10.01.2011 CHRYSLER GROUP SET TO SHOW OFF FERRARI'S 458 ITALIA AT THE DETROIT AUTO SHOW

FERRARI 458 ITALIA

The incarnation of the new generation of mid-rear-engined 8-cylinder Prancing Horse sports cars, the new Ferrari 458 Italia aims to meld technological innovation, creativity and style.

Ferrari will not be officially present at the 23rd North American Auto Show, missing the show for a second consecutive year, but the famous Italian sports car maker is once again exhibiting one of its current models with the Chrysler Group's line up, "in homage," it says, "to the agreement between Fiat and the American company".

The model chosen for Detroit is the 458 Italia which was selected not only because of its ename and for the enormous commercial and critical success it is enjoying worldwide, but because the 458 Italia represents an example of technological transfer from Formula One.

Ironically last year last year it was widely reported that the Chrysler Group wanted to show the 458 Italia on its stand but Ferrari resisted aligning its latest product with the diminished U.S. carmaker's range. Instead the track-special Ferrari 599XX was displayed while there was more Fiat Group representation on the Chrysler Group stand as Maserati also chipped in with a GranCabrio.

The incarnation of the new generation of mid-rear-engined 8-cylinder Prancing Horse sports cars, the 458 Italia aims to meld technological innovation, creativity and style. Having been put through its paces in no uncertain terms by the worlds’ most authoritative motoring journalists, it very quickly garnered most of the major international awards in the United States and Europe as well as in the Middle and Far East. Most recently, in fact, the New York Times awarded the 458 Italia the number one spot on its Top 10 Cars of 2010 list, defining it “The world’s best sports car”.

Thanks to its 570 hp engine and a weight-power ratio of just 2.42 hp/kg, the 458 Italia sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in under 3.4 seconds and reaches a top speed in excess of 325 km/h. Despite its sporty vehicle dynamics, the 458 Italia remains an exceptionally comfortable car, while its electronic control systems guarantee excellent performance in all driving conditions. Mirroring the development of the F1 single-seater, the Ferrari engineers focused their attention on improving efficiency across the board with this model. As a result, the 458 Italia has been homologated with excellent fuel consumption and CO2 emissions levels (13.3 litres/100 km and 307 g/km on the ECE+EUDC combined cycle). Also derived from the F1 car is the new model’s man-machine interface: an ergonomic cluster of controls on the steering wheel which means drivers never have to take their hands off the wheel which, in turn, reputedly improves driving safety.

 

© 2011 Interfuture Media/Italiaspeed