1 Jun 2010
Described as a “massive leap forward from the company’s previous mid-rear engined sports cars”, the 458 came with an all-new 4.5-litre engine, chassis, aerodynamics, instrumentation and ergonomics.
The headline act was a new 4.499-litre V8 that delivered 425kW at 9000rpm and 540Nm of torque at 6000rpm, 80 per cent of which was available from 3250rpm.
Apart from giving the 1380kg (dry) coupe, which was 70kg lighter than its F430 predecessor and 30kg lighter than the stripped-out 430 Scuderia, a specific torque rating of 120Nm per litre, it was enough to propel the 458 to 100km/h in a claimed 3.4 seconds – 0.6 seconds quicker than the F430 as well as two-tenths quicker than the 430 Scuderia.
Ferrari said the mid/rear-mounted 90-degree V8, which had a compression ratio of 12.5:1 and was the company’s first direct-injection engine to be mid-mounted, provided the 458 with a 42/52 per cent front/rear weight distribution and a top speed of 325km/h.
Mated to a new seven-speed ‘F1’ dual-clutch automated manual transmission, the 458 returned average fuel consumption of 13.7L/100km and CO2 emissions of 320g/km, – frugal enough to make it the most fuel-efficient supercar at the time, according to Ferrari.
