2010 Ferrari 458 Reviews

In the natural order of evolution the latest version of any new car has to be better, safer, grander and in today's world even greener than the one it replaces. That's a given.  But sometimes that natural order gets out of step.There are newcomers who don't just take one evolutionary step forward, but to borrow a line from the bloke who walked on the moon, they take a giant leap forward.Such is the F458 Italia, Ferrari's quickest road-going model and the stunning replacement for the F430, which followed the 360 which itself was a remarkable car.PricingThe 458 arrives in June with more than 100 deposit-paid "expressions of interest" being signed on the $580,000 car that's an order bank almost larger than the number of cars Ferrari sold in total last year.  So what's been happening? Has Ferrari, after a few hit and misses in its line-up, finally built a car of desire? It looks like it.Buyers have been handing over five-figure deposits to secure their place in the queue — those at the top of the pecking order will be getting their new Ferrari before Christmas; latecomers may have to wait for up to 18 months.The majority of Ferrari buyers are traditionally also big spenders: adding between $120,000 and $180,000 to tailor their cars before they leave the factory, and if they really insist on an odd colour trim combo then the amount of deposit rises substantially. Understandable, because the distributor, European Automotive Imports, doesn't want to get stuck with an expensive car with little market appeal.DrivetrainSo how good is the first all new mid-engined V8 Ferrari for in a decade? The 458 isn't just a step ahead of the 430, it's in another time zone.  The two-seater has more finesse, is more powerful, more responsive and resets Ferrari's bar on ride and handling perfection. It also has a green tinge, using less fuel and producing less harmful CO2 emissions than its predecessor.The raw figures are staggering: with 419kW peaking at incredible 9000rpm, the direct injection V8 delivers 93kW per litre which Ferrari says is a record for such a naturally-aspirated motor.And this is the first Ferrari not to offer a manual transmission and that's the rub with aficionados. Not only that, all future Ferraris will be without the traditional open-gated manual shifter as well.The diehards may weep, but there's no denying the 458's dual clutch seven-speed auto gearbox (developed for the Ferrari California with the technology now sold to Mercedes-Benz) is a gem, making the car easy as the family wagon to drive sedately in the city. If your feel the need for self shifting, there are Formula One style paddles behind the steering wheel.Ferrari counters the criticism, saying the techno-smart auto, a spinoff from Formula One, can complete gear changing far faster than any human hand and the shifting actually boosts power and doesn't momentarily lose it as you do when using a conventional clutch.EquipmentBut the 458 has other direct F1 links as well. The most obvious is the steering wheel which is crowded with all of the car's main controls including switching for lights, wipers, indicators, ignition and settings for the traction control system. Ferrari's effort to centralise controls sort of works, but you have to remember just where those buttons are when you have turned the wheel full lock, in tight turns.DrivingWhile Australia baked, here in Maranello, the home of Ferrari, the temperature didn't budge from 2 deg, fog blanketed the valley and it was snowing, meaning the fantastic hill roads above the town were out of the question for this beast shod in summer tyres.  The slush demanded extreme caution, even though the highways had been sprinkled with salt.Even with the car set on its wet road setting, to allow maximum grip, too much accelerator pedal (one of those let's try it and see what happens moments) produced an instant fishtail, which was countered almost as quickly (but not quite) by the traction control system which settled the car and our nerves.Despite the tiptoe conditions there was enough input after four hours on the road to show Ferrari has done an excellent job in body control: the car sits flat in corners, minor road bumps are well absorbed, the steering stunningly quick, the brakes are reassuring solid and benefit from an anti-lock braking system which is tuned to the road conditions.The Ferrari flyer is rewarding as it is daunting. The question remains just where in Australia, apart from track days, can its abilities be tested?The styling is a work of art — purposeful, muscular and mean. But every single curve, air intake and aerodynamic wind deflectors serve a purpose. The front winglets for example are flexible. At low speeds they channel air to the deeply angled radiators; at high speed they bend, moving the air to produce a low pressure area at the front of the bonnet, helping to reduce drag and in our case, ice which clung to the bonnet.Ferrari says the 458 produces a massive 360kg of down force at its maximum speed of 325km/h that's better than the Enzo supercar. It's not until you climb into the cockpit with its overly hard seats, that you realize just how wide the Ferrari is. Not a problem for Australian roads but it demands careful manoeuvring to negotiate Italy's narrow lanes, lined with deep ditches and shared by trucks all demanding their bit of black top.Despite that, the 458 is remarkably easy to drive. Push the red start button (we failed to see it the first time and wondered why the car wouldn't start) awakens the beast lurking behind the cabin but its there on display under the rear glass hatch window for all to see and admire.Engine noise changes pitch quite dramatically depending on the throttle opening. It's not the typical agricultural V8 sound we are used to in Australia. This is more of a high pitched growl than belly-deep guttural.At 60km/h the car quite happily plods through city traffic in seventh gear, such is the high revving nature of the V8. But it's not until you get to highway speeds and the revs build that the true character of the car shows itself. Stomp on the accelerator in auto mode for overtaking and the car drops a gear, and rewards you with a surfing wave of torque as speed and revs rise in unison all the way to 9000rpm although in these conditions redlining was out of the question.The transmission will upshift automatically if you are in manual mode and thanks to the dual clutch system cog swapping is done seamlessly.  