Autocar wasn’t the only one who brought the Ferrari 458 Italia out for a test run recently. This time, it was Chris Harris and EVO Magazine doing their best lap times on board the fastest ‘Prancing Horse’ to ever come out of Maranello in recent times.
In the video, Harris runs through a couple of laps on board the 458 Italia while working on two different set-ups: all systems mode and the simpler – and possibly more difficult – race mode. It’s a pretty attention-catching video, especially after Harris seems to have a more difficult time navigating the 458 Italia around the track when the chores of shifting gears are tasked on him.
The guys from AutoCar had the luck to got behind the wheels of the new Ferrari 458 Italia and of course they had all the fun in the world. Check the video to see what do they think about the latest Ferrari.
Short reminder: the 458 Italia is powered by a 4.5 Liter V8 engine that delivers 570 HP at 9000 RPM. Weighing in at only 3042 pounds, the new Ferrari will rocket from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3.4 seconds and won’t stop until it hits a top speed of 202 MPH.
Ferrari’s latest mid engine sports car was unveiled only a few weeks ago in Frankfurt and the renderings of modified 458 Italias haven’t stopped popping up. Ranging from an aftermarket inspired 458 by the Japanese design house ASI to a racing version and from an Italia spider to a police edition. However the latest of these digital drawings is more representative of something that the exotic Italian automaker will actually be producing sometime in the near future. The rendering was done by DJ at Teamspeed and gives us an official look at what a future factory tuned 458 Italia could look like.
Despite Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa dispelling any rumors about a Scuderia or Challenge Stradale version of their latest sports car, we can all dream about what it would be like to get behind the wheel of a hot rod 458 Italia. The car would weigh less, have more power and unthinkable as it maybe even sexier. Now there is no chance of seeing a super tuned 458 in the next year or so, Ferrari will most likely let the Italia’s steam run out before they invested heavily in a new high performance product that will revitalize the line. So when it does come to fruition, expect for the used 458 Italia market to be in full swing. The last unknown about a factory tuned 458 is exactly what the automaker would call it, rumors are flying around that in honor of the Scuderia’s die hard Formula One fans, it could be called Tifosi.
Back in January Portuguese soccer sensation Cristiano Ronaldo had a little incident with his Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and if you don’t understand what sarcasm is then you can skip to the bottom of this article to see what we are talking about. Since the accident, Cristano has been seen eyeing a few different Ferrari’s to replace his smashed up 599. Now that the year is coming to a close and the Italian automaker is offering an all new mid engine sports car that promises to be as quick as the larger GTB there is little guesswork left in trying to figure out what he will be driving. Like any successful footballer and Ferrarista, the newly street legal Ferrari 458 Italia would be a perfect fit for Cristiano’s car collection.
The soccer phenom is so interested in the new 458 Italia that he has scheduled a trip to Maranello where he will have the chance to get behind the wheel of the new car so that he can make a more informed decision. Now you can’t just write a letter to Luca di Montezemolo and ask for Ferrari to open up the Fiorano circuit so that you can go for a test drive. You either need to be someone very important in popular culture or a big benefactor for Ferrari, after all not many people can say that they have put rubber to the road on the same track where Ferrari’s F1 team practices.
Cristiano will definitely have his hands full when he goes to test drive the 458 Italia. Under the rear deck lid Ferrari has placed a 4.5 Liter V8 engine equipped with the traditional Ferrari flat crankshaft that gives the mid-engine 458 sports cars their signature top end bark. The unit produces 570 HP at a rather high 9000 RPM and still get 18 MPG. Weighing in at only 3042 pounds, the new Ferrari will rocket from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3.4 seconds and won’t stop until it hits a top speed of 202 MPH. We just hope that the 458 Italia won’t suffer the same fate as his previous 599.
Our friends over at WreckedExotics were kind enough to share with us a number of photos that looks nothing like a Ferrari 458 Italia. But the thing is that’s exactly what they are.
While not painted in the traditional colors Ferraris are usually associated with, the two teal blue 458s were actually the ones used by the Prancing Horse for their crash tests. Judging from the damages done on the two cars, it appears like they were involved in a side impact test and a front and rear impact test.
Also worth noting is the fact that apart from these two that are only partially covered, a number of other supposed 458s that we can only assume as crash test vehicles are fully covered. From the looks of things, the beaten-down 458s look to be in relatively good shape after enduring a crash test, which only lends more credence to Ferrari’s goal of giving the 458 some added toughness.
