The Ferrari 458 is an Italian sportscar built and produced by Ferrari, replacing the Ferrari F430 and unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.
The 458 featured in many variants, the Italia, the Spider, the Speciale and the Aperta. Where the Italia and Spider models produced 570bhp, the Speciale and Aperta models produced 600bhp. All 458s topped out at 202mph.
The 458 is a car that warmed the hearts of all three original Top Gear presenters. James May, in particular, adored the car so much that he purchased an Italia in 2012 and later replaced it with a Speciale in 2015, and to this day, maintains it to be his favourite all-time car. In 2019 on Drivetribe He announced the Speciale to be his car of the decade.
Appearences[]
- The 458 Italia was names as Top Gear Magazine's Car of the Year 2009.
- In Series 15, Episode 6, despite criticizing it's complicated steering wheel, Jeremy falls in love with the 458 Italia, describing its as wonderful and brilliant and that any owner of the previous car, the Ferrari F430, would now feel stupid and depressed. At the hands of the Stig, the 458 sets a lap of 1:19.1, around the Top Gear Test Track.
- In Clarkson: The Italian Job, Jeremy once again praised the 458, describing it as the finest supercar ever made, however criticized it's steering wheel. Later he found that he couldn't keep up with the 458 in the more powerful Ferrari 599 GTO, stating "the 599 costs twice as much as the 458 even though it isn't even half as good".
- In the East Coast Road Trip, James chose the 458 Italia as his choice against Jeremy in the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and Richard in the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. The 458 proved to be fastest and easiest on a race track, and won the race in New York, with James concluding it was his favouritest ever car. Despite accepting a challenge from Jeremy, the 458 and SLS drew in a drag race.
- In Series 17, Episode 3 the 458 Italia was compared to the McLaren MP4-12C by Jeremy at the Top Gear Test Track. Despite the McLaren being faster, more capable and more comfortable than it's Italian rival, Jeremy ultimately favoured the Ferrari for having more sparkle.
- In Top Gear USA "First Cars" Foust favours the 458 Italia in a dual review against Ferrara in the Corvette ZR-1. The 458 destroyed the ZR-1 in a drag race but sets a slower time of 1:23.1 around their track.
- In Clarkson: Powered Up, Jeremy described the 458 Italia as being "one of the best cars in all of human history ever" being as it walked a fine line between the technical brilliance of the McLaren MP4-12C and the sheer lunacy of a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. He later pitted it in a race against the Ferrari FF, with the 458 initially winning but being overcome by a puddle of "Golden Rain".
- In Top Gear: At The Movies, James introduces the Category of V8s with the 458 Italia, which proves to make an impressive soundtrack, however it doesn't make the top four.
- In Series 18, Episode 1, the presenters were challenged by finding a mid-engined supercar which was better than a 458 Italia. James chose the McLaren MP4-12C, Jeremy chose the Lamborghini Aventador and Richard chose the Noble M600. Jeremy and Richard preferred their supercars but James did not and neither failed to beat 458 around Imola.
- In Top Gear: The Worst Car in the History of the World, both Jeremy and James agree that the 458 Spider is the best mid-engined supercar, ever built, stating that it hadn't lost any of the speed or rigidity of the Italia but gained drama. Despite this Jeremy still argued that the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG was better and intentionally failed to keep up with one. However the SLS' tyres eventually burst and the 458 was declared the winner much to James' delight and Jeremy's upset.
- In Series 20, Episode 3, Richard chose the 458 Spider as his "Budget" Supercar Convertible against Jeremy in the McLaren 12C Spider and James in the Audi R8 V10 Spyder in which the boys journey across Southern Spain. Despite being the most flawed car of the three, Richard, James and Jeremy deduce that the Ferrari was their favourite.
- In Top Gear USA "American Supercars" Ferrara pits the 458 Italia against the Rossion Q1 in a bid to prove that American Supercars are better than European ones.
- In TGM 2013 Awards, James announced the 458 Speciale as his Car of the Year 2013.
- In It's a gas, gas, gas, May pits his 458 Speciale in a drag race during Hammond's review of the Lamborghini Huracán Performante at the Eboladrome. The Speciale ends up losing to the Performante.
- On DriveTribe, May compares his 458 Speciale to Oliver by Hammond using F1 drivers Sebastian Vettel as a Judge. May ends up winning.