Ferrari 458 Italia

Boasting a new 4.5-liter V8 engine, a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and a 202-mph top speed, Ferrari 458 Italia is ferociously fast, with Ferrari claiming that it sprints to 62 mph in less than 3.5 seconds. Ferrari has clearly worked to produce an engine with a tremendous range of abilities, from record-setting specific outputs to enough torque to surge away from low engine speeds. Ferrari learned much developing the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox for the California, and it has had to learn more to make the unit fit into the 458 Italia's engine bay, behind the curvaceous hatch.

The 458 Italia was designed by Pininfarina, it is heavily influenced by lessons learned in the on-site, half-scale F1 wind tunnel. Ferrari even moved one of its key F1 aero specialists across to the GT program to get it right. The little winglets owe more than a visual link to F1, because they provide downforce and feed air through the lay-down radiators ahead of the front wheels. It's designed with enormous tumblehome, so the air curves around the cabin and runs over the integrated rear tail, while underneath, a flat floor enhances the effects of the rear diffuser to create 140 kg of downforce at 124 mph. Inside, the 458 Italia takes the opportunity created by the more luxurious California to become the sportiest V8 in the family.

The 458 Italia is built alongside the California on the air-conditioned, "upstairs" new production facility at Maranello, leaving the traditional Ferrari production line for the V12-powered cars, such as the 599 Fiorano and the 612 Scaglietti.