Crown

Chris Harris in the past owned also a 550 Maranello, 612, 512 TR so he's not new to Ferrari ownership and  his remarks on Ferrari press cars were just a highlight of a common industry practice that dates back to the pre internet age of which however seems Ferrari has been "abusing" more than the others. How about McLaren press cars? 

Porsche did that too. Example 1973 Quattroruote test of the 2.7 RS driven by Emerson Fittipaldi , was clearly stated that the car had been prepared for the test by Porsche. There are lots of Ferrari examples too (1988 Quattroruote test of the F 40 was also semi-prepared with Ferrari assistance) .  So nothing new under the sun?

My point is Chris Harris is a great  professional (and a lovely human being) and it is not fair to bash him but it is neither fair to say Ferrai cheats and all the other ones are  candid angels because they are not.

--

911 Club Coupe, 72' 911 Targa 2.4 S, 12' Audi S4 Avant

m4ever:

Chris Harris in the past owned also a 550 Maranello, 612, 512 TR so he's not new to Ferrari ownership and  his remarks on Ferrari press cars were just a highlight of a common industry practice that dates back to the pre internet age of which however seems Ferrari has been "abusing" more than the others. How about McLaren press cars? 

Porsche did that too. Example 1973 Quattroruote test of the 2.7 RS driven by Emerson Fittipaldi , was clearly stated that the car had been prepared for the test by Porsche. There are lots of Ferrari examples too (1988 Quattroruote test of the F 40 was also semi-prepared with Ferrari assistance) .  So nothing new under the sun?

My point is Chris Harris is a great  professional (and a lovely human being) and it is not fair to bash him but it is neither fair to say Ferrai cheats and all the other ones are  candid angels because they are not.

--

911 Club Coupe, 72' 911 Targa 2.4 S, 12' Audi S4 Avant

Off course all do that, but the differnce from press car 458 to owner is just hugh. So mabe the questions is just how far you go with a press car

or is there any logical explination why the 458 performce so Bad vs a 500 hp stock turbo ( privat) and there are just tons of video 458 vs turbo Rolling start ( privat cars)

Whoopsy:

...

No, I actually meant the 9.6-9.8 times clocked but QR and Automobilismo. But even if we take the aggregate from 15 different magazines (http://www.zeperfs.com/en/fiche2979-ferrari-458-italia.htm), a time of 10.2 sec for a junior supercar is far from slow, isn't it? Also keep in mind that the Italia has been upgraded, and the 2012 models should be faster than that as they have better traction control and gearbox software. On a final note, the 458 does not run on semis, as most of it's competitors do, which as you understand is a hindrance on take off. Not bad for a 3 year old car...

Performance figures are also very dependant on weight. And I am sure press cars are rather light on options. asphalte.ch weighted a costumer 458 at 1600 kgs DIN which is very heavy and almost 200 kgs more than the factory figure.

That puts it on par with a 997 Turbo S and given the traction advantage of the 911 I am not surprised that both cars have similar straight line performance. Having said that, the Ferrari is arguably more fun to drive on a sunny sunday morning.

Same for the 991 full options, it has been measured at 1550 kgs, over 100 kgs more than factory figures, which ultimately gives it a power weight ratio barely superior to a 997.

At the end of the day, for owners, performance figures are nice, but the pleasure comes from the grin on the face. I am sure my late 997 Turbo S was quicker than my Carrera GT from standing start, but I know which I'd rather take for driving pleasure.

Great post! It says it all.

hello guys

For those who didn't read Chris Harris Ferrari "Manifesto" ;)

http://jalopnik.com/5760248/how-ferrari-spins

"Ferrari will never admit that its press cars are tuned, but has the gall to turn up at any of the big European magazines' end-of-year-shindig-tests with two cars. One for straight line work, the other for handling exercises. Because that's what happens when you buy a 458: they deliver two for just those eventualities. The whole thing stinks"

This is a nice read 

Paulo

Futch:

 

At the end of the day, for owners, performance figures are nice, but the pleasure comes from the grin on the face. I am sure my late 997 Turbo S was quicker than my Carrera GT from standing start, but I know which I'd rather take for driving pleasure.

