Ferrari 458 Italia

Expert Rating:

What is it?

The most exciting drive we've had this year. Actually, it's one of the most exciting drives we've ever had. Sure, everyone expects us to fawn over the latest car wearing the Prancing Horse on its grille, but the new Ferrari 458 Italia deserves every bit of praise it gets. Firstly it's a return to form on the styling front from Maranello; it's gorgeous, Pininfarina's pens and Ferrari's wind tunnel creating a shape that's not only aerodynamically clever, but very pleasing to the eye. Then there's the performance, which is on a completely new level...

Is it any good?

It's sensational. With the introduction of the front-engined California last year Ferrari has effectively doubled its V8 line-up. That has also allowed the Italian firm to move the mid-engined 458 Italia into a more hardcore arena, the California there for Ferrari drivers wanting something at the entry point of the range that's got some Gran Turismo genes mixed with sporting ability. That's not to say that the 458 is a raw, difficult machine, but it feels so much more than an evolutionary step over its F430 predecessor.

That's not surprising as it's all-new. From the seven-speed, paddle-shifted, dual-clutch transmission and aluminium chassis and body to Ferrari's latest V8 engine it's a clean-sheet design. That powerplant develops an extraordinary 562bhp from its 4.5-litres, revs to a stratospheric, howling, 9,000rpm yet delivers easy low-rev urgency thanks to some frankly bewildering engineering within the engine block and electronic management systems. So-equipped, the 458 will reach 62mph in less than 3.4 seconds and flat out Ferrari says it'll do more than 202mph.

The company's F1 expertise is evident in the 458's driver systems, the controls for which are all clustered usefully on the steering wheel. The combination of Ferrari's now familiar Manettino dial on the left hand side of the wheel gives you a choice of drive modes, each increasing the intensity of the gearshifts, throttle response, damping action and thresholds of the electronic stability and traction control systems.

In addition to the Manettino there's a button on the left hand side of the wheel that allows you to have the sporting settings with more compliant, softer damping. The result is simply one of the fastest, easiest cars to drive quickly we've ever encountered. The engine and transmission work beautifully together, every finger flick at the column-mounted paddles resulting in an instantaneous change in ratio from the double-clutch gearbox.

That, along with sharp steering and beautifully controlled suspension, is what makes the 458 so devastatingly rapid. Turn the steering wheel a fraction and the Italia changes direction with zero slack, the nose darting towards the apex with incredible speed. It's actually unnerving at first, the front so accurate that you need to re-calibrate where you'd usually start turning for a bend. The brakes come into play here too, with their enormous stopping power allowing you to leave braking until later and deeper into a corner than you'd have expected. With the 4.5-litre engine, traction, stability and differential electronics maintaining control through the bend the 458 can exit bends with eye-widening speeds.

Such is its sharpness in the upper portion of the Manettino's settings it can be tricky to drive smoothly in certain situations. The throttle is so eager and so sharp that any hesitation or movement of your foot through a mid-corner bump can result in some jerkiness in the power delivery. If we're being picky here - and it is difficult to be - the numerous functions that can be viewed via the two screens surrounding the huge central rev-counter are perhaps overkill, it impossible to display a large digital speedometer and satnav function at the same time. In a car this quick, a big, clear speedo is something you really need...

Should I call the bank manager?

Sell the house - if you can - pawn the family jewels and offload all your possessions. Ferrari isn't saying exactly how much the 458 Italia will cost just yet, but rest assured you'll be looking at the thick-end of £160,000 as a starting point. Spend some money on options like the Ferrari shields on the front wings, a coloured rev counter and some different trim materials inside and you can easily add £10,000-£15,000 to that. It's worth it.

Summary

Almost incomprehensibly good, it's difficult to see how a road car can get any faster or more composed than the new 458 Italia. Ferrari has taken the threat of new competition in what it considers its playground very seriously indeed. McLaren's forthcoming contender will have to be something very special to compete; Porsche's 911 Turbo and Mercedes-Benz's SLS offer similar pace, but the Ferrari delivers at a completely different intensity level. We thought Ferrari had reached a high point with the 430 Scuderia. We were wrong.

Kyle Fortune