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Joshua Dowling30 Nov 2009
REVIEW

Ferrari 458 Italia

Italy's latest sports car brings us closer to the world of F1

Ferrari 458 Italia


International Launch
Maranello, Italy


What we liked
>> Breathtaking acceleration and superb brakes
>> Greater choice of comfort suspension settings
>> Clever transmission, well weighted steering


Not so much
>> Exhaust sound plain at low revs, makes three pipes look silly
>> Can't display large speed readout and nav at same time
>> Indicator buttons on wheel work well except at roundabouts


Overall rating: 4.0/5.0
Engine and Drivetrain: 4.5/5.0
Price, Value, Practicality: 2.5/5.0
Safety: 4.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 4.5/5.0
X-factor: 5.0/5.0



OVERVIEW
-- Ferrari's 458 Italia is all-new from the ground up
This is the first all-new Ferrari sports car in more than a decade. The Ferrari F430 released in 2004 was in fact a makeover of the Ferrari F360 that was released in 1999. Their bodies were unique but they were effectively twins under the skin.


It turns out that when the Volkswagen Audi Group bought Lamborghini in the late 1990s, Ferrari decided it ought to give its mid-engined sports car a freshen-up. It was a wise move, as the F430 benefited from some much needed changes to the chassis and the introduction of some F1 technology.


The 458 Italia moves the goalposts forward again, having been built on an all-new, even lighter chassis, and an all-new engine and gearbox combination. The chassis itself is 10 per cent lighter and the thinly sculptured wheels are 40 per cent lighter than the F430's. But the overall weight of the 458 is about the same as the F430 because the 458 has more equipment.


The 458 is also the first Ferrari not available with a conventional manual transmission. Instead it comes with a seven-speed twin clutch manual (similar to the one used in the Ferrari California convertible).


And the Italians have also done away with the indicator stalk and wiper wand; instead those functions are activated via buttons on the steering wheel. Former Ferrari F1 driver Michael Schumacher apparently made that suggestion; he also asked Ferrari to make it possible to access softer suspension settings even when in more sporting driver modes.


Attending the 458 launch in Maranello Italy also gave the Carsales Network an opportunity to ask Ferrari whether the car was designed first, and then the numerous air vents carved into the body were added later -- or did the vents come first? It turns out that Ferrari engineers told Pininfarina they wanted to use air vents in the nose for downforce, and air vents in the rear for cooling. The engineers also wanted to move the air vents from the side of the body to the rear of the engine cover to avoid debris.


And so the 458's daring design was indeed the genius of Pininfarina, at the request of Ferrari engineers.


My favourite touch: the outer edges of the 'moustache'-like or 'boomerang'-style wings in the lower front bumper flex downwards up to 20mm under air pressure at racetrack speeds to provide downforce, and more airflow to the front radiators. Neat.



PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
-- New model is 10 per cent dearer than F430
Ferrari is yet to announce the price of the 458 Italia in Australia but the Italians had a message for the world: the new model is 10 per cent dearer than the previous F430. So make that around $500,000 then.


The price seems almost academic: the 458 Italia is sold out for at least two years. Ferrari again wheeled out its line about courting a beautiful woman and how that courtship should take no more than two years otherwise people start looking elsewhere (at other cars we presume).


As with all Ferrari sports cars, options include endless types and colours of leather, and various styles and sizes of seats.


Now that carbon ceramic brakes are standard, the only option is the colour of the calipers: red, silver, black or yellow.



MECHANICAL
-- New engine, transmission brings F1 to the street
The all-new 4.5-litre V8 is unlike any Ferrari engine before it -- except for a Ferrari racecar, that is.


The 90-degree V8 with a displacement of 4499cc was designed from the outset to rev to 9000rpm. Given the high revs and the corner potential of the 458 Ferrari has fitted a dry sump oil system to force feed oil into the engine.


The engine's flat crankshaft -- 180 degrees between its throws -- is typical of Ferraris and racecars. Ferrari says the even firing order between banks enables a more efficient exhaust manifold design.


Interestingly, Ferrari quotes two figures for the power output of its 4.5-litre V8. It says 419kW is produced on low speeds (or on an engine dyno) and 425kW is achieved at top speed (in excess of 300km/h) because of the ram air effect of the 458's sealed air-induction system


Maximum torque is rated at 540Nm at 6000rpm but 80 per cent of that torque is available at 3250rpm. It certainly feels toey (see drive impressions).


Specific output is 93kW and 120Nm per litre. Ferrari is claiming a victory for naturally aspirated engines in this regard. Ferrari has also made some fuel efficiency gains -- a reduction in consumption of 13 per cent compared with the F430.


Ferrari was apparently so excited about this development, it fitted a smaller fuel tank (down from 95 to 86 litres). Given that real-world figures are rarely reflected in fuel rating label averages -- especially when a car's performance is exploited -- this may have been an optimistic move.


The three exhaust tips aren't just for show, although they're like those on the back of the Lexus IS-F in that the tips you see are just for show. Like the Japanese sports saloon the real tips fall just short of the chrome surround.


The middle exhaust is a resonator that helps give a crackle at certain revs. If you get down on your knees and peak behind the chrome tips you can see the pipe itself is split by a vertical section. Pity Ferrari can't work its magic to make the Ferrari sound raunchier at lower engine revs.



PACKAGING
-- Good things come in small packages
Even by sports car standards, the Ferrari 458 is a tight fit. But it has possibly the world's classiest door pockets. Soft suede covers a small pouch big enough for a mobile phone, while proper stiff leather covers a pocket long enough for a travel wallet.


