Ferrari Reviews

When Mercedes invited us to the Race the Runway charity event at Edinburgh Airport, we lept at the chance.

The Ferrari 458 Speciale, based on the already excellent 458 Italia, is filled with extra technology that aims to make it into one of the most thrilling supercars that money can buy.

I could be suffering from 'F' lag. It's like jet lag, but you get it from spending too much time in a Ferrari. A couple of days is all right but any longer than this and you simply won't want to give it back.It leaves this horrible, gnawing feeling in the pit of your stomach  an emptiness that just can't be filled. I started to feel this way shortly after handing back the keys to the fabulous 458 Spider on Friday afternoon. The first day you're too cautious to enjoy the experience, the next day you start to get the hang of it and by the third day you and the car begin to bond  then just as suddenly it's over . . .VALUEBig breath. It kicks off from $588,000 with various carbon fibre bits and pieces extra for ludicrous amounts of money. Not even my surgeon mate who owns a Porsche can afford one of these babies. This is a bloke who works 90 hours a week and can remove a brain tumour through your nose. In which case, what the hell hope is there for a paper bagger like me?DESIGNIt's incredibly low and wide, almost too wide for our driveway gates which in part contributes to its fantastic handling. Push the button and the Pininfarina styled, mid-engined sports car magically transforms into an open topped roadster, with two seats  one for you and anyone game to be your passenger.There's a penalty for this convenience because you lose the transparent engine cover of the hardtop. Most people comment on how quiet the car, that is until the baffles open and the exhaust gives full vent to the V8. Then you can hear it coming from a block away.ENGINEIt's powered by a 4.5-litre naturally aspirated V8 that delivers 419kW of power at 9000 revs and 540Nm of torque at 6000 revs, enough mumbo to propel the mid-engined Spider from rest to 100km/h in a withering 3.4 seconds. The old 'quarter mile' takes 11.4 seconds and it has a top speed where permissible of 320km/h.The state of the art V8 features direction injection and a dry sump, with fuel consumption of 11.8 litres/100km from the 86 litre tank. Although it has a trip computer, the one thing it doesn't tell you is average fuel consumption  suffice to say we got just under 500km from the 86-litre tank. But, as the service manager pointed out, if you can afford to own one, you're not going to be too concerned about how much fuel it uses.DRIVINGWe were tentative, very tentative at first. But the Spider is actually very easy to drive once you get the hang of it. Several "take me for a rides" later, we were banging through the gears like a pro. The V8 is hooked up to a seven-speed twin clutch Getrag transmission that operates as an auto, or you can change gears with the large, steering wheel mounted change paddles.Doing so elicits a much more satisfying response, with a jolt each time it changes up  bang, bang, bang! The sound is to die for. Various drive modes are accessed through the Manettino flip switch affixed to the steering wheel, from wet to sport to full off for the traction system.Reverse is engaged via a button at the the foot of the centre instrument console and there is even a button for raising the front of the car so it doesn't scrape over driveways. The JBL audio system is secreted somewhere behind the dash and the controls are accessible only though the right hand of the two computer screens which doubles as a huge digital speedometer.VERDICTIt's a cruel world. How can something so spectacularly good remain so impossibly out of reach. Then again what is the point when the speed limit is 110km/h and it can do 320km/h, with plenty of cops wanting nothing better than to put your red feather in their cap   the disconnect is enormous.Ferrari 458 SpiderPrice: from $588,000Engine: 4.5-litre V8 , 419kW/540NmTransmission: seven-speed twin clutch auto, RWDThirst: 17.2L/100km (as tested), 11.8L/100km combined cycle0-100 km/h: 3.4 seconds 

Every young boy dreams of being able to fly and driving a race car. The Ferrari F12 Berlinetta realises both ambitions.It is — until the launch of the hybrid La Ferrari — the fastest Prancing Horse in the road-registered stable, hitting 200km/h in 8.5 seconds, or less time than most cars take to hit 100. It defies supercar conventions by being smaller and cheaper than its predecessor, the 599 GTO. And if grandma keeps the tacho under 4000rpm and has a light right foot, she can safety drive it to the shops.A lot more car for a lot less money should motivate potential owners to at least test drive the F12 — and the first example landed in Sydney last week.The $691,000 sticker price undercuts the 599 GTO by $200,000. That makes cheaper than a Lamborghini Aventador — though still more than double the cost of a pair of Porsche 911 Carrera 4Ss. Standard gear runs from carbon-ceramic brakes to a Bose sound system, voice activation of the stereo and phone, satnav, magnetic suspension damping and a massive boost to the occupants' egos.Where