Ferrari 458 Italia (2009) CAR review

Finding that Scuderia a bit spartan? Want the same kick but with a heap more refinement? The answer’s the replacement for the F430, the new 458 Italia. You can read the full story in CAR’s December 2009 issue out on 18 November:

• Detailed nine-page 458 Italia first drive feature
• Greg Pajo's beautiful photoshoot
• Feel what it's like behind the wheel
• On road and track

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

Baby Enzo, anyone? The Ferrari 458 Italia’s a dead ringer!

Funny you should say that, because not only does the 458 bear a striking resemblance to the legendary supercar flagship, it can actually lap the Fiorano circuit in the same 1min 25sec. That’s the same as the stripped-out Scuderia by the way, and 2sec quicker than the F430 it replaces.
 
Impressive, but with the eco-conscious Mille Chili concept from 2007 fresh in my mind, I’m guessing that this thing weighs 1000kg and has a hybrid motor stuffed behind the seats?

Not exactly, but the 458 does employ some of the Mille Chili’s ideas, including active aerodynamics. Two fins located at either side of the front grille are designed to deform at speed, partially blocking off the grille needed to cool the front-mounted radiators at low speeds and directing the air around the car, reducing the drag co-efficient.

Other aero work has resulted in vents near the lights used to slow gas speed over the front wings, reducing lift and even using the high pressure built up in the rear wheelwells to cool the engine. Italy’s wind tunnels must’ve been kept busy for these past few years.

So if there’s no KERS system, what’s under the bonnet?

Something more conventional but still full of tech. There’s a naturally aspirated 4.5-litre dry-sumped V8 that revs to a stratospheric 9000rpm and delivers 562bhp, compared with 483bhp from the F430’s unrelated 4.3-litre motor. To save you scrabbling around for the calculator, that equates to a massive 127bhp per litre, a record for a naturally aspirated production car.

It shares its block, heads and direct-injection technology with the California but the front-engine car runs out of puff before 8000rpm, and delivers just 454bhp. Also shared is the seven-speed, dual-clutch gearbox, although the 458 adds E-diff 3, the latest version of Ferrari’s electronic differential. And for the first time on a mainstream Ferrari, there’s no manual gearbox alternative.               

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