One of a Kind series episode 4: Ferrari 458 MM Speciale

Ah ze special one. No, we’re not talking about Jose Mourinho (if you don’t watch football/soccer, never mind). Today, we draw your attention to the Ferrari 458 MM Speciale, and as its name suggests, it’s rather special.

If you’re sat there thinking to yourself, I’d like to have my very own Ferrari, one that nobody else has, you’re in luck. The Ferrari Special Projects team are on hand to make your wildest dreams come true. They’re giving you a blank canvas in exchange for a blank check, and asking you to go nuts, which is exactly what one British car enthusiast did.

More than the regular 458 Speciale

He could have just gone with a regular 458. Heck, he could have gone with a regular 458 Speciale. I mean, that’s pretty unique in of itself. But noooooo, he decided to splash the cash and ask the Fairy Godmother to turn his sleek pumpkin into a one-of-its-kind beast with more aggressive sporting lines a la 1980 Ferrari GTO and a ‘visor’ effect on the glass.

Add to this bigger front and rear bumpers, a new air scoop on the flanks, a low-key spoiler on the decklid and a new set of wheels, and what you get is a visual masterpiece.

He also wanted to give it some tats, and tats (#dadjoke) exactly what the dream team did. A Bianco Italia finish with an Italian flag livery wrapped over the gorgeous new aluminium and carbon fibre silhouette. Yum.

Improved aerodynamics

And hey, it doesn’t just have to look good, it has to feel good too, right? Yep, the dream team really made sure those aerodynamics were on point, warping the bodywork around the more steeply inclined coolant radiators, which are mounted closer together than on the regular Speciale, while the new gaping side intakes were designed to direct air more effectively.

New look, all 458

She may have gotten curvier and sexier, but she was still all Ferrari 458 at heart, using the same stripped-out chassis, and with the iconic 4.5L naturally aspirated V8 engine, giving you a record 133 ponies per litre, sitting pretty under the hood.

Whoever this car enthusiast was, he sure as hell knew not to mess with the engine, and that’s what made the 458 MM Speciale extra special. It was the car that marked the end of Ferrari’s exquisite naturally aspirated V8 engine (if it ain’t broke…you know…), and was a wonderful sendoff for that obnoxiously shouty powerhouse.

Performance?

Now, I for one haven’t heard that beautiful V8 out on the streets of London, and it seems as though not many people have either, which makes it difficult for us to tell you the performance levels of this beast.

Though, don’t expect it to change much from the standard Speciale’s 0 to 100km/h in just 3 seconds, and a top speed of 320 km/h.

I wonder if this enthusiast is part of Eric Clapton’s car club, he had the Fairy Godmother whip him up an SP12 EC you know…

The special one makes our list of top 5 one-offs, and deservedly so.