A few days ago, at the Dubai International Marine Club, Nissan arranged a quite interesting little challenge featuring its much-hyped Juke-R (the model that hosts a GT-R engine in a Juke’s body) and three well-established supercars: the Ferrari 458 Italia, the Lamborghini Gallardo and the Mercedes SLS AMG. This curious race - which took place on a short and narrow course laid out in the streets of Dubai - ended with a quite surprising result, although it must be considered that the particular features of the improvised circuit did not help some of the cars to fully express their mind-blowing potential.

The Juke-R is the outcome of the collaboration between Nissan and specialist Ray Mallock Ltd. and - thanks to the 485 hp of its impressive 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 - is capable of reaching 100 km/h (62mph) from standstill in just 3.7 seconds, hitting a maximum speed of 257 km/h (160 mph). The model is not meant for production and is used as a show car at the various Nissan’s events around the globe.

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The above footage, uploaded on its youtube page by registered user Caruso 76, shows us a Ferrari 458 Italia thundering down a German Autobahn and reaching the impressive speed of 322 km/h (200 mph). The car, equipped with a 4.5-litre V8 unit delivering 570 hp and 540 Nm of torque, is clearly and totally at ease with the speed-limit free motorways of Germany, as the above video confirms. Besides, the vibrating roar of its outstanding engine is always music to our ears.

via | GT Spirit

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Well, we do know that there is plenty of people around the world that are just crazy about football, but this is just over the top: the video above pictures no less than a Ferrari 458 Italia with an unbelievable FC Barcelona paint job. The ridiculous livery features a massive emblem of the club on the hood - right in between portraits of famous footballers Lionel Messi and Xavi - and the whole squad on the 2 sides, turning the Maranello’s masterpiece into some sort of odd advertising placard on four wheels. That’s how you ruin a 200,000 € sportscar, we’d say.

The car has been recently spotted in Dubai and … well, don’t worry: rumor has it that the whole thing is just temporary. We surely hope so.

via | Corriere Della Sera

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Anderson Germany presents the Ferrari 458 Italia Carbon Edition. As the name suggests, carbon fibre plays a big role in this tuning of the Italian sports car as front and rear spoilers, side skirts, front bumper flaps and grille, and rear side window air intake grilles are made of this material. Furthermore, hood, roof, door handles, mirrors, trunk lid, tail light detailing, and even the spokes of its alloy wheels are coated with carbon, creating an evident contrast with the white color of the remaining body parts.

The new exhaust system uses three different sound stages that can be selected by remote-control and - combined with the re-calibrated ECU - allows the car to go from the standard 570 hp up to 623 hp. Anderson Germany Ferrari 458 Italia Carbon Edition uses 9×21″ rims on the front axle fitted with 255/30 tyres , while on the rear we have 12×22″ wheels with 335/25 tyre. The standard 4.5-liter V8 engine remains virtually untouched.

View the full Anderson Germany Ferrari 458 Italia Carbon Edition photo gallery

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Few days ago our Italian team had the privilege to test drive the new Ferrari 458 Spider and here’s the video that summarises this exciting experience. Unfortunately it comes with no English subtitles so we’ve decided to translate the important bits for you.

As you can see and hear in the video, Ferrari’s latest creature features an extraordinary acceleration - from 0-100 in 3.4 sec - which in terms of fierceness, can only be compared to a vehicle with a center-mounted engine. On the road, it reaches a top speed of 320 km/h with the 8 cylinders delivering a captivating melody only interrupted by the dual-clutch transmission’s action.

The folding aluminium roof is one of Ferrari 458 Spider’s most intriguing features: it is divided in two parts that allow this vehicle to turn from a sporty coupe to a spider in the matter of 14 seconds. The two ‘flippers’ at the back provide extra safety in the unlucky case of an overturning and they make roll bars no longer necessary. The reinforced chassis’ structural rigidity guarantees a flawless dynamic behaviour and the overhall feel is of a more complete version of the Ferrari 458 Italia, the impressive coupè it derives from.

View the full Ferrari 458 Spider photo gallery.

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We like the new trend in LED lights on cars but perhaps Japanese tuner Phkosugi has taken them too far. This Ferrari 458 Italia tuning looks like a miniature electricity grid with LED lights under and around the body panels. This particular 458 Italia is already by Oakley Design but clearly that’s not enough to turn heads - making the Ferrari look like a fridge should just about do it.

