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Ferrari 458 Speciale already sold out for first year

Ferrari tends to sell its models out extremely quickly - its wait lists are the stuff of legend. That's especially true when the cars in question are of the fastest or most exclusive variety. If new reports are to be believed, Maranello has already sold the entire 499-unit production run of its new LaFerrari hypercar, and now Australia's Motoring is claiming that Ferrari has also filled its order book for the entire first year's production run of its new 458 Speciale.
For those unfamiliar, the 458 Speciale follows in a proud line of hardcore mid-engined V8 Ferraris in the footsteps of the 360 Challenge Stradale and 430 Scuderia. It's lighter, more powerful and more aerodynamically advanced than the 458 Italia upon which it's based, and just trails half a second behind the more powerful F12 Berlinetta (and the aforementioned LaFerrari) as the third-quickest road car ever to lap the Italian automaker's Fiorano test track. That means it's quicker even than the 599 GTO and Enzo.
Although we've yet to receive official word, we're expecting a sticker price approaching $300,000 - about a quarter more than the 458 Italia. But that doesn't appear to have stopped Ferrari from raking in the orders. Check it out in our substantially updated image gallery above.

Haas F1 names Esteban Gutierrez second driver

The 2016 Formula 1 grid is nearly complete with the announcement that Esteban Gutierrez will join the Haas F1 Team. To make the most of the signing the Mexican's appointment was announced during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend, and if the crowds at the grand prix are anything to go by then Haas can count on an instant and large fan base as of right now. The 24-year-old Gutierrez will drive alongside Romain Grosjean, who was announced at the end of September at Haas' US base in Kannapolis, North Carolina. Gutierrez spent a little more than two years as a test and reserve driver for Sauber, plus another two years as a Sauber race driver in 2013 and 2014 before being let go at the end of last year and signing on as a Ferrari test and reserve driver. Haas' relationship to Ferrari and Gutierrez' local fans made him - politically, at least - a viable candidate. Manor is expected to be the only team that might have vacancies, but with recent upheavals there it's yet to be seen if they'll make the grid next season. The press release below has more information on the Haas F1 Team signing. Related Video: Haas F1 Team Names Gutierrez to 2016 Race Seat MEXICO CITY (Oct. 30, 2015) – In a press event inside the main lobby of the Soumaya Museum, Haas F1 Team founder and chairman Gene Haas named Mexican driver Esteban Gutierrez to a race seat with his team when it makes its 2016 debut in the FIA Formula One World Championship. Gutierrez will race alongside driver Romain Grosjean, who was previously announced by Haas on Sept. 29 in a press conference at the team's U.S. headquarters in Kannapolis, North Carolina. Haas F1 Team is the first America-led Formula One team in 30 years. The 24-year-old Gutierrez is currently the third driver at Scuderia Ferrari, the technical partner of Haas F1 Team. Gutierrez joined Scuderia Ferrari in 2015 after spending the 2013-2014 seasons with the Ferrari-powered Sauber F1 Team. "I got to know Esteban through our relationship with Ferrari, and after looking at the success he's had to earn his role there, it became clear he was an excellent choice for our race team," Haas said. "He's young and hungry, but not inexperienced. His two years running a full F1 schedule has given him some very good race experience, and having spent this season at Ferrari as their third driver allowed him to see firsthand the methodology that makes Ferrari such a power in Formula One. "We're very happy to have Esteban as a part of our race team.

Ferrari 488 Spider configurator is just in time for summer

The weather is just starting to show signs of being nice enough for open-top driving, which makes it a perfect time to configure a Ferrari 488 Spider. The configurator lets you select every aspect of your future Ferrari, and that means this Prancing Horse will fully let you express your own personality. In this case, you can spec out the 488 Spider as a track monster with a plethora of carbon fiber parts, or if you want more of a grand tourer, there are options like electric seats and the choice to alter practically every part's color. Unfortunately, none of the selections come with a price, so there's no way to know how much the gold metallic paint for the brake calipers adds to the bottom line. It's fun to dream, though. Mechanically, the 488 Spider is identical to its coupe sibling. The engine is a 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 with 661 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque. A seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox sends that muscle to the rear wheels. The droptop can reach 62 miles per hour in 3.2 seconds, just a few tenths off the coupe, and the Spider's top speed is 203 miles per hour. As for the final number for those who love tracking every bit of performance with a stopwatch: the roof hides away in a scant 14 seconds. Related Video: