As part of the “Race Through the Decades 1954-2014” event in Beverly Hills, celebrating the 60th anniversary of Ferrari in America, the company auctioned off the first production unit of the new Ferrari 458 Speciale Aperta for charity. In an exciting auction led by David Gooding and starring Mary J. Blige as guest singer, the Aperta was sold for $900,000.
That is almost exactly three times what a brand-new 458 would cost you if you buy it from the showroom. That is if you can get one at all, since the production of this model is limited to 499 units. All proceeds front he auction will go to American branch of “Daybreak” charity which fights genetic diseases.
Ferrari 458 Speciale A (Aperta) is an open-top version (Spider) version of the 458 Speciale, boasting the same powertrain and running gear, but featuring slightly modified aerodynamics, a new stripe, and new wheels. The car has a 605 horsepower 4.5 liter V8 engine and one of the most sophisticated transmission/differential/electronics combo in the world. You even get a system called slid control which allows you to pull off perfect drifts.
The main difference between this and the hardtop Speciale is of course the roof, which is identical to the one in the 458 Spider. The carbon roof goes up and down electronically in about 14 seconds.