Awesome performance – not just speed, but flexibility, too. That's where the Ferrari 458 Italia has taken the game to the next level. With a chassis that makes anyone feel like they can drive and amazing good looks, it is the perfect supercar. Sure there are cars that are more exotic and more expensive, but this car is the one we would buy. 

The classic mid-engined V8 berlinetta layout seen here in theFerrari 458 Italia actually began with the 2+2 Dino 308 GT4 in 1973. In more recent history, it is the elegant 1994 F355 that many think of when considering the best and most memorable of the two-seat ‘baby’ Ferraris that make up the 458’s predecessors.

Helping the 458 Speciale get well below its stated 2.9-second acceleration time to 60 miles per hour is the lost baggage of nearly 200 pounds of curb weight versus the 458 Italia, for a quoted total of 3,075 lbs. This lightness is then propelled forward with Ferrari's latest iteration of its F136 engine, called FL. Power in the direct-injected V8 unit is up by 35 horses and the existing 398 pound-feet of torque gets spread more widely due to a 14:1 compression ratio (the 458 Italia is at 12.5:1). All of this makes not only for finer behavior at higher speeds through curves, but also for more urgency coming out onto the straights between those curves.

The F-type R, which has 54bhp more than the F-type V8 S roadster, launches to 62mph in just 4.0sec. And that’s not just thanks to the extra power, either. Stickier tyres, a reworked differential, a quicker eight-speed paddleshift gearbox and a 20kg weight saving against the soft-top all add up to that storming turn of speed.

The top speed is electronically limited, but 186mph is enough for most people, surely? The pop-up rear spoiler, which reduces high speed lift by 120kg, gives your speeding antics away at just 70mph, though. Meanwhile, 501 lb ft ensures an in-gear lunge from 50-75mph in 2.4sec.