Ferrari 458 Italia: First Official Photos and Details on F430's Replacement

It's official: Ferrari has taken the wraps off its latest incarnation of the mid-rear engined supercar ahead of the two-seater's world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Named '458 Italia' with the figure representing the displacement and number of cylinders of the engine, the F430's successor has been designed by Pininfarina and sports an all-new 4.5-liter V8 unit with direct-injection that cranks out 570HP at 9,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 540Nm or 398.2 lb-ft at 6,000 rpm, over 80 per cent of which is available from 3250 rpm.

At 127HP per liter, the new V8 engine has the highest output per liter in the company's production-model history. As with the California, the 458 Italia is equipped with the firm's seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that sends power to the rear-wheels. Acceleration from standstill to 100km/h (62mph) comes in under 3.4 seconds while the supercar can achieve a maximum speed in excess of 325km/h (202mph).

Not that your typical Ferrari buyer will pay any attention to economy and CO2 figures, but Ferrari claims that 458 Italia consumes 13.7 l/100 km (17.2mpg US) on the EU combined cycle with 320 g/km of CO2.

Based on a new aluminum chassis, the Ferrari 458 Italia has a dry weight of 1380 kg or 3,048 lbs with a power-to-weight ratio of 2.42 kg/HP and a 42-58 percent front-rear weight distribution.

Maranello's new supercar features the latest generation of the E-Diff, F1-Trac and ABS systems which are now all controlled by the same ECU with Ferrari supporting that the 458 Italia produces 32 percent more longitudinal acceleration out of corners compared to previous models.

As for stopping-power, the 459's brakes feature what the company describes as a "prefill function" whereby the pistons in the callipers move the pads into contact with the discs on lift off to minimise delay in the brakes being applied. This results in a reduced 100-0 km/h (62-0mph) braking distance of 32.5 meters.

As with all modern Prancing Horse models, the 458 Italia's styling has been heavily influenced by the requirements for aerodynamic efficiency with Ferrari claiming that the car generates 140kg (309 lbs) of downforce at 200km/h (124mph). Aside from the completely flat underbody, the 458 Italia's nose also sports small aeroelastic winglets that generate downforce and, as speed rises, deform to reduce the section of the radiator inlets and cut drag.

Ferrari has released only a single photo of the 458 Italia's interior depicting the new steering wheel which houses most of the main controls and is clearly inspired from the F1 cars.

We'll have more information and photos on the new 458 Italia closer to the Frankfurt Motor Show.

[Source: Carscoop]

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VIDEO: Ferrari Scuderia Spider, California and 599 GTB HGTE Tackle the Goodwood Hill Climb

One of the most popular events at the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed is the Sunday Times Supercar Run which sees some of the fastest and most powerful cars in the world race up the 1.16 mile hill climb. At this year's run that was completed on Sunday, June 5, Ferrari showcased three of its latest supercars - the limited run 510HP F430 Scuderia Spider 16M, the new California hardtop-convertible that's moved by a 460HP V8 and the 599 GTB Fiorano equipped with the HGTE sport package.

Below you can watch all three Prancing Horse models at the Sunday Times Supercar Run through an inboard video camera while we've also added an additional "over-the-shoulder" film of the California. According to the Italian sports car maker, the Scuderia Spider 16M was the fastest of the bunch completing the Goodwood hill climb in just 59 seconds.

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Ferrari to Perform Three British Debuts at Goodwood Festival of Speed

Italian supercar maker Ferrari will be showcasing three new models for the first time in the UK at next month's Goodwood Festival of Speed: the California coupe-convertible, the limited edition Scuderia Spider 16M and the beefed-up 599 GTB Fiorano with the HGTE package. All three supercars will participate at the Sunday Times Supercar Run.

Ferrari will also be represented at Goodwood by the Scuderia Ferrari team that will show off the 2008 Championship-winning F1 car driven by Marc Gene throughout the weekend while privately-owned cars entered in this year's event include a 1956 Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta, a 1961 Ferrari 196 SP Dino and a 1980 Ferrari 512 BBLM.

[Source: Carscoop]

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