Ferrari 458 gets Chinese makeover

Published Apr 10, 2012

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Ferrari is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the first car it ever sold in China, a 348 TS, by dressing up the 458 Italia for a special China-only edition of which only 20 will ever be made.

Blinged up in a way you wouldn't expect from Ferrari, the edition not only has gold rims, but also something of a Chinese tattoo on its bodywork.

It's finished in a bespoke colour called Marco Polo Red, which was created specifically for this car.

Likely the first thing to catch onlookers' attention will be the golden dragon on the front bonnet, which is offset by gold and black livery stripes symbolising a racing track.

Ferrari believes that the dragon image and the prancing horse badge complement each other perfectly as the symbols reflect both Chinese culture as well as Ferrari's constant innovation.

According to Ferrari, the inspiration for the livery came from the longma theme, which is an old Chinese idiom that means “the vigour and spirit of the legendary dragon-horse.”

Don't think the interior escapes the makeover, the 458's cabin endowed with gold embroidery on the headrests, a special edition plaque in the dash and they've even uses simplified Chinese characters on the start button.

Under the bonnet, those 20 lucky buyers will find the familiar naturally aspirated 425kW 4.5-litre V8 mill under the bonnet, which is claimed to allow a 3.4-second 0-100km/h pounce.

The Chinese edition will be unveiled at Ferrari's new semi-permanent brand exhibition at the Italia Centre of Shanghai World Expo Park. The 900 square metre display will be around for three years and will feature some of the best collections from the Maranello Museum.

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