Ferrari never sold the 458 with a stick. This company swapped one in, and it makes the 9000-rpm supercar even better.
The Ferrari 458 Speciale is one of the greatest modern supercars ever. It combines a world-class chassis to a 9000-rpm flat-plane crank naturally aspirated V-8 and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, delivering endless revs and smiles. While no one has ever said the 458 needed a manual, purists like us would’ve loved the option. Now, thanks to the folks at Modificata, the manual 458 Speciale is a reality.
Modificata, a Ferrari specialist company founded by racing legend Jeff Segal, swapped out the standard dual-clutch transmission for a true H-pattern six-speed, likely at great cost, as modifications had to be made to the center console and pedal box to accommodate all of the extra hardware. There’s a new platform for the shift gates to sit on, and an AP Racing pedal set tight enough to fit in the footwell.
“This undertaking has been a real labor of love for us, and make no mistake, it was a long time coming,” Modificata said in a statement. “For all the challenges we faced along the way, there is no better reward than the Italian symphony of 9000 rpm and the metallic click-clack of a gated shifter.”
Modificata is no stranger to cool Ferrari builds. We drove the company’s modified F355 back in 2019, and walked away with a new-found love for the car (and for earplugs).
While there’s no doubt a manual transmission in place of the dual-clutch makes this 458 Speciale slower, it elevates the driving experience ten-fold, adding layers of feedback of interaction for the driver. If we had our way, every Speciale would be like this.
Brian Silvestro Road & Track staff writer with a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing.
Keyword: This Manual-Swapped Ferrari 458 Speciale Is the Best, Perfected