http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/241891/# I GUESS this is official These are the first official pictures and details of the Ferrari 458 Italia - the replacement for the Ferrari F430. The Ferrari 458 Italia draws inspiration from the Enzo and takes a new look influenced by the Mille Chili concept car. Ferrari 458 Italia picture gallery Ferrari has confirmed that the car, codenamed F142 and long rumoured to be named the F450, will be called the 458 Italia. The name derives from the powerplant: a 4.5-litre V8 which Ferrari claims has the highest specific output of any normally aspirated car engine. It certainly has more in common with superbikes than cars; at 127bhp per litre, the specific output is greater than that of many turbocharged engines. The high-revving 4498cc V8 has very light internal parts and tiny piston skirts, resulting in low rotation inertia and a 12.5:1 compression ratio. It puts out 562bhp at 9000rpm, 500rpm higher than the 430. That makes it the highest-revving Ferrari road car ever. It means the 458 Italia will be ferociously fast, and Ferrari claims it will sprint to 62mph in under 3.4sec on its way to a top speed of over 200mph. While advanced engine electronics and lightweight parts underpin the extra performance, this will be the first mid-engined application of Ferraris direct injection fuel system, which appeared first on the front-engined California. It also runs Ferraris now-traditional flat-plane crankshaft. The 458s engine will be one of the most flexible in Ferraris history, too, with 398lb ft of torque arriving at 6000rpm. While that sounds peaky, its only two-thirds of the way through the 458s rev range, and over 80 per cent (318lb ft) is available from 3250rpm. The direct fuel injection has also helped cut CO2 emissions, producing a claimed 320g/km of CO2, even though it is faster and produces significantly more power than the 483bhp F430 and the 508bhp 430 Scuderia. Dual-clutch box Ferrari learned a lot developing the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox for the California and it has had to do even more development to fit the unit into the 458 Italias engine bay, under the curvaceous glasshouse. The dual-clutch unit from the California has been modified with different ratios and now shifts even faster than the 430 Scuderias 0.06sec. The gearboxs shift style is likely to be slightly more aggressive than the Californias. The E-Diff differential and the F1-Trac skid control system have long been the flagship carryover technologies from Formula 1, but the 458 Italia takes them even further and adds another piece of F1-derived technology to the brakes. Instead of using individual ECUs for the E-Diff and F1-Trac, the 458 Italia has one ECU to control both (as well as the ABS system), resulting in streamlined processing and communication. Ferrari claims a 32 per cent increase in acceleration over the F430 (itself no slouch) out of corners. The brakes feature a new system called prefill. When the drivers foot lifts off the throttle, the pistons in the calipers move the pads towards the discs; that helps to reduce the stopping distance from 62mph to just 32.5 metres. Aluminium chassis Ferrari has used its experience from designing the 430 Scuderias suspension to create the 458 Italias double wishbone front set-up and multi-link rear end, all bolted directly to the aluminium chassis. Its been developed with the help of Michael Schumacher, who was spotted testing the car. Ferrari has close ties to aluminium specialist Alcoa, which has built a factory near Modena to produce chassis for the firm. The 458 Italias frame uses ideas from both the 430 Scuderia and the Mille Chili concept car. It uses more advanced bonding techniques than the 430 did, along with manufacturing processes more in line with the aero industry. F1 wind tunnel While the 458 was designed by Pininfarina, the shape has been developed using Ferraris F1 wind tunnel. The bases of the black intakes in the front bumper deform at speed, closing up the intakes and reducing drag. These intakes also provide downforce and feed air though the radiators ahead of the front wheels. The cars shape makes air curve around the cabin and run over the integrated tail spoiler. The flat undertray enhances the effects of the rear diffuser to create 140kg of downforce at 125mph. Inside, the 458 Italia will take the opportunity created by the more luxurious California to become the sportiest V8 in the family. Ferrari says the steering wheel and dashboard are new innovations in production cars; expect a development of the firms wheel-mounted manettino switch. The 458 will be built alongside the California in a new production facility at Maranello. The car will be launched at the Frankfurt motor show next month and is expected to go on sale in the UK next spring. It will be more expensive than the F430, so expect prices to start at around £150,000. Dan Stevens Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Except the red pics on the site linked don't even look real.. so not really actual "pics" as such.. although the prototype on real roads certainly does..
I think this is the first good looking car for some time, it's actually got a bit of style about it that doesn't look japanese
spud found this.......... http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/autoshows/frankfurt/2009/ferrari458italiasupercarperview.html more of the same. looks like it's big news.
Me likey, a huge improvement in looks from the 430 all i need now is another $5m to my name so I can justify spending the $600k this thing will likely cost.
I agree, JM. I much prefer this arrangement to the stacked pipes on the California. That's the one thing I detest about the Cali, in fact.
saw the California the other day at Euromarque in Brissy and didn't like it at all ... even with a horse badge it just doesn't look right, looked like a Bangle reject
Ferrari 458 Italia Technical specifications Dimensions Length 4527 mm (178.2 in.) Width 1937 mm (76.3 in.) Height 1213 mm (47.8 in.) Wheelbase 2650 mm (104.3 in.) Dry weight 1380 kg (3042 lbs)* Weight/power ratio 2,42 kg/CV (7.16 lbs/kW) Weight distribution fr/r 42%/58% Engine Type V8 90° Displacement 4499 cc (274.5 cu in.) Maximum power 570 CV (425 kW)** @ 9000 rpm Maximum torque 540 Nm (398 lbs/ft) @ 6000 rpm Specific power output 127 CV/l Compression ratio 12.5:1 Tyres Front 235/35 ZR20 8.5 Rear 295/35 ZR20 10.5 Performance Maximum speed >325 km/h (>202 mph) 0-100 km/h <3.4 s Fuel consumption + emissions Fuel consumption*** 13.7 l/100 km Emissions*** 320 g CO2/km Gearbox Dual-clutch, 7-speed F1 Electronics E-Diff3, F1-Trac, high-performance ABS
hahahahahahahahaha I fell off my seat reading that one I hate to say it but I enjoy the days Leonie wants to stay home and it's just the boy and I Two handbrakes in a car will not help me get that 3 secs I need
Im not liking the front bumper very much, the blacked out middle section with the horsey badge just looks a tad too plain imo ide prefer more of a 156/F430 style sharknose theme. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Mmmm, F40 exhaust look a like. I thought it was the rumoured turbo when I saw that photo. Need to see it in the flesh. That last pic in PP's first post looks a little strange to me looking back at the rear 3 quarter. 360C, when do I get to see it in the flesh.
I took a long time friends son for a ride in the QV on the weekend as she said he was a mad Ferrari fan ... never said a word the whole time we were in the car, ... just smiled a lot I feel sorry for fathers that don't have sons that they can brainwash
