Ferrari 458 Italia (2010) at 2009 Frankfurt motor show

By Tim Swietochowski

First Official Pictures

27 August 2009 13:17

Ferrari has issued more pictures of the striking new 458 Italia, which will be displayed for the first time at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The new photographs on the road reveal a mid-engined sports car that looks immediately more modern than the previous studio shots. The climbing headlight design is unusual for a Ferrari, and we can now see banks of LED lights and horizontal strakes rising up the front fender alongside the aero vents.

It’s a compact-looking Ferrari, with more than a hint of Enzo at the rear end – complete with vents, diffuser and treble exhaust jewellery.

The Pininfarina-styled Ferrari 458 will be powered by a 562bhp 4.5-litre V8 engine that reaches 9000rpm, making it the Italian company’s highest-revving road car. Weighing in at 1380kg, the new car will accelerate to 62mph from rest in less than 3.4 seconds and reach a top speed of over 204mph.

The engine will also feature direct injection technology for the first time on a mid-engined Ferrari, which combines with a dual-clutch gearbox to yield a claimed 20.6mpg and 320g/km CO2.

The 458 Italia’s interior is very driver-oriented; there will be no stalks mounted on the steering column, the main controls instead being sited on the steering wheel itself with secondary controls placed on either side of the dashboard.

It’s the first time we’ve seen properly inside the cabin; previous cabin shots were grabbed from a promotional video.

By Tim Swietochowski