You may be thinking that a gap of 3,000 revolutions will take time to pass, but you'd be wrong. Revs build up so quickly that from idle, with a mild prod of the throttle, engine speed climbs to 4,000 rpm and back in less time than it takes the paparazzi to spot a drunken Lindsay Lohan – that's fast.
And on that word, I bring you real speed. I've carved corners at Mont-Tremblant for nearly 15 years and never have I been so outclassed by a car. I was piloting at 6.5-10ths (not wanting to break anything), but the car was working no harder than 4-10ths. At the end of the back straight, I hit 225 km/h (previous best was 210 in a Cayman S) with ease and came down hard on the ceramic brakes before turn 10. I could have easily permitted far more speed, but I was the weakest link.
Through corners and switchbacks, the 458 stays flat, poised and thanks to the trick E-Diff and high-performance ABS brakes, the car makes the driver feel constantly in control. Grip going in and coming out of the “S” turns is phenomenal and unwavering. This allows the pilot to get on the go pedal sooner, allowing for quicker exit speeds and higher trap velocities. A few more laps at the wheel of the Italia and I'm certain I could have hit 240+ km/h on the other side of the Hump by perfecting my line through corner 8.
The Italia is an absolute pure delight to drive on a track. It would clearly outlast any average driver and still have far more to give. The brakes never faltered even as I started pushing harder and getting hotter in my final laps. The car's power is monumental and the precision with which it skilfully scalpels its way around a racetrack make this the most incredible car I've ever tracked. Period.
Some would say that this is the problem with modern-day Ferraris, as all the drama of driving these cars has been lost. I can appreciate that comment as I too always revert back to the good ol' days when the driver was a driver and the car was a menace to manhandle.
Regardless, the Ferrari 458 Italia made mincemeat out of, and all but ridiculed, all the others cars on the track that day, including a Bentley Continental Supersports, a Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Spyder Performante and an Audi R8 5.2.
This car is all go, but happens to show quite well, too. It is the Ultimate.
And on that word, I bring you real speed. I've carved corners at Mont-Tremblant for nearly 15 years and never have I been so outclassed by a car. I was piloting at 6.5-10ths (not wanting to break anything), but the car was working no harder than 4-10ths. At the end of the back straight, I hit 225 km/h (previous best was 210 in a Cayman S) with ease and came down hard on the ceramic brakes before turn 10. I could have easily permitted far more speed, but I was the weakest link.
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| The Italia is an absolute pure delight to drive on a track. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour/Auto123.com) |
Through corners and switchbacks, the 458 stays flat, poised and thanks to the trick E-Diff and high-performance ABS brakes, the car makes the driver feel constantly in control. Grip going in and coming out of the “S” turns is phenomenal and unwavering. This allows the pilot to get on the go pedal sooner, allowing for quicker exit speeds and higher trap velocities. A few more laps at the wheel of the Italia and I'm certain I could have hit 240+ km/h on the other side of the Hump by perfecting my line through corner 8.
The Italia is an absolute pure delight to drive on a track. It would clearly outlast any average driver and still have far more to give. The brakes never faltered even as I started pushing harder and getting hotter in my final laps. The car's power is monumental and the precision with which it skilfully scalpels its way around a racetrack make this the most incredible car I've ever tracked. Period.
Some would say that this is the problem with modern-day Ferraris, as all the drama of driving these cars has been lost. I can appreciate that comment as I too always revert back to the good ol' days when the driver was a driver and the car was a menace to manhandle.
Regardless, the Ferrari 458 Italia made mincemeat out of, and all but ridiculed, all the others cars on the track that day, including a Bentley Continental Supersports, a Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Spyder Performante and an Audi R8 5.2.
This car is all go, but happens to show quite well, too. It is the Ultimate.
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