These are the first official hi res pictures of the Ferrari 458 Italia. This new model is a synthesis of style, creative flair, passion and cutting-edge technology, characteristics for which Italy as a nation is well-known. For this reason Ferrari chose to add the name of its homeland to the traditional figure representing the displacement and number of cylinders. And sure it’s called 458 because it has a 4.5-liter V8 mounted in the engine bay. Pricing is expected to be announced when the 458 Italia is unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show next month.

The engine sits under glass like a diamond in a jeweler’s shop window. This direct-injection version of the customary flat-crank V8 has 200cc more displacement than before, producing 570 horsepower at 9,000 rpm. The elevated redline suggests Ferrari has used exotic metallurgy to make the moving parts as light as possible. Maximum torque is 398 pound-feet at 6,000 rpm, but from 3,250 rpm onward, 80 percent of the car’s muscle power is already at your service.

Pinfinfarina did the design, which we find remiscent of the Mille Chili and there are echoes of design studies by the Royal College of Art a couple of years back. The interior design is by Ferrari’s design chief Donato Coco; it’s said to include ‘a new layout and a revolutionary ergonomic interface where the main controls are all clustered on the steering wheel’.

Ferrari 458 Italia
Engine: 4.5-litre V8
Max power: 570bhp@9000rpm
Max torque: 470 Nm at 5250rpm
Top speed: 203mph
0-60mph: 3,4 sec

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