Despite the economic downturn in some parts of the world, there are just some brands that appear immune to these things. Ferrari->ke252 is one of them and if its new prized beauty -- the 458 Speciale -- is any indication, it still has no problem selling out its models quickly.
According to a report by Australia's Motoring, the Italian automaker has already closed the books for the entire production run of the 458 Speciale units in its first year. What that means is if you were planning to have your name added to the order books, you're going to have to now wait at least a year to do it.
That news doesn't really come as a surprise, especially for a car that pretty much is a better version of the 458 Italia->ke3479. And that supercar->ke177 has been selling remarkably well for Ferrari. It's lighter, faster, and more powerful than any car Ferrari has ever built outside the F12Berlinetta->ke4223 and the LaFerrari->ke4626.
So it figures that with these credentials, the 458 Speciale was going to attract tremendous attention, even if the price tag for a model hits at $300,000. That's the price people pay for awesomeness, and apparently, there are more than enough people willing to hand over that amount for a chance to own a piece of Maranello's finest.
Click past the jump to read more about the Ferrari 458 Speciale
Ferrari has a way of reminding us that even with the launch of newer and more powerful models, it can still bring out the best of its old reliables.
With the LaFerrari, the F12Berlinetta and the F12 all slotted above the 458 Italia, it was safe to assume that the 458 was being left out. So Ferrari did what Ferrari always does: it built a lighter, faster and more powerful version of the 458, calling it the 458 Speciale.
Differentiating its appearance with a blue and white stripe running down the middle of the supercar, the 458 Speciale is a beast and a half, capable of reaching speeds of up to 202 mph, thanks to a 4.5-liter, V-8 engine that's been improved to produce 596 horsepower and 698 pound-feet of torque. That's enough pop to sprint the 458 to 60 mph in just three seconds.