You can still turn everything off if you wish to go completely sideways, and ultimately risk spinning the car - but with SSC engaged, Ferrari says the Speciale is actually faster and more thrilling to drive for the vast majority of drivers.
Even those who are as useful as ex-F1 driver Marc Gene reckon the system is "at least as good as me in most corners, especially in fast ones where the electronics can really make a difference."
The 4.5-litre engine in the Speciale is the most potent non-turbo V8 that Ferrari has yet produced, and although it's fundamentally the same as the motor that powers the Italia, it has been heavily massaged nonetheless.
With an incredible 14:1 compression ratio thanks to a range of internal modifications and a rev limit of over 9000rpm, it thumps out not just more power than the regular 458 - in this case a whopping 597bhp - but also more torque, right across the entire rev range.
And that makes it feel quite different in nature to the Italia's engine. It's more urgent in its delivery and a lot more gutsy everywhere; less top end orientated basically. It might be naturally aspirated but it still churns out a decent amount of torque, too - some 398lb ft at 6000rpm.
Ferrari has also shaved 90kg off the 458's overall weight, bringing the Speciale down to 1395kg. Everything from the racing bucket seats to the rear screen glass has been preened to shave kilograms.
There has also been various other upgrades, including the braking system (lifted almost unchanged from the LaFerrari), the gearbox (20 percent quicker upshifts and a scarcely credible 44 per cent quicker downshifts), the tyres (new bespoke Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s) and suspension.
Even the aerodynamics have been fettled, with improvements to the airflow above, below and across the car to reduce drag and increase downforce. What you end up with is a car that can run rings around the standard 458 Italia, on road or track. And the last time I drove one of those it didn't exactly strike me as being slow.
Hard though it might be to believe but, thus equipped, the Speciale makes the regular 458 Italia feel like yesterday's car, dynamically at least. It's so much more "lit" than the standard Italia when you're going for it, yet still damn near as civilised when you're not. You're talking 0-62mph in 3.0sec and a top speed of 202mph, and - somewhat remarkably - a claimed average of 23.9mpg; this is a seriously capable machine.
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