Ferrari has confirmed the replacement for the awesome F430. It is the 458 Italia and is a powerful stallion of some note. The name is derived from the size of the engine as well as the number of cylinders it contains.
Coming directly from a naturally aspirated 4.5-litre (4499cc) V8, maximum power is 419kW (570hp) and 540Nm of torque. Impressive is that 80% of that is available from a reasonably low 3250rpm. To access the power Ferrari has installed a new 7-speed twin-clutch gearbox that is said to be both lightening quick in changing as well as smooth when driving in normal traffic. The 0 – 100km/h dash is achieved in under 3.4 seconds and top whack is 325km/h.
It emits an average of 320 g/km in C02 emissions while average fuel consumption is claimed to be 13.7 litres per 100km.
As usual with modern Ferraris, Michael Schumacher, who is now back in Formula One to replace the injured Felipe Massa, was involved with its development right from the start. Therefore precision and performance are optimised, something typical of any car from the iconic Maranello outfit.
The 458 Italia was designed by Pininfarina and is styled with high-performance and aerodynamics in mind. But those LEDs that stretch vertically on each side of the bonnet probably had nothing to do with either, and will surely be a talking point for some time to come.
Expect to see other versions like a Scuderia and possibly an FXX model later on in the car’s life cycle as well. Since Ferrari is developing a hybrid system we might even see that in the 458 at some point. Also expect to see it debuting at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