 

That, is well said, I agreed with Nick again, haha. I have both a Turbo S and the McLaren, and like Futch here I feel the same thing with my Mac vs his CGT.

At the end of the day, numbers are just for bragging rights, and I really do not consider differences of under half a second major as human reaction time can varies by that much.

But one thing I have noticed, while I have been a big horn blower for awd traction, yesterday I took my Mac out in the rain and realized it has a SUPERIOR traction control system, making it pretty much on par with my Porsche.

There is this section of the road close to while I live with a stop sign on a slight uphill then a straight section leading to a overpass ramp. That stop sign is extremely greasy. A guy living down the road has a 458, so I have seen many times when he try to boot it and his traction control just bogs him down, sometimes more, sometimes less, sometimes with fishtailing, he's probably trying different settings for his traction control hence the different reaction. In my Turbo S I can see the traction control light flashes but I do not feel any interruption in my acceleration, I just rockets off. Yesterday in my Mac I boot it with the traction mode in sports, I can feels the tires fighting for traction but the acceleration never get interrupted, there was no drama either, almost feel like i was in the Porsche.

Either those guys at McLaren REALLY knows their stuff tuning the traction control, or it's just simply technology advances over 3 years between the 458 and MP4.

Today I was driving up the Riedbergpass, the highest road in Germany. The road was wet, temperature was around 6-7°C. At the margins, there was snow. Behind me was a BMW M3 (latest model), I was driving my Cayenne GTS. At no point was he able to get even close, I lost him after every curve and he was only able to get close on the straights (not much of those there). I could see him laughing in his car and when I stopped at a parking lot, his co-driver put his thumb up out of the window, so I am pretty sure he had tried hard. AWD, especially on wet/slippery roads, is amazing and if the car doesn't have too much power and torque (like the Cayenne GTS vs. the Turbo for example), the traction is phenomenal. Of course I was doing this game only the road up, not the road down (a little bit of ice and you're gone...). I am a huge fan of AWD but modern traction control systems already started to gain some ground vs. classic AWD systems, especially on high power cars. McLaren seems to have found the holy grail in that regard, I wish BMW and Mercedes AMG would find it too. 

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche Panamera Turbo S, Cayenne GTS (958), BMW X3 35d (2012), Mini Cooper S Countryman All4

m4ever:

Chris Harris in the past owned also a 550 Maranello, 612, 512 TR so he's not new to Ferrari ownership and  his remarks on Ferrari press cars were just a highlight of a common industry practice that dates back to the pre internet age of which however seems Ferrari has been "abusing" more than the others. How about McLaren press cars? 

Porsche did that too. Example 1973 Quattroruote test of the 2.7 RS driven by Emerson Fittipaldi , was clearly stated that the car had been prepared for the test by Porsche. There are lots of Ferrari examples too (1988 Quattroruote test of the F 40 was also semi-prepared with Ferrari assistance) .  So nothing new under the sun?

My point is Chris Harris is a great  professional (and a lovely human being) and it is not fair to bash him but it is neither fair to say Ferrai cheats and all the other ones are  candid angels because they are not.--

911 Club Coupe, 72' 911 Targa 2.4 S, 12' Audi S4 Avant

That's the whole point, IMO.

ONUR

THE BEST CAR EVER 

11 E92 M3 CP - 09 Audi TTS Coupe - 07 997 Carrera S - 05 M3 Coupe - 03 M3 Coupe - 96 M3 Coupe EVO (PASS TIME HISTORY)

Futch:

Performance figures are also very dependant on weight. And I am sure press cars are rather light on options. asphalte.ch weighted a costumer 458 at 1600 kgs DIN which is very heavy and almost 200 kgs more than the factory figure.

