Ferrari 458 Italia
It replaces the F430 and certainly does not put its illustrious elders to shame : Latin it is, Ferrari it will remain. Meet the latest model bearing the prancing horse…
Why tag “Italia” onto its name ? A matter of pride, apparently. And to reflect the blatant patriotic fervour, now evident with Ferrari. As to the first part of its name, it simply refers to the engine, an eight-cylinder 4.5 litre. This new “bomb”, which thus succeeds the F430, is unprecedented : new engine, new chassis and new suspension technology. High-tech materials have also been used, such as carbon and magnesium. Once again, Pininfarina has designed the bodywork, offering clean lines, simple and legible, while retaining a certain sophistication. Paradoxical, yes, but so typically trans-Alpine. At the front, sharp headlights, adorned with a row of diodes and the Ferrari symbol simply placed in the centre of the shield, offering the radiator grille extremely simple design, a grille that hides the aero-elastic wings in front of the radiators whose deformation, caused by speed, refines the flow and optimizes aerodynamic performance. At the rear, a triple exhaust pipe, framed by extractors. And, of course, the V8, still housed in a central position at the rear, proudly showing itself off to the gaze of passers-by. It has been lowered from 4.3 to 4.5 l and has treated itself to direct injection, along with a healthy dose of vitamins. Its power has thus leapt from 490 to 570 hp enabling this beautiful Italian car to stalk its biggest rival, the Lamborghini, on the starting line : slightly under 3.4 seconds to reach 100 km/hr from standstill versus 3.2 seconds for the Murcielago. Three small-tenths of a second that make all the difference. Efficiency again, with the F1-Trac anti-skid control that perfects handling, carbon ceramic brakes and a weight of only 1,380 kilos (thanks to the aluminum hull). The interior ? It has been designed in the image of a F1 car. The driver becomes a pilot : he now has all the essential functions right beneath his eyes and fingers, with the main controls on the steering wheel. Environment-friendly, this new model even succeeds, compared to its predecessor, in cutting its CO2 emissions, to 320 g/km.
La Ferrari 458 Italia in figures :
Length : 4,66 m
Top speed : 325 km/h
From 0 to 100 km/h : 3,4 s
CO2 emission : 320 g/km
Price : 180.000 €
By Cécile Olivéro
