Ferrari 458 Italia

There are many supercars built with the sole purpose of blowing your mind, but none of them can quite stir your soul and make you fall in love the way a ferrari can. The 458 italia is testament to just that and there is no better place to experience that than in the hills around its birthplace resonating with glorious V8 symphony

 

. Forged from decades of Formula 1 experience and sprinkled with what can only be pure magic, this 4.5-litre 90-degree motor was built all-new from the ground up and sets many new benchmarks. For one thing, with a monstrous power output of 570PS, this engine manages a specific output of 127PS per litre of displacement, making it the highest for a naturally aspirated road car. And the torque figures are no less impressive either – a stomach-churning 540Nm, 80 per cent which is available from 3,250rpm ensures unparalleled drivability at any engine speeds, and the specific torque figure of 120Nm per litre also sets new standards amongst performance cars.

To achieve these sorts of figures is no mean feat and digs deep into the art of developing championship winning Formula 1 engines that Ferrari has mastered for a great many years. To get the maximum out of the powerplant, Ferrari has made use of direct split petrol injection which modulates the fuel injection process into two phases, which significantly improves not just the combustion efficiency, but also the amount of torque available at low revs and reduces fuel consumption in the process. As is traditional for Ferrari engines, the new V8 is equipped with continuously variable timing on both inlet and exhaust camshafts and the engine’s electronic brain is mapped for four different configurations of valve actuation for optimum torque values at all revs. Of course, an engine that can spin so easily to 9,000rpm also needs a lubrication system that can cope with such ridiculously high engine speeds and for this reason, a dry sump oil delivery system was chosen for the task. Four separate oil pumps located in the cylinder block, two in the head and two near the crankshaft scavenge oil from every nook and cranny of the engine and ensure that it is circulated to every part of the block which needs cooling.

All this techno-wizardry ensures that the 458 can respond instantly at the merest touch of the throttle and provides the kind of precision driving jollies that most other sportscar drivers can just dream about. But engine response is just one part of the equation. The vital link between the power delivered at the crankshaft, to it being sent to the back wheels, is the 458’s specially designed gearbox. For the first time in Ferrari road car history, this is a car that was designed ground up around a dual-clutch automatic gearbox, with an option for manual not even making it into the reckoning! The 7-speed F1 ’box on the Italia independently manages even and odd gears which are pre-selected using two separate input shafts and can change over from one input shaft to the other in virtually no time, effectively resulting in lightning quick gear shifts. Rapid shift times ensure that there is no drop in torque when changing through the gears and the 458 always has the power it needs to shoot out of corners when you step on the gas. The F1 gearbox also integrates one of the 458’s party pieces – the electronic rear differential aptly dubbed as the E-Diff.

What is undeniable is the tractability even under full power, the rear end never getting out of sync. The clever electronics massage and modulate the power and torque from upsetting not just the overall balance of the machine but also keep it pointed in the direction intended so that forward mobility is always fast but safe. The quick shifting gearbox is brilliant though to be truthful, only a clear cut comparison on the same day between this car and its rivals can illustrate if there is anything lesser to be said about it. Quite simple to understand why this is so because one Michael Schumacher played a large role in developing the drive and the ride and handling characteristics for what is in essence the pinnacle of modern day supercars sporting the Prancing Horse logo.

Performance figures are academic but need mentioning. Zero to 100km/h comes up in the blink of an eye, in 3.4 seconds, while 0 to 200km/h is achieved in a mouth-watering 10.4 seconds! The way the car goes through the gears is reward enough but then 325km/h is fair return at the top end. To do so much with a naturally aspirated 4/5-litre V8 engine is one thing but then this also works in the sheer silky power delivery which one can exploit across the rev range with the slightest dab on the loud pedal. The relentless surge of torque from as low down as 3000rpm is key to those smiles being plastered on yours truly’s lips and it is only the sense of occasion on the outside which makes this such a surreal experience.

The poise and the tactility from the steering wheel means that the car is so live and telepathic in its feedback. The suspension, the taut chassis, the mind-numbing weight distribution, its low all-up weight 1380kg (dry) and those large 20-inch Pirelli P-Zeros deliver a supple ride when you want it, stiffening up in as quick yet progressive a manner when you want it to chase raging bulls. And then there are those large ceramic disc brakes, surely the best piece of kit to have on this car with such effortless forward thrust at its command. The same effortless weight distribution plus the slightly lengthened wheelbase compared to the 458 Italia’s predecessor, the F430 sees the car scrub off speed with finesse and aplomb. When you drop the anchors from 200km/h, the car comes to a standstill in 128 metres and if done from half that velocity the distance to rest is just 32.5 metres! This baby can tango with the best of them and yet pirouette to a stop on a penny! Brilliant.