The Ferrari 458 Italia is an entirely new design that replaced the F430 in all of it’s guises, sports car track car and race car.

The body, one of the most graceful Ferrari’s ever in my opinion, was designed by Pininfarina, it generates 140 kgs / 308 lbs of down force when traveling at 124 mph.

Launched in 2009 the 458 Italia features many technologies carried over from recent Ferrari Formula One programmes.

These include the steering wheel which incorporates a number of controls that are familiar to Formula One drivers.

The brake calipers are designed to return the pads into close proximity with the brake discs after lifting off in order to reduce the delay the next time they are used, this has helped reduce breaking distances to 32.5 meters / 35.6 meters when decelerating to rest from 62 mph.

With 562 hp from its 4.5 litre / 274.6 cui V8 the 458 Italia holds the current world record for power per litre / cui from a naturally aspirated production engine.

Traditional manual transmission is not an option on the 458 Italia relies on a paddle shift on the steering wheel to operate the dual-clutch and seven speed gearbox, again technology which is derived from current Formula One practice.

The roll out of the 458 Italia has been interrupted by a poor choice of adhesive used in the rear wheel arch assemblies which proved lacking in heat resistance which caused several wheel arch assemblies to distort and catch fire when coming too close to the exhaust. Ferrari recalled 1,248 458 Italia’s to have the rear wheel arch assemblies replaced with new ones using conventional fasteners. Several owners will also have cars damaged by fire replaced.

It is claimed, by Ferrari, that from rest a 458 Italia will reach 62mph in 3.4 mph and a top speed of over 202 mph and that it will return 21.2 mpg (imperial) and 17.7 mpg (us).

Thanks for joining me on this “Naturally Aspirated Production Engine World Record” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I be looking at an unreliable but still championship contending Lotus. Don’t forget to come back now !