Ferrari 458 Italia Review

Ferrari presented the 458 Italia as an entirely new design when it replaced the F430 at the 2009 Frankfurt show. Pininfarina shaped the body under Ferrari design director Donato Coco; small aeroelastic winglets in the nose bend at speed to shrink the radiator intakes and cut drag, and three exhaust tips in the tail nod to the F40. Bertrand Rapatel's cabin moved the turn signals, wipers and lights onto the steering wheel, a racing layout developed with input from Michael Schumacher, and the only gearbox was a seven-speed dual-clutch unit built by Getrag.

The 4.5 liter V8 was the first direct-injected engine in a mid-engined Ferrari road car. It makes 562 hp at 9,000 rpm and 398 lb-ft at 6,000 rpm, about 127 cv per liter, which Ferrari called a benchmark for a naturally aspirated production engine, and it won the best performance engine and best engine above four liters titles at the International Engine of the Year awards.

Carbon-ceramic brakes, magnetorheological dampers and an E-Diff integrated with F1-Trac are standard. Ferrari quotes 1,380 kg dry with forged wheels and racing seats, under 3.4 seconds to 62 mph, more than 202 mph and a Fiorano lap of 1:25, the Enzo's time. Top Gear magazine named it car of the year for 2009, and Motor Trend named it best driver's car in 2011.

Its early life was rocky. In September 2010 Ferrari recalled all 1,248 cars sold to that point because adhesive in the wheel arches could overheat and catch fire, replacing it with mechanical fasteners and giving new cars to owners whose cars had burned; in 2012 it recalled some 2011 and 2012 American cars whose incorrectly fitted crankshafts could seize the engine.

Specialists also watch for failed speed sensors in early gearboxes, which once meant a new transmission, cracked exhaust manifolds, leaking dampers and switchgear whose soft coating turns sticky. One American dealer's buyer's guide puts routine maintenance at $1,500 to $3,000 a year. The EPA rated it at 14 mpg combined. It listed at $225,325 in America, and the same guide puts clean cars at $210,000 to $285,000, with the best past $300,000.

The Speciale that followed is sharper and now worth far more, and the turbocharged 488 GTB that replaced it is faster. The Italia keeps the 9,000 rpm engine without the Speciale's stripped cabin, and its values have held close to its list price. Thirst and running costs are its only low marks.