On the cusp of signing a new three-year deal with the BBC, James May decided to celebrate by purchasing a brand new Ferrari 458 Speciale. It would be a joyous thing, a chance to revel in the thrill he found co-presenting the world’s most popular motoring program, enabled by that very series to spend a bit extra to get a car that was uniquely his. There was just one problem. Soon after singing all the papers, his compatriot allegedly punched a producer and he was soon out of a job.

That’s the story presented in a recent column May wrote for the UK-based publication The Sunday Times, entitled “I’ve ordered the last one – all I need is a job to pay for it.”

After the three-year deal was up, May says he and his two TG compatriots "would definitely chuck it in with dignity and hand the reins to a new generation, assuming we were still alive."

Now, however, his fate is unknown: “The three of us may be reunited on screen, we may go our separate ways, or we may disappear from the television altogether and each assume a place, alone, in the corner of a pub where any unsuspecting passing drinker who strays into an exclusion zone studiously avoided by the locals will be subjected to a predictable ‘I used to be on TV’ routine.”

Continue reading to learn more about James May new 458 Speciale.

Why it matters

When it comes to paying down a six-figure Italian exotic,->ke177 teaching private piano lessons probably won’t cut it. May does illustrate how good the Fezza->ke252 is as an investment, (“I know that’s the most abused expression in car retailing, but for once it’s actually true. I could resell it immediately and get my money back, maybe even more”), but the truth is he’s is far less concerned with money than he is with owning a car that resonates with him.

“I’m buying a car I truly adore and that gives me a small tingling sensation whenever I think about it. It’s being built now, for me personally, to my precise specification, by people who love their work. It will be my privilege to drive around in it.”

Hey May – I hear Clarkson might be starting a new car show. Maybe you could give him a ring?

Ferrari 458 Speciale

Bought for £208,090 ($315,610 at current exchange rates, 5/5/15), May’s 458 Speciale is the last one Maranello will ever produce. Out back is one of the few remaining naturally aspirated 4.5-liter V-8 engines to bear the prancing horse, which produces 596 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque. Mated to a seven-speed F1-style dual-clutch gearbox, 0-to-60 takes only three seconds, even if your nickname happens to be Captain Slow.

Read our full review here.