Unfortunately, this beast cannot be driven.
A Ferrari collector now owns a unique Prancing Horse – a V12 powered 458 Italia, which is a LaFerrari powertrain tester mule. Greg23 is the owner of Ferrari chat and will be sharing some details about this special machine.
A brief post by indicates that Ferrari used the 458 to develop the V12 LaFerrari. It doesn’t have the hybrid. Greg23 cannot register the test mule as a road-use vehicle because it is a unique machine without the usual powertrain. However, he can still use the machine on the track.
6,262 cubic centimeters of displacement is the LaFerrari’s V12, while the version in the hypercar generates 789 horsepower (588 Kilowatts) at 9,000 rpm and 516 pound-feet (706 Newton-meters) torque. The hybrid assistance is what provides the remaining 949 horsepower (708 kW) of total output, which the 458 does not have. This powerplant is a huge improvement over the 458 Italia’s 4.5-liter V8 which produces 562 horsepower (419 kW).
This 458 looks even more sinister with the stunning satin black paint. The body looks almost stock despite the new powertrain. Pins were added to keep the engine cover closed. This is the only significant change.
An additional Instagram post shows the interior of the test mule. It looks very nice inside, with lots of Alcantara upholstery. Ferrari engineers modified the center console to add emergency shutoffs, but otherwise the cabin looks stock.
Greg23 does not provide any information about how this vehicle was obtained from Ferrari, but it is a fascinating story. These test mules are usually crushed by automakers or stored in archives. Greg23 must be a skilled negotiator in order to find a way to free this one.