do I start? As the Ferrari flagship, the F12 gets the latest and greatest toys the Maranello masterminds can conceive.Engineers took the 6.3-litre V12 of the FF, gutted it and fitted lighter and stronger internals. Many components — carbon-ceramic brakes, traction control and seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission among them — are evolutions of Ferrari's F1 technology.The spaceframe chassis uses 12 alloys, with key components fashioned from aeronautical-grade metals for their lightness and strength. Ferrari doesn't use structural carbon fibre in the F12, arguing the relatively big distancesF12 owners clock up make alloy a more practical choice if the car needs to be repaired. Weight distribution is 46:54 front-to-rear, a momentous achievement given the F12's engine is front-mounted, even if most of that weight sits behind the front axle.It looks stunning from any angle but the shape of the F12 is determined by fusing style and stability. The signature elements — the bonnet vent, the "aero bridge" channels above the front wheel arches, the side scoops and the multi-vaned rear diffuser — have been designed using computational fluid dynamics to meld aerodynamics with aesthetics.Slip into the enveloping driver's seat and the big central tachometer dominates the view, flanked by a pair of TFT screens. The left display toggles through various readouts on the car's dynamics and shows which performance setting has been chosen from the steering-wheel mounted knob Ferrari calls a manettino.Each of these displays includes a small digital speedo in the bottom right corner. It's clear at constant velocity but dissolves into a whirl when the go pedal is pushed. The right screen is reserved for the satnav and infotainment displays and is relatively small, but high-res. An alloy bridge (carbon fibre is an option) arcs from the dash to the centre console and houses a trio of buttons; one to select reverse gear, another to engage full auto and a third simply marked "launch".There are no stalks behind the wheel — Ferrari doesn't want anything getting in the way of the paddle shifters — so the ancillaries are in the dash or, in the case of the indicator switches, mounted on the steering wheel hub.Life will never be the same again. A leisurely jaunt towards the hills above Maranello shows just how tractable and easy to operate the F12 is in traffic. Then the road clears and starts to twist and climb so I use the last decent straight to brake test the Ferrari and learn how it stops before plumbing the Marianas Trench-like depths of car's abilities.The pedal travel is longer than anticipated, so I abort for another go. This time the carbon ceramic discs are warming to the task. They display brutal efficiency. The seat belt is the only thing stopping me from splattering the inside of the windscreen and I still haven't activated the ABS. I've ridden in a couple of race cars that haul up quicker but that was accompanied by tortured protests from the brakes and squeaks from the chassis. The F12 is serene.Time to get serious. Switching the manettino to "CT" dispenses with the traction control but leaves the reassurance of ESP to ensure the F12 doesn't become a scenic feature. The corners are calling a siren song and the F12 launches at the first with all the intent of Odysseus going overboard.The steering is quick — two turns of the wheel take it from lock to lock — so incremental adjustments are the only way to play. A gentle throttle application metres before the apex to get the car to build up pace almost proves my undoing. Much like the steering, there is no delay in power application in the F12, as the quick twitch of the rear end and twin spires of smoke in the rearview mirror attest. So it's not just fast, it forgives average drivers who overstep the mark.I'm now more skittish on the broken Italian bitumen than the car is. It translates every undulation into steering and chassis feedback but at the speeds the F12 is doing, that's more sensory input than most people can react to, especially when the driver is enduring a high-speed "massage" as the car rocks and thumps over bitumen that would make Aussie road repairers proud.It dispenses with straights like a charging cheetah and devours corners with the same relish. Concentration must be absolute — you anticipate reference points because the closing speed means non-race drivers will overshoot them.Gradually I find a rhythm and the next 12km are a succession of increasingly high lateral G-forces and faster entry and exit speeds. Grip taxes credibility — unless you are in the car it just can't be appreciated. I pull up with a shuddering chest and sweaty palms, calm down and repeat the exercise for 120 minutes of driving nirvana that will take some beating.If your child has an interest in cars but isn't trying at school, pay for a ride in an F12. If that doesn't transform them into wannabe millionaires, adopt new ones, because they're a lost cause.Those who can afford the F12 Berlinetta will be rewarded with the best combination of supercar performance and daily driver I've had the privilege of steering. The rest of us will have to dream on.

