Ferrari 458 Speciale becomes ‘mobile safe room’

AddArmor says it offers protection packages for vehicles starting at $28,000

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Ferrari 458 Speciale
Ferrari 458 Speciale looks normal, but is armored to shrug off a .44 Magnum slug | AddArmor photos

The Ferrari 458 Speciale may look like any other, but this one has been modified by Jackson, Wyoming-based Add Armor to “shrug off a .44 Magnum round.”

AddArmor is using the $625,000 Ferrari to introduce what it calls “mobile safe rooms” to the high-performance exotic car category.

“Responsible for designing the world’s most state-of-the-art mobile safe rooms, AddArmor is thrilled to unveil its newest groundbreaking project: a customized $625,000 armored 458 Speciale prototype,” the company said in its announcement.

“Incorporating the latest advancements in lightweight bulletproof armoring technology, the new AddArmor Speciale showcases just how far vehicle armoring has come, and how the technology can be effectively applied to the exotic car category.”

AddArmor was founded by “military and elite law enforcement veterans,” and says its protective equipment is designed so the vehicle “can be easily converted back to original factory specifications.”

“When people think armored car, big heavy trucks with steel plating everywhere come to mind,” AddArmor president Jeff Engen is quoted in the news release. “But armoring technology has moved far past those early conventions. 

“No matter what vehicle AddArmor works on, power-to-weight ratio is always front of mind. Heavy vehicles tend to be slow, and a slow target is an easy target. In situations where clients need to be protected, speed is always an advantage. The AddArmor Speciale prototype showcases how armoring can be effectively applied to high-performance exotic marques.” 

AddArmor says it worked to maintain the Ferrari’s 200-plus MPH top speed and its 0-60 sprint in less than 3 seconds while equipping the car with B4-level armor.

“AddArmor’s ultra-lightweight armoring is 10 times stronger than ballistic steel,” the company said, adding that the armor is 60 percent lighter as well. The armor, the company reported, adds only 156 pounds to the car’s weight.

However, the company adds, the use of a special Capristo exhaust system means the total weight gain is only 67 pounds. An added bonus is the revised exhaust allows the engine to produce 40 additional horsepower.

While the 458 Speciale prototype might, indeed, be a special project, AddArmor said it offers Anti-Intrusion packages for vehicles for as little as $28,000.

For more information, visit the AddArmor website.

1 COMMENT

  1. If what l was told at the Bentley factory in Crewe, England is true, an English soccer player ordered his Continental GTC CONVERTIBLE made bulletproof.
    No names were mentioned but one assumes he had more money than sense.
    The person taking the order would’ve simply kept a straight face and said

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