People usually do not think that Ferrari can improve on their cars because they're already considered perfect and cutting edge, but at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009, Ferrari had no trouble proving the world that they can still make a more perfect car than before. They did that with the introduction of the 458 Italia. The 458 Italia was announced as the official replacement for the Ferrari F430, which was produced from 2005 to 2009.The Ferrari 458 Italia is a current production model for Ferrari from 2009 and is considered one of the best looking Ferrari's that is also capable of challenging the Enzo around the track. As of 2011, a replacement for the 458 Italia has not yet been announced. The 458 Italia comes in four known variants: the 458 Italia Berlinetta (coupe), 458 Italia Spider, 458 Challenge and the 458 GTC (Grand Touring Challenge).
Although the 458 was announced as a replacement for the outgoing F430 model, it was actually based on an entirely different design that was driven by Ferrari's learning experiences from Formula 1 rather than the F430. The 458 was designed by Pininfarina. There have been unconfirmed reports that the inspiration for the design was drawn from the Ferrari Enzo and was designed to be Ferrari's best V8 car, significantly distinguishing itself from the current Ferrari California model. Although it would be hard to notice, the design was actually driven heavily by the aerodynamic capabilities and efficiencies.
The car itself doesn't look like it was engineered to produce a certain amount of drag, rather it looks like it was designed with passion and fury in mind with the end result being extremely aerodynamic. Michael Schumacher, Ferrari's former Formula 1 driver also provided input on the 458's design from things such as the steering wheel to the dashboard layout of the interior. A few key notable details of the 458 distinguish it from a number of other Ferraris, such as the triple tailpipes - last seen on the F40, and the five-spoke rims that emphasize the 15.7 inch carbon ceramic Brembo brakes.
The Ferrari 458 Italia features a 4.5 liter V8 engine that produces 562 horsepower at 9000 rpm and 398 lb-ft of torque at 6000 rpm. Despite the low peak torque, Ferrari claims that the Italia has access to 80% of the torque band below 3250 rpm. The 458's engine is only approximately 3% larger by 150cc than the F430's 4,300cc engine but displaces 16% more horsepower and torque. A tremendous increase can be attributed to a new direct injection engine design that Ferrari created in collaboration with Maserati, a first for mid-rear Ferrari engine setups. The 4.5 liter V8 gets the Italia from 0 to 60 in 3.4 seconds and a top speed over 202 mph. That is 0.6 seconds faster than the F430, 1.1 seconds faster than the 360, 0.4 seconds faster than the F40 and only 0.3 seconds slower than the Ferrari Enzo. The Italia is Ferrari's fourth road-car to receive the Getrag dual-clutch 7-speed transmission. It shares the same technology with the Enzo, 360 Challenge Stradale and the F430 Scuderia. The Italia is the first common production car that will not be offered with a traditional manual transmission.
The Ferrari 458 Italia has impressed Ferrari fans since the initial announcement was made in 2009. The Italia has impressive performance figures and has made a strong statement about perfection that will be hard to top, but then again, we are talking about Ferrari here. You can expect to see the Ferrari Italia 458 Berlinetta (Coupe) sell at a MSRP ranged between $225,000 and $250,000 depending on the options. The 458 Spider is expected to sell around $257,000 MSRP. A used 458 Italia rarely sells below $270,000 due to the low availability of the car.
