The 458 is the first in Ferraris range that wont be offered with a manual transmission. This is because the fumblings of the driver would just slow things down. The seven-speed gearbox, made by Getrag, has two clutches so it can shift seamlessly and in the blink of an eye. It used to be that if you opted for an automatic gearbox in a Ferrari it would be at the expense of performance — now its the other way round. All very well, but who is driving the car — you or the electronics? And will the next generation of Ferrari be controlled from your iPhone? At the end of the companys technical briefing I was presented with a pile of literature as thick as the Tokyo telephone directory. I got halfway through; most drivers, I suspect, will read even less. Switch off the electronics, though, and the 458 comes to life. Its 562bhp, normally aspirated V8 engine (the F430 it replaces was rated at 483bhp) is a mighty thing. The fact that it is inches behind your head under a glass cowling brings you into intimate closeness. Apply the power and the sound works its way from your shoulder blades to the small of your back. From standstill to 62mph takes 3.4sec — quicker than obvious rivals such as the Porsche 911 GT2 and the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 — and the car wont stop accelerating until it exceeds 200mph. Remember when the Millennium Falcon entered hyperspace and the stars rushed backwards? Then you know the sensation. All this raises an interesting question: Ferrari has made the ...
Tags: Ferrari, 458, Italia
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