Following in the footsteps of Ferrari’s brilliant Scuderia Spider 16M, the 458 Speciale A (short for Aperta) was introduced to the Ferrari lineup in 2014 as a limited-edition convertible sibling to the 458 Speciale Coupé, offering exhilarating performance and the thrill of open-air motoring coupled with the 458 Speciale’s glorious exhaust note.

The key to the allure of the Speciale A is a suite of modifications, many of them inspired by and, in some instances, co-developed alongside, the LaFerrari supercar. A key component of the car’s amazing agility is side-slip control (SSC). This system calculates the car's slip angle and makes near-instantaneous adjustments to match the driver's inputs. The system works in tandem with Ferrari's electronically controlled rear differential (E-Diff) and traction control (F1-Trac), with the result being superb reflexes without sacrificing ride comfort and everyday usability.

At the heart of the Speciale A is a 4.5-liter V-8 that develops 597 horsepower at 9,000 rpm, along with 398 pound-feet of torque at 6,000 rpm. This represents a 35-horsepower improvement over the standard 458. Credit goes to the car's eye-watering 14.0:1 compression ratio, along with a raft of engine modifications that include everything from new pistons and updated combustion chambers to revised intake runners and carbon-fiber airbox and manifold. Ferrari left no stone unturned when eking every ounce of performance out of this motor.

Furthermore, its aluminum retractable hardtop takes only 14 seconds to deploy or retract at the push of a button. Performance remains largely the same thanks to the car’s active aerodynamics, and it can sprint from 0–62 mph in three seconds and has a top speed just below 200 mph. The rarified Speciale A is approximately 110 pounds heavier than its solid-roofed sibling, although still nearly 200 pounds lighter than a standard 458 due to the liberal use of carbon fiber and lightweight composites.

The Speciale A offered here was delivered new to Ferrari dealer Ron Tonkin in March 2015. It wears a bespoke Giallo Modena exterior with a Blue NART racing stripe over a black alcantara cockpit. Further optional specifications include red brake calipers, and the tremendously useful AFS lighting system.

Carefully maintained by its original dealer over the interceding years, the car presently shows just under 6,500 miles at the time of cataloguing. Invoices on file indicate annual services taking place each year. This unique 458 Speciale was successfully submitted to Ferrari Classiche in January 2018, and retains all of its major original powertrain components. Further, its current tires were mounted on the car in October 2019, then showing approximately 5,100 miles. It is presently offered for sale accompanied by service invoices, and car cover.

Combining the sheer performance of the 458 Speciale with the top-down experience of the 458 Spider, the 458 Speciale A provides perhaps the best of both worlds to its lucky owners. Should one have missed their opportunity to buy one of these tremendously special automobiles when first released, this example offers one last chance to buy that brand-new Ferrari.