Given the right road conditions, the 458 is capable of running at more than triple our road limit — something we never came close to exploring and can do the standing dash to 100km/h in just 3.4 seconds.Think about it. Count to four it's that quick and gives the car a rightful entry into the supercar class. Equally remarkably, it has a claimed fuel consumption of just 13.4l/100km. This is the most responsive Ferrari to date.A miracle car maybe. But it's not without its faults: there was demisting problem in our test car but a bigger problem was the lack of a rear-view camera and it's badly needed although it will be offered as an option for Australia. This $600,000 sportscar also doesn't come with vanity mirrors and cruise control was also absent, but that will probably become standard once the cars are landed in Australia.The options list is however extensive right down to matching luggage (the same leather as the seats).Ferrari 458 ItaliaPrice: $580,000Engine: 4.5-litre V8, 419kW @9000rpm, 540Nm torque @6000rpm.Transmission: 7-speed dual clutch automaticPerformance: Top seed 325km/h, 0-100km/h 3.4s, 0-200km/h 10.4s,Dimensions: kerb weight 1485kg (with forged wheel rims and lightweight racing seats) , weight distribution 42% front, 58% rear, length 4527mm, width 1937mm, height 1213mm, wheelbase 2650mm front track 1672mm, rear track 1606mm.Tyres: Front 235/35 20 inch, rear 295/35 20 inch.Brakes: Front 398, rear 360mmFuel Economy: 13.3l/100km (claimed, European test); CO2 307g/km

Ferrari has taken its two-seater V8 sports to new heights with the 458 Italia, but there's no manual in sight.Sharing some of the California's drivetrain, albeit with upgrades to suit the harder-core performance aspect of the coupe, the 458 is only being offered only as a double-clutch automated seven-speed manual when Australian deliveries start mid-2010, so low was the demand for 430 manuals.The company says the 458 - expected to cost as much as $600,000, or 10 per cent more than the 430 - completes the new generation Ferrari range, boasting better environmental credentials accompanied by more power and better performance.The 458 is largely focussed on the driver, with the remainder of the cabin laid bare - the driver gets a steering wheel that has the bulk of the features now mounted on it, moving lights, indicators, windscreen washer/wiper function to the steering wheel, as well as the start/stop engine button, the independent damper switch and the all-important Manettino toggle.That system controls the suspension, stability control and drivetrain via the one ECU, which Ferrari says allows the systems to work together for quicker response times.The aluminium-spaceframe vehicle, which was developed with input from Michael Schumacher, sits on a double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension, with some similarity to the underpinnings of the California - but some of the suspension has been altered for 458 Italia duty, including the bushing.The 458 is also stiffer than the outgoing 430 Scuderia, boasting only 30 extra kgs but with 50 more kiloWatts and 70 additional Newton metres of torque on hand, it's quicker than the outgoing sports model.The alloy direct-injection engine is now 4.5-litres, with work done to reduce internal friction as well as using a dry sump and oil scavenger system, producing 425kW at a manic 9000rpm and 540Nm at 6000rpm, although 80 per cent of that is available from 3250 through until 9000rpm.The sprint to 100km/h takes less than 3.4 seconds, it brakes from that point to standstill in 32.5 metres thanks to standard carbon-ceramic brake discs and a 1380kg kerb weight and the top speed is around 325km/h.The car has also benefitted from considerable aerodynamic work, managing to cut drag - it's cD is 0.33 - but at the same time generating solid levels of downforce at speed - 360kg of downforce is being generated at the top speed of 325km/h.Flexible front winglets, rear diffusers and subtle venting across the length of the body are all part of a complex aerodynamic package that aim to give the car ample track stability at speed.Driving the car on its local Italian roads and the test track at Fiorano where much of the development work was done, the 458 feels well-sorted. The road drive revealed the latest incarnation of the magnetorheological controlled damping system deals well with ride quality, as well as tightening up appropriately when asked.The engine sounds a little less inspiring at mundane speeds, but the drivetrain doesn't baulk at suburban dawdling.But bury the right foot and the active exhaust brays with intent as the V8 spins with ferocious intent to 9000rpm - only race mode will stop the gearbox changing up at the limiter, but the pace at which the horizon closes in on the sharp nose of the 458 is astonishing.On the Fiorano test track, the 458 is no less astonishing - the full throttle noise borders on a physical assault and the electronics are kept busy on a greasy track, but it feels cohesive and unlikely to bite, unless you switch all the electronics off - but we didn't.There's little that occurs beneath the wheels that the driver is not aware of, but the talents of the car are best shown by the Ferrari test drivers, who demonstrate the 458 Italia's considerable potential.For all the 458's ability, it is a sad day that sees a Ferrari without any chance of a clutch pedal.