If you could get to 60 years of marriage, it would be a diamond anniversary - and you'd deserve a medal.If life begins at 40 then maybe by 60 you're looking to slow down a bit, maybe stepping out of the 599 or 458 and into something a bit more practical. Stopping to indulge in the odd roadside petal instead of using wind vortexes to rip them off as you scream by.The brand is celebrating six decades of Australian residency and the product arriving with the black horse on the nose is far more user friendly - six decades of progress, that's what the California is.It's not the fastest, flashest or filthiest Ferrari of recent times, but it is the most user-friendly. This is not the typical Ferrari tome - far from it, as this is time behind the wheel in wind and rain, through traffic and stopped in it.Granted, it has a V8 (front mid-mounted behind the line of the  front wheels) and it sings when prompted. Yes, it has a paddleshift gearbox (the first Ferrari to have one) so the shifts are smooth and sharp.It's a droptop GT with - for the first time for Ferrari - a folding metal roof. Not that the weather let up enough for us to time it for a 14 second drop, but the company says it takes that long.But we're not headed for winding, sweeping ribbons of tarmac away from the prying eyes of NIMBYs with the Police Attendance line on thir speed-dial. Part of the problem is it is persisting down with rain - record-breaking rains make Sydney roads something of a battleground.Somewhat perversely, an interesting scenario has been produced - we know it goes, stops and handles, looks decent to most eyes and has done ample to fatten up Ferrari's sales columns, but how does it go where most of us dwell?Idling gently from the garage beneath the Ferrari showroom in inner-Sydney, the broken roads of the NSW capital are felt but only distantly as the 2+2 (although the rear seats are mainly for show) is punted through the inner-city rabbit warren.Recent amusements in 458 models suggest a similar route in the two-seater would be more disturbed and more concerning when it came to preserving the snout's splitter, but the folding hard-topped California has few of those issues.It has real indicators stalks too, which are a bonus when trying to change routes as the satnav (which has roles to play in Chrysler group product as well) but slotting it into traffic is not difficult if a gap arises, thanks to the V8.What would be cause for concern is the width, as Sydney traffic lanes feel skinnier in a normal car, let along something 1902mm wide.Scope for a sandwich between a bus and a Kenworth is considerable - had this been ye olde Ferrari I may well have been so busy trying to drive it sensibly that such a travesty might have been a lot closer.But precious little in the way of tantrums, tramlining or trivial issues maligned the metropolitan drive. The USB cable would charge my iPhone but failed to have the music player recognised on the car's infotainment system - but that could have been more about not allowing AC/DC on the sound system.Rear vision isn't great with the high rump and narrow window, neither is the twin-clutch automated manual at parking speeds on a slope. Get it a little way out of town and while it's not as nimble as the new Spider, the California is no slouch.Even in the wet it can hustle along, within reason, but it never feels like it's going to bite if you (or your ego) overdo it. But the idea of a Ferrari that you could drive every day and not require weekly shrink and physio appointments?Some will say the cache may diminish if you drive one every day, I just think the commute is more likely to end with a smile, regardless of which way you were headed.Assuming, of course, you have half a million to blow on a car.BREAKOUT(S)The last California was on the brand's pricelist in the mid 1960s, although a couple went for far more than most - the California nameplate recently hit the headlines again as a car once owned by James Coburn sold at auction for a then-record price.The original California models were part of the iconic Ferrari 250 range built between 1953 to 1964.The 1957 250 GT California Spider was designed for export to the US and less than 50 made the trip - one sold for US$4.9 million at a recent auction.The Coburn car was a 1961 250 GT Spider California SWB (one of 55 built) - and sold at auction for US$11 million - almost twice its expected price - to British broadcaster Chris Evans after a 20 minute bidding war.The model was also driven by Lucy Liu and Cameron Diaz in Charlie's Angels, and a replica was wrecked in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.The modern-day California has been on the Ferrari sales books since 2009 and will be updated with the HS option pack the company unveiled at the recent Geneva motor show.The HS will be 30kg lighter, 22kW and sit on more aggressive suspension and be available for order by the middle of this year for an arrival in early 2013.FERRARI CALIFORNIAPrice: $459,650Warranty: 3 years, unlimited kmService Interval: 20,000km or 12-monthsEconomy: 13.1l/100km, tank 78 litres; 306g/km CO2Safety Equipment: four airbags, ABS, EBD, stability and traction control.Crash rating: n/a starEngine:  338kw/485Nm 4.3-litre V8Transmission: seven-speed auto, rear-wheel driveBody: 2-door folding hard-topped convertible, 4 seatsDimensions: length 4563mm, width 1902mm, height 1308mm, wheelbase 2670mmWeight: 1735kgTyre size: 245/40 R19

