Ferrari 458 Italia Top Gear Review

Jeremy is a showman. I think this came shortly after the 458 was announced.

On the ergonomics I'm afraid that multifunctional displays are the wave of the future. There is just not enough dash space to allow all the information to be displayed at the same time, so dial in what you want when you want it.

The turn signals on the wheel is a typically italian idea. Someone said, "Hey, let's put everything on the steering wheel, like F1, so no one will ever have to take their hands off of it." Never mind that stalks are a perfectly good 70-year old solution to the turn signal problem.

 

While I love the Ferrari 458 Italia and hope to eventually have one someday, the two things that are frustrating are the display location and turn signal and other controls are located on the steering wheel. It makes for challenging ergonomics while driving around corners or making turns. I do prefer the dash layout better in the Lamborghini Gallardo with the navigation screen much larger centrally located in the middle of the dashboard.

 

Stated previously on another thread, but worth repeating ... how often are you signalling a turn WHILE the wheel is turned? Think about it ... most times you apply the turn signal while completely stopped ... or driving in a straight line at worst. Think about the last time you had the wheel turned 180 degrees and THEN had to use a signal light ... have you EVER had to do that? Yes, I'm sure someone can point out the 1 time in a thousand where that is necessary, but I don't think it's that big a deal.

As for the displays, give it another year or two before you can start buying apps for your multifunction displays to configure them however you want. I think DOT regulates the speedometer, but short of that, you will have the ability to custom configure (with different colors, themes, backgrounds, etc.) the rest of the displays as you wish. Won't be long.

 

This is pretty old but he sort of has a point about the steering wheel. There are times when the buttons on the wheel can throw you off, particularly if you are trying to turn and put on the indicators at the same time.

I keep reaching for the stalk. It's a tough habit to break. But, the 458 is such a wonderful car to drive. That comes across in the Top Gear test very well.

 

A couple of journalists were following each other down the road in their 458 Spider models. The one in front drove 5 miles down the road oblivious to the fact that his left turn signal was still blinking. Maybe he was listening to the motor....
CH

 

I heard the Top Gear review some time before aquiring my 458.

I actually like the turn signal location. I think it was clever.

 

I was just wondering does the turn signal cancels itself out after you make the turn or does it have to be cancelled manually? Thanks in advance!

 

They cancel by themselves or you can do it manually. Actually, they work pretty well. It's just a little weird.