.

[MountainsofSussex]

Water Fairy said:

Nope not for me. Rubbish colour scheme and not manual.

I'd happily take a power cut to get a manual 430 coupe. Even a 360 Modena.

I was lucky enough to be doing some competitor benchmarking that involved a 430 and a then very new 458. The 430 felt 2 or 3 generations behind, not something just out of production. The 458 was spectacularly faster, quieter at cruise and utterly incredible at full song. It's been on my "if my numbers come up list" ever since. I'd be interested to go back to a 360 though as it's probably more useable performance on real roads

[Water Fairy]

MountainsofSussex said:

Water Fairy said:

Nope not for me. Rubbish colour scheme and not manual.

I'd happily take a power cut to get a manual 430 coupe. Even a 360 Modena.

I was lucky enough to be doing some competitor benchmarking that involved a 430 and a then very new 458. The 430 felt 2 or 3 generations behind, not something just out of production. The 458 was spectacularly faster, quieter at cruise and utterly incredible at full song. It's been on my "if my numbers come up list" ever since. I'd be interested to go back to a 360 though as it's probably more useable performance on real roads

Nice work if you can get it

I've had a thrash in a 430, albeit an auto drop top. Lovely but very plasticky and hard

[Clad-Hach]

Bright Halo said:

Peak Ferrari?
Certainly to me in terms of looks.

I'd agree with this...it has a Ferrari look to it.

The 458 and the 812 Superfast are my two favorite good looking Ferrari's.

[markclow]

Gorgeous.

[pycraft]

trevalvole said:

Article said:

The perfect thing, in other words, for those capillary-like stretches of B road that throng the sunny side of the South Downs.

At 20cm narrower (excluding mirrors), an MX-5 might do it as well, for a bit less money. In fact, think of how much longer you could use full throttle and all the revs in the 1.5 litre version of the Mazda.

Indeed. That was my stomping ground for many years, and I have very happy memories of moonlight carving-ups of the A272 between Midhurst and Coolham (and particularly the stretch between Petworth and Billingshurst ). That's one bit of the UK I really miss - though it's probably speed camera'd to hell by now. Even back then, there were loads of "unmarked police motorbike" signs, the only place I've ever seen them.

[NGK210]

Ahh, the deluded myth that dropheads are ideal in hot climes.
Consider the number of times you’ve seen a resident driving a ragtop in the Caribbean, MEA, et al – it can be counted on the fingers of one hand, right?
And as UK summer temps head north of 32deg and I’m not a fan of melanoma, nor wobbly chassis, I’ll have a tintop with aircon, please.
As for the colour combo, general rule of thumb imho: what’s great for a Corvette looks naff on a Fezza.
Questa è la Via

Edited by NGK210 on Sunday 12th July 16:53

[MikeM6]

NGK210 said:

Ahh, the deluded myth that dropheads are ideal in hot climes.
Consider the number of times you ve seen a resident driving a ragtop in the Caribbean, MEA, et al it can be counted on the fingers of one hand, right?
And as UK summer temps head north of 32deg and I m not a fan of melanoma, nor wobbly chassis, I ll have a tintop with aircon, please.
As for the colour combo, general rule of thumb imho: what s great for a Corvette looks naff on a Fezza.
Questa è la Via

Edited by NGK210 on Sunday 12th July 16:53

I've been enjoying driving with the roof down of late. It is my first convertible, but the sound of the V8 thundering is so much better without a roof. I do need it get better at remembering the suncream though!

[Benzinaio]

Epic thing, though a 'standard' one in Giallo would suffice.

[Its Just Adz]

Lovely thing, but the prices have gone absolutely nuts on them now.
White wouldn't be my choice, but I'm unlikely to be having to make that decision.

[wascalledcustard]

Peak car not just peak Ferrari

[80sMatchbox]

NGK210 said:

Ahh, the deluded myth that dropheads are ideal in hot climes.
Consider the number of times you ve seen a resident driving a ragtop in the Caribbean, MEA, et al it can be counted on the fingers of one hand, right?
And as UK summer temps head north of 32deg and I m not a fan of melanoma, nor wobbly chassis, I ll have a tintop with aircon, please.
As for the colour combo, general rule of thumb imho: what s great for a Corvette looks naff on a Fezza.
Questa è la Via

Edited by NGK210 on Sunday 12th July 16:53

For occasional summery days, a convertible is great but yes, with hot summers and hot "winters", a convertible is just not practical. I used to live in a climate where winter meant 15 to 23 degrees during the day instead of summer where 25-35 was the norm. Barely a convertible in sight.

[VladD]

MikeM6 said:

NGK210 said:

Ahh, the deluded myth that dropheads are ideal in hot climes.
Consider the number of times you ve seen a resident driving a ragtop in the Caribbean, MEA, et al it can be counted on the fingers of one hand, right?
And as UK summer temps head north of 32deg and I m not a fan of melanoma, nor wobbly chassis, I ll have a tintop with aircon, please.
As for the colour combo, general rule of thumb imho: what s great for a Corvette looks naff on a Fezza.
Questa è la Via

Edited by NGK210 on Sunday 12th July 16:53

I've been enjoying driving with the roof down of late. It is my first convertible, but the sound of the V8 thundering is so much better without a roof. I do need it get better at remembering the suncream though!

I went from the Midlands to Exeter to Portsmouth to Le Mans and back in my ageing Boxster last month. Barely had the roof up at all. Stick the A/C on full and point it at your feet and all is good. I'd never go back to not having a sportscar* again.

• Sportscar defined by the original meaning (2 door, 2 seat, convertible) rather than the modern marketing term.

[Cold]

For the past ten years or so we've been using trains and taxis to get into FOS. When we did drive we took a Range Rover. These days I'd do the same.
Range Rover, Bentayga or Cullinan would be my personal transport of choice to sit in traffic and bounce across a sometimes waterlogged field. I wouldn't even be fussed about having to wash them immediately afterwards.
Air conditioning comfort, chilled drinks in the fridge and the cooled massage seats taking the stress out of the journey to and from the area.
A brittle, low slung and topless sportscar that the public might be tempted to get too close to when parked? No thanks.

[cptsideways]

Cold said:

For the past ten years or so we've been using trains and taxis to get into FOS. When we did drive we took a Range Rover. These days I'd do the same.
Range Rover, Bentayga or Cullinan would be my personal transport of choice to sit in traffic and bounce across a sometimes waterlogged field. I wouldn't even be fussed about having to wash them immediately afterwards.
Air conditioning comfort, chilled drinks in the fridge and the cooled massage seats taking the stress out of the journey to and from the area.
A brittle, low slung and topless sportscar that the public might be tempted to get too close to when parked? No thanks.

When it was mud fest year I was in a Phantom drophead, white with white leather & carpets. Sliding down the non public access wet grassy hill above the finish line was entertaining. The RR valeter was not impressed with the state of it at the end of the day

[Mr Tidy]

No thanks, silly price, flappy-paddles, crap colour scheme and a pram top.

Nice badge though!

[smilo996]

A real turning point in Ferrari design after the dullness previous to this (360, 430, 599). In white though...bit Essex.