Fresh Ferraris: A Round-Up of Newer Models

Life is a bowl of chocolates, and so is RM Sotheby’s Cavallino Palm Beach auction scheduled for – appropriately enough – Valentine’s Day. Well, okay, it’s not chocolates on offer, but the variety of modern Ferraris is delectable. And while I’ve been rooting around in the ’60s – mostly – it’s obvious that Ferrari has moved on, creating some of the best cars the modern era has ever seen. This round-up is a refresher covering a few of the iconic Italian carmaker’s models from the past two decades. Featured above is one of the company’s 350 70th anniversary cars, each painted by Ferrari’s Tailor Made department to commemorate a particularly striking historical model. This one is dedicated to the 1959 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe, specifically chassis #1301, which was produced by Pinin Farina in a gorgeous two-tone paint scheme. Beneath its glorious livery – nicknamed “Some Like it Red” – this 2018 488 GTB is powered by a mid-mounted, 3.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8 generating 661 hp, brought to heel by carbon ceramic brakes, with gear changes handled by a Getrag 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. This car has travelled only 4500 miles and comes complete with its original books and manuals. The estimate is $350,000 – $400,000. Run-of-the-mill (!) 488 GTBs sell at around $250k, but an anniversary edition brought $605k at Scottsdale this year, so this estimate might be light.

For those who think turbochargers are cheating, this 2015 Ferrari 458 Speciale is for you. It’s powered by the last normally aspirated V8 made by Ferrari, displacing 4.5 liters. The direct-injected engine was used in the Italia version of the 458, but there the resemblance ends. Ferrari honed, measured, balanced, optimized, and assembled every internal component of its F136 V8 to F1 specifications, resulting in a prodigious 14:1 compression ratio. While the Italia is no slouch with 570 hp, the Speciale registers an increase in horsepower to 597. Handling is enhanced with active aerodynamics – including electronically-controlled ground-force elements at the front, sides, and rear – lending confidence to the driver determined to test the 0-60 mph time of 3.0 seconds. Every 458 body panel was scrutinised, with re-designs aimed at decreasing the Speciale’s weight and increasing its aerodynamic profile. The interior is carbon fiber, including the flooring. Only 1309 Speciales were made, and each has appreciated significantly over its original MSRP of about $300k. The estimate on this 4700 mile example is $800,000 – $1,000,000, and while none of us is likely to rush over to Palm Beach with an open checkbook, it will be interesting to see the final price.

There has to be a convertible, and this is it: it’s a 2009 Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M, one of 499 made to celebrate the company’s sixteenth F1 Constructors’ Championship. Based on the 430 Scuderia, it is powered by a brutally fast, extremely loud 4.3-liter V8 feeding 500 hp through Ferrari’s F1-SuperFast six-speed automated manual transmission. Stability control helps keep the wheels where you point them, and the big carbon ceramic brakes make reining in this whole package a piece of cake. The spider is some 200 lbs heavier than the 430 Scuderia coupe, thanks to bracing required once the top came off, but what’s a few pounds when we’re talking 0-60 in 3.5 seconds. Plus, the glass engine cover is wicked cool. The estimate here is $925,000 – $1,000,000.

This 2015 LaFerrari is perhaps the company’s magnum opus. Utilizing the KERS (kinetic energy recovery system) technology that enabled Kimi Räikkönen to win the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix, Ferrari created an unbeatably fast hypercar by combining its 6.3-liter, 789 hp V12 with a 161 hp electric motor for down-low torque. We’re talking 0-60 in around 2 seconds. I can’t even think that fast! Downforce is controlled by electronically-actuated ground effects panels; gear changes are via a seven-speed dual-clutch transaxle. All these modern Ferraris supply the driver with paddle shifters; in fact, the LaFerrari incorporates most of its functionality on the steering wheel. The seats are fixed, with a pad laid directly on the car’s floor and customized for the driver. The steering wheel and pedals move to suit. The LaFerrari makes use of more than 20 onboard computers, aiding and abetting a fantastic driving experience. Only 499 LaFerraris were produced. Even at an MSRP of $1 million, every car was spoken for long before the production run was completed. Since launch, this model has appreciated toward the $5 to $6 million range. This LaFerrari shows only 4788 miles on the odometer, and its estimate sits at $4.45 to $4.75 million – a bit of a bargain!