Ferrari 458 Italia Driving Experiences

The successor to their popular 430 model, Ferrari first showcased the 458 Italia at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009, the same year that it rolled off the production line. And quite appropriately, being their first new supercar of the decade that followed, it had an all new, innovative approach.

The company’s experience in Formula 1 helped inform the technology and engineering that was incorporated into the 458 Italia by Magneti Marelli, chiefly as it was the first of their mid-engined models to have direct fuel injection, and automatic transmission from a dual-clutch, 7-speed GETRAG gearbox.

And with a completely brand new, super slick design, it all adds up to a Ferrari supercar that is quite unlike anything they’ve made - or indeed you’ll have driven - before. It posts some record breaking speed stats, accelerating from 0 - 60 mph in 3.3 seconds and 0 - 100 mph in 6.8 seconds, with an achievable top speed of 202 mph. Suffice to say, you’ll need to buckle in tight for a ride in the 458 Italia.

Unsurprisingly, given its power and performance, the 458 Italia is one of Ferrari’s most decorated and celebrated supercars in its history, winning both Car of the Year and Supercar of the Year on its launch year in 2009.

And as if to prove its speed advantage over its predecessors, on the fifteenth series of the popular BBC motoring show Top Gear in 2010, James May raced it against a 430 model in a drag race where it lapped their test track in 1:19:1, and Dunsfold Park - where the Top Gear test track is based - just so happens to be one of our many locations you can book to drive the 458 Italia at with TrackDays.