The Ferrari 458 Italia: a close look at this sports car Performance, technical data, characteristics, comparison of rivals, history, prices used
from classic to modern
CAR
The Ferrari 458 sports car, a two-seater Berlinetta, also called the 458 Italia, was unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show with a price tag of $275,000.
It was the natural successor to the successful F430 which was discontinued earlier that year.
Like the F430, it retained E-Diff, the electronic limited-slip differential, and F1-Trac, the electronic traction control system, plus ABS and electronic dampers, all connected to the Manettino switch on the steering wheel.
Between them, E-Diff and F1-Trac increased the cars cornering abilities and subsequent cornering acceleration by up to 30% over their predecessors.
A unique feature of the 458 sports car was that the brakes were equipped with a feature that caused the pads to contact the discs as soon as the car accelerated.
The result was that the distance traveled to stop the car, in conjunction with the ABS and Carbon Ceramic brakes, was markedly improved, with 62 to zero mph in just 32.5 metres.
With the Pininfarina body style, an interesting addition was that the front grille was fitted with small fins which, as speed increased, began to change shape to reduce the cross section of the radiator inlet and therefore therefore reduce resistance.
In this way, the airflow under the car was increased and by the time it reached the rear diffuser, it had generated significant downforce.
Once again, the external styling emphasized the cars aerodynamic characteristics, such that downforce was increased to 140kg at 124mph.
As with race cars, the steering wheel now contained a series of controls that would normally be located on the dash or on an antenna.
The rear of the car sported very distinctive triple tailpipes.
It used an aluminum body and chassis, with rear-wheel drive on 20-inch wheels.
The slightly increased size and weight of the 458, compared to the F430, was more than offset by the additional power from the engine.
THE MOTOR
The sporty 458 Italia was powered by a 4.5-litre V8 mid-engine, derived from the 4.2-litre V8 unit designed specifically for Maserati after that company’s takeover by Ferrari, and first used in the F430.
The engine developed 570 bhp at 9000 rpm redline and 398 ft/lbs of torque at 6000 rpm, most of which was available around 3250 rpm.
It produced a top speed of 202 mph, a 0-60 mph time of 3.3 seconds, and a total fuel economy of 21 mpg.
A feature of this engine was that it was equipped with direct fuel injection, the first time such a system had been applied to a mid-engine unit.
Since the classic H-gate manual gearbox was not offered as an alternative, it was only fitted with a Getrag seven-speed sequential unit, which could change gears in 40 milliseconds.
It used dry sump lubrication and employed a flat crankshaft to prevent uneven firing in the exhaust manifolds.
Compared to the F430, compression has increased from 11.3 to a whopping 12.5:1.
Technical data:
COMPETENCE
Typical competitors for the Ferrari 458 Italia included the following sports cars: Audi R8GT, Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, and Aston Martin DBS. Ferrari Performance:
SPORTS CARS FOR SALE
A Ferrari 458 Italia sports car in good condition would cost around $225,000, while one in show condition would cost as much as $350,000.
This marks the end of my review of the Ferrari 458 Italia sports car.
