Tag: 458

Auctions: Ferrari 458 with $1M wheels still hasn’t found a buyer [w/video]

Filed under: Aftermarket, Videos, Ferrari

2011 Ferrari 458 Italia with Vossen Wheels front three-quarter

Rule number one of modifying a car: When it comes time to sell, people want to pay for the car, and could care less how much you spent in the aftermarket. This is a lesson that the guys at Latitude Wheels in Miami are currently learning.

The wheel company’s “flagship show car,” a 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia was put up for sale on eBay weeks ago, as reported by Jalopnik. The price? Just a shade under $1.3 million. For a 458 Italia. That normally starts around $230,000. Yeah.

Latitude justifies the car’s price based on a very expensive set of wheels. To be exact, the 21-inch fronts and 22-inch rears are forged Vossen Precision Series wheels. Mounted on Pirelli rubber, Latitude claims the package is worth over $1 million. Add onto that the $20,000 in Novitec Rosso carbon fiber pieces – none of the fun, performance stuff Novitec is known for – and you come to an eBay starting price of $1,290,000.

The auction closed on Wednesday night, without so much as a bid. Check out the promotional video Vossen put together below.

Continue reading Ferrari 458 with $1M wheels still hasn’t found a buyer [w/video]

Ferrari 458 with $1M wheels still hasn’t found a buyer [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Jul 2013 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Chevy ad compares Spark EV with Ferrari 458 Italia

Filed under: Budget, Technology, Videos, Hatchback, Chevrolet, Specialty, Electric

2014 Chevy Spark EV - front three-quarter view

Chevrolet’s new commercial for the 2014 Spark EV emphasizes the little hatchback’s performance over pretty much everything else, and it even goes as far as to compare it to a Ferrari 458 Italia. That’s right, the electric bubble is pitched in the commercial as having a higher torque figure than the Ferrari – and it does, with a massive 400 pound-feet ready to be unleashed.

That doesn’t translate into a quicker car, however, as the 458’s V8 with 570 horsepower and not-exactly-quaint 398 lb-ft gives it a 0-60 time of 3.0 seconds compared to the Spark EV’s 7.6-second run.

“We think the fun-to-drive element is an area for us to differentiate ourselves,” Sam Basile, executive chief engineer for GM’s global minicars and emerging-market vehicles, told Automotive News.

EV makers who aren’t Tesla might want to take note of the Chevrolet ad, because, as the novelty of clean electric propulsion wears off, the Spark EV has planted something else in our minds: quick electric propulsion for the masses. That is, if its sales weren’t limited to California and Oregon.

Watch Chevy’s refreshing commercial below.

Continue reading Chevy ad compares Spark EV with Ferrari 458 Italia

Chevy ad compares Spark EV with Ferrari 458 Italia originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Jul 2013 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Ferrari 458 Scuderia to be unveiled in Frankfurt?

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Ferrari, Rumormill, Racing

We’re heavy on the speculative side with this, but Auto Express is saying that “Rumours of Ferrari 458 Scuderia emerge, with possible debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show.” To be clear, that’s the possible debut of a car that is still only a rumor, and we’re not sure it will be called “Scuderia,” either – remember, the track-day 360 was the Challenge Stradale. Admittedly, the rumor of its existence is strong and there is plenty of precedent: Ferrari has introduced some model or variant of its mid-engined V8 sports car at the last three Frankfurt Motor Shows.

Car and Driver went into a great deal of indepth speculation about the coming, track-focused 458 in a piece back in May, and also predicted it would be shown first in Frankfurt. According to C/D we can expect “roughly 600” horsepower and 9,300-rpm redline – up 300 rpm from standard – a faster shifting seven-speed gearbox, a dry weight under 2,900 pounds thanks to “exotic compound materials” and a “slightly stripped interior,” less exhaust silencing, uprated carbon-ceramic brakes and active aerodynamics on the rear diffuser.

As far as rumors go this one sounds thoroughly lovely. We hope to see it in made metal in Frankfurt in two months, you can enjoy a detailed gallery of the 563-horsepower Ferrari 458 Challenge above for now.

