Car Review: Ferrari 458 Italia 2009

Posted on November 9, 2009
Filed Under Car Review, Ferrari

Finding that a bit spartan Scuderia? Want the same kick, but with a lot more refinement? The answer is the replacement for the F430, the new 458 Italia. You can use the whole story in December’s 2009 car exhibit on 18 November:

• Detailed nine page 458 Italia first drive function
• Greg Pajo’s beautiful photoshoot
• Do you feel like it’s behind the wheel
• On the road and track

But now, here is a taste of what you’re in, if you’ve got for about £ 160,000 spare parts.

Baby Enzo, anyone? The Ferrari 458 Italia is a Dead Ringer!

Funny you should say that, because not only have the 458 bears a striking resemblance to the legendary super-sports car is the flagship that can actually lap Fiorano track in the same 1min 25sec. This is the same as the blank-out Scuderia by the way, and 2sec quicker than the F430 it replaces.

Impressive, but with the eco-conscious Mille Chili Concept of 2007 fresh in my mind, I suspect that this thing weighs 1000 kg and has a hybrid engine behind the seats filled?

Not quite, but the 458 has some of the ideas of the Mille Chili’s, actively engaged, including aerodynamics. Two fins located on both sides of the grille are designed to deform at speed, partly blocking the grid needed to cool the front-mounted radiator at low speeds and the direction of the air around the car, reducing the drag co-efficient be designed.

Other uses aero work in holes near the lights to gas up speed over the front fenders tapering the lift and the high pressure in the rear wheel wells, around the engine to run cool. Italy’s Wind Tunnels must’ve been busy these last few years.

So, if there is no KERS system, which under the hood?

Somewhat more conventional, but still full of tech. It is a naturally aspirated 4.5-liter dry sumped V8 revs to a stratospheric 9000rpm and delivers 562bhp compared to 483bhp independent of the 4.3-liter F430 engine. So that you scratched by the computer, leading to a massive 127bhp per liter, a record for a naturally aspirated production car represents.

It shares its block, heads and direct injection technology with in California, but the front-engine car runs out of puff before 8000 RPM and delivers only 454bhp. Also released is the seven-speed, dual-speed gearbox, although the 458 adds E-Diff-3, the latest version of the electronic differential lock Ferrari. And for the first time on a mainstream Ferrari, there is no alternative manual transmission.

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