A Ferrari owner has enlisted the help of the Italian sports car manufacturer’s Tailor Made personalization program to build this one-off 458 Italia honoring legendary Formula One driver Niki Lauda. The build of the car coincided with the September launch of the new movie Rush, which tells the story of the epic rivalry between Lauda and James Hunt during the 1970s.

The Austrian driver, 64, contributed to the history of F1 as a racing driver, with three-time championships (1975, 1977 and 1984) and 177 races competed (25 wins, 54 podiums, 24 pole positions). After retiring from competition, he has continued to be involved with the sport as a consultant to multiple teams, as a television commentator, motorsport writer and journalist, and currently as non-executive Chairman of Mercedes AMG.

The Tailor Made 458 Italia honoring him features a classic red paint scheme but with a white roof and the Italian flag going longitudinally across it. The final exterior touch is a set of gold wheels. The colors mimic the livery that featured on Lauda’s Ferrari F1 race car. In those days, Ferrari took three consecutive Constructors’ titles and two Drivers’ titles thanks to the efforts of Lauda.

carThe same theme is continued into the cabin where the seats and center console reprise the Italian flag motif and the racing aspect is accentuated by the bucket seats and red stitching used on the seats as well as on the dashboard and instrument panel.
No changes have been made to the engine, which means output from the 4.5-liter V-8 remains at 562 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. This is enough for 0-60 mph acceleration in less than 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 202 mph.

Our favourite Ferrari sports car, the 458 Italia, is going down the turbocharged route. The news spells the end of high-revving, naturally aspirated Ferrari V8s, which will set nerves jangling among many tifosi.

CAR has learned that the Ferrai 458 Italia is in line to receive a version of the California T's forced-induction 3.8-litre V8 engine during its mid-life 'facelift', expected at some point in 2015. The car is dubbed the 458M by Maranello insiders.

The Cali T, driven this week by CAR, develops 552bhp and a whopping 557lb ft of torque, giving it huge thrust but also a discernible change in character.

Ferrari 458 Italia: next to get the turbocharged V8

The 3855cc lump is understood to be due to be slotted amidships in the 458M. We'd expect more performance in the 458 and our sources indicate a fulsome 670bhp headline power output, which points to some pretty scintillating acceleration targets.

Bear in mind the more leisurely California T coupe-convertible can hit 0-62mph in just 3.6sec and tops out at 196mph. Boosting those power and torque figures in the more focused 458M shouldn't be too tricky, thanks to an easily adjusted boost pressure.

How will Ferrari keep the V8's soul in the 2015-spec 458M?

The flat-plane crank V8 will receive serious attention to make sure some Ferrari magic is retained. Complex exhuast systems and engine management microchips will be deployed to keep the sound levels up and to downplay the turbocharged kick-in-the-back associated with forced-induction cars.

In the Cali T, Ferrari limits torque from the twin-turbo V8 in lower gears to encourage drivers to rev out to the 7500rpm redline. But in higher gears on the motorway, an extra 100lb ft are delivered to make high-speed overtaking a mere toe-twitch affair.

CAR understands that the latest tech advances will be incorporated into the 2015-spec 458M. Look to the LaFerrari and other new Ferraris for clues.

And what of the name? It could be 458M, or indeed 458 T in line with the California's badge; however, Maranello has a history of updating the numbers on its V8. Just look at the 308/328/348 set from the 1970s and 80s...

It appears that Ferrari is preparing a big surprise for its fans, as the Italian carmaker will roll out the 458 Speciale Spider! That’s right folks, the open-top version of the Ferrari 458 Speciale is coming. Inside sources from Maranello confirmed the 458 Speciale Spider to 4WheelsNews, but no other details were offered.

In addition, we contacted our second source, who also confirmed the 458 Speciale Spider and said that some dealers are already taking orders for the new sports car. There are no details regarding the debut of the new vehicle or how Ferrari will actually name this new model. We might see it in October at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, but this is only our opinion.

What’s for sure is that Ferrari will use the same 4.5-liter V8 engine found on the coupe version that generates 605 hp @ 9,000 rpm and 540 Nm (398 lb-ft) of torque at 6,000 rpm.

The 458 Speciale coupe hits 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.0 seconds, 200 km/h (124 mph) in 9.1 seconds and laps the Fiorano racetrack in 1’23’’5. Moreover, the Ferrari 458 Speciale does the quarter mile in 10.7 seconds.

The 458 Speciale Spider is expected to use the same aluminum hard-top found on the 458 Spider that can be deployed in just 14 seconds. We also expect it to be a little bit slower than the 458 Speciale coupe.

The design will be identical to the coupe version, although we expect some beautiful colour combinations from the Prancing Horse.