Ferrari 458 Italia

Overview:

There are bicycles, then there are motor cycles, then there are cars, then there are fast cars and then there are Ferrari's. The name is enough to set our hearts pacing and mouths drooling. A Ferrari is arguably the first car that a child learns to dream of. An outcome of the legerdemain of Enzo Ferrari and Pininfarina, the Ferrari 458 is the cynosure for every automobile enthusiast. It is available as a 458 Spider, 458 Speciale and a 458 Italia. This sumptuous piece of engineering displays a sense of complaisance despite of its royal courtly looks.

From its headlights to its tail lamps, nothing about the 458 Italia is less than sublime and every bit of this Italian body is bound to render you a transcendent experience. The engine in itself is no less than a piece of art. Mounted on the mid rear, it is a 4.5-litre dry sump V8, with the two rows of 4 cylinders making an angle of 90 degrees with each other and rotating the crank to churn out an astounding 419 kW worth of power at 9000 rotations per minute and spinning the tyres at a torque of 540Nm that makes the 20-inch wheels resemble a vortex. This powerful V8 speeds the car to a blazing 325 kmph and makes it touch the 100kmph mark from naught in less than 3.4 seconds producing a resonating and rumbling sound that is pure music to the ears. The gearbox is a 7 speed dual clutch F1 gearbox that has two separate clutch for even and odd gears, leaving the gear shifting time to be null. The electronics of the 458 are also borrowed from its Scuderia Ferrari division that serves the F1 requirements. To hold up these mind numbing components, Ferrari has designed a body made entirely of aluminum that keeps the weight exceptionally light and yet retains its strength. The aerodynamic design of the body makes it look aqueous and offers no hindrance to the wind that it cuts through at high speeds. The brakes on both front and rear are traditional carbon ceramic discs. The interiors leaves no stone unturned to give you an adrenaline rush making you want to exploit all the horses hidden under the hood. The steering wheels reflects the F1 soul of the Ferrari and provides literally everything in the hands of the driver. The cockpit in simple words, is no less intriguing than a fighter plane. To sum up, this simply a is a Ferrari. Enough said.

Mileage and Fuel Economy:

Mileage is not the first thing that comes to mind while owning a Ferrari, but the 458 is satisfactory on that front too. It offers a fuel economy of about 7.5 kmpl that is by no means bad for a humongous 419 kW engine. The CO2 emissions of the 458 are also reduced to 307 g/km which is appreciable for a sports car.

Power:

Ferrari 458 delivers a stratospheric power of 419 kW at 9000 rpm, all thanks to its superior Dry Sump 90 degree V8 engine, E diff3 electronic differential and 7 speed dual clutch transmission. The maximum torque offered is an immense 540 Nm at 6000 rpm, thanks to the rear wheel drive mechanism embedded in the drive.

Acceleration and Pick up:

The pedal shift gears take absolutely no time in shifting. Due to this the V8 of the 458 faces no problem in accelerating to the 100 kmph mark in an enthralling 3.4 seconds. The top speed of this Ferrari stands at an enormous 325 kmph that puts even the most elite drives to shame.

Exterior:

Each and every Ferrari is thought to be beautiful, pleasing to the eye at extreme. But even among this handsome lot, Ferrari 458 stands out and rightly so. This mid rear engine mounted berlinetta is one of the most attractive Ferrari ever produced. The front headlamps have LEDs running through its sides that serve as the indicators and look like some jewels on the lamps. The bonnet just besides the headlamps have a sharp winged look that looks extraordinarily magnificent and generates an unprecedented appeal for the car. The distinctive winglets on the nose just ahead of the radiator mesh on both the sides, lowers on high speed by 20mm and generates a down force that keeps the car glued to the ground. These winglets impart a wicked sense of beauty to the 458 Italia. There are also vents just ahead of the front fenders that lets the air pass through the fenders, thereby nullifying the effect of wind generated by the rotation of tyres and thereby giving it proper traction. The side curves of the 458 are fluid and a treat to the eyes of the onlooker. The rear glass lets you take a glimpse of the ferocious V8 which itself is a thing of beauty. The rear lamps are the simple yet sophisticated circular LEDs. The 3 tail pipes in a row accentuates the wickedness of this mean machine. The 20-inch, 5 pointed star shaped alloys never fail to impress too. As such, Ferrari 458 Italia is the perfect amalgamation of art and science.

