Autocar got to drive and review the Ferrari 458 Italia. Stunning looking car, super bold of Ferrari to finally put a lid on the luddites and not offering a manual transmission and once again pushing the envelope as far as driver interface. They'll be lots of mooing about the lack of a manual shifter but Ferrari has the clout to tell it like it is, a gated shifter is an inferior engineering-performance solution!
Read Autocar's review
after the jump you can see EVO's review...
No words for such an awesome car! Cant wait to drive one!
ReplyDeleteThumbs down for video review journos that can't drive (stick to writing then). Who wants to see a video of just straighline acceleration and no drama! Powerslide every turn is must!
While Harris..... good to have him back! Go Chris!!
oh my!
ReplyDeletesuch a perfect car!
and it has even a nice display for the breaktemp.
i am all for the idea of including more stuff into the steringwheel, but on question remains:
WHY on gods earth do the have stationary gearshift-peadls? why not include them with everything ele in the steering-wheel?
-abductee
because in reality the possibility you might need to shift gears at full lock are almost nil...
ReplyDeleteThat car reminds me soooooo much of the NSX is scary ..
ReplyDeleteA beautiful machine, and an excellent review by Harris and evo.
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
Anonymous
AC, you left out the best clip: Harris driving around Fiorano!
ReplyDeletePowerslide every turn is a must
ReplyDeleteNo its not. Its a sign you don't know how to drive. If you know what you are doing you won't slide (and wear out those very expensive tyres).
Not so different from those clowns in expensive sports cars that outdrag you on the straights and which you climb all over during the corners because the fools that own them don't know how to drive, just how to press the pedal on the right.
powersliding is pure fun. FUN to watch.
ReplyDeleteYou should watch Clarkson's latest DVD 'Duel' featuring the industry standard 'apple on the apex apple on the exit' test which I suspect the 458 will score really low, probably missing both apples...
Mr. Anony (one of many),
ReplyDeleteControlled lurid oversteer is the pinnacle of driving abilities and the most fun you can have on 4 wheels in a non racing environment. Seems that you fall in the good old camp of "DE Smooth" is the only way to go. Tiff, Plato, Stig, Loeb, etc. ,etc., Harris, will vigorously disagree with you.
Good luck in your daily commute time trial championship keeping it tidy, while the rest of us have all of the fun. A Supercar for the street and Road is pointless if you don't fool around with oversteer, and any corner is a missed opportunity.
Just try it, but your "DE Smooth" style (or lack of) will most likely land you in a ditch after the first tank slapper. No worries, we have all been there in our learning process, but I'm sure you will see the light after some practice. (Also, if you can buy a 458, who cares about the cost of tires!)
@AC: well i have an audi with peadle shifters on the steeringwheel, and belive me it happens. :)
ReplyDeleteapart form that, the peadles beeing on the steeingwheel the distance wheel<->shifter is shorter ... i could go on.
my main point was: ferarri have realized that putting everyting on the wheel is the way to go - i concur, but why not for the peadleshifters also? then rather put everything static ans keep the steeringwheel free of extra controls or buttons.
-abductee
Unless you are doing a race, i don't see why you won't be powersliding with a car like this...
ReplyDeleteHow can you be on Axis Of OVERSTEER if you don't like powersliding?