Just as I finished signing the press car loan agreement for the California, the pen ran out. I hoped it wasn't a bad omen of some kind.We've driven plenty of fast and expensive cars before (the two don't necessarily go hand in hand) but there's just something different about a Ferrari.It was raining outside and showed no signs of letting up as the weekend was about to unfold.Just my luck. But the weather didn't dampen the reaction everywhere I took the car, as you can see below.THE OFFICENot even the boss has one of these beauties.  As soon as it became known there was a Ferrari in the carpark the word went around. Then the questions started followed soon afterwards by the inevitable: "Can you take me for a ride?"CO-WORKER (female)What is it you like about Ferraris? "The sound of the engine and the fact that everyone looks at you."MCDONALDS"Gee. Nice car mate. How's it go?" Pause. "Sorry. What sort of coffee was that again?" "Black. Short black (what else?)"THE CLUBWe've always been intrigued by the way you see these cars parked right where you can see them at big hotels and other public places. Maybe it works differently in the Eastern Suburbs, but there were no special privileges in the offing a large Sydney football club in Sydney's west.THE WIFEShe's over it. She's been over it for years, what with the never ending stream of cars that I bring home. "But it's a Ferrari darl?" "So . . ."FRIENDSYou suddenly find you have lots of them (lots of female interest too).OUT AND ABOUTEveryone looks. It's hard not to. There's cars and then there's Ferraris. Even at idle, the note from the exhaust (there's four of them, count them) is loud enough and strident enough to cut through the Friday afternoon throng.SHOPPING?No way. You wouldn't even contemplate taking a car like this into a shopping centre carpark, let alone leaving it unattended. Beside's there's probably something about it in the agreement?WHAT'S IT GO LIKE?Who cares. I want one anyway. It's not the first time I've driven a California, but it's the first time I've got to take one home and that please God is where I'd like it to stay. With it's retractable metal roof and rear seat, it's a Ferrari for all occasions. But you'd be hard pressed to fit anyone with legs in those tiny back seats.HOW FAST?The 4.3-litre direct injection V8 pumps out 338kW of power and revs to an amazing 8000rpm. The noise from the vertically stacked quad tailpipes is sensational. With paddle shifts and a 7-speed robotised gearbox, you can rip through the gears incredibly fast.It puts away the dash from 0-100km/h in less than four seconds and has a top speed of 310km/h.THE PRICE?At $459,000 (plus on-roads) it's the one sticking point. It's way beyond the reach of most people, but I guess that's what makes it so special and to some extent the people that can afford to buy them too.FERRARI CALIFORNIAPrice: from $459,000Body: four-seat convertibleSafety: front-side airbags, anti-skid brakes, ESP stability control, pop-up rollover barEconomy: 13.1L/100kmEmissions: 305.6gm/100kmEngine: 4.3-litre V8Output: 338kW/7750revs, 485Nm/5000 revsTransmission: seven-speed dual-clutch manual, rear-wheel drivePerformance: 0-100km/h, less than 4 seconds; top speed 310km/h

Removing the top is almost always a good thing - a beer, for example, is much better topless. It's rarely a bad thing unless we're talking about cars - many hardtops that are hacksawed into convertible status don't make the grade sans roof.The Ferrari 458 Spider is most certainly NOT one of these - it is a gorgeous four-wheeled supermodel, which despite a drop in torsional rigidity over the coupe and some rear end changes, is an improvement over the hardtop.VALUEWhen a pricetag not out of place on a family home is sitting on the windscreen then "value" isn't the first adjective to spring to mind when this car looms into view - spectacular, gorgeous and phenomenally fast are more likely, along with a few expletives if you're lucky enough to drive one.The features list is extensive, leather and carbon-fibre trim everywhere, the chunky steering wheel with almost everything mounted on it, including the manettino drive system to keep it pointing in the right direction, the three-screen instrument panel and information display system, paddle-shifters for the seven-speed auto, full iPod integration is on offer but why you'd have anything competing with the mid-mounted sound system is beyond me.TECHNOLOGYThe Spider is powered by the same naturally-aspirated direct-injection 4.5-litre V8 with continuously variable valve timing displacing 4.5 litres that propels the coupe - outputs are unchanged at 425kW and 540Nm and over 80 per cent of that impetus is available from 3250 rpm.The repositioning of the air intakes has warranted changes to the exhaust to re-balance the aural impact of the car - the work on the Spider has made it sound even better than the 50kg heavier coupe.Also retained for the Spider is the twin-clutch F1 paddle-shift seven-speed transmission - sending drive rearward using the trick E-Diff, but where the 1430kg Spider gets a tweak for topless duties is in the throttle pedal electronics and within the damper software - both changes are for the better.Fuel use is down - with the option of further drops via the Ferrari HELE (High Emotion Low Emission) system - to a combined figure of 11.8 