Can we appreciate how beautiful the spec of this particular car is. The contrast of the tricolore stripe over the white paint is sublime.

A manual Ferrari is a proper Ferrari and for that matter a proper car. Bravo for the owner of this beautiful machine.

I'm in full support of what Modificata did to this car. The more modern sports cars I experience, the more I feel duped by how easy they are to drive. I once held on for dear life in a TVR Cerbera in the rain, and I couldn't help but just adore the sense that it demanded respect and skill to operate. This Speciale reminds me of it, and perhaps we need more cars that are a challenge to drive well.

" This coffee is disgusting by the way " - Loved this, definitely something I can concur with my recent NY trip with Diners

Haha “this coffee is disgusting.” I was waiting for that 😂

The owner a proper driver 💯, props

458, especially the Speciale version, is in my opinion the best-looking car ever made.

Halfway through the video I realized the sun outside and paused to go for a drive in my manual mustang bullitt. Nothing like driving a maual. Simply engaging. Excellent video.

Great job on the quick turn around! Couldn’t wait to see what this thing was like since behind the glass.

You’re definitely right about the more modern any car is the more the ECU’s all contribute to making them far more drivable without the driver having to be of racer levels car control, be it a hot hatch or a supercar. By the way you’ve just been given a mention on Harry’s Garage👍

Amazed by how natural the gated shifter looks considering the car never had a center console for it

17:48 that moment was so hilarious yet it proved your point so well!

I love this, in my eyes this is what a supercar should be- extremely challenging and equally rewarding when you get it right. Props to the owner for building the dream!

Gotta love the muddy water at a diner😂

The first 3 seconds of this video said it all, without Sam saying a word. You can literally feel the insane driving emotions of this being a manual ❤

I’ve been fortunate enough to drive this car and there is a learning curve in the beginning but man is it rewarding when you get it right in the end! It is similar to a CGT in a way where it punishes you for not being perfect. It makes you work for it, you have to adapt to it in a way and I think that’s the whole point. You will not be texting and driving this car!! Once you get dialed in and then realize you are driving a 458 Speciale of all things it’s quite a nice feeling! Cars like this should exist in this world. Bravo MODIFICATA and Jeff Segal.

The POV at 16:00 is a great angle. Nice work :)

Thank you Sam, brilliant and unique car and a great STG travel vlog video. 'Off-the-cuff' and still ticking all boxes of a cinematic STG report, up there with the STG greats for 2023. I reckon Tony might be reinterested in the 458, maybe he is the one to first get a manually converted car in Europe? Cheers, American East Coast and you mix very well indeed✌

I think it is really a shame that the modern supercars do not come out with a manual gearbox option... Makes it so much more special and more funny to drive.

Sam it’s been my pleasure to watch you over the years you have really evolved into one of the greats on KZfaq and in media in general!!! Love from South Carolina USA!!!

I think it’s amazing that it exists. The execution based on what we can see and your experience is OEM quality. I do feel however with how frantic and immediate the stock car can be a DCT makes perfect sense. Epic car, not for me. Great video👍🏻

That's one tough conversation!! Bravo to their hard work!!! This is what made them greater than everyone else!! Great video!!

WOW 😍😍😍, this is the most beautiful Ferrari I've ever seen. Not only from the outside, but from the inside too - my dream-cockpit. And the manual gear box makes this car even more special. What a joy to watch. Thank you !!! The owner of this beauty knows the essence of driving with passion and joy.

I look forward to Sam’s videos more than any other KZfaqr now. They’re so well filmed and interesting. The others just don’t get what we want. They just keep on buying, modifying and selling the same cars. Sam quickly realised that isn’t what we want. Road trips and interesting reviews are great. Keep up the good work Sam 👍🏻

Amazing video, Sam! Keep crushing it!! 🔥🔥🔥

Great job explaining your thoughts while being polite to the talented people who created it. I feel like I truly get what it would be like to drive having listened to your commentary. Thanks

Sam I’ve been following you for the past 3 1/2 years and just love your boyish enthusiasm, honesty and genuine love for what you’re doing, it really comes across in everything you produce. Add to that superb cinematography and you’ve become one of the very best automotive KZfaqrs. I was particularly chuffed for you this week to see you and your 360 referenced on “Harry’s Garage” with his testarossa update. In my humble opinion he is the Master and you are his very accomplished Apprentice. Thank you Sam

Interior is very clean. Nice that they removed the paddles too. A lot of manual conversions leave the paddles on and don't integrate the shifter well

I've seen videos of this manual Speciale before but you knocked it out of the park. I wasn't entirely convinced before (given how good the gearbox is in the 458, normally I'm 100% manual all the way but for certain cars like you say it just fits better), but now I am. It works extraordinarily well. Hats off!

