Ferrari has announced a new limited edition 458, created to celebrate the 25th time the company has had a hissy fit and pretended it is going to leave F1.
The 458 Edizione Grande Bambino features petulant bodywork, stroppy wheels and a series of toys that can be thrown from the car as it goes along. The exhaust has been retuned so it goes ‘wah wah waaaaaaah’ until everyone pays attention to it.
The car’s interior has been re-trimmed to be more pompous and features a special plaque on the centre console which lists all the years in which Ferrari has threatened to leave Formula 1 (and then, amazingly, hasn’t). This is carefully angled to make it easier for the driver to admire the massive gap during the years 1975-77 and 1999-2004 when, mysteriously, the company did not threaten to leave F1.
According to Ferrari, the Edizione Grande Bambino’s engine uses ‘F1 technology’ allayed to a gearbox built using ‘F1 knowhow’ whilst the car is constructed using ‘F1-specification’ carbon fibre and uses ‘F1 inspired’ suspension.
‘We don’t need F1 at all,’ said a spokesman for the Ferrari marketing department.
