Ferrari 458 Italia (merged)

[J.C.]

Originally Posted by NightStalk3r

Did that fall from the same Ugly tree as the Panoz Abruzzi?

Ha don't even get me started on Porsche when it comes to ugly.

Example: Porsche 911 Speedster. I call it the Hunchback of Notre-Dame

[TF110]

I wonder if Porsche will ever race something other than the 911 in GT racing. Perhaps the 918? Doubt it, but i've heard about it running a VLN race. The 458 won't change the game. It'll definitely be fast, probably a bit faster than the outgoing 430, I'm sure of it. Ferrari know what their doing. I just wish they'd race the 599, besides the 599XX, which is completely awesome.

[fiend540]

Since all the cars are built to the same rules, It's not like this car is going to show up and run away from the field with no one else to challenge it, and frankly that's the way it should be. I'm sure the car will be good, and fast but you're also likely to see it have some teething problems as well as there being a learning curve just like all the other newer gt2 cars.

[cmk]

The road car looks better in person than in pictures but that artist's impression is making my eyes bleed Maranelllo red.

[TF110]

It certainly isn't the greatest of photoshops. I've seen better.

[trahsub]

Originally Posted by Canada ALMS fan

Oh my, stunning!
There was a rumour at Petit that Risi will be the exclusive North American distributor for the car and all the spares like Haas and Lola are/were. Dave Simms would not comment on it...
I think the car will raise the game, Michelotto know what they're doing and both Porsche and Corvette will not be developing that much. They will have evolutions, the 458 is completely new platform.

The 458 may be a new platform in terms of a racecar, but don't be mistaken, it's an evolution of the 430 street car, not a ground up re-design.

[TF110]

It's surprising that people think it is. Just like the 599 being an evolution from the 550/575/612. The only ground up car Ferrari has is the Enzo, and that aint even made anymore. Not like they'd take it racing anyway. The P4/5 is going to race in VLN it's said next year, but it'll use the underpinnings of the 430GTC. I'm thinking the 458 will just continue on with the same and maybe just have the body of the 458, new aero, etc.

[The359]

Will the race car be able to retain the road car's active aerodynamics, or will that have to be replaced by a static system?

[HORNDAWG]

I would think the latter.





L.P.

[The Badger]

Its a really nice looking car , the rear in that first pic kinda reminds me a little of a Pagani Zonda rear end .

Now its up to Porsche to bring out a new car to tackle this monster ..... in a couple of years I can see one of the best GT2 championships ever , as Corvettes & Beemers start filtering down to the privateers .

But I dont reckon the 458 will hit the track and set it alight , too soon and the likes of Corvette & BMW will see to that . The old Porsche might take on the 458 at first , but as the 458 gets time under its belt , it will be a winner .

[ubrben]

Originally Posted by Audi Racer

2.Will it run away with the GT2 title

No - by definition no one can run away with a GT2 title on pure pace because it's a performance balanced category.

Sad but true.

The goal of IMSA / ACO is to create a balance of performance that makes the multiple chassis configurations in GT2 equal on track and then let racecraft and reliability determine the result.

They do this pretty well despite the political mindfield - Porsche, Ferrari, BMW and Corvette have been basically within 0.5% at most of the tracks all year and the top three in the title were separated by less than a handfull of points at the end.

The 458's beautiful but they'd have just as good a chance of the title next year if they stuck with the 430. The only reason they don't is that the 458 is the current road car.

Ben

[gwyllion]

Perhaps this topic should be merged with http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=117295

[arakis]

Originally Posted by trahsub

The 458 may be a new platform in terms of a racecar, but don't be mistaken, it's an evolution of the 430 street car, not a ground up re-design.

you are mistaken, its a total ground up new disign!
totaly new chassis, new aerodyamics, new airflow, different suspension, different transmison, and different engine!

[Belatti]

will the race car burst into flames, too?



Sorry about that!

[Victor_RO]

As soon as Melo or Bruni complete a charge from the back of the grid by passing a Corvette, the thing is going to spontaneously combust out of pure and sheer unadulterated Italian-ness.

[trahsub]

Originally Posted by arakis

you are mistaken, its a total ground up new disign!
totaly new chassis, new aerodyamics, new airflow, different suspension, different transmison, and different engine!

You sure? Send all questions to Car and Driver:

Though its head-turning sheetmetal is new, the 458 is basically an evolution of the F430 and the 430 Scuderia, albeit a compre- hensive one. The flat-plane-crank V-8 gets direct injection and grows from 4308 cc to 4497, adding more bass to the seductive sounds from its triple tailpipes and bumping output from 503 to 562 at a heady 9000 rpm.

[WMUCarGuy]

Originally Posted by Canada ALMS fan

The Abruzzi or the 458?
I don't expect Lizards fans to like the 458, but you should be scared, very scared!

The 458. I'm a diehard Lizard fan, and you better believe I'll be rooting against the 458s next year, but damn, they're pretty. IMHO, it's the first truly pretty Ferrari since the 355 of the mid 90s.

[WMUCarGuy]

Originally Posted by trahsub

The 458 may be a new platform in terms of a racecar, but don't be mistaken, it's an evolution of the 430 street car, not a ground up re-design.

Nope, the 458 is a complete clean sheet of paper. It's a totally new car from the ground up more or less.

[NightStalk3r]

Originally Posted by Canada ALMS fan

The Abruzzi or the 458?
I don't expect Lizards fans to like the 458, but you should be scared, very scared!

Scared of getting burned as they cruise past the burning left overs

[Canada ALMS fan]

One thing is certain, Pat and Jorg vs. Risi will continue to be an epic battle. By the way, the Risi cars never seem to burn, just the others - preparation???

[Victor_RO]

They don't burn, they just break quietly when their drivers mash them into the track or in other cars.

[WMUCarGuy]

Originally Posted by Canada ALMS fan

One thing is certain, Pat and Jorg vs. Risi will continue to be an epic battle. By the way, the Risi cars never seem to burn, just the others - preparation???

He was referring to the recall of 458 road cars due to their ability to spontaneously combust due to an adhesive in the wheel wheel that can ignite when it gets too hot.

[arakis]

in other words pure Passion!!

[J.C.]

Originally Posted by WMUCarGuy

The 458. I'm a diehard Lizard fan, and you better believe I'll be rooting against the 458s next year, but damn, they're pretty. IMHO, it's the first truly pretty Ferrari since the 355 of the mid 90s.

And the F430 was not pretty to you?

[tux]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

They don't burn, they just break quietly when their drivers mash them into the track or in other cars.

They dont burn because they never have enough fuel in them.....