2012 Ferrari 458 Italia news, pictures, and information

Maranello, 19th May - The Ferrari 458 Italia continues to go from strength to strength and has garnered over 30 international awards in its short career. Yesterday, it added two further plaudits to that collection at the International Engine of the Year Awards when its V8 was voted 'Best Performance Engine' and 'Best Engine Above 4 Litres'.

The success being enjoyed by the 458 Italia wîth both critics and public alike crosses all borders– it has won awards in a host of different nations from the ÚSA to the Far East and Europe. In the ÚS, the mid-rear V8 was named 'World Performance Car of the Year'. It was also named 'Car of the Year' by the Robb Report and topped the New York Times rankings.

On the other side of the Atlantic, the discerning British motoring media proved equally enthusiastic. In fact, the 458 Italia scooped both BBC Top Gear Magazine's 'Supercar of the Year' and 'Car of the Year Awards'. Staying in Britain, CAR magazine also named the 458 Italia 'Performance Car of the Year 2010', as did Auto Express and What Car. It triumphed too as the Daily Telegraph's 'Car of the Year' and TV programme Fifth Gear's 'Fast Car of the Year'. The 458 Italia also enjoyed an enthusiastic welcome from the German and Italian public wîth the result that it voted 'Sports Car of the Year' by the highly reputable Auto Moto und Sport and Quattroruote magazines.

Continuing around the world, the authoritative Car Middle East magazine declared the 458 Italia both 'Car of the Year' and 'Supercar of the Year' also. In China, Top Gear, Auto Moto und Sport, Robb Report and the popular X-Car website all named it 'Car of the Year'.

Lastly, in Japan, the 458 Italia was Engine's 'Best Car of the Year', proving that the Ferrari's extreme sportiness has a genuinely worldwide appeal.

Engine

The engine is a dry-sump 90 degree V8 wîth a displacement of 4499 cc and is mid-rear mounted. It is an entirely new design engineered to reach a maximum of 9,000 rpm – a first on a road car – wîth a high 12.5:1 compression ratio and maximum power output of 570 CV. This equates to an outstanding power output of 127 CV/litre, a new benchmark for a naturally-aspirated production engine.
The generous torque available - 540 Nm at 6000 rpm, wîth over 80 per cent available from 3250 rpm – ensures rapid pick-up from all revs. The specific torque output of 120 Nm/l is another record.

The design of the engine components has been influenced by the carry-over of racing technology – F1 in particular – for maximum fluid-dynamic efficiency in order to achieve both performance and fuel consumption objectives, and meet the most stringent international emissions restrictions. The piston compression height was reduced as per racing engine practice. Similarly, thinner compression rings have been adopted to minimise friction between piston and liner. A graphite coating was applied to the piston skirt for the same reason.

To help further reduce internal friction, the cylinder block has four scavenge pumps. Two pick up oil from the cylinder heads and front and rear of the engine via dedicated oil recovery ducts outside the crankcase area, and two pick up oil from below the crank throws. The recovery ducts of the latter are interconnected in two groups of four cylinders to optimise the scavenge function and create a strong vacuum (800 mbar) around the crankshaft. This solution prevents excess oil splashing out of the sump and onto the rotating crankshaft and thus reduces power loss caused by friction. It also reduces losses due to windage caused by the pumping action of the pistons.
The engine oil pressure pump features variable displacement geometry which reduces the amount of power absorbed at high revs. Lowering the pump's displacement actually increases the power available at the crankshaft for the same amount of fuel used.

As is traditional for Ferrari engines, the new V8 is equipped wîth continuously variable timing on both inlet and exhaust cams. The aluminium intake manifold has been lightened by reducing the wall thickness. It has short, almost straight inlet tracts to reduce losses and a system that varies the geometry of the manifold, optimising the volumetric efficiency throughout the rev range. This is achieved by incorporating three pneumatic throttle valves in the central section between the two plenums. The engine mapping provides four different configurations of the valves for optimum torque values at all revs.

The use of GDI wîth Split Injection improves engine performance by modulating the injection in two phases, increasing combustion efficiency and the torque at low revs (by up to 5 per cent). A high injection pressure (200 bar) guarantees adequate pulverisation of the petrol and an optimal air/fuel mix right up to 9000 rpm. This feature again results in better performance and lower fuel consumption. The exhaust system was designed to provide the kind of thrilling soundtrack owners of Ferrari's V8s are used to whilst also guaranteeing high levels of acoustic comfort. One of the main objectives wîth the exhaust was to reduce weight. The catalytic converter is attached to the central section of the exhaust by a flexible element to reduce the amount of vibration transmitted and to thus allow thinner metal to be used. Similarly the pre-catalytic converter has been eliminated, lowering overall weight and reducing back pressure whilst still respecting strict Euro 5 and LEV2 emissions.

Gearbox
One of the important novelties on the 458 Italia is the introduction of the 7-speed F1 dual-clutch gearbox which guarantees faster yet smoother changes. The technology is based on the independent management of even and odd gears which are pre-selected using two separate input shafts. The gear shifting time (the overlap between the opening and closing phases of the two clutches) is zero and thus there is no interruption of engine torque to the driven wheels. Compared to the California gearbox, response times have been reduced and the 458 Italia has specific, sportier gear ratios to match the power and torque curves of the new V8, guaranteeing high torque even at lower revs. The E-Diff 3 electronic differential has also been integrated into the gearbox, resulting in a more compact and lighter unit.

Suspension and §teering

The 458 Italia's front suspension employs a novel new double wishbone set-up which features an L-shape design for the lower wishbone, wîth the rearward facing arm longer than the one in line wîth the wheel axis to provide greater longitudinal flexibility. This in turn improves the car's ability to absorb bumps and it also reduces suspension noise.

Another benefit is in terms of greater transverse rigidity which improves handling. The same characteristics are shared by the new rear multi-link suspension and, combined wîth specific tyre development, overall vertical rigidity has thus been improved (+35 per cent wîth respect to the F430) for less body roll, and the engineers were able to introduce a more direct §teering ratio (11.9° compared to the F430's 16.9°, a reduction of 30 per cent) which makes for quicker and more responsive §teering on both road and track.

The 458 Italia also features the latest, second-generation Magnetorheological Suspension Control shock absorber system. Compared to the system first introduced on the 599 GTB Fiorano, SCM2 boasts an evolved ECÚ (-50 per cent input time) and a damper force generation time of 8 ms compared to the 599's 15 ms. There is also a new piston rod bushing in the damper which reduces internal friction (-35 per cent) for more precise small-bump control and improved ride comfort.

High-performance ABS

Since the beginning of 2008 Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes have been standard on all Ferraris. The 458 Italia is no different and is equipped wîth 6-pot aluminium callipers wîth 398 x 223 x 36 mm discs at the front, and 4-pot aluminium callipers wîth 360 x 233 x 32 mm discs at the rear.

The 458 Italia boasts outstanding braking distances (100-0 km/h in 32.5 metres; 200- 0 km/h in 128 metres) thanks to the development and optimisation of the Bosch control logic and the evolution of Ferrari's Pre-Fill logic, which reduces response times by activating the pistons in the callipers, thus minimising the gap between the brake pad and the disc as soon as the driver lifts off the accelerator. Similarly, these excellent results were achieved thanks to a specific calibration of the ABS for medium/high grip surfaces, and by integrating the ABS control logic wîth that of the E-Diff 3 to ensure a more accurate estimate of the vehicle speed and hence better braking torque control, as well as enhanced vehicle stability.