When will the press drive the 458?

I have been looking around, and there has been no mention of the press driving the car. Anybody know when this is going to happen?

 

Probably not till next year.

 

My dealer said that Ferrari must first crash test 25 cars and record, verify and send crash info to US before press cars will be sent to the US.

 

I was at Fiorano last week for the Pilota Advanced and we asked this question about the press driving the 458. They indicated it will happen very shortly - in the next few weeks.

Apparently the Pilota instructors are present at the Press Days - the instructor told me that the journalists are never allowed to drive the cars around Fiorano without an instructor present in the car.

He said most of the journalists "cannot drive"

 

That's interesting! I've come to the same conclusion myself. Having driven many miles in most of the exotics I sometimes wonder about the conclusions and impressions the journalists report when I compare them to how I find the cars.

 

haha i once remember they took a turkish newspaper guy to fiorano

two days later on newspaper he was writing

4 door ferrari is the best

he drove a ferrari 612 and thought it is four door car

 

I remember having read "during november" at the time of the presentation.

 

25? I call BS (on your dealer). Most small companies try and do it with 2-5 cars. They also have to send the cars to the US for testing. NHTSA I think.

 

can't wait to see Clarckson in one of those things !

 

He is gonna have an orgasm !

 

When Victoria "Vicki" Butler-Henderson drove a yellow Stradale around Fiorano there were lots of OOOOOOOOOhhhhhhs and AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHS from the driver...does that count? She didn't have a minder with her either.
CH

 

november

 

Are studded snow tires still legal over there?
CH

 

I wonder if the press is going to get another Sicilian Ferrari Shangri-La..

 

ewwwwwww.

 

Maybe that was not quite a serious statement?

Turn 30 car writers loose in 458s unsupervised, and soon you will have 25 crashes all right!

now THAT was a serious statement.

 

4 doors, 4 seats, same thing to a newspaper reporter! They are the same all over the world, I see.

Hot Rod is one of the funniest movies I've seen. One of my friends in the Army brought home a copy subtitled in Turkish. I suppose that is one way to learn another language.

 

Yeah, I don't know about this number.
I'm not even sure that mainstream, million-produced vehicles have to go through such trials.
Seriously doubt they are going to sacrifice 25 458's to meet this standard.

 

Since when do car dealers know anything?! Their MO is to *appear* knowledgeable to engender trust, which often involves BS.

My guess is that the press are driving them now (as the production line is starting) or in the next three weeks for a December embargo date. That way the US reveal will be coordinated with press coverage and dealers will "officially" begin to accept deposits and orders.

 

My dealer told me mid to late next year.

Lee

 

And he will be well paid for it! Jezza has got it made.

 

Next week according to this week's Autocar here in the U.K. The rest can't be far behind. Can't wait!

 

I would say you are correct. That number sounded high to me as well but what do I know. They probably made it sound like the first delivery was so far off so that I wouldn't ask about the 458 until next year.

 

The first online reviews are scheduled to appear tomorrow on both Autocar and Evo's websites.

http://community.evo.co.uk/forums/thread.cfm?threadID=44907

 

Right Now! http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/exotic/112_1002_2010_ferrari_458_italia_test/index.html