Not totally unexpected, but wonderful all the same, say hello to the 458 Speciale A - the 'A' standing for 'Aperta', or one of Modena's words for 'convertible'.
Exterior
Following on from the Scuderia Spider 16M, which was an open-top version of the mental 430 Scuderia, the 458 Speciale A is not just the most powerful Ferrari Spider ever but also the most aerodynamically efficient - every inch of its glorious bodywork is 'absolutely performance-oriented'. It features a retractable aluminium hardtop, like the 'normal' 458 Spider, which manages to keep the weight down to 1,445kg - a mere 50kg more than the Speciale coupé. That roof, by the way, raises or lowers in just 14 seconds. And the car is being premiered in a three-layer yellow paint with a Blu Nart and Bianco Avus centre stripe, plus five-spoke forged wheels in Grigio Corsa. It looks utterly magnificent as a result.
Interior
The cabin is a delight, with a race-inspired look featuring lots of Alcantara, Ferrari's signature wheel with the Manettino dial and the use of an exclusive blue carbon fibre for the dash, door panels and centre console. Yellow stitching and panels are used on the seats to replicate the exterior livery.
Mechanicals
The Aperta has the same stunning, normally aspirated 4.5-litre V8 engine in the middle that thumps 605hp and 540Nm at the back wheels. Ferrari is also keen to play up the CO2 figure of 275g/km, but no one really cares about that, do they?
What is most sensational is that Ferrari claims the Speciale A is as quick as its tin-top brother, both from 0-100km/h and round its fabled Fiorano test track - the relevant figures are 3.0 seconds and 1m 23.5s respectively. The latter time makes the Aperta the joint-third quickest road-going Ferrari ever around Fiorano, behind only the LaFerrari hypercar and the F12 Berlinetta. The company says these results are due to its active aerodynamics, a super-rigid chassis incorporating ten aluminium alloys and the excellent Side Slip Angle Control (SSC), which 'guarantees unparalleled sporty driving in all conditions'. And which also allows pretty much any old duffer the chance to slide a 458 like a hero, we guess.
Anything else?
The Speciale A is a limited edition special that will be sold to 499 lucky Ferrari collectors alone. So, unless your name is Chris Evans, even if you win the lottery in the coming months, it's highly unlikely you'll be able to buy one...