Ferrari 550 Maranello on 2040-cars

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EVO dubs Ferrari 458 Speciale its Car of the Year

While some publications are concerned with finding the best car or truck for the average buyer and slapping a ribbon on it, or (in our case) identifying the best new automotive technology of the year, across the pond our compatriots at Evo are more single-minded in their approach. Every year, the British car mag awards its Car of the Year to its top new performance automobile on the market. And this year, they've picked the Ferrari 458 Speciale. The stripped-out supercar from Maranello beat out some heady competition. Second place went to the Jaguar F-Type R, followed by the Porsche Cayman GTS, VW Golf R, Renaultsport Megane 275 Trophy-R, BMW i8, McLaren 650S Spider, Aston Martin Vanquish, BMW M3 and, last but not least, the Audi S1. It was only the second time a Ferrari won the eCOTY award, after the 599 GTB Fiorano took top honors in 2006. Precedent suggests the magazine typically hands the award to a version of the Porsche 911 – like the GT3 that won last year, preceded by other Elfens in 2011, 2010, 2007, 2004, 2003, 2000, 1999 and 1998 (when the award was inaugurated). Why is the latest 458 derivative so... Speciale? Watch this video to find out.

Topiary Joe sculpts the ultimate in green cars

Efficient cars are all the rage these days, but Joe Kyte has made a business of crafting some of the coolest green cars around – literally. Kyte is better known by his nickname Topiary Joe, and in addition to being a talented artist, he is also a real gearhead. Kyte has been creating topiaries for the last 20 years. It began when he was marketing greenhouse products to Walt Disney World and saw their plant sculptures. He realized that he could do that and since then, has done around 3,400 pieces. His most intriguing creations are the rolling sculptures that move and turn. Prices for those start at about $18,000 and can be as high as $30,000. While, the wheels are machine-bent, Kyte said all the other parts are done with a table vice and a Lincoln Electric arc welder. Topiary Joe is taking the Porsche (pictured above) to Palm Beach later this year to sell or says he may donate it to Porsche North America. If you really want it, the sculpture is currently on Craigslist for sale for $24,000. Topiary Joe has also had a life-long love of cars. "I was driving my first MG Midget before I was 14," he told Autoblog. He grew up in Oak Ridge, TN, where the Manhattan Project was partially developed. He says the town was full of recent college grads driving Mercedes, and he caught the bug. His automotive mentor was a nuclear physicist who taught him to repair and restore the Mercs. Kyte has completed commissions for Sandals Resort, Dreamworks, Absolut, and many more. Among his favorite creations is the Ferrari that he created at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that is now exhibited at the airport each year before the race. Check out his website for a wider look at his work.

Ferrari 488 Spider turbocharges its topless way into Frankfurt

There's a droptop supercar for any wealthy buyer's style at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show. If the sharply styled Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder doesn't get your heart racing, Ferrari is in attendance, as well, to give the turbocharged 488 Spider a public debut. With either of them, buyers are getting an exclusive, Italian name and plenty of performance to keep the wind gusting through their hair. The major upgrade for the 488 Spider and the reason for the new name is the addition of Ferrari's 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 to the droptop. Just like in the 488 GTB coupe, it makes 661 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque. The Prancing Horse claims its latest Spider can hit 62 miles per hour in about 3 seconds and 124 mph in 8.7 seconds. The retractable hardtop is pretty quick, too, and can open in just 14 seconds. A redesigned aluminum spaceframe offers the benefit of 23 percent better torsional rigidity compared to the 458 convertible. While the styling at the front is the same, the 488 Spider wears some beautifully sculpted nacelles behind the seats. They create a streamlined look that flows right down the tail in profile. The glass pane between them can be retracted in three positions, too, to adjust the amount of wind and sound in the cabin. The droptop also has a new engine cover with louvers on each side. Check out all the little details of the blue example from the Frankfurt show yourself in our image gallery above.