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Nothing Artsy Here, as Chris Harris Drives a Ferrari 458 Spider Like a "Complete Idiot"
Sure, this review comes over a year since we first saw the 458 Spider, but there is no doubt that it is the best we have seen! Chris Harris got the chance to get behind the wheel of a Ferrari 458 Spider and drove it "like a complete idiot." Sorry, his words, not ours! Translated, this means he pushed the car to its limits and beat it like it stole his last £10. The result? Well, watch for yourself and be the judge of that! Maybe a spider version is not as stiff and responsive as the coupe - many people think that a Ferrari should always have a top - but that V-8 engine is nonetheless astounding. With 570 horsepower under the hood, it seems like the Ferrari 458 is inviting you to push it to the limits and it looks like there is always room for more. Chris Harris was happy to oblige, as he pushed the 458 Italia Spider about as far as it could go. Enjoy the video. We definitely did! 2013 Ferrari 458 Spider by Capristo 
The Ferrari 458 Italia Spider had a pretty big 2012 and 2013 is starting out pretty quickly for the entry –level Ferrari, as Capristo has unveiled its first tuning kit of the year for said model. The tuner is quite famous here at TopSpeed and only last year we saw a sweet tuning kit offered for the Lamborghini Aventador. As usual, changes the tuner is offering are not overwhelming, but they do add to the overall character of the 458 Italia. From factory, the 458 Italia comes with an aluminum roof to help keep its curb weight to a minimum and Capristo has additionally lowered the car’s weight by replacing the stock hood with a new one made in carbon-fiber unit that features lengthwise inlaid glass and additional vents for better engine cooling. The price for this update is pretty high, and if you are interested you will have to pay about €9800 (about $12,850 at the current exchange rates). For the money, you will also get the hood painted in the color you desire. Not too overly exciting, but a cool addition for an owner looking to save a few pounds.
Video: Mercedes SLS AMG vs Ferrari 458 Italia
On paper, a Mercedes SLS AMG and Ferrari 458 Italia look pretty mechanically identical. The German sports car is powered by a 6.3-liter V-8 engine that delivers a total of 570 horsepower, and sprints the car from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and up to a top speed of 197 mph. Its Italian competitor, on the other hand, gets a 4.5-liter V-8 engine that delivers the same 570 horsepower, but it is a little bit faster — 0 to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 202 mph. These numbers seem pretty close, but when you put them face to face on a race track you’ll find out that they are not so identical. The test drive in the above video shows you just how unfair the competition between these supercars really is. You might be surprised just how much more effectively one uses its power over the other. So, which one is faster? You’ll have to check out the video to find out. 2012 Ferrari 458 Italia by Different Car
We couldn’t end the year without a new tuning kit offered for the Ferrari 458 Italia. That’s like ending the year without fireworks. For the last time in 2012, a new tuner, one based in Dubai called Different Car, has produced a pretty cool body kit for the Italian supercar. In fact, this thing shouldn’t come as a big surprise to anyone considering Arabs like to take their cars to the extreme. The entire body kit is made from carbon fiber and includes a new front bumper with two sharp corners that offers the car’s front a completely different look. The package continues with bigger air intakes, a big diffuser and vertical panels. Finally, the kit ends with a new rear spoiler that provides the car an even more aggressive look. No changes were made under the hood, but the standard V8 engine is quite enough for the sports car, one that delivers a total of 570 horsepower at 9000 RPM, allowing the car to sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3.4 seconds with a top speed of up to 202 MPH. 2013 Ferrari 458 GT3
Ferrari Corse Client, in cooperation with motorsports firm Michelotto Automobili, is currently testing the 2013 specification 458 Italia GT3. The test was held behind closed doors at the Adria circuit today, but the company was kind enough to offer us some initial details of the 2013 458 GT3 race car. After being initially unveiled in 2011, the 458 GT3 scored important title wins in Europe and Asia. For the 2013 racing season, the model received numerous updates, including a new aerodynamic bodywork and subtle changes to the drivetrain and suspension. The engine will once again remain unchanged, so expect a 4.5-liter V8 engine with an output limited to 550 HP - unlike the road-going version which delivers 570 HP - as per FIA regulations. Based on the 458 Italia, the GT3 version proved to be one of the most successful cars ever built in Maranello. It won the Asia GT3 series and also scored impressive results in the Open GT, the Blancpain Endurance Championship and the International GT Sprint series. With a revised aero kit, there’s no telling how much success the 2013 model will have when it hits the racing tarmac.
