Ferrari 458 Italia

THE FERRARI 458 Italia was the beginning of a new era for the world’s most storied supercar manufacturer. For the first time, possibly in its history, a Ferrari had an interior as sexy as its exterior and its soulful engine.

The 458 also pioneered a new way for drivers to interact with their cars. Apparently drawing inspiration from F1 cars with all major controls on the steering wheel, the 458 did away with conventional control stalks, relocating them to buttons/switches on the steering wheel. For example, the turn signals are located on thumb switches, along with the wiper controls, and other secondary controls (for the infotainment system) are located by the side of the wheel, canted of course, toward the driver.

Unfortunately, the 458 would also be the last Ferrari to see a naturally aspirated V8, with its successor the 488 introducing turbocharging to Ferrari’s mid-engined sports cars. But what a swansong that V8 had.

The 4.5-litre V8 developed 570hp and could scream to a stratospheric 9,000rpm. The 488 may be a quicker, more powerful car and less thirsty with the unleaded to boot, but the 458 and the tenor note of its engine will forever hold a place in the hearts of rightthinking petrolheads.