The New Ferrari F458 Italia

ITALIA - Ferrari’s innovative new V8

The Ferrari 458 Italia’s Pininfarina design provides further evidence of the complete departure from the past that this new car hails. The Ferrari 458 Italia has a compact, aerodynamic shape, underscoring the concepts of simplicity, efficiency and lightness that inspired the project. As with every Ferrari, the car’s styling has been very heavily influenced by the requirements for aerodynamic efficiency, as can be seen from the downforce of 140 kg at 200km/h generated by the new model. The front features a single opening for the front grille and side air intakes, with aerodynamic sections and profiles designed to direct air to the coolant radiators and the new flat underbody. The nose also sports small aeroelastic winglets which generate downforce and, as speed rises, deform to reduce the section of the radiator inlets and cut drag.

Performance
Acceleration (0-100 km/h) <3.4>
Emissions 320 g CO2/km
Fuel Consumption 13.7 l/100 km

SOURCE: rsportscars.com

New Ferrari 458 Italia

Today is a good day. Today is your first look at the all-new mid-engined Ferrari, the 458 Italia.

It replaces the F430 and, judging by the numbers, it's going to be simply astonishing.

First, the engine: a new 4.5-litre direct injection V8 putting out – ready for this? – 562bhp. That’s 79bhp more than the current F430, and 52bhp more than the Scuderia.

We’d heard rumours that the F430 replacement might gain turbochargers, but the 458 Italia remains defiantly naturally aspirated – in fact, at 127bhp per litre, Ferrari says it manages the highest specific output of any naturally aspirated engine ever. It’ll rev all the way up to 9,000rpm too, making it the highest-revving Ferrari of all time.

Add in 398lb ft of torque at 6,000rpm – of which 80 per cent is available from 3,250rpm – and you’re looking at a deeply, deeply fast car.

202mph fast, in fact. And a 0-62mph time of ‘less than 3.4 seconds’. That is unbelievably quick: the F430 hits 62mph in four seconds flat, and even the Scud can only manage a three-point-six. In fact, it’s even faster than an Enzo.

It won’t just be a straight-line monster, either: integrated and remapped versions of the F430’s differential and traction control systems which give the 458 32 per cent more longitudinal acceleration out of corners than its predecessor.

Oh, and see those black winglets on the grille, just under the nose? They’re slightly elastic, and deform downwards at speed to generate downforce, improve aerodynamics and cut drag. The 458, says Ferrari, will generate 140kg of downforce at 124mph. On a track, obviously.

Ferrari has ditched the F430’s F1-derived gearbox in favour of a revised version of the California’s seven-speed dual clutch transmission. Like the rest of the 458, it’ll be blisteringly fast, nailing shifts even quicker than the Scud’s six-millisecond changes.


All of that, and we haven’t even talked about the looks. Which is where you lot come in. What do you reckon? A future classic?

SOURCE: http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/ferrari-458-italia-2009-07-28