Sculpted Masterpiece: Ferrari 458 Italia

Ferrari 458 Italia

The latest iteration of the Italian supercar!

Exotic car maker Ferrari has scored big in 2009. Earlier this year, customers of the Ferrari California with its famed retractable roof began to see their orders filled. In September, the hard top Ferrari 458 Italia was introduced, the most modern and technologically advanced Ferrari ever. With seven models now available, enthusiasts of the celebrated Italian sports car marque have a stable of “Prancing Horse” stallions to choose from, the largest line up in the automaker’s outstanding eight decade history.

An All New Ferrari

Completely new inside and out, the Ferrari 458 Italia is a two-seater “berlinetta” (little saloon) model, which derives its name from its all new engine — a mid-rear mounted direct injection 4.5L V8 — as well as from its country, Italy. Ferrari thought that it was important to offer tribute to its native land, noting that its newest model reflects her people’s passion, creative flair and embracement of cutting-edge technology.

Bodily evidence of this is found in the 458 Italia’s Pininfarina styling which gives the car a look that is both beautiful to behold as well as highly aerodynamic. Sharp edges, defining bulges and sporty, crisp lines mark the new model which takes its styling cues from the now retired one million dollar Ferrari Enzo F1 racer. The Ferrari 458 Italia officially replaces the aged and heavier Ferrari 430, offering a larger and more powerful engine than its predecessor, yet realizing important fuel economy improvements while emitting fewer emissions.

Sleek Design, Potent Engine

The front of the new Ferrari features a single opening for the grille and side intakes, utilizing aerodynamic sections and profiles which have been designed to direct air to the coolant radiators and to its new, flat underbody. Ferrari included small aeroelastic winglets in the nose piece which helps to add downforce and deform as speed increases, reducing the size of the radiator inlets and further decreasing wind drag.

The engine itself is an engineering achievement and represents Ferrari’s first attempt to mount a direct injection engine in the mid-rear section of the car. An exhilarating, powerful and familiar growl emerges from the engine the moment it kicks on, thundering through the entire frame and out through the exhaust’s triple tip rear tailpipes. Producing 562 horsepower with 398 pound-feet of torque, the engine harmonizes with a seven-speed dual clutch transmission, enabling the 458 Italia to travel from zero to sixty in about 3.3 seconds, while topping out at just over two hundred miles per hour. Time to contact the Kansas Speedway about their track rental times!

With no manual gearbox available and no plans to build one, the 458 Italia lacks the only thing that F1 drivers do – shift gears. Still, with the paddle shifters at the ready a measure of control remains with the driver, which is probably for the best when most of your driving is on I-70 or cruising down Metcalf Avenue.

Formula One Champ Advises

The 458 Italia’s cockpit is as close to a F1 duplicate as you’ll ever find thanks to the work of retired seven-time world drivers champion Michael Schumacher who is now a Ferrari advisor. Schumacher counseled Ferrari to move all of the key controls to the steering wheel (shift paddles, start/stop switch, etc.) in an effort to help the driver maintain road concentration, while maximizing control over the supercar.

The Ferrari’s instrument cluster features an ample, central tachometer that redlines at 9,000 rpm and measures up to 10,000 rpm, along with a smaller speedometer on the right side that exceeds 200 mph and a digital information display located on the left side. Secondary controls including heating and air-conditioning, lights and audio are located on either side of the steering wheel.

Controlling Your Ferrari

A car as powerful as the Ferrari 458 Italia needs its share of safety features to make sure that it stays on road or track at all times as well as protects occupants in the event that control is lost.

The newest Ferrari features improved lateral traction, enhanced anti-lock braking and a shorter braking distance than the model it replaces. A more direct steering ratio improves handling, while its 42/58 weight distribution and a curb weight of just over 3000 pounds work in tandem to help rein in the power of this mighty stallion.

Riding on 20” wheels, the Ferrari’s 235/35 tires up front are joined by larger rubber in the back, 295/35 tires which enhance rear grip. You won’t be taking your supercar out in bad weather, but in the event that a sudden storm blows in you’ll still have the confidence that you can return home – in low gear, of course.

Satisfied Workers Build Fantastic Cars

Just 27 Ferraris are built each day at the company’s production facility in Maranello, Italy, which has been rated as the best place to work in the entire automotive industry. Production there is divided between Ferrari’s two newest models – the California, which is sold out until 2011 – and the 458 Italia, the latter which will begin to be delivered to its first customers in early 2010.

Pricing for the Ferrari 458 Italia is set at the dealer level where information about the Ferrari Driving Experience, a two-day precision driving school where students learn about threshold braking, weight transfer, managing acceleration,identifying the ideal driving line on track and discovering the limits of vehicle adhesion in both wet and dry driving situations is also shared. The school, of course, is located in Italy which gives interested Ferrari fans the opportunity to tour the production facility while sampling local culture.

Photo Credit: S.p.A.

Raleigh Auto Show Opens Thursday

Because I live a stone’s throw away from Raleigh, I get to enjoy the annual North Carolina International Auto Expo which is held for four days every February inside the Jim Campbell building on the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. This year’s show runs from February 11-14 and I plan on making my visit there on Thursday afternoon.

Small Show

Don’t get me wrong: this show is small and some manufacturers choose to stay away. Honda and Mercedes haven’t displayed their cars in the past few years, but fans of Ford, GM, and Toyota will not be disappointed: their vehicles take up a significant part of the showroom floor.

But despite the show’s size, you can happen upon some good finds. In recent years I got to see the Dodge Challenger, Buick LaCrosse, and Ford Taurus ahead of their respective releases and talk with company and marketing representatives. From a customer’s point of view you should be able to find many of the current 2010 models plus soon to be released 2011 cars.

No Pressure

One advantage with most any auto show is that you can see what you want without the pressure of a salesman. And, if GM continues with its past practice, you may be able to actually drive a few of Chevrolets or Buicks on display.

One of the local dealers, Capital Ford, will provide a display for an F250 Crew Cab, a Propane vehicle that ROUSH Performance has converted.

“Ford has been and will continue to be a leader in fuel efficiency and green technology,” said Tim Michael, President of Capital Ford. “We are thrilled to have the F250 Crew Cab at the Auto Expo to demonstrate that trucks too can be fuel efficient.”

Ford will also showcase the 2011 Mustang, the upcoming Fiesta subcompact, and the soon to be updated 2011 Lincoln MKX and other models.

New Releases

The 2011 Toyota Sienna will be shown just ahead of its big marketing push in time for the Winter Games which start on Friday. Super luxury makes including Aston Martin, Maserati, and Ferrari will each be present while Kia, Hyundai, all Chrysler brands, Mazda, and others will be present.

The North Carolina International Auto Expo is sponsored by the Wake County New Vehicles Dealer Association who contributes some of the show’s proceeds to local charities. Over the past four years, the group has donated $150,000 to a number of causes.

I will follow up here later this week with some of my finds including important “trends” you will want to know about.