Ferrari has been in the spotlight recently, and not in a good way. The recent debut of the all-electric Luce has sparked controversy regarding the Italian automaker’s departure from its former design principles and brand identity. Many car enthusiasts have taken it as a sign of Ferrari’s fall from grace, even comparing the Luce to a Nissan Leaf.In these troubled times for the Prancing Horse, it’s perhaps more comforting to look back at the brand’s not-too-distant past. One Ferrari model that’s approaching its 20th birthday, the 458 Italia, has earned itself a place in the heart of enthusiasts all over the globe. Under its hood, we find the last naturally aspirated V8 engine Ferrari installed in a production car — just one of the characteristics that make the 458 truly special. This model is a firm favorite amongst collectors. Let’s take a look at the reasons why. The 458 Italia: Ferrari's Last Naturally Aspirated V8 Model FerrariThe 458 Italia, usually referred to simply as the 458, made its debut in 2009 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It was introduced as a successor to the F430, but its design was very different; Ferrari drew on its experience in the world of Formula 1 when bringing the 458 to life.“The 458 is absolute supercar perfection. The steering is extremely quick, the front-end is grippy, and the rear can be as tail-happy as you'd like. Thanks to the F1-derived E-diff, you could set the level at which you wanted the car to intervene on your behalf, so even an amateur could look like a hero on the track. [...]- Gerhard Horn, Senior Edition, CarBuzzThis model was notable in Ferrari’s history for one very important reason: it was the last car produced by the Prancing Horse to sport a naturally aspirated V8 engine under the hood. It also, however, introduced some new features such as a dual-clutch transmission.Ferrari The beating heart of the 458 is the F136 engine, a 4.5-liter naturally aspirated V8, paired with a seven-speed automatic transmission built by German firm Getrag. Although the F136 engine was built by Ferrari, it was designed through a collaborative effort between Ferrari and Maserati, and is sometimes referred to as the Ferrari/Maserati F136. Ferrari used slightly different versions of this engine in the California and the 458’s predecessor, the F430. Maserati used the engine in several of its models including the Coupe/Spyder, the Quattroporte, and the GranTurismo.The combination of its striking design, its unique place in Ferrari history, and its performance have resulted in the 458 being a highly sought-after model among Ferrari fans.I adore this car, now more than ever. I think it's properly pretty, it's glorious to drive, and it has a flat-plane V8 I'm pretty sure the Pope himself blessed. [...] If I had a bag full of cash, I'd walk right past every modern Ferrari straight to the 458 section. It's pretty clear from the Luce that Ferrari doesn't really know what it's supposed to be doing right now, so looking to the past is a pretty safe bet. And it doesn't get much better than a 458.”-Gerhard Horn, Senior Editor, CarBuzz The 458 Italia Today: Pricing, Trends, And What Makes It A Collectible Ferrari If you’re looking to buy a Ferrari 458 today, you might be able to part with as little as around $100,000. At this price point, however, you’re more likely to be looking at an older car, from the start of the 458’s production run. Higher mileage and poorer maintenance are also likely to be a concern.Going a little further up, most examples of the 458 can be found between the $150,000 and $250,000 mark. At the upper end of the price range, we have the $300,000+ cars: here you will find exceptionally low-mileage examples, as well as rare editions.Pricing for this model has held fairly steady over the past five years, with a slight average increase. There are now far more examples of the model going past the $250,000 mark, far fewer below $200,000, and almost none below $100,000.Ferrari So what is it that makes the 458 Italia such a sought-after collectible? Well, the key factor is its unique status as the model that marked the end of an era for Ferrari, the 458 being the last production Ferrari with a naturally aspirated V8 engine. As a result, it has become a magnet for enthusiasts who want to own a piece of Ferrari’s history while still owning a car that’s relatively modern.Its design has also held up over the years, still looking sleek and modern despite being nearly 20 years old. The 458 has a combination of style and performance that is still an attractive package to Ferrari enthusiasts, even over a decade after the end of its production run. The Speciale and Speciale Aperta: The High-Performance Members Of The Family Ferrari Two members of the 458 family are special by name and special by nature: the Speciale and the Speciale A, short for Aperta (open-top). These high-performance models take the 458’s capabilities to a new level, with a host of mechanical and design enhancements on board that make them even faster and more powerful. Only 1,309 examples of the Speciale were built, while the Speciale A got an even smaller production run of just 499 units.The first of the two to arrive was the 488 Speciale, which debuted in 2013. The Speciale is equipped with features such as a vented hood, finned side sills, forged wheels, reworked bumpers and a larger rear spoiler. The engine received a power boost which brought its output up to 597 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque. This propelled the Speciale to 60 mph in just three seconds.A Side Slip Angle Control system was introduced, which analyzed the car’s side-slip and automatically optimized torque distribution within fractions of a second. The aerodynamic element also received a major upgrade, not just thanks to the new spoiler but also thanks to a series of elements designed with input from legendary firm Pininfarina. These included front and rear movable flaps, which helped reduce drag at high speeds.Ferrari A year later, in 2014, the 488 Speciale A arrived. This model shared the Speciale’s enhanced power output and most of its features and specs, but had a convertible body style. It held the title of most powerful naturally aspirated street-legal Ferrari for several years, until the LaFerrari Aperta arrived on the scene in 2017. Other Special Variants And One-Off Cars Based On The 458 Ferrari The Speciale and Speciale A may be the most well-known special versions of the 458, but the model also spawned a variety of rare editions and one-offs over the course of its six-year lifespan. If you want an open-top 458 but don’t want to splurge on a high-performance Speciale A, you’re in luck. Ferrari also produced a convertible variant of the standard model, dubbed the 458 Spider. Introduced in 2011, this model is equipped with an aluminum retractable hardtop. This roof is incredibly lightweight, weighing 55 pounds less than a typical Ferrari soft top. The model has a slightly lower top speed than the coupe, but has the same 0–60 time.We move onto a far rarer beast with the 458 China Edition. While the 458 Spider had a production run of around 6,000 units, this special edition only has 20 units to its name. It was built in 2012 with the Chinese market in mind, as a celebration of Ferrari’s 20 years of presence in the country. The first Ferrari ordered in China had been a 348 TS back in 1992. The 458 China Edition sports a red paint finish with a golden dragon graphic, and several gold and black elements such as stripes, wheels, and even embroidery on the seats. The start button is decorated with the Chinese character for “start.”RM Sotheby's An even rarer version of the model, with just seven units built, was the Pininfarina Sergio, named after the late automotive designer Sergio Pininfarina. The original one-off concept version of this car had a barchetta body style, with no windshield and two matching helmets for driver and passenger. The six production cars that were later built had a targa top body style instead.The rarest 458s of all are two one-off creations commissioned by buyers, built respectively in 2012 and 2016. One is called the SP12 EC, named after its owner: musician Eric Clapton, who commissioned it under Ferrari’s Special Projects program. It was fitted with bodywork inspired by a Ferrari from the late '70s, the 512 BB. The other one-off is the 458 MM Speciale, based on the 458 Speciale and built as a homage to the 1980s’ 288 GTO. It was fitted with handmade carbon fiber and aluminum elements.Sources: Ferrari, Bring a Trailer
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