Ferrari 458: “It’s about power, torque, precision, accuracy – and covering ground at a remarkable rate.”
By The Prodigal Fool, published on 10 November 2009
We’re already in love with the looks but what the video illustrates vividly is both the performance (Harris calls it “utterly mental”, the 458 delivers 0-124 mph in 10.4 secs; that’s 0.6 secs quicker than a 599) and how accessible that power is (the second half, shot almost exclusively from behind the driver is wonderfully evocative.)
Harris sums it up very succinctly, the 458
“is about power, torque, precision, accuracy – and covering ground at a remarkable rate!”
Oh yes, we’re smitten.
Evo’s video is below. Trust us, it’s worth a click.
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Ferrari 458: “It’s about power, torque, precision, accuracy – and covering ground at a remarkable rate.”
We’ve been rather taken with the Ferrari 458 ever since we chanced upon a video of two of them racing each other through the Tuscan hills. Now, one of our favourite sources of driving news, evo Magazine, has just posted a great video of Chris Harris road-testing one. We’re already in love with the looks [...]
4 Responses to “Ferrari 458: “It’s about power, torque, precision, accuracy – and covering ground at a remarkable rate.””
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I disagree. Have you seen one of these in the metal? They”re gorgeous: purposeful, sexy and modern.
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Straight-Six
12 November 2009
That’s my point: it’s too modern and not enough gorgeousness.
Don’t think it can be done? I give you the astonishing Aston Martin V8 Vantage…
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12 December 2009
[...] at evo magazine is rapidly becoming one of our favourite car reviewers. Just last month we shared a great video of him testing Ferrari’s 458. Today, we came across this little nugget: Harris setting a phenomenal 0-60mph time in [...]
Straight-Six
12 November 2009
A remarkable rate? No doubt about it: the performance is gob-smacking. As fast as an Enzo, which cost a cool mill? That’s genuine value for money, if such a thing can be said about a car costing several hundred thou.
But….
…why can’t Ferrari get the looks right on their newborn? Sure, the 458 is a dramatic improvement over the ghastly 430, which was overwrought and ill-conceived. Yet several things still stick when you run your eye over it. Granted this could change when we see it in the metal, however that nose and front headlamp design perpetuate this need to blast viewers, rather than seduce them.
One could point to the demands the aerodynamics are now making of the sheetmetal, but surely there’s a way to do so without being so, well, fiddly. Bits here and strakes there detract from the superlative front three-quarter angle which has us picking up our tongues. Thing is, something about the way the rear meets the middle of the car has us thinking of the Lotus Evora and even preferring the implementation of the latter.
Yes, the 458 appears to be a grower, but we hark for the days when a Ferrari licked your eyeballs while pouring you an elixir of lust. Today, they serve up the porn alright, leaving us feeling somewhat hollow and dissatisfied…