2011 Ferrari 458 Italia GT2

2011 Ferrari 458 Italia GT2  Now that a GT version of the Ferrari 458 Italia  is    expected to take the reigns from the Ferrari 430 GT in the upcoming ALMS season, a lot of people in the automotive and racing industry have been waiting for quite some time to see a glimpse of the GT-spec 458 Italia in action. Jon Sibal even gave us a very detailed rendering of what he thought the 458 GT would look like when Ferrari finally lifts the covers off of the race car.

But after months of waiting, we can finally let out a little exhale as a prototype version of the 458 GT was spotted recently doing some test runs inside Ferrari’s Fiorano race track in Maranello, Italy.

Not that we care about the timeline of development for the 458 GT. As far as we’re concerned, we’re just happy to see visual proof of the car – prototype or not – playing in its natural habitat: the race track.

Updated 12/14/2010: Someone who goes by the name ILikeFastCars1 - yeah, us too - has just added a new video showing the 458 Italia GT2 testing around the Fiorano test track. Exterior and Interior:                                            

                                                         As far as initial reactions go, we couldn’t help but notice just how bad-ass the 458 GT prototype looks, especially those angry yellow endurance-racing headlights that seem to look meaner and more and more menacing every time we look at them. Other pertinent features of the prototype that caught our attention are the flared fenders, as well as the vented hood that looks to be – at least from this angle – a little more rounded than the standard version. We also noticed that the car’s front splitter is still noticeably absent, proving that this prototype could very well still be in its early ages. Lastly, there’s also three-piece racing wheels on the prototype 458 GT2. Can’t forget about that.

Performance: 

                                   As per ACO regulations, the 458 Italia GT2 will only be limited to 470 horsepower, which is about 100 less than the road-going 458 Italia and about 30 horsepower down on its predecessor, the F430 GT2. The 458 Italia GT2 also has a six-speed paddle-shift transmission.

2010 Ferrari 458 Italia

Stop the press! Ferrari has officially unveiled the 458 Italia, the long awaited successor for the mid-engine Ferrari F430, and the design is leaving our editorial staff speechless! The super car looks impressive from any angle as it has a design that has never been seen before on a Ferrari model. The high performance sports car comes complete with a new engine, improved aerodynamics, upgraded handling, and improved instrumentation and ergonomics inside the cabin.

Exterior and Interior

Designed by Pininfarina, the 458 Italia features compact and aerodynamic lines. There is a single opening for the front grille and side air intakes, with aerodynamic sections and profiles designed to direct air to the coolant radiators and the new flat underbody. The nose also sports small aeroelastic winglets which generate downforce. The car’s rear is defined by triple exhaust tail pipes, a styling cue that recalls the legendary F40.

The interior combines leather for the upper and lower surfaces of the dashboard with aluminum insertions for the instrument binnacle. The original shape of the air vents was inspired by the design of Formula 1 exhaust chimneys in use up until a few years ago. The console includes two Alcantara-trimmed storage trays for small oddments.

Ferrari is offering its clients the "Carrozzeria Scaglietti Programme" that allows them to personalize their car to suit their own tastes and requirements. As with the rest of the range, there are four main personalization areas dedicated the 458 Italia: Racing and Track, Exterior and Colors, Interior and Materials, Equipment and Travel.

The Engine

The Ferrari 458 Italia is powered by a 4,499 cc V8 engine that delivers a total of 570 HP at 9,000 rpm and a peak torque of 540 Nm at 6000 rpm. The engine delivers an outstanding power output of 127 HP/liter and 120 Nm/liter. All this while delivering only 307 g/km of CO2 and a fuel consumption of just 13.3 l/100 km.

The engine is mated to a F1 dual-clutch gearbox and sprints the sports car from 0 to 60 mph in under 3.4 seconds while top speed goes up to an impressive 201 mph.

The Competition

The 458 Italia takes on models like the Audi R8, Aston Martin DBS, and Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 While the R8 is no doubt the cheapest one, the 458 Italia features a fresher design, and it comes with the glorious Ferrari name.

When it comes to power, the 458 Italia also has a huge advantage. By comparison the DBS goes to 510 HP, the Gallardo Lp560-4 at 560 HP, and the 458 Italia delivers 570 HP.

The Price

The 458 Italia is on sale at a base price of $225,000.