FERRARI UNVEILED the all-new F458 Italia, the successor to the F430 and the latest addition to the marque’s long line of mid-engined supercars, late last month.
Today, in the lead-up to the Frankfurt Motor Show next month, the Italian supercar manufacturer has released a series of new studio and on-road photos of the 458, along with some new technical details.
Unlike the 438 that preceded it, The 458 Italia is a completely new car, inside and out. While this is clearly evident in the car’s external design, it is no less obvious in the new supercar’s interior.
All steering-column mounted controls - including indicators and window wiper stalks - have been relocated to the steering wheel boss.
Behind the wheel sit controls for a number of secondary functions, including audio controls for the stereo.
The steering-mounted gear shift paddles have also been lengthened to improve reach from any steering angle.
The dash is a technical tour de force, with the right-hand side featuring controls for the infotainment and sat-nav display screen, and the left-hand side offering options for the instrument cluster screen and the on-board computer interface.
The Vehicle Dynamic Assistance system can also now be controlled by the driver, providing access to the computer-controlled parts of the engine, transmission, tyres and braking systems.
The engine of the 458 Italia, a 4.5 litre V8, features a racecar-like compression ratio of 12.5:1 and cranks out a huge 425kW at a stratospheric 9000rpm. Torque is similarly eye-widening, with 540Nm being generated at 6000rpm and 80 percent of that figure being available from 3250rpm.
The V8’s substantial grunt is channeled into a seven-speed dual-clutch transaxle, which is the sole gearbox option and replaces the conventional six-speed manual and six-speed robotised manual transmissions of the F430.
The result of the bigger V8’s extra power and the new gearbox’s lightning-quick shifts is a 0-100km/h time of just 3.4 seconds. The Italia’s top speed is claimed to be in excess of 325km/h, 6km/h more than the hard-core 430 Scuderia.
Straight line performance will only be half of the Italia’s appeal however, with Ferrari claiming that the new car’s handling has been improved markedly over that of the outgoing F430.
The chassis, like the F430’s, is constructed from lightweight aluminium and weighs 1380kg dry. Weight distribution is a track-friendly 42 percent front/58 percent rear, and the double A-arm front and multi-link rear suspension are tuned for maximum performance.
Technical Director Roberto Fedeli says that the 458 Italia benefits from over 360kg in downforce at the rear end. The steering ratio has also been tightened up to improve response.
The F458 Italia also comes with a brace of performance-enhancing electronic aids. It incorporates the latest version of Ferrari’s F1-trac traction control system and E-Diff3 active differential, working in concert with a performance-optimised anti-lock braking system.
Ferrari says the combined effect of the electronics and suspension tuning results in an increase in lateral acceleration out of corners of 32 percent.
Traction is also enhanced by a pair of active winglets in the front airdam, which change position depending on speed to reduce wind resistance at high speed and increase downforce during cornering. Approximately 140kg of downforce is generated by the F458’s body at 200km/h.
Not only is it quick, but the F458 is also surprisingly thrifty. Thanks to the direct-injection engine, Ferrari claims that the Italia returns a relatively low 13.7 litres of petrol per 100km on the combined cycle. On the other hand, with CO2 emissions of 320g/km, it’s no tree-hugger either.
Accompanying the latest batch of images is a new video featuring Paolo Pininfarina, President of Pininfarina, the company responsible for the F458’s design:
Last week, Ferrari released a video with Ferrari Brand Manager Dany Bahar, and Technical Director Roberto Fedeli talking about the car.
A local release date and pricing has yet to be announced, but expect the first F458 Italias to start landing in Australia before the end of 2010.
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Mamma mia!!!
Not pretty.
Nice engine though, it’s about time they started using DI.
does anyone else think the rear looks very similar to the Lexus LF-A?
Hooray!, finally a modern day Ferrari I can drool over! An eye popping exotic with a hint of old school Mclaren F1 design cues. The Ferrari ‘love affair’ is back..after years of disappointment…bland 360/F430, bland 612, nice 599 (but overshadowed by various Aston Martins) and the awkward looking California. The last Ferrari that made me say ‘wow!’ was the Enzo and before that the utterly beautiful F355. Ferrari is BACK!
Come up with something radically new Ferrari, even lambos do a better job in the style department. Porches and Ferrari really like to do tweaks here and there but not create a new complete package
I like it.
OK, I’ll reserve final judgment until I’ve seen it in the flesh but it looks good.
The rear end is a bit..um…
How do you get a V8 with 3 exhaust outlets? What, each side goes from a 4 into 2 into 1….. and out back into a one and a half exhaust?
obviously…
the idea is from LF-A”
for short Lexus Design.
“”they are not Great… they just Different”"
I agree with Max, it will look stunning on the road. Was at the airport yesterday and in the valet they had an R35 GTR and a 360 Modena (with aftermarket wheels). the 360 was gunmetal and didn’t really stand out at all; I was surprised at myself looking at the R35 more than the 360 (maybe the 360 is a more familiar shape now). I still like the 360 shape (especially the Challenge Stradale) but there hasn’t been a truly beautiful Ferrari since the F355.
R12s makes an interesting point on the exhausts. The F40 also had three exhaust outlets from a V8; I’m not sure how they were configured either.
IFIRC The central exhaust on the F40 was a turbo wastegate dump pipe