The interior design is superb, highlighted by these gigantic, beautifully finished cast aluminum vents. Two configurable LCD screens crimp the rev counter so dark on our test car that it was hardly legible – its crucial 12 o’clock portion is hidden by the steering wheel anyway. Fine leather with red stitching, carbon inserts on the center console, costly options that give this car the refinement and ambiance one expects in this segment. Fit and finish is improving steadily, although a picky eye or ear will be prompt to spot a loose AC console and a few rattles and creaks frankly out of place on such a fresh, barely run-in car.

Driving position is too high at the seats’ lowest setting, offering critically limited head room if you wear a helmet. Track drivers will be well advised to try the car with their favorite protective equipment in conjunction with the optional carbon bucket seats before signing their order form. The standard seats lack lateral support anyway. They are available in three sizes – we still don’t know which our test car had – but they were unsuitable for all body sizes. I found the ergonomics of the new steering wheel design excellent, grouping all blinkers, headlight and wiper commands.

If UNESCO were to care about automotive heritage, the drivetrain of the 458 Italia would be filed immediately as an artifact of world cultural heritage by zealous bureaucrats. The V8 has gained 200 cm3 on the F430 and 430 Scuderia and boasts now 570 hp at a dizzying 9000 rpm – 127 hp per liter, no less – and 540 Nm (398 lb-ft) at 6000 rpm. These specs impress and translate in the real world by breathtaking performance over the entire rev range. In the PR world, the new diva steals the limelight from the 599 GTB Fiorano with a 0-200 km/h (0-124 mph) in 10.4s vs 11s for the 620hp V12.

The seven gear box is up there with the best dual clutch systems, butter smooth in mellow driving, blinding quick on the offense. The flow of torque to the rear wheel is uninterrupted, a grandiose, tireless shove. Over a few days, the gearbox can however exhibit odd differences. Shifts are mostly razor sharp, but the cross-over between the clutches can leave the room to a short rev increase that reminds some early 360 Modena F1. Occasional hesitations during maneuvering are also part of the price to pay for what is otherwise impressive performance. Verdict is clear: this system does everything better than the 430 Scuderia, and that’s no small compliment.

A gutsy engine and a close ratio seven speed gearbox, the recipe results in very impressive in gear acceleration and the feeling that a 430 wouldn’t do any better one gear down. From 3000 to 9000 rpm, the 4.5 liter rushes forward with impressive linearity and savor. With such performance levels and on open roads, keeping the right foot planted till the redline is an adrenaline-inducing exercize in all respects. Gutsy engine, but thirsty too. With an average of 18.9 L/100km (12.4 US mpg) over 2350km (1460mi) including generous legs of freeway travel, and a few tanks at 25.8L/100km (9.12 US mpg) on back roads, Ferrari’s fuel economy improvement claims could not be verified. While fuel costs won’t be a primary concern for the customer base, the range afforded by the 85L tank (5L less than the F430) is going to shrink.