Ferrari 458 Scuderia to be unveiled in Frankfurt? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Ferrari 458 Challenge demonstrates evolution of the breed on Laguna Seca’s Corkscrew

Filed under: Motorsports, Ferrari, Racing

Ferrari 458 Challenge at Laguna Seca

Ferrari 458 Challenge at Laguna Seca – Click above to watch video after the jump

The Ferrari 458 Challenge made its racing debut last month at Monza, and the spec race car appeared for the first time here in the U.S. a few weeks later at California’s Infineon Raceway. While we couldn’t make it out to Sonoma for the latter, we did get our first look at the 458 Challenge this past weekend at the Ferrari Racing Days at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

As with its road cars, Ferrari somehow manages to vastly improve the performance of each generation of race cars, and the 458 Challenge is no exception. Ferrari says that the 458 Challenge can lap the Fiorano race track about two seconds faster than its predecessor, and that difference translated to Laguna Seca. The fastest 458 Challenge cars were turning in times more than three seconds quicker than the top 430 Challenge cars. Even the fastest 430 driver, who set a new class qualifying lap record of 1:31.630, was half a second behind the slowest 458.

You can see our photos of the 458 Challenge at the Ferrari Racing Days in the high-res gallery below, and follow the jump to watch a video of the cars tackle Laguna Seca’s famous Corkscrew.

Continue reading Ferrari 458 Challenge demonstrates evolution of the breed on Laguna Seca’s Corkscrew

Ferrari 458 Challenge demonstrates evolution of the breed on Laguna Seca’s Corkscrew originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 May 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari gives a lesson on driving the 458 Italia

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Technology, Videos, Ferrari, Luxury

2011 Ferrari 458 Italia controls

2011 Ferrari 458 Italia controls – Click above to view video after the jump

The 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia is magnificent. With a vast array of electronic wizardry, a glorious 570-horsepower mid-mounted V8, statuesque bodywork, the track manners of an F1 car and the street manners of sleeping kitten, it may be the finest supercar available.

There is, however, a catch. The myriad controls for all those electronics and the information output by the car is enough to give even the most ADD driver sensory overload. With that in mind, Ferrari has released a video to walk you through the 458 Italia’s controls one at a time, breaking down their use and functionality.

Study the vid carefully a couple times, and you can stop worrying about hitting the turn signal when you simply wanted to tune the radio. Tired of turning off traction control when what you wanted to do was de-couple the suspension? The electronic instruction manual has you covered. Click past the jump to get acquainted with the Italia’s controls.

[Source: YouTube via WorldCarFans]

Continue reading Ferrari gives a lesson on driving the 458 Italia

Ferrari gives a lesson on driving the 458 Italia originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 01 May 2011 18:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari 458 Challenge and GT3 racers debut at Monza [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Europe, Videos, Ferrari, Racing

Ferrari 458 Italia GT3

Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 – Click above for high-res image gallery

There’s no shortage of race tracks in Italy and around the world that are commonly associated with Ferrari. The factory has its own Fiorano circuit on premises, and the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola – former host of the San Marino Grand Prix – is just fifty miles away. But the spiritual home of the Tifosi, Ferrari’s legions of fans, is at Monza. A fitting location, then, to launch the latest Ferrari sports racers.

This past weekend, Monza hosted a number of production-based races including the first rounds of both the European and Italian leagues of the Ferrari Challenge series. After launching the new 458 Challenge spec racer at the Bologna Motor Show several months ago, this was the first time the car was actually being raced. And what would you know, it actually won its first outing! (Okay, it is a spec racing series, but the new 458 Italia racers did beat out the older F430 models that are still being used by some teams.)

The Challenge, however, wasn’t the only version of the 458 that made its debut this past weekend at Monza. So did the 458 Italia GT3, which slots in between the GT2-spec 458 GTC and the aforementioned Challenge racer. The GT3 car was prepared by Michelotto Automobili – the same factory-endorsed racing garage responsible for countless racing Ferraris as well as the development of the 288 GTO and F40 – and campaigned by AF Corse in two races of the GT Sprint International Series that supports the Superstars touring car series, where it finished second and third overall on its race debuts – second only to the F430 GTC it replaces.

Want to see what it’s like to lap Monza in a 458 racer? To coincide with the launch of the new machinery, Ferrari has released on-board video footage of the 458 Challenge with Stefano Gai, the defending champion who dominated this weekend’s national series race from start to finish. Follow the jump to watch and check out the pair of press releases.

Gallery: Ferrari 458 Challenge

[Source: Ferrari]

Continue reading Ferrari 458 Challenge and GT3 racers debut at Monza [w/video]

Ferrari 458 Challenge and GT3 racers debut at Monza [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche planning Ferrari 458 challenger?

Filed under: Coupe, Porsche, Rumormill

Porsche 911

Porsche would like to double its current sales volume, and to do that, the automaker will need to expand its lineup. The Cajun crossover and 918 are still a year or three away, and we’re always hearing talk of a sub-Boxster roadster or even a baby Panamera being in the cards. But what about a new coupe to take on Maranello’s finest?

