Ferrari 458 Speciale A shows off ahead of Paris show

HOW DO you make the $550,000 445kW/540Nm Ferrari 458 Speciale even more special? Rip its roof off.

Meet the Ferrari 458 Speciale A that’s just been revealed ahead of its Paris Motor show debut. The A stands for Aperta, which if you’re fluent in Italian, translates as ‘Open’, with the Speciale A sharing the same folding aluminium hardtop as the regular 458 Spider.

That means the roof can open in a mere 14 seconds but the downside is that it adds an additional 50kg to the regular 458’s kerb weight, with the A tipping the scales at 1445kg.

Despite the extra heft, engineering wizardry has ensured the A’s performance is just as sharp as its hardtop brother, meaning the same 0-100km/h sprint of 3.0sec and the same lap time at Ferrari’s personal racetrack, Fiorano.

Under its skin, the A follows the same scintillating recipe as the tin top Speciale, including that glorious 445kW/540Nm 4.5-litre atmo V8, the razor-sharp dual-clutch seven-speed transmission and plethora of cutting-edge electronics designed to make you go faster, not kill your fun at the limit.

Of course, should you be feeling brave, all of the traction control systems can be turned off to let you revel in the Speciale’s brilliant balance.

Aussie pricing is yet to be revealed, but if you want a Speciale A in your garage, best get on the blower to Ferrari now – only 499 will be sold, making it as rare as the LaFerrari.