Highest MSRP for an Italia...?

bicolor option + lots of CF + alcantara = $341k MSRP.

Picking up later today. Can't wait!!!!!

Will post picks when I can take them, probably not until later this week.

Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!

 

Thanks for the sentiments!

In terms of MSRP, I was probably misusing the term...I meant price with all options. I paid $225k base for the car plus roughly $105k for options plus sales tax...I saved a bunch on sales tax because I traded in another Fcar. I got a bunch of the new CF pieces and the bicolor paint, things that have been available only over the last couple of months so you may not have included them in your sum. I actually added up the cost of options that I chose NOT to get and believe it or not I could have spent another $40k on options. So it's a real econobox...

 

So here are a couple of really mediocre pics I took late this gloomy afternoon...
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Bingo.

 

Will do. Did the interior in a bicolor mode to echo the exterior - racing seats in black leather with grigio scuro alcantara inserts. Very pleased with how it came out. Got red seatbelts to reflect the red accent color I did with the red calipers on the exterior.

 

That's right...saw it on a scud and thought it'd be a neat choice for a monochromatic effect on the 458 with a black roof.

The center caps are carbon fiber (weight savings of .2 grams per wheel of UNSPRUNG weight - critical performance advantage).

I will get rid of the orange side markers as soon as I can find a white or gray replacement.

Thanks for the comments!

 

Driving Impressions

OK, I'm cheating here. Driving my car home and the 70 miles I've put on it over the last two days isn't the first time I've driven the 458. I actually took the advanced ferrari driving school up at Mont Tremblant last summer and spent 2 days flogging 458's (and Scud's) around that awesome track. It will be a while - at least until I take my car up to Lime Rock or the Glen this spring - until I drive my car as hard and as close to the edge as I drove Ferrari's.

I'm fortunate enough to have a good frame of reference to characterize the performance of the 458. I've owned a 430, 430 scud, R8 (which I still own, and is supercharged), an SLS, a 599, and an AM Vantage, among others. I've also recently participated in a 2 day driving event where I got to spend time driving a 2010 Gallardo, an AM DBS, and a Veyron Roadster, among others. Short version is that the 458 is without a doubt in my mind the finest street-legal production sports car on the market today.

The steering and turn-in feels a bit light at first, but once you're used to it, it's incredibly precise and gives you an unbelievable feel for the road. The handling is simply superb, it is incredibly confidence inspiring. The power is unreal. And unlike some turbocharged or supercharged power plants, it is available immediately and in a predictable power band that makes it tremendously usable. The transmission is great - although around town, it's almost too smooth - if you're looking for rifle-like shifts, like the 430 Scud, you'll get something more civilized (although i haven't tried race-mode yet and I'm sure that changes things somewhat).

Maybe the easiest way to characterize the overall driving experience of the 458 is to say that it has scud-like performance (in fact my lap times and those of the instructors at Mont Tremblant were within a second of each other on the Scud vs the 458) without the rough edges of the scud. If you are driving through town, the engine is quieter (although it does get loud over 5000rpm or so), your girlfriend won't complain about the ride (unless she's used to a Bentley) and it's a car that you could definitely use for a weekend getaway.

I'll have more extensive comments when I have more time, possibly this weekend.

 

A quick note on the front-end lifter option.

After a lot of debate, I decided not to get it. I have pretty serious speed bumps in my area so my first inclination was to order it, but my information from Ferrari N.A. was that the car was no lower than the F430 Scud. Since I didn't have a clearance issue with my Scud, I figured I'd be OK with the 458. In fact, it's been fine, and I haven't had any issues.

My suspicion is that the front lifter is more about steep parking lot ramps and that kind of thing as opposed to speed bumps.