l/100 km with 275g/km of CO2 emissions; the coupe's launch claim was 13.7 and 307g/km.The flip-top lid goes a step further than the limited-edition Superamerica's somewhat-similar system - the patented retractable hard-top does it's stuff in 14 seconds, and is made of aluminium.The company claims it's 25kg lighter than an old-school ragtop and flips its lid to neatly somersault into its home above the engine bay with no aerodynamics compromises."We took inspiration from the 575 SuperAmerica, but that's a front-engined car, but we wanted more - we thought about integrating the roll bars into the buttresses and using a multi-panel hardtop or a concertina fabric roof," says 458 product marketing manager Michele Comelli.The only real compromise is the absence of a view of the engine bay, something coupe owners get but Spider drivers don't - they'll just have to make do with the aural sensations and the open-air experience.DESIGNThe snout is unchanged - it's a sharp looker already so no need to mess with a fince face - but the rear of the car is all-new and sleek, thanks to not requiring big hips at the rear to accomodate a conventional folding hardtop.Dominated by the buttresses (with integrated roll-over protection), the new rear panels direct air flow to the engine intakes as well as the cooling system contained within the sleek rump.The roof mechanism is quick at 14 seconds and uses the rear window as a device to reduce cabin turbulence - which it does remarkably well at high speed, and it can also be retracted with the roof up, just to maintain the aural appeal.SAFETYThe standard four airbags are on stand-by in case of impending dooms, but there are electronic driver aids are all integrated and on speaking terms. The traction and stability control, anti-lock brakes, adjustable suspension and myriad other electronic functions are all tailored to the selected drive mode via the wheel-mounted switch. The highlight is massive Brembo-gripped carbon-ceramic brakes which only just squeeze in behind the wheels, with 6-pot aluminium front calipers and 4-pot aluminium rear calipers.DRIVINGThere's always a fear that when a coupe becomes a convertible that the tight, bulletproof feel of the former fails to translate to the latter - fear not, Ferrari fans, the 458 has lost little of its strong-bodied feel.Only sporadically will a shimmy be sparked by a shocking road surface, but it is rare and doesn't adversely effect the ride (which is very good given its abilities) or the drive experience, which is stupendous.The 0-100km/h claim remains near three seconds and the top speed claim is 320km/h - nothing about the road drive suggests those figures are optimistic.The snarling V8 is maniacal as it heads for the 9000rpm redline - yes, 9000rpm - and it's a soundtrack that overloads the nervous system.Instant changes from the seven-speed twin-clutch briefly change the orchestra's pitch and straights are obliterated.Tipping the Spider into the bends is child's play, the steering is quick and there's no misinformation - just a corner completed with considerable speed and little fuss, unless you have backed the electronics off and have the skills to play with the tail.The engineering team say the suspension and throttle mapping have been wound back a little for the Spider, which is more likely to be driven daily and with a passenger - it's a little less frenetic than the coupe in a good way.Cabin comfort, even on the optional carbon-fibre buckets, is remarkable - the magnetic-fluid dampers do an amazing job on bumps and corners - and even at 190-odd cm the roof lining never rubbed what's left of the hair on my head.Vision straight back is better than you'd expect for the segment, but lane changes can sometime be a concern if you like to double check over your shoulder - all you'll see is trim.VERDICTAt $600,000 this is certainly rarified air, not many will make onto Aussie roads but the level of ability - at the extremes as well as in daily driving - is quite astounding. Putting it into perspective - a Japanese luxury carmaker recently put $750,000 pricing on a super-coupe that is similarly astounding, but not 150-grand better - in fact it makes the Spider look like good value, and you can still get hold of the Ferrari droptop. If you could muster up the extra cash the 458 Spider has the best of both aspects - the security of a hard-roofed machine without the storage issue, as well as open-air appeal and performance off the scale.FERRARI 458 SPIDERPrice: from $600,000 (estimated)Warranty: 3 years, unlimited kmResale: N/AService interval: 20,000km or 12-monthsEconomy: 11.8 l/100km; 275g/km CO2Safety equipment: four airbags, ABS, EBD, stability and traction control.Crash rating: N/AEngine: 425kW/540Nm 4.5-litre naturally-aspirated variable-valve direct-injection V8.Transmission: seven-speed twin-clutch automated manual, rear-wheel driveBody: 2-door, 2 seatsDimensions: 4527mm (L); 1937mm (W); 1211mm (H); 2650mm (WB)Weight: 1430kgTyres: 235/35 20in fr, 295/35 20in rear

