The Ferrari 458 Italia: a close look at the performance of this sports car, technical data, characteristics, rival comparison, history, used prices
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 that was discontinued earlier that year.
As was the case with the F430, it retained the 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 function that made the pads contact the discs as soon as the car accelerated.
The result was that the distance it took to stop the car, along with the ABS and Carbon Ceramic brakes, improved markedly, with 62 to zero mph in just 32.5 meters.
With the Pininfarina body style, an interesting addition was that the front grille was equipped with small fins which, as speed increased, began to change shape to reduce the cross section of the radiator intake and thus Therefore, reduce the 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 emphasizes the aerodynamic characteristics of the cars, so that the downforce was increased to 140 kg at 124 mph.
Like race cars, the steering wheel now contained several of the controls that would normally be placed 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 larger size and weight of the 458, compared to the F430, was more than offset by the additional power from the engine.
THE MOTOR
The 458 Italia sports car was powered by a 4.5-liter V8 mid-size engine, derived from the 4.2-liter V8 unit designed specifically for Maserati after the acquisition of that company by Ferrari, and which was used for the first time in the F430.
The engine developed 570 bhp at the 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 consumption 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 seven-speed Getrag sequential unit, which could change gear in 40 milliseconds.
It used dry sump lubrication and employed a flat crankshaft to avoid uneven shots in the exhaust manifolds.
Compared to the F430, the compression increased from 11.3 to a whopping 12.5: 1.
Technical data:
COMPETENCE
Typical competitors to 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 showroom condition would cost up to $ 350,000.
This marks the end of my Ferrari 458 Italia sports car review.