2013 Ferrari 458 Italia GTE by RAM Racing
Starting 2013, the international GT racing competition will receive a new member, RAM Racing. The team will enter with two Ferrari 458 Italia GT models in the GTE category, but also in selected races, like the 24 Hours of Dubai in January. The race team is led by Dan Shufflebottom and the full driver lineup will be announced at a later date, but it will include veteran British sports car and GT star, Johnny Mowlem. You may know him from his great success obtained in races from the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Daytona 24, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 1000km of Nürburgring. While full details on RAM Racing’s 458 Italia haven’t been announced just yet, first images reveal a car wearing a smooth white exterior paint with blue racing stripes and a huge "Ram Racing" logo on the hood and roof. A large rear wing at the rear will provide improved stability at high speeds. We’ll keep an eye open for more details from RAM Racing and update this review as more details become available.
2012 Ferrari 458 Italia "Project China" by SR Auto Group
Technology has come a long way even in the past couple of years. That’s especially more evident when somebody from halfway around the world asks somebody to do something on their cars. That’s the situation Canadian tuner SR Auto Group found itself in after a Chinese customer asked SR to work on his Ferrari 458 Italia, a project that was only accomplished because of what SR described as a lot of "persistence, drive, and ambition". The pretty cool part about this story was how the Chinese customer found about SR Auto Group. Care to venture a guess? Yup, he found SR Auto Group online. To its credit, SR Auto Group went ahead and did the build, dressing up the Ferrari supercar with what looks like a chrome-red body. The two-tone treatment also includes a polished-black hood and roof, and concludes with a set of 19-inch Modern Black PUR 4OUR Monoblock wheels. The project took a couple of months to finish, but in the end, all parties involved got what they wanted. And they have the continuous growth of technology to thank for it.
Video: Ferrari 458 Italia at 211 mphNow that the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show is winding down, it’s time to relax a little bit and watch some supercars in action. For example the folks over RSR Nurburg have sent us a video featuring a Ferrari 458 Italia in action on the German De-restricted Autobahn near the Nürburgring Nordschleife race track. The most interesting fact is that while Ferrari lists a top speed of 201 mph for their 458 Italia, this model went up to an impressive 341 km/h (211 mph). That’s 10 mph more than Ferrari rates it at! For those of you who do not remember, the 458 Italia is powered by a 4.5-liter V-8 engine that delivers a total of 570 horsepower at 9,000 rpm and a peak torque of 398 pound-feet at 6,000 rpm.
Video: Justin Bieber Stops Traffic to Confront PaparazziJustin Bieber is far from being anywhere near our list of favorite celebrities. So, why did we put him on our page? Well, the answer is quite simple: he is driving a Ferrari 458 Italia, even if he has no clue how to really drive it. Just the cool car alone is not enough to plaster his boyish mug all over our site, so there has to be other reasons. In the first case, he got pulled over by the cops and turned out he had an expired registration. Today a video has emerged, showing him in full-"diva" effect. Apparently, "The Bieb" was being followed by paparazzi in Los Angeles, and he wasn’t quite able to shake the media folk in his high-powered supercar. Justin decides to do the "mature" thing and confronts the paparazzi face to face. Okay, we can appreciate the dude wants a little privacy, but the problem is that he blocked the entire road to do it. During this encounter there are horns blaring away in the background, as people are trying to get to work or maybe their Botox appointments. Beiber just sits there in his white 458 Italia discussing his driving habits. Wow, what a piece of work... On an aside, the paparazzi guy said Bieber was "driving a little crazy," but he seemed to be driving rather grandma-like in his 562-horsepower supercar.
Stars in their Cars: Justin Bieber gets pulled over while driving his Ferrari 458 Italia
Even at an early age, Justin Bieber’s taste in cars is impeccable. Sure, he’s got the finances to buy just about whatever piece of automotive awesomeness he wants to call his own, but it’s still worth noting that “The Bieb” has a good idea of what cars are worth. On the flip side, being famous doesn’t excuse you from abiding by the rules. Apparently, Bieber’s new ride, the Ferrari 458 Italia, drew plenty of attention recently and it’s not for the right reasons. According to TMZ, JB was pulled over for making an unsafe left turn. Things were compounded when the police officer who stopped the artist discovered that his registration was expired. Talk about getting double a whammy. We’re pretty sure that Bieber can pay for whatever amount the violation cost him. It just goes to show that even if you seemingly have the entire teenage girl population at your command, you’re still at the mercy of the long arm of the law. Photo courtesy of Need via Celebrity Cars Blog | Ferrari 458 latest reviews:
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