PEOPLE who say you cannot teach an old dog new tricks have not spent any time with the Ferrari 458 Italia. It's a car that absolutely forces you to think again. And again.The latest Ferrari frontrunner is a supercar with a capital S, yet also refined and luxurious and easy - yes, easy - to drive. It's so easy and so good that it has changed this old dog from a Porsche lover into a major-league Ferrari fan.You know the question about cars for lottery wins? Well, until this week my answer was always the same - the fastest Porsche in the business, probably a 911 GT2 RS. Not now.The only real challenger to the 458, if there is one, is the all-new McLaren MP4-12C that's coming to Australia later this year.VALUEWhat can you say about a car that costs a minimum - yes, minimum - of $526,950 and competes for attention with big boy toys like boats and holiday houses and not much else unless you're talking about helicopters and private planes? The 458 Italia is massively costly, even in the rare air at the top end of the sports car business.There are other go-fast two-seaters that cost more, including the ridiculously expensive Bugatti Veyron that cannot come to Australia - no right-side steering despite a $1.2 million showroom sticker - but few that deliver the same sort of bang- for-your-buck return. The Ferrari is genuinely hand built at Maranello in Italy using huge lashing s of the most exotic and costly materials, dominated by aluminium and carbon fibre, and the Australian specification includes carbon-ceramic brakes and even an SUV-style rear-view camera.The final finishing also means choices in everything from seat sizes to leather treatments and all the rest. The 458 is stupidly costly compared to a Hyundai i20 that can also deliver you to the shops and work without fuss or trouble, or even a jet-quick, track-focussed Nissan GT-R. But when I hear that 458 customers typically spend $180,000 on extras, any value discussion evaporates. With this car, if you can then you do.TECHNOLOGYLots of rubbish is sprouted about F1 technology in road cars, but the 458 has heaps. There are active aero parts that change shape at speed, a V8 engine with 419 kiloWatts and 540 Newton-metres of torque from just 4.5 litres, an F1-style seven-speed paddle-shift gearbox, a competition- focussed differential and magnetically-adjusted race-style suspensi on. Even the steering wheel is high-tech - and the home for the wiper and turn-signal switches - with F1-style lights to signal the need for an upchange.DESIGNThe 458 is gorgeous. Simple as that. The Pininfarina design house has created a shape that is both elegant and effective, and the cabin is both driver-focussed and luxurious. Older Ferraris were awful inside and required all sorts of contortions to drive, while some of the recent efforts - the Enzo and even the new FF - challenged conventional ideas on beauty. Not the 458. It's both a looker and a worker.SAFETYHow do you really know when even the cashed-up Euro NCAP organisation cannot buy a 458 for its independent crash testing? Not that Ferrari would sell a car to have it destroyed ... On the crash-avoidance scale it rates incredibly highly, thanks to great brakes, superb steering and massive cornering grip, and what other driver is going to want to get tangled in the drama, paperwork and insurance claims of a crash?DRIVINGI don't drive the Ferrari all that far, or all that fast, but it's not necessary. In less than six hours on familiar roads in and around Sydney the 458 wins me over completely. The first 500 metres proves the Italians have tamed the beast inside the 458 but left it on a short leash for the times .. well, you know.It will trickle happily in traffic, has surprisingly supple suspension - at least, using the 'bumpy road' setting that's totally appropriate for these patchy and potholed streets - and is equipped with comfy seats, great aircon and a wonderful soundtrack from its blaring exhaust.I lash out a couple of times to sample the claimed 3.4-second sprint to 100km/h, but not the 325km/h - that's 202 miles-an-hour - top speed, and also hussle through some corners and give the brakes a bit of a punish. But the 458 is never remotely troubled and switches straight back from F1 fast to Hyundai humble in a flash.I admit there are some moments in the Harbour Tunnel, with the cruise control locked below the legal limit, that I tickle the seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox just to hear the wonderful music the car makes. I am also absorbed by the luxury, enjoy the technology and feel of the wheel, and feel flat-out scared as I edge through a two-small parking garage.There is no sign of the 'small man' signals I expect, but perhaps that's because the car is yellow and not look-at-me Ferrari red. The 458 reminds me so much of my best mate, Mark. He's one of those blokes who is wonderfully mannered, relaxed, refined, smart and great company, but quite capable of making the difference - in your favour - if things really turn nasty. In the Italia you can be cruising happily at 60km/h in stop-start traffic knowing - hoping?- that if the road ahead unravelled into a grand prix track the car would be just as good. No, it would be far, far, far better and better than even the most talented non-race drivers. The 458 is a car you can love. And I do.VERDICTAn utterly brilliant drive and a landmark car. The only reason it doesn't get a perfect score - yet - is its price and an upcoming run in a McLaren MP4-12C. Then we'll know ...FERRARI 458 ITALIAPrice: from $526,950Safety: Not tested by NCAPEngine: 4.5-litre, V8 petrol, 419kW/540NmBody: two-door coupeWeight: 1485kgTransmission: seven-speed dual-clutch manual, rear-wheel driveThirst: 13.3L/100km, CO2 307g/km"Would you? Of course you would."