Wow, a short trip is right. I know European Auto Group ( EAG ) does a lot of the Ferrari auto to manual conversions. It's great to see that owners have options if they want to convert to manual. Awesome episode, thanks for sharing! ❤👊

I can only compliment those who did the conversion and the owner for performing such a task. It's without a doubt a unique experience that you're almost driving a highly strung race car on the road, or rather just the controls. Giving you a Ferrari feeling that I don't even think Ferrari planned in any of their road cars. Enzo would be proud.

Great job to the bloke actually doing the swap, but even from the video I can see how long it takes for the engine to blip enough when my civic type r responds nearly half a second quicker lol. I guess thats the charm of supercars where they're hilariously imperfect

Been waiting a long time to see good content from you.

Very nice build, shows that anything is possible. I'd love to see a LaFerrari with a gated manual conversion, or maybe a Daytona SP3.

Great video!

it’s fabulous that this thing exists as an engineering exercise and a sort of ‘what if’. but i don’t think i’d find myself yearning to do this conversion if i ever had a Speciale. still a fabulous thing though and huge kudos to the team who made it

Hi Sam, I enjoyed this video a lot. As you know (from when we did the Mille Miglia together) my background is in combat aircraft design and engineering. We reached this point with the jump from Tornado to Eurofighter. We had seen the increasing mental load on pilots and even their superhuman abilities to manage everything that was going on in a modern high performance machine. The same became true in modern supercars (and their pilots) right at the point of F430/458 / 599. As all of the various systems in play: Mannetino, Stability Control, Engine Management, E-Diff, Double Clutch, Traction Control, Active Suspension etc. etc. became more integrated the limiting factor becomes the drivers cognitive loads vs. their ability. I myself, went from a manual 456GTM to an F1 599GTB. In period I test drove a manual car and F1 back to back, that experience convinced me that we had gone beyond the limit for general public drivers and manual cars with such levels of performance. As you say in the video the crazy 1,000hp manual F1 cars in quali-boost mode are unimaginable but also look at the death and carnage they brought to even superhuman talent. Remembering the 599 manual it was obvious that the clutch pack was optimised and lightened for the F1 transmission so it kept dropping out of its power / torque curves on up changes and the systems definitely didn't like down shifts even if 'well-executed' in movement and rev-matching. The factory manual car felt like it was not really developed to be a thing and I suspect it was only offered in period to reduce the MRSP. I don't doubt why this car took so long to get remotely drive-able and kudos to modificata for having the motivation to do it. I suspect however that they will never recoup those development hours so as an expensive experiment is doesn't really give us anything we didn't already know. Purists will sneer as always but if you had the urge to find out "what if" and had the means then I suspect no rationale or logic would have stopped the owner. Technical Cul-de-Sac or not, I think it will be a niche of niche.

Interior is very clean.

given all the effort involved here i am pretty surprised they didn't revise the throttle mapping, it looks like the stock calibration makes driving this difficult

I loved that you were savage about the coffee. As an Aussie who loves their coffee, when you get a bad one, you have to let others know it's no good haha.

Look to work amazingly, very very well done 👏🏻

Great video Sam!

Love the way you describe “ Luigi the Cyborg “. That really helps us to understand what that’s like at least to me

Honest video and feedback. Seems like this is not the right conversion for drivers with average ability like Sam and most of the folk who watched this.

Yeah it’s been pretty wet here in CT this summer. Great episode!

“This coffee is disgusting by the way” 😂😂😂 Welcome to the US Sam!

Sam, I love your channel. Your great. Keep it up!

I haven’t even watched the video yet but have to say that I’m not surprised that of all the KZfaqrs you got this car on your channel first. Your manual 360 is such a pure Ferrari experience but this is mind boggling.

A highly entertaining video Sam.

I think the point about “would you be having more fun in a standard car” is really pertinent. It’s, of course, such a fantastic creation but, aside from that, what does it offer over and above how Ferrari intended it. Great car, super fun for a day but, I think I’d rather have the standard Speciale.

The thing is , you can get this type of experience on a 430 manual , you really have to love the 458 platform to do something like this. Its cool and unique but obtainable in other ferraris of similar age , in the other hand i think converting a 599 makes alot of sense because the v12 of the 599 feels way different than the 575's

You were only a short drive from me! Too bad you weren't able to stay around longer and come to a car show or host another meetup. Awesome to see you showcasing the Manual 458 Speciale!

Wonderful spec on this car!

Love the fact that the owner cared more about the driving experience than value of the car.....kudos to owner

STG favourite posh bloke 😀👍👍👍 Another mint vid & review top job mate 👍👍

One of the best sounding Ferraris of all time. Bloody glorious sound

Thank you for sharing.

Great review - Sam please keep your boyish joy which you share with us until 100 years old ok? That makes everything you produce so good. The Speciale in manual? Well...I guess not everything what is possible in theory need to be done. I would not de-auto it, that its natural character - don't disturb "Luigi!". There are so many classic manual Ferraris available - I would take one of those or the Speciale like the creator intended.

The Spec is phenomenal and having the manual is so cool.

