Everything you need to know about the Ferrari 458 Italia
- The Ferrari 458 Italia is the former flagship of the Maranello marque
- First released in 2009, the 458 Italia replaced the F430 as the crown jewel
- There are a number of reasons why the Ferrari 458 Italia is so special
Published by Keelin McNamara
Edited by Kate Bain
The Ferrari 458 Italia is one of Maranello’s most successful and important cars.
Unveiled in 2009, the 458 Italia supercar serves as the successor of the F430.
Taking on such a massive task was no mean feat for the iconic marque.
Today, we’re here to break down how exactly they took on the challenge.
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What do you find in the interior of the Ferrari 458 Italia?
Unlike the previous F430 – based on the 360 Modena – the 458 Italia supercar is completely new.
As you might know, the steering wheel of the Ferrari 458 Italia controls most functions.
In fact, the steering wheel is – literally – the focus of the interior.
The engineers worked closely with the Ferrari Styling Center when developing the 458 Italia.
In particular, they reinterpreted the position of the major commands in order to provide a more driving-focused cockpit.
This means that almost every major function of performance and operation is run from the steering wheel.
Given how much the steering wheel controls, the remainder of the interior is quite minimalistic.
But that doesn’t mean that it has, in any way, come up short.
Bertrand Rapatel, Director of Ferrari Interior Design, was responsible for the cockpit.
The interior of the Ferrari 458 Italia is extremely luxurious, with leather seats on the inside.
This makes the driving of Ferrari’s former flagship an extremely enjoyable experience.
Exterior design
Given that it’s Ferrari, you can imagine that they pulled a blinder with this.
And of course they did – because the 458 Italia is absolutely beautiful to look at.
In fact, the 458 Italia is almost like a high-performing piece of art on wheels.
Ferrari brought in frequent collaborators Pininfarina to design the supercar.
Maranello prioritised aerodynamic efficiency, producing downforce of 140kg at 120mph.
An interesting detail comes in the front grille, with deformable winglets that lower at high speeds.
These serve the purpose of offering much reduced drag – and it very much worked.
How good is the 458 Italia when it hits the road?
To give you the short version, it performs extremely well when it hits the asphalt.
The Ferrari 458 Italia came with a 0-60 time of around three seconds.
Its 4.5 liter, mid-engine V8 also produced a top speed of 202mph alongside 562bhp.
Ferrari’s ex-flagship came with a quick-shifting, dual-clutch gearbox that combined with the aerodynamic design to produce peak performance.
Aside from the pure performance, the 458 Italia was roundly praised for its agility and handling.
In short – the 458 Italia was a more than worthy flagship of the Maranello marque.
Despite being succeeded by the 488, the Ferrari 458 Italia remains much beloved.
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Keelin McNamara is a content writer at Supercar Blondie from Ireland, covering cars, technology, and lifestyle. Despite being a Law graduate, he discovered his passion for journalism during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has worked in the industry ever since. Outside of work, he is an avid MotoGP fan, and is a self-confessed addict of the sport.