Supercar makers are acting quickly to "green-up" their cars in the face of ever tightening emissions limits across the globe. But it's not a gloom and doom story for died-in-the-wool petrol heads as demonstrated by Ferrari with its California HELE (High Emotion Low Emissions) model.It's the vanguard of other HELE models in the Ferrari range that may eventually all feature the planet-saving technology used in the California. For some reason, Ferrari still makes a non-HELE version of the California though we don't know why.TECHNOLOGYA brief test drive of the HELE model emphatically demonstrates there is no down-side to this technology. It is exactly the same, possibly better to drive than the non-HELE model thanks to engine stop/start and other features such as a weight reduction, improved aerodynamics and an adaptive, seven-speed double clutch gearbox.Engineers went into detail to save emissions particularly via reduced electricity demands. They improved efficiency using an air conditioner compressor with variable displacement, brushless electric engine-cooling fans, an on-demand electric fuel pump and other little tricks.The net result is a significant reduction in fuel consumption now down to 11.5-litres/100km on the combined cycle. This in turn reduces carbon dioxide emissions to 270g/km _ or a little better than Falcon or Commodore sixes. This also represents a 23 per cent reduction compared with the standard California. All this with no loss of the exhilarating performance and driving experience for which Ferrari is renowned.California HELE is still capable of dispatching the dash to 100kmh in less than four seconds and going on to a top speed, where the law permits, of 310 kmh.The HELE package enhances driving performance by releasing torque (+25Nm) from more mundane purposes to lift responsiveness.DRIVINGOn our drive, the California HELE showed whip cracking performance and gear changes along with superlative handling qualities.It remains a joy to hear especially with the roof off.The stop/start system is unobtrusive and the fact that the HELE car uses less fuel is a bonus because you don't have to visit the service station as frequently.Ferrari has taken its green efforts further by implementing extensive environmentally sustainable systems at its Maranello factory _ solar power, rainwater harvesting, gardens in the factory.It is completely autonomous for its energy requirements. This reduction also means that Ferrari will meet the Kyoto protocol objectives a full 10 years ahead of schedule and with double the figure imposed on Europe.For some reason the California attracts a premium of $2750 for technology that should be adopted across the board and not cost any extra.FERRARI CALIFORNIA HELEPrice: $462,400Warranty: 3 years/unlimited kilometresResale: 63%Service interval: 12 months/15,000kmSafety equipment: ABS, EBD, EBA , TCCrash rating: 5 starsEngine: 4.3-litre V8; 338kW/510NmBody: 2-door, 2-seaterDimensions: 4563mm (L); 1308 (H); 1902 (W); 2670 (WB)Weight: 1735kgTransmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto; RWDEconomy: 11.5L/100km; 270g/km CO2

PUTTING a 4WD system into a grand tourer isn’t new - Jensen did it 50 years ago with its FF.  Porsche and Bentley use it in their saloons and it all became a bit academic until Ferrari unveiled its interpretation, the FF.It was unexpected but, in hindsight, makes sense as the bespoke car maker broadens its market and listens to its customers.  The Ferrari FF, the replacement to the 612 Scaglietti, ups the ante in more ways than just a 4WD system.The car, here early next year with an estimated price of $625,000, has a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission mounted in the rear; a direct-injection V12 with 486kW/683Nm and a 0-100km/h time of 3.7 seconds; comes standard with carbon-ceramic disc brakes; sats four adults and their luggage; and has a multitude of drivetrain and suspension adjustments to hone the car to each driver’s whim.VALUEIt will cost about $625,000 when it gets here in February. If you can afford it, you’d probably say it has good value.  But that’s only half he story - the option list is huge and even now, Australian importers Ateco Automotive haven’t nailed down the final specifications. You’ll have to save the pennies and wait.DESIGNIt looks a lot better in the flesh and I bet you’ve also heard that about the Porsche Panamera.  But in this case it’s true. The rear end initially looks awkward - almost like a stunted panel van - but is the reason the car is so versatile with its accommodation.The cabin is beautiful in design with the best textiles and plastics - as you’d expect for the price - and even though the steering wheel controls are complex, they are styled to convince you they’re very workable.TECHNOLOGYThe FF gets a very overhauled version of the outgoing 612‘s 6-litre V12, now up to 6.3 litres and with direct petrol injection.  