Key Points: Ferrari Warranty until April 2025, Carbon Fibre Driver Zone + LEDs, JBL Professional HiFi System.

Introduced at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show as the successor to the F430, the Ferrari 458
Italia was built with an entirely new design, incorporating technologies developed from the
marque’s experience in Formula One.

The 458 is powered by a mid-mounted 4.5-litre naturally aspirated Ferrari/Maserati ‘F136’
V8, producing 562hp and 398lb ft of torque, which drives the rear wheels via a Getrag
seven-speed dual-clutch ‘F1’ transmission with paddle shift. The engine features direct fuel
injection, a first for Ferrari’s mid-engine road cars, and has a 9,000 rpm redline. There is no
traditional manual option, making this the first mainstream Ferrari model not to be offered
with a manual transmission. Ferrari's claimed 0-62 mph acceleration time is 3.4 seconds,
and the top speed is 202 mph.

The car's suspension has double wishbones at the front and a multi-link setup at the rear,
featuring adaptive magnetorheological dampers, coupled with E-Diff and F1-Trac traction
control systems. The body computer system was developed by Magneti Marelli.
Stopping is handled by a set of carbon ceramic brakes with ABS and a pre-fill function,
whereby the pistons in the callipers move the pads into contact with the discs on lift-off of the
accelerator, to minimise delay in the brakes being applied.

The bodywork was designed by Pininfarina under the leadership of Donato Coco, the Ferrari
design director during 2009, who drew inspiration from the Enzo Ferrari and its Millechili
concept car. It was designed with aerodynamic efficiency in mind, producing 140 kg of
downforce at 124 mph. The front grille features deformable winglets that lower at high
speeds, to offer reduced drag. Meanwhile, the cabin is the work of French car
designer and Ferrari’s director of interior design, Bertrand Rapatel. It was designed with
influence from former Ferrari driver and Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher,
who suggested incorporating switchgear controls for the lights and indicators into the
steering wheel, similar to a Formula 1 car, rather than having them on the dashboard or
stalks.