Exterior Measurements:

The overall exteriors dimensions of the 458 Italia boast impressive figures of 4527mm x 1937mm x 1213mm (L X W X H). On observing the numbers, you'll see that the Italia is wonderfully streamlined and elongated to provide the perfect aerodynamics and aqueous looks. The wheelbase is 2650mm that gives it the proper control on the track.

Interiors:

The interiors of the 458 Italia are a blend of racetrack and urbane elite designing. The bucket seats look remarkably cosmopolitan and have a posh feel to it. The dashboard is leather laden along with an aluminum panel in the centre. The console is minimalistic and everything is just ergonomically set for the driver. The steering resembles that of an F1 car and has almost everything on it. The buttons are clustered on the steering wheels or somewhere around it, so that the driver has everything in the reach of his hands. The indicators are mounted on the steering, traction control, engine start/stop button, audio controls and pretty much everything. There is flamboyance all over the cabin but still it never leaves out the sportiness. The driver information console behind the steering has two screens and a tachometer in the center. The screen displays the speedometer, odometer, Sat-Nav and everything that is happening to the engine of the 458. The center floor console also gets a dash of aluminum and looks chic.

Interior Comfort:

The 458 is a two seater sports car. It is meant to be driven and driven hard, and hence the driver has been the complete center of attention while taking care of the comfort. The bucket seats are comfortable and has ample head and leg room for both the driver and the passenger. The car also provide ample thigh and lumbar support to keep you relaxed. There are two control displays, both behind the steering wheel, so that the driver doesn't have to take his eyes off the road. Since all the controls are on the steering wheels, the driver has no problem switching between modes or accessing various features. The air conditioning is automatic that maintains ambient temperature at all times.

Interior Measurements:

The interiors are very roomy and there is no lack of leg room or head room for both the driver and passenger. The storage space is not much, but still the boot space under the hood is a decent 230 litres, which is enough to meet your day to day requirements.

Engine and Performance:

The engine is the heart of a car and it seems like Ferrari has hired some dedicated cardiologists to design and assemble this fine piece of engineering. This is the first Direct Injection Engine of Ferrari that is mounted on the mid rear. It is a 4.5-litre (4497 cc) V8 engine which means it has 8 cylinders, 4 in each row and both the rows inclined to each other at 90 degrees. This gives the optimum set up for knocking a power of 419 kW and 540 Nm of torque. The transmission is a F1 style 7 speed dual clutch paddle shift with separate clutches for odd and even gears that reduces shifting gear time to zero. The differential is also E Diff3 which if F1 grade and also keeps the weight light.

Stereo and accessories:

The sound of the V8 is music in itself, but still Ferrari has provided with a stereo system. The stereo system inside the 458 also matches the panache of the Italia. It comes with a JBL Professional audio system that comes with 11 loudspeakers of four types especially designed to provide a precise and loud sound, and is complimented by a digital signal processor (DSL) that has a 640-watt amplification. To counter the sound of the engine, JBL has installed an Electro Dynamic Planar Loudspeaker (EDPL)which has 4 ultra flat loudspeakers installed just behind and above the seats. The door woofers are made of carbon fiber to provide a solid bass and there are two tweeters located on the ends of the dash. There is also an extraordinary wave bender that adjust the sounds according to the occupants. It is compatible with ipods, Aux and Bluetooth.

Wheels:

The wheels on the 458 are an important contributor to its looks. These 20-inch alloys can be chosen from a few options between chrome or black forged according to the paint job you are opting for. The tyre dimensions of the 458 measures 235/35 ZR20 for the front and a huge 295/35 ZR20 configuration for its rear set of tyres. These tyres are designed to meet the rubber burning torque of the 458 Italia.

Braking and Handling:

The brakes on the 458 are Brembo Carbon ceramics with 6 pot aluminum callipers in the front and 4 pot aluminum callipers on the rear. These brakes are complimented with High Performance ABS, ESC and traction control. The suspensions of the 458 are also independently adaptive. The front suspensions are of double A arm type where as the rear suspensions are of multi link type which offer optimum handling.

Safety and Security:

The frame itself of the Ferrari is of aluminum that is a strong material. Other than that, the Ferrari comes with many safety features like Electronic Stability Control, Traction Control, Airbags, Adaptive suspensions and high performance ABS that makes it very safe to drive at high speed. There are also front and rear parking sensors and rear cameras for additional safety. These however have to be purchased over the top. The four point harness can also be added for additional safety on the bucket seats.

Pros:

Enthralling Looks
Staggeringly powerful Engine
Outstanding Handling

Cons:

Price
High Maintenance