Autocar claims that such a supercar could be on the way, and it would go toe-to-toe with the Ferrari 458 Italia. The British mag reports that Porsche boss Mathias Muller would like the company to produce another mid-engine offering, adding “we’re thinking above the 911 but below the 918 Spyder.” Muller also says that Porsche already has some designs that still need further development, and that a business case still needs to be made.

If such a Porsche were to find its way to production, it would need plenty of lightweight materials. And since Audi now shares a family tree with Porsche, the new supercar could share the R8’s aluminum space frame chassis. If that doesn’t work, a heavily-modified (and larger) 911 platform would probably do the trick, too.

At any rate, such a super-Porsche appears to be a long way from a production green light, much less a showroom floor. Still, it’s nice to dream, and we don’t mind waking up to a world with one more Porsche from which to choose.

[Source: Autocar | Image: Michael Harley/AOL]

Porsche planning Ferrari 458 challenger? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Mar 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Shelby Cobra 427 vs Ferrari 458 Italia teased ahead of $400,000 drag fight

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Ferrari

ferrari 458 italia verse shelby cobra drag race

Ferrari 458 Italia versus Shelby Cobra with $400K on the line – Click above to watch video after the jump

Take a moment and pretend you’re a wealthy man or woman. (If you’re already wealthy, take a moment to enjoy the warm green glow from your money… otherwise, time to get back to pretending.) Would you rather spend your money on a modern Italian sportscar or a classic American muscle car?

Let’s say you pick one and your wealthy friend picks the other… you’d probably want to take both to the track and see who bought the faster machine, right? That’s just what the two folks in the following video do with a Ferrari 458 Italia and Shelby Cobra.

Not content with a basic Gentleman’s Bet, the duo decide to put serious cash on the line. The winner of the race gets $400,000. The clip, which you can see after the jump, is just a teaser, but the full video is promised soon. Which car is going to make that quarter-mile trip in less time and have its owner walk away $400,000 richer, the Cobra or the Ferrari? Sound off in the comments.

[Source: YouTube via Zer Customs]

Continue reading Video: Shelby Cobra 427 vs Ferrari 458 Italia teased ahead of $400,000 drag fight

Video: Shelby Cobra 427 vs Ferrari 458 Italia teased ahead of $400,000 drag fight originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Risi Competizione struts its new Ferrari 458 GTC

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Ferrari, Racing

Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 GTC

Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 GTC – Click above for high-res image gallery

While competing for top honors in Formula One, Ferrari has left the top tiers of Le Mans racing up to the competition. But down in the GT2 class, the Prancing Horse marque has had considerable success. And much of that success has been had at the hands of Risi Competizione. The Houston-based team has taken innumerable class victories in both the American Le Mans Series and in the 24 Hours itself, these last few years with the F430 GT2. But now that it’s got its hands on the new racing-spec 458 Italia, all bets are off.

As with the rest of the new crop of challengers – like the new Honda ARX-01e, for example – Risi will be fielding the new 458 GTC this weekend at Sebring. But before the Floridian endurance race kicks off, taking with it the start of the new season, Ferrari and Risi have had a bit of development work to do. Fortunately they brought a photographer along with them, and you can check out the results in the gallery below.

Gallery: Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 GTC

[Source: Risi Competizione via Jon Sibal | Images: Regis Lefebure/Risi]

Risi Competizione struts its new Ferrari 458 GTC originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Mar 2011 18:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ferrari 458 Italia named 2011 Robb Report Car of the Year

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Ferrari, Luxury

Robb Report 2011 Car of the Year issueMotor Trend may prefer the Chevrolet Volt, but the well-heeled readers of the Robb Report have a considerably different set of priorities when it comes to picking the best of the best. That’s why the luxury magazine has decided to name the Ferrari 458 Italia as its Car of the Year.

The 458 scores high marks for its exterior design, interior materials and overall performance, and the Prancing Horse beat out thirteen other vehicles for the award. Says the magazine:

The stunning Italian sports car topped (in order of finish) the Audi R8 V10 Spyder, Porsche 911 Turbo S, Aston Martin V12 Vantage, Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG, Bentley Mulsanne, Maserati GranTurismo Convertible, Audi A8L, Aston Martin Rapide, BMW Alpina B7, Rolls-Royce Ghost, Jaguar XJ Supersport, Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, and Lotus Evora.

Click past the break for the complete press release.

Gallery: Ferrari 458 Italia

[Source: Robb Report]

Continue reading Ferrari 458 Italia named 2011 Robb Report Car of the Year

Ferrari 458 Italia named 2011 Robb Report Car of the Year originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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