Ferrari has just already come up with a pricing plan for the all new mid engine 458 Italia sports car, and from the looks of the list of options it appears that the exotic Italian automaker is keeping things rather simple. Back when Ferrari opened up the car’s online configurator we learned of two tone interiors and color matched brake calipers; however this pricing chart shows that a well equipped version of the 162,000 Euro super car shouldn’t cost much more than the MSRP, that is excluding the dealer’s inevitable markup. So at nearly a quarter of a million dollars, the 458 is looking more an more like a super car with its 4.5 Liter V8 that makes 570 HP at a screaing 9,000 RPM and 202 MPH top speed.
The priciest option of them all is Ferrari’s vintage paintwork where the automaker will cover your new car in one of their shades from the 1950s and 60s. Coming in a close second is the 5,610 Euro Racing Livery package that is part of Ferrari’s Racing & Track list of options, and coming from a race car builder like the Maranello based automaker, the upgrade should be well worth the money. Coming in third as the new 458 Italia’s most expensive option is the $3,900 custom fit luggage for the sports car’s front compartment, and just like the livery, considering Ferrari’s attention to detail and craftsmanship the Italian leather wrapped suitcases should be quite a treat. That latest luxury is followed closely by the 3,500 Euro 20 inch forged sport wheels, and any decent set of aftermarket rims for a Ferrari will run you a lot more than that.
It hasn’t been a month yet since the Ferrari 458 Italia made its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show and now, there are talks that Ferrari is already hard-at-work in coming up with a Spider version for the Italia.
In an interview down with Quattrorute, an Italian car magazine, Ferrari top dog Luca di Montezemolo said that the 458 Spider is already in the works, although he also said that fans of Scuderia shouldn’t expect to see any vestiges of the soft-top 458 for at least a few more years.
Nevertheless, it’s always better to hear the news straight out of the mouth of the man who makes all the decisions in Ferrari so having Luca di Montezemolo say it should squash all those rumors about the 458 Italia Spider.
In the same interview, Montezomolo also announced that anybody who has made orders for the 458 Italia should expect their prized super car to show up on their driveways early next year.
By now, anybody who claims to have any remote interest in cars has probably seen the Ferrari 458 promo video that was released a week ago.
Now if you’re curious to know as to how the promo video was created, then you’re in luck. Here we have a behind-the-scenes look as to how the commercial came to life. From the director’s main objective in highlighting the personal appeal of the Italia to the audience to never-before-seen footage of those two prancing beauties in action. It’s a shame that the promo only lasted a few minutes because if the director really did want the audience to feel like they were behind the wheel of one, then he probably should have extended the duration of the video a little more.
Then again, we can’t really complain too much. After all, the video did do a splendid job in making us salivate the thought of driving one even more.
Even though the Ferrari 458 Italia just finished introducing itself to the world at the Frankfurt Motor Show, that hasn’t stopped the Japanese design house ASI from coming up with a few modifications to the Pinninfarina penned design.
The first rendering opens up the 458’s nostrils with larger front bumper openings and a very racy set of gills just before the all new mid engine Ferrari’s front wheels, a set of sharp side skirts and a fixed rear wing paced atop the 570 HP V8’s deck lid to keep the car’s back end planted. The second speed inspired design is a bit more subtle, ditching the carbon fiber fender vents to create a much cleaner looking 458. One very interesting touch from ASI is the racing spec tow hook inside the front bumper, perhaps this a hint that the Japanese tuners intend on their 458s seeing some track time.
It is only a matter of time before we start to see more and more of these modified 458 renderings. However the real question is, when are we going to start to see some full scale examples. It would take a very dedicated tuning shop to make the hefty investment in a brand new Ferrari 458 Italia only to tear it apart and begin their own experimentation with the latest offering from Maranello.
As we count down the days leading up to the highly-anticipated release of Gran Turismo 5, the game is generating a ton of buzz regarding what super cars will be made available in the game. A few days ago, we couldn’t contain our excitements after we learned that the Mercedes SLS AMG Gullwing would be a playable car in the game.
We’ve barely had time to settle down when news broke out that another super car that’s made its way into the top of our wish lists would also be available on GT5.
That’s right, Ferrari junkies; the all-new Ferrari 458 Italia is headed to GT5!
If you don’t believe us, then you should know that pictures – or videos – are worth a thousand words.
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