The big news is the extended crankshaft to which is bolted the front power transfer unit (PTU) that sends torque to the front wheels.The PTU works completely independent of the rear wheels and work on demand. The simplicity is the two gears to cope with the different speeds of the front and rear wheels.True, two gears can’t do what seven gears are doing to the rear wheels. There’s a simple answer - viscous clutches. These take up any speed differences between the front and rear wheels.The PTU is controlled by electronics that also looks after the engine and the gearbox and the rear E-Diff. So they’re all talking the same language and that allows the computer to use ABS and ESC and other sensors to allocate torque precisely to the wheel(s) with the most traction.The seven-speed - a first for Ferrari and the first model also with an overdrive gear - box is a dual-clutch unit that’s mounted with the diff at the rear of the car.There are three modes for the transmission and engine - automatic, sport and race. Each changes the response of the drivetrain and, in race, keeps the exhaust free for that glorious sound.  Road conditions can also be dialed up, for wet, ice and snow and even to turn the ESC off.The front suspension retains Ferrari’s normal double-wishbone system but the rear is an all-new multi-link arrangement that is claimed to improve ride comfort.On top of all this, the steering wheel now caries all the switches previously handled by column stalks. Gear changes are via long carbon-fibre paddles.SAFETYThe FF has four airbags because Ferrari says that’s sufficient and has done all the crash tests - including an 80km/h rollover - and come away with the maximum star rating.On top of that, there’s a brilliant traction system that introduces all-wheel drive and the ability to cope with snow and ice, and carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes with discs the size of a family pizza plate. Without fade and with virtually an unlimited disc life, the brakes will pull the FF down from 100km/h in an incredible 35m - or exactly 2.7 seconds.DRIVINGDied and gone to heaven. The FF is almost what the perfect car should be - versatile, comfortable, quiet, breathtakingly quick and capable of arousing its driver with a sound track of soaring cresendos, resonate basses and sharp, urgent barks.  It’s tactile, aural and visual experience is its magic.The massive, time-worn faces of the Dolomites on Italy’s northern border are etched with tightly-wound and narrow ribbons of road that rise and fall, twist and turn. Perhaps too tight for the 5m long car but the complexity of the route didn’t daunt the FF.Not only was it nimble enough to wind its way up to 2200m above sea level, but so comfortable that occupants were never compromised - and that was a huge surprise in a car from Ferrari.Flick the lever from “auto’’ - which is actually a very smooth and city-friendly gear mode - to “sport’‘ and the car changes, hunkers down, gets a bit noisier and feels more poised for battle.  Go to “race” and the baffles in the exhaust system are relieved so making the car bark and spit and passers-by gasp.Yes, as expected, it’s fast. Unexpected is how easy it is to drive. The engine is immensely torquey - 500Nm from 1000rpm - so it softens the feeling of urgency. It’s only the G-force on your face and the powerful swing of the tacho needle on its yellow facia that tells the real story.The engine delivers its maximum 486kW at 8000rpm and the engine has a cut out at 8200rpm, so it’s an engine that will run hard and effortlessly from idle right through to the red line and never slow its delivery.Impressive - and yes I know that goes hand-in-hand with the price tag - is the ultra-fast gear shifts, the comfort of the suspension and seats, and the tremendous power of that engine.  Against this is the initial confusion caused by the steering wheel’s switchgear - especially at speed or when fanging through the mountains - and he sheer width of the car.The rear seats will seat two adults in comfort and Ferrari claims they can both be 1.8m tall - but it also depends on the height of the front occupants.I could rant about the improved fuel economy over the previous model, but I feel that may be time wasted.VERDICTBrilliant! This car returns Ferrari to the podium of automotive technology and shows that, money aside, you can have an eminently capable high-speed grand tourer that is city-friendly.FERRARI FF ****Price: est. $625,000Warranty: 3 years, 100,000km, roadside assistResale: n/aService Interval: 10,000km or 12 monthsEconomy: 15.4 l/100km; 360g/km CO2SAFETYEquipment: four airbags, ESC, ABS, EBD, EBA, TC.Crash rating: 5 starTECHNICALEngine: 486kW/683Nm 6.3-litre V12 petrolTransmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch auto 0-100km/h: 3.7secBody: 2-door, 4 seatsDimensions: 4907 (L); 1953mm (W); 1379mm (H); 2990mm (WB)Weight: 1790kgTyre size: 245/35ZR20; 295/35ZR20Spare tyre: Aerosol kit