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The new Ferrari 458 Spider looks set to complete the Ferrari 458 Italia story, providing fans of the 458 model with an open top version to really enjoy that 4.5-litre V8. The 458 Spider has a folding hard top roof with the same flip mechanism as the Ferrari Superamerica, which the company claims is a first for this kind of car.

This model is not just about getting the wind in your hair, as the Ferrari 458 Spider is equipped with the 2011 Engine of the Year for performance cars with 570 hp and 540 Nm of torque. On the technical front for the Spider, the aluminium roof saves weight on a traditional rag top (Ferrari estimates a weight saving of about 25 kg), and can be opened and closed in 14 seconds.

Once closed, the Ferrari 458 Spider roof allows for space for luggage and new “fins” allow for optimal airflow to the engine. Onboard comfort is maintained by way of an adjustable glass “windstop” and Ferrari says you can have a normal conversation at up to 200 km/hr. How often you might like to have a high speed chat is up to you - see the pics and the video above of the new 458 Spider.

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Ever wondered what’s the story behind a Ferrari bodyshell? Check out this video shot in Modena (Italy) at the only Ferrari facility outside Maranello, showing the 458 Italia bodyshell production area. Antonio Ghini, The Official Ferrari Magazine director, follows all the different stages of this aluminium unit’s production, which involves the use of robots supervised by humans and happens in conjunction with the development of the Ferrari 458 Italia’s engine and gearbox.

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The Ferrari 458 Italia tuning by Novitec uses the “Rosso Scuderia” livery with black roof, 21-inch red rim wheels and a dedicated aerodynamic kit. The Ferrari V8 Novitec Rosso engine mods take the unit to 609 hp (an extra 39), with torque of 569 Nm at 5,400 rpm.

The 458 Italia also saves 21 kg on weight thanks to a new carbon airbox and Inconel exhaust. The car has been lowered by 35mm but has a hydraulic function to heighten it when negotiating obstacles. The aerodynamic kit includes a new spoiler, side skirts, mirrors and carbonfibre diffuser. Ignore the music, but check out the new video above of the Novitec Rosso 458 Italia.

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“Bellissimo” speaks for itself really, as a lucky journalist gets a tour of the Fiorano track with Fernando Alonso at the wheel of a Ferrari 458 Italia. Apart from the fun the two clearly have, hearing that Ferrari rumble makes us jealous (did we say “very”?). Anyone who is the fortunate owner of a Ferrari will realise that this is how it should be driven (F1 capabilities aside). Through the giggling of the journalist, we can see why Fernando Alonso has been confirmed as a Ferrari F1 driver through to 2016. In the journalist’s words “che spettacolo”!

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Fiat Group is showing how its done winning a gamut of prizes at the 2011 International Engine of the Year awards. The small Fiat TwinAir engine from Fiat Powertrain took home nothing less than four awards, while the Ferrari 458 Italia’s V8 bagged two.

The Fiat twincylinder engine won best in its cylinder class (sub one-litre) and also got the top award of international engine of the year. In addition, it won best new engine for 2011 and best green engine for 2011. The Fiat TwinAir first appeared on the Fiat 500 model and is currently available with 85 hp. It will soon appear on the Lancia Ypsilon and an aspirated 65-hp version is expected to debut soon. TwinAir turbo 105-hp and bi-fuel options should become available soon, too.

Meanwhile, the apple of the Fiat eye, Ferrari, gained itself two awards for the 458 Italia V8 engine. It won the best performance engine and the best over four-litres awards. A special mention was made for the beauty of the Ferrari V8 sound. The two Fiat Group engines represent opposite ends of the awards spectrum. With BMW dominating the other categories, the other winners were:

Continue reading: 2011 International Engine of the Year: Fiat Group shows off

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The Ferrari 458 Italia is not exactly an F1 car but there are a few components that the Prancing Horse borrowed for its roadgoing 458 Italia that apparently need explaining. This video is obviously interesting for those who might potentially own one of these in the future and are curious to know how the 458 Italia cockpit works. For the rest of us, we can pretend that we’ve actually sat in one.

This kind of video shows just how a brand like Ferrari does luxury and sports driving. Entertainment controls like the radio, phone and CD player sit opposite suspension, performance and safety controls. See what a top-class piece of technology the 458 Italia is in this video.

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