Ferrari has unveiled the convertible version to the 458 Speciale

Ferrari has announced its latest offering - the 458 Speciale A - which will premiere at the upcoming Paris Motor Show. The A is short for 'Aperta', which is Italian for Open, and like its coupe brethren, the 458 Speciale A houses the most powerful naturally aspirated road-going V8 engine ever built by Ferrari.

It is likely the 4.5-litre V8, with 597bhp and 540Nm of torque from the word go, will be the last naturally aspirated V8 power unit to leave Maranello, as future models are presumed to carry turbocharging technology to meet the ever stringent emissions standards in Europe.

The three international Best Performance Engine awards the V8 has won will be celebrated with a special plaque in the cockpit.

The Ferrari 458 Speciale A can sprint from 0 to 100km/h in just 3.0 seconds and continues on to 200km/h in a brisk 9.5 seconds. The Speciale A has lapped the famed Fiorano track in just 1 minute and 23.5 seconds - clipping the F12berlinetta's time by just five-tenths of a second.

The impressive performance can be attributed to the front and rear active aerodynamics, the rigidity of a chassis that incorporates ten aluminium alloys and Side Slip Angle Control (SSC), which guarantees unparalleled sporty driving in all conditions, underscored by the signature Ferrari soundtrack.

An aluminium retractable hard top, takes 14 seconds to deploy or retract and aids in reducing the weight difference with the Speciale coupe to just 50kg. The 458 Speciale A will premiere in a unique triple-layer yellow livery with a Blu Nart and Bianco Avus central stripe as well as five-spoke forged wheels in Grigio Corsa, while the cabin has a distinctive racing inspired look.