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The Ferrari 458 Italia is a mid-engined sports car produced by the Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari. The 458 Italia replaces the Ferrari F430.

The 458 Italia was officially unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show on 15 September 2009.

In Ferrari’s first official announcement of the car, the 458 Italia was described as the successor to the F430 but arising from an entirely new design, incorporating technologies developed from the company’s experience in Formula 1.

The 458 Italia is powered by a 4,499 cc (4.499 L; 274.5 cu in) V8 engine derived from a shared Ferrari/Maserati design, producing 570 PS (420 kW; 560 hp) at 9,000 rpm (redline) and 540 N·m (400 lb·ft) at 6,000 rpm with 80% torque available at 3,250 rpm. The engine features direct fuel injection, which is a first for Ferrari mid-rear engine setups in its road cars.

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Ferrari could put a hybrid car on the market by 2015, according to the automaker’s CEO and GM Amedeo Felisa. In an interview with Autocar, Felisa says that either European Union or Italian environmental regulations could force the company to put a hybrid up for sale.

However, Felisa comes off as defensive in the interview, saying he does not see the point in Ferrari being forced to comply with lowered emissions rules. “The issue of emissions for Ferrari is more a political one than real one,” Felisa said.

“Lowering emissions of every Ferrari will not save the planet, but it will cost us a lot of money.”

Currently, Ferrari is only exploring hybrid powertrains to reduce emissions within the next ten years. The company has not ruled out the eventual use of hydrogen.

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Michael Schumacher will reportedly be paid 1m euros per race and a bonus 1m euros per victory when he begins substituting for injured Ferrari driver Felipe Massa as from the European grand prix later this month. Read the rest of this entry »

Young Portuguese football star and Manchester United FC player Cristiano Ronaldo escaped serious injury when his red Ferrari 599 GTB crashed into a roadside barrier inside a tunnel just outside Manchester Airport, UK. Read the rest of this entry »