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Ferrari Motor Shows

Ferrari 458 Challenge debuts at Bologna Motor Show

Ferrari 458 Challenge

It was back in July that we first heard about the new Ferrari 458 Challenge, Maranello’s ready-to-race supercar based on the 458 Italia. Since then we’ve seen a couple of test videos showing the car in action, first at Fiorano, then at Monza.

The key numbers for the 458 Challenge are 419kW at 9000rpm, 540Nm at 6000rpm with a top speed of 310km/h. It’s also the first of Ferrari’s track-only creations to feature an E-Diff to help keep things in check. Joining this electronic wizardry is the F1-Trac system which features two settings calibrated using data sourced from Ferrari’s F1 and GT racing programs.

There’s more pics and Ferrari’s official press release waiting for you after the break.

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Ferrari Oh the humanity

Ferrari 458 Italia lights my fire, again!

Ferrari 458 Italia

This burning Ferrari 458 Italia phenomenon is getting out of control. After the break you can see video of the sizzling 458 shown above, which was filmed in China.Apparently there have been four fire incidents involving the 458 Italia in the last two weeks.

Reported in the UK newspaper The Telegraph a Ferrari spokesman from Britain has said, “We are taking all the reports very seriously and are looking into them, but we are treating them all as separate incidents.”

With waiting lists approaching three years you’d be a bit pissed off if you already had one of these otherwise fantastic cars only to see it end up in a smouldering, useless mess.

[Source: Telegraph]

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Ferrari

Ferrari 458 Challenge testing at Fiorano

Ferrari 458 Challenge

German publication auto motor und sport have posted up video footage of the Ferrari 458 Challenge undergoing allegedly secret testing at the company’s Fiorano test track. It’s all pretty straightforward really, so watch the clip below and marvel at the clinical efficiency the 458 Challenge displays.

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Ferrari Oh the humanity

Ferrari 458 Italia really lights my fire

Ferrari 458 Italia

This molten mess you see was once a gorgeous Ferrari 458 Italia. If you thought last week’s bbq case was a sorry sight, well, this disaster has taken things to a whole new level.

According to the post on the Wrecked Exotics website this 458 was another French roast. Allegedly the car was having an ace time flying up a mountain pass right up until the point the car’s engine caught fire. The end result, as you can see, was remarkable.

[Source: Wrecked Exotics via TopGear.com]

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Ferrari Oh the humanity

Ferrari 458 Italia lights my fire

Ferrari 458 Italia fire

The gentleman you see above got a bit of a fright when he saw the rear arch of his Ferrari 458 Italia in flames while driving through the streets of Paris. No danger of the captain going down with the ship here, though. Monsiuer Italia legged it leaving his poor 458 to a firey end.

All was not lost, however, a good samaritan saw the trouble ahead and soon stepped in with his trusty fire extinguisher to minimise the damage.

[Source: AutoGespot | Thanks to Chris for the tip]

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Ferrari

Ferrari 458 Challenge announced

Ferrari 458 Challenge

The Ferrari 458 Challenge, the latest Maranello road car to racecar transformation, has just been revealed at the Annual Dealer Meeting. Of course, the Challenge version is heavily based on the already mighty 458 Italia, which has been drawing praise the world over since its launch.

To make the 458 that little bit better on the track Ferrari’s engineers have played with the gear ratios to offer more low down torque, even though the road car’s standard engine and 425kW remains. The E-diff from the standard car also makes its way onto the Challenge meaning it is the first Ferrari wearing this badge to be fitted with such technology. Similarly, the most recent traction control technology from Ferrari, F1-Trac, has also been fitted to a Challenge for the first time.

A weight loss program has been employed through the use of thinner body panels. Other lightweight materials such as carbon fibre and lexan have been used as well. The Challenge sits 30mm lower than the Italia and runs on 19″ alloys with Pirelli slicks.

Apparently prospective 458 Challenge owners are “professional and gentlemen drivers alike” and they’ll be pleased to know they will be able to race their new toys in the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli series from 2011. They also have a new target time of 1:16.5 at Ferrari’s Fiorano test track; two seconds faster than the F430 Challenge.

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Ferrari

Ferrari 458 Italia arrives in Australia

Ferrari 458 Italia

Brisvegas is the lucky city to have Australia’s first Ferrari 458 Italia. The car was air-freighted to Queensland from Maranello.

“Australian deliveries have started a little earlier than planned because the interest in this remarkable car has been so great that the car has been air freighted to Australia,” explains Kevin Wall, General Manager for Ferrari in Australia and New Zealand. “Even before it was announced we have had Australian clients expressing interest in the 458 Italia and, once its specification was announced, revealing it to be, even by Ferrari standards, a technical tour de force, interest has climbed dramatically and shows no sign of slowing.”The 458 will be familiar to most readers. But in case you’ve forgotten what the car is all about here’s a reminder. It has a 4.5 litre V8 engine which produces 419kW. With a kerb weight of 1380kg the 458 the driver, if they so choose, can plant their right foot and mximise the performance of the 7 speed dual-clutch transmission for a mere 3.4 seconds to propel the car to 100km/h.

Of course, the 458 Italia is about more than outright acceleration, though, as Kevin Wall was quick to point out, “Ferrari’s definition of ‘the fastest’ is not measured in the crude terms of top speed or its ability to reach 100 kmh in the lowest possible time.

“This is why Ferrari measure ‘the fastest’ in terms of the quickest lap time around its notoriously difficult Fiorano test track, which is, essentially, made up of all most difficult corners in Formula One. If a car is the fastest here, then it is, truly, the fastest in the real world.”

So there you have it. According to Car Advice the Australian asking price for the 458 begins at $526,950. I suspect, like me, looking at and dreaming about a 458 Italia is about as close as you’re ever likely to get to owning one. Best make do with the images and extensive press release after the jump. Then make sure you buy a lotto ticket for this Saturday’s draw. Good luck—if you win make sure you throw AUSmotive the keys!

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Ferrari Porsche

VIDEO: Ferrari 458 Italia v Porsche 911 GT3 RS

evo: 458 v GT3 RS

Chris Harris from evo has spent a fun day behind the wheel of the Ferrari 458 Italia and the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Harris will be racing a GT3 RS at the Nürburgring 24 hour race later this month. Watch the two videos below to see if he wishes he was in the 458 instead.

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Ferrari

Ferrari 458 Italia wins an award

Ferrari 458 Italia

Big news in the motoring world overnight with the announcement that the Ferrari 458 Italia has been awarded the “Supercar of the Year” by GQ Magazine. What next, are Horse & Hound going to announce the “Car of the year that best avoided the use of glue”?

Who really cares about the award, or what GQ mag thinks of the 458, or any car, for that matter. The best news is the press release came with these stunning images. If I plan to give up a kidney in exchange for a Turbo S, then, well, my wife is in the firing line now. I’m sorry dearest, but you’re out the door for the 458.