In the centre of the cockpit there's a nice wide strip of leather and a pair of chrome-alloy power window switches where the stick-shift used to be. Ahead of this arrangement are three buttons: launch control, reverse and auto mode for the transmission. The button says “auto” but when you press it, the transmission switches to manual mode.


And tucked behind these three buttons is a small cupholder recess. It won't fit a Big Gulp but it should be able to handle a short black.


The vertical air vent housings look great and are reminiscent of the Sydney Opera House roof design.


The smell of leather in the cabin is almost overwhelming, but in a good way, and the cabin ergonomics are genius in their simplicity. The radio system can be operated using two dials. The dual zone air-con is also surprisingly easy to use for a gadget-filled sports car: five small dials and five small buttons.


The steering wheel is PlayStation brought to life. There are five driving settings from snow to race. There's something for everyone in between.


The massive central tachometer has a large digital screen either side, which show navigation, radio and speed on the right-hand side (either as an analogue dial or a large digital number display) and a vast menu of options on the left side for literally dozens of different vehicle settings. You could be amused for hours without even leaving the driveway.



SAFETY
-- NCAP doesn't have a budget to crash one, but it has airbags
Don't hold your breath for an NCAP crash test score on this car. Chances are a car like this could blow the independent authority's budget for the year. Or two...


But there are airbags galore and, perhaps more importantly, the grip level and braking ability of the car have been taken to new levels. Carbon ceramic brakes are standard, and the stability control system has a minimum of five settings -- and levels of sensitivity.


Of course, if you overcome the laws of physics you could still bend it. But the grip level of the Michelin tyres is impressively high, even on damp road and track.



COMPETITORS
-- Lamborghini and Porsche, but don't tell Ferrari
In the half-a-million-dollar class there are two direct rivals -- Lambo's latest Gallardo and Porsche's brand new Turbo. (Ed: and perhaps the Benz SLS?)


The $475,000 Lamborghini LP560-4 is the closest in philosophy and price. Its all-wheel-drive system makes it a little more idiot-proof than the Ferrari in wet weather, and its V10 engine means there's more torque from lower revs. And it's Italian.


In some regards the Lamborghini is the underdog's Ferrari. The only problem is the ill-informed onlookers who say “phwoar, look at that Ferrari” as you drive past in a Lambo.


The other rival in terms of performance is the new Porsche 911 Turbo, which can match the Ferrari 458's pace of 0 to 100km/h in a claimed 3.4 seconds when equipped with its new twin clutch seven-speed PDK gearbox. And yet the Porsche is $200,000 cheaper than the Ferrari. It's not every day a circa-$300,000 Porsche looks like a bargain, but it does now.



ON THE ROAD
-- What's this? A Ferrari sports car you can live with?
Slippery, fog-covered roads meant extreme caution was necessary while getting acquainted with the Ferrari 458. It also meant that we spent more time than we would have liked at normal, cruising engine revs. After all, driving a Ferrari like Miss Daisy is a bit like using a race horse to pull a plough.


But the slow going meant we got to see the unflattering side of the Ferrari 458 first. At low revs, and when the engine is not being laboured, you could be forgiven for thinking there was a humble Toyota MR2 engine behind you. It's not the barking mad, ready to roar engine note you expect from Ferraris.


You could say it's refined, but I'm not sure this is the sound of refinement Ferraris owners are looking for.


Fortunately the weather eventually cleared and we got to hear the 458 in all its glory.


At about 7000rpm it finally starts to sound like a racecar. At 9000rpm it sounds like a Honda S2000 on full noise, but with a little more bass to its note. (Interestingly Ferrari says no other engine has revved as high as the 458's -- perhaps they forgot about the high revving Honda.)


The first pleasant surprise after discovering there really was a V8 hiding in there after all was the comfort of the ride. Admittedly the route did take on mostly smooth winding roads, but even on the occasional rough stuff the 458 stood up well. Shock, horror: you could almost live with it day to day.


The other revelation was the steering, which is smooth, linear and, well, just right. Ferrari has been particularly interested in feedback on the steering. There was some concern that, at two turns lock to lock, it might have been too sharp for the rest of the chassis. We reckon they've got it right.


Apparently Ferrari copped a bollocking over the steering of the F430. If you're an F430 owner, breathe easy. Ferrari listened. The new one's just fine.


Ferrari, however, saved the best driving experience until last, with three laps in anger of the famous Fiorano test track. But first, some 0 to 100km/h fun: the 3.4 second claim doesn't appear to be an exaggeration. It bangs through the gears with brutal efficiency. You're at the speed limit before you know it.


In all modes except full race mode the twin clutch auto changes up a gear to prevent you from buzzing the engine. There's a nice blip of the throttle on downchanges, and the gearchanges get more aggressive as you turn the steering-wheel-mounted 'Mannetino' switch to the right, and smoother as you turn it to the left.


It may not come as a complete shock that the car drove really well around the circuit it was developed on. I, on the other, did not get anywhere near the abilities of the 458. Thankfully a number of Ferrari test drivers were on hand to show us how it's really done.


Ferrari's most experienced test driver, Dario Benuzzi, obviously didn't need much of a warm up lap; we were approaching 200km/h within seconds of leaving the pit garage.


As we approached the first corner I looked over to see Dario checking his watch. He was the exact opposite of what the car doing: amid the scream of the engine and the chatter of the tyres and the brakes as they struggled for dry tarmac, he was completely relaxed. He really did make it look that easy...


 


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Written byJoshua Dowling
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