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Road Test Ferrari 458 Italia: heavy artillery

Ferrari 458 Italia

Is the latest “small” Ferrari meeting the expectations of the customers and fans of the brand ?

Five diodes. The first one blinks briefly during heavy downshifts, when revs exceed 5500 rpm. On this road snaking its way along the hills of western Chianti, few stretches allow to dig deeper into the extraordinary range of this engine. Thumbs nestled against the thick rim of the carbon clad steering wheel, the slightest movements of my arms translate into immediate reactions in the front axle, the short nose of the red berlinetta darting towards imaginary apexes. A longer straight opens up, right foot to the floor, the V8 bites hard. Second, third then fourth light up in my peripheral field of vision. The 4.5 liter screams already at full throat, sharpening all my senses. The fifth LED requires courage at first, revs are unnatural, performance is fierce, this car demands respect.

Ferrari 458 Italia Road Test

I had to recalibrate my inputs for the first dozens of miles and adjust to the extreme sensitivity of all driver inputs. The steering, designed to be more direct than former models, still has light weighting but is now very sensitive to inputs. Feedback is more filtered, but it is difficult to tell whether it’s the car’s setup or the unconvincing OEM Bridgestone Potenza S001 that are to blame. The throttle pedal has become twitchy, making it difficult to feather it. Same comment for the all important brake pedal whose initial response is unusually aggressive for Ferrari, contrasting with its bite, sometimes timid – insufficient temperature perhaps.

At lift off, the 458 seems to carry a whiff of trailing throttle, sputtering gloriously through its trio of exhaust pipes. A cleaner transition to engine breaking would be more to my taste, but the aural effect is exhilarating from inside and properly evil from outside. With such an engine note on open roads, the Vatican should excommunicate all 458 owners.

Ferrari 458 Italia Road Test Tuscany

 

Latest addition to the Carz, fleet, the Ferrari 458 Italia is a brand new car, breaking with the 360-F430 lineage, with a wheelbase longer by 50mm and a completely redesigned aerodynamic package. New styling direction as well, with a diving beltline, a curved windshield and two pure arcs highlighting the wedged profile. If the car is beautiful to watch when still, its presence on the road is simply amazing.

Ferrari 458 Italia Road Test Tuscany

 

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