Due for official launch at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, the 458 Speciale A (denoting ‘Aperta’, Italian for ‘open’) is the open-topped version of the extreme Speciale coupé. Much like the 16M it follows, production will be limited to 499 examples – however, the former’s fabric roof makes way for the clever folding aluminium hardtop first employed by the 458 Spider, with a weight penalty of only 50kg over the coupé.

Billed as a tribute to the award-winning 4.5-litre V8 (in this guise boasting 597bhp), the Speciale A will reach 62mph from rest in the same 3.0 seconds as its closed stablemate – with carry-overs such as active aerodynamics and Side-Slip Angle Control helping to contribute to an identical 1:23.5 Fiorano lap time.

Speciale treatment

The 458 Speciale A will sport a unique triple-layer yellow livery with a Blu Nart and Bianco Avus central stripe for its debut in Paris, by which time many of the 499 examples are likely to have been sold. Not only have its 360 Challenge Stradale and 430 Scuderia forefathers proved popular with Ferrari collectors, it will also be the final naturally aspirated V8 super-sports Ferrari, surely giving it instant 'collectable car' status in the process.

Photos: Ferrari