I wish I knew you were in CT man would have been so awesome to meet you, we have some amazing cars out here

Looks absolutely stunning in white and the manual conversion just elevates the car to a new level. The 458 speciale;s engine represents peak Ferrari N/A V8 engine development!

What an interesting car. Would love to see a follow up video, perhaps by another reviewer with some more depth on technical details on how it was done, and some detail on how it changes the driving experience beyond the the additional coordination required to manually change gears.

Wow! what a machiiiiine! a true automotive dream!

Sam, you never have to apologize for going to a dinner. Breakfast any time of day is awesome!

This car is perfection. Sam you're the best automotive journalist out there!

Man the 458 Speciale is looking better and better every day, especially in white with those stripes

This is so cool🔥

Nice content and what a car

This is very cool Sam, and though I appreciate that you did heel and toe downshift; isn't that more for race tracks going 10 tenths into corners, so not to lock up the rear tires when trying to extract every ounce out of it? Sorry I just find it a bit comical or slightly absurd when people rev-match off track is all. It's possible there is something I am missing; probably that its a frigging blast to do because you are rev-matching a freaking 458 Speciale with a race pedal box! That thing is freaking awesome...super jelly doesn't even scratch the surface man! Another awesome video Sam!

A unique 1 of car in the world , built with 10 out of 10 craftsmanship, how many people achieve this , wonderful !!!

I admire your honesty Sam! 👌In the comments at the end you state clearly that although it is a very nice achievement to build the 458 Speciale as a manual, the manual transmission does not suit the car.

Great great video Sam. Waiting to see this car working properly quite some time. Thank you to owner and Modifacata guys. Great great job. Nowadays I am fed up to see cars like computer games. They are works great but they dont have soul. Ferrari has to produce manual options again. For keeping Enzo's spirit in their cars.

Absolutely stunning ❤

Sounds like it is a reincarnation of a terrifying old school analogue car that has modern finesse and power. While it was never meant to have a manual, I think the more it scares you, the more you chase perfection in it. Props to the owner for being able to experience divine danger lol.

1 The clutch pedal has a short travel and the biting point is towards the end of it. 2 Brakes are very hard to depress. 3 It's very difficult to blip and rev match because the ECU doesn't cooperate. That sounds like an exceptionally hard to drive manual

It's pitiful that ALL Ferraris are not offered in a manual. It isn't always about how fast you can shift and get a lap time. Often times its about the connection between the driver and a car. There is absolutely no better way than with a 3rd pedal and the requirement for you to choose your own gear physically by a metal shifter.

Incredible Sam, I recently moved to New Hampshire. It was awesome to see you around New England! You should try to come in the fall sometime!

Bravo to the owner!!! Your take seems spot on. Auto makes it safer and way faster. Personally, I will only buy a gas manual car. When that isn't an option, I will keep what I have and continue to smile ear to ear on every drive. I am sticking to my principles and will not budge.

A late watch for me... Singapore F1 came first 😅 What a great creation!! Thank you for your video on this special car 🤘

Man, the last NA V8 Ferrari with a manual is just amazing

That beginning sounded like a Honda Kseries motor ❤

Brilliant!!!

Very nice 458! I would love to see a F12 manual! Omg

I can’t believe anyone would have this with a dual clutch if you could get a manual. He has made this car much better than it was. It was amazing before now it’s next level.

great job Sam...ah... you got some of the US's famous roadside coffee...more like battery acid to me. it kinda sits on the burner for a few hours to percolate and get those bitter tannins just right . that's why you see people use about 10 teaspoonfuls of sugar

Cheers Sam

It makes so much more sense to turn a key to start a car.

A manual 458 Speciale! What a dream!!

Now that's how cars should be Samuel!!!!😂😂❤❤

I think the 458 is just about the best looking Ferrari they've made. Great video - I could sense the fear 🤣

Holy hell.. dream speciale.

I’m a car and watch guy. What a lovely omega speedmaster looks like an older 90s model 1861 movement based on the bracelet. I love it I own a 2022 3861 movement on a bracelet.

Love the 458... gave me such a headache watching this from inside the cockpit.. so may cross this off the Xmas list!

A really great and interesting video Sam the car looks awesome .but not as good as a lamborghini.have a great time with the ferrari thanks for another great video.from Dan.m

Quite simply one of, if not my favourite video of yours. Great videography, script & that line.. ‘this coffees crap btw’ 🤣 My verdict, youd only really do this is A: you have alot of money so its a ‘i want to do this for myself’ B: its a cat c car and its a ‘while we’re fixing it, why not?’

The coffee comment made me laugh, I've just got back from Rome, so I feel your pain 🤣

Thanks sam

Love love love love it

I imagine that getting all the electronics to work and speak to each other with the manual gearbox swap was quite an effort.

You're driving on roads about 20 minutes from where I used to live and about 45 minutes from where I learned to drive. I miss that area so much.