Ferrari 458 Test Drive, Review

There has always been a bit of a contradiction about the notion of a junior Ferrari. But, with a few notable exceptions, that is how the mid-engine V8-powered cars from Maranello have been known. So it was with the 308 GTB, and the line of cars that followed.

Now, though, things are changing at Ferrari. In the California, it has a fourth model line designed to cater for those wanting a slighter softer experience from their Prancing Horse which has given the 458 Italia, the latest V8 Ferrari, the licence to move into more serious territory. There is nothing remotely junior about 562bhp or a top speed in excess of 200mph.

However, while the 458 sticks to the established formula of a spaceframe covered with aluminum body panels, it is a significant step forward from the F430. For starters, the chassis structure is 15 per cent more rigid.Then there is the engine, a new direct-injection 4.5-litre V8. Although the cast block is the same as used in the California, by the time it is completed the 458’s engine is of a larger capacity and can rev significantly higher – to 9000rpm.

Among some enthusiasts, Ferrari’s choice of gearbox may cause some controversy. For the first time in a Ferrari sports car (and not a GT, which is what Ferrari calls the California), there is no option of a manual transmission. Instead, the 458 Italia has a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, produced for Ferrari by Getrag. One obvious change from the styling of the car it replaces is that the intakes for the engine bay cooling have been moved from the car’s rear flanks to the under tray, improving the overall efficiency and the operation of the rear diffuser. Its 0-60mph time starts with a three, its top speed starts with a two and, on the way, it passes 100mph in around seven seconds, eases to a standing quarter mile in less than 12sec and breezes past 150mph before a standing kilometre is out.

More impressive than the numbers themselves, though, is the way with which the 458 goes about setting them. Not too many years ago, extracting 562bhp from a naturally aspirated 4.5-litre engine – some 125bhp per litre – would have produced an undriveable, snarling, fire-breather of an engine. Not too many years before that, it would not have happened in a road car at all.

The 458, like all current Ferraris, comes as standard with carbon ceramic brakes capable of stopping it repeatedly, from high speed, in no time at all.Although modest things are being asked of it, the 458 is tactile enough to reward. Closer to its limit, the 458 has all the poise, and more, that we’ve come to expect from a mid-engined V8 Ferrari.

If you sit in the F430 and then step into the 458 Italia, it feels as though you have skipped two generations, rather than one. Everything in the 458 feels modern and exudes a sense of handcrafted workmanship that was missing from its predecessor.It takes some familiarization to get used to the indicator, windscreen wiper and headlight controls being placed on the steering wheel, but in practice, it’s a very convenient set-up.

There is the problem that, with lock applied, the required button could be out of thumb’s reach but, given the 458’s quick steering, it’s rare to need to shuffle the wheel.Given that the few and varied rivals will offer running costs that are no better, if not significantly worse, the Ferrari 458 is a tempting prospect in every respect.

When it comes to building road cars, Ferrari is definitely on a bit of a roll at the moment. But even considering the wonderfully desirable 599 GTO, arguably it is the 458 Italia that is Ferrari’s greatest achievement.That isn’t simply because the 458 weaves scintillating ground-covering pace with impressive practicality but also because, for all of its technology, it remains an interactive and deeply satisfying car to drive — be that at three-tenths on a backroad or fully committed at your favourite track.