The Sexy New Ferrari 458 Italia

Ferrari Unveils the 458 Italia

Ferrari's 2009 458 Italia, with its front-mounted V8 engine and folding hardtop, excited buyers so much that sales of the F430 dropped out of sight - as the rich and famous were enchanted by the sexy new 458. The all-new 458 Italia is designed to win back the hearts and minds of those Ferrari fans who had gone elsewhere for their adrenaline fixes.

Lower, sleeker, and more powerful than the F430, the 458 Italia is simply a spectacular supercar. And its body, which was shaped by Pininfarina, is fabulous; in fact, it's unique for a Prancing Horse and impressive from any angle. The 458 employs the same direct-injected V8 as the California, but ups the power from 460 horses to an impressive 562. And based on our driving impressions, it bests even the vaunted F430 on the track.

Inside, it also gets better instrumentation and improved ergonomics. While the cost of these upgrades won't be announced for a few months, the first 458s will arrive stateside sometime in June 2010. However, expect at least a 10 percent premium over the 430, which will probably put the cost of the 458 around $210,000.

As with last year's California, the Ferrari 458 gets a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox that directs power to the rear axle. Much has been done to reduce internal friction within the new V8, in addition aerodynamic drag improvements. As a result, the Ferrari 458 Italia's gas mileage improves to a combined 17.1 mpg (US) on the EU test cycle. As this is a Ferrari, talk of fuel consumption really does seem somewhat pointless, anyway. No mention of incorporating any type of KERS hybrid system has been made thus far. The KERS idea, you'll remember, had taken several spins around the rumormill over the last year or so; maybe that'll materialize at a later date.

Like its predecessor, the Ferrari 458 Italia's aluminum structure helps keep weight under control -- it tips the scales at just 3,042 pounds dry. So, we know you're wondering: How quick is it? Based on specs at least, this new coupe does't disappoint. Acceleration to 100 km/h (62 mph) takes just 3.4 seconds, and this will be the first volume production Ferrari V8 to top the 200 mph barrier, with a top whack of 202 mph.