There's a serious problem for Ferrari collectors who badly want Ferrari's latest V12 engine: the fact that unless they have money or connections to get ahold of a LaFerrari or LaFerrari Aperta (they'll likely need more than enough of both to get one), they'll have to settle for a front-engine GTC4Lusso or 812 Superfast. Aside from the prestigious LaF, no other Ferrari model is offered with a V12 in its midsection. No Ferrari, that is, except for this incredibly rare 458 Italia.
Rub your eyes all you want but they aren't deceiving you. We've already heard about this V12-powered Ferrari 458, but a collector, which posts on Ferrarichat as Greg23, has highlighted some more information about this strange and enviable ride. To the disappointment of those who enjoy vehicular anarchy, this isn't the resulting product of a sadistic sacrilegious Ferrari butcher who peeled the engine out of one of the most rare Prancing Horse models to roam the Earth and put it into a lowly 458 Italia. Instead, this mutant seems to have been constructed by the hands of Ferrari's own talented builders to satisfy engineers looking to iron out the engine's kinks during development of the LaFerrari.
As one Ferrarichat user points out, the rear fenders look a slight bit wider, perhaps to accommodate the additional cooling hardware or components that were displaced by the larger engine. The interior looks to be all business, retaining a distraction-free black Alcantara color scheme while large buttons where the center console is supposed to be allude to this car's status as a Ferrari test vehicle. Greg23 goes on to clarify that this 458 Italia doesn't come with the LaFerrari's KERS system, furthering its status as the ultimate Ferrari for modern purists. According to Greg23, the car drives like a "normal car" and cannot be registered as a road car for at least 24 months, meaning it's relegated to track use only for the time being.
It's unclear how the car was obtained, but if Ferrari sold this test mule to a private owner willingly, let's just say that that's the type of person we should all aspire to be friends with.