That puts it on par with a 997 Turbo S and given the traction advantage of the 911 I am not surprised that both cars have similar straight line performance. Having said that, the Ferrari is arguably more fun to drive on a sunny sunday morning.

Same for the 991 full options, it has been measured at 1550 kgs, over 100 kgs more than factory figures, which ultimately gives it a power weight ratio barely superior to a 997.

At the end of the day, for owners, performance figures are nice, but the pleasure comes from the grin on the face. I am sure my late 997 Turbo S was quicker than my Carrera GT from standing start, but I know which I'd rather take for driving pleasure.

Ferrari quoted 1385 kg dry weight for 458 italia optioned with race seats and forged wheels. On the other hand 1600 kg customer car is weighted with all the fluids and fuel. So saying italia weights 200 kg more than factory claim is a comparison of apple to oranges.

I put my italia on a scale on which it weighted 1470 kg with approx. 10-15 liters of fuel. My car has standard (heavier) wheels, racing seats (save about 20-25 kg), alcantara pack (lighter than leather) and has no navi, lift, JBL (all of which add extra weight) So it is normal that heavily equipped customer italia with lux. Options weights 1600 kg vs 1500 kg of, full of carbon press test cars (inside&out carbon including intake monifolds, engine bay, rear diffuser, interior trim, alcantara racing seats etc) 

If you look at the latest american car magazine tests of 458, they are not tuned cars but equipped with every carbon option from the factory which alone adds 40% over the base price of the car. In those tests 458 did pretty well and is faster than the first press cars in 2010.

Especially in the recent Road&Track test of 458 vs MP4-12C vs Corvette ZR1 comparison, 458 established very good times and the cars were put on dyno to verify engine powers. 

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-reviews/car-comparison-tests/chevrolet-corvette-zr1-vs-ferrari-458-italia-vs-mclaren-mp4-12c

In Motortrend Best Drivers Car of the year 2011, italia again posted very fast times both for straight line and track.

http://www.motortrend.com/features/performance/1108_2010_ferrari_458_italia_best_drivers_car_contender/

Italia did pretty well again in EVO megatest against Mclaren-Turbo S-Noble-SLS

On the other hand, Mclaren kept delaying releasing of the MP4 several times in the past and updated the car heavily in the last 2 years to cope with Italia and finally boost additional 25 hp for MY13 cars to be faster than 458 

--

ONUR

THE BEST CAR EVER 

11 E92 M3 CP - 09 Audi TTS Coupe - 07 997 Carrera S - 05 M3 Coupe - 03 M3 Coupe - 96 M3 Coupe EVO (PASS TIME HISTORY)

Onur, you are stating the bloody obvious facts...

Very good point Pride, so Asphalte was indeed comparing apple to orange, although to be fair, I find this habit of some car manufacturers like Lambo, Ferrari or Pagani to quote dry weights very odd and annoying.

Between Oil, Petrol and different fluids like even windscreen washer, you can easily add 120 to 150 kgs.

Italians thing we can drive a car without fluid? 

So 458 dry at 1380 kgs indeed corresponds to a DIN weight of approx 1550 kgs. Rather heavy for a Berlinetta.

I remember I weighted my Carrera GT at 1460 kgs with a full tank. And Porsche quotes 1380 kgs DIN. Go figure...

80 kgs of Aircon and stereo system? sounds a bit much to me.

Oh well, anything below 1500 kgs and 3kg/ bhp is exceptional in my books anyways.

pride355:

Futch:

Performance figures are also very dependant on weight. And I am sure press cars are rather light on options. asphalte.ch weighted a costumer 458 at 1600 kgs DIN which is very heavy and almost 200 kgs more than the factory figure.

That puts it on par with a 997 Turbo S and given the traction advantage of the 911 I am not surprised that both cars have similar straight line performance. Having said that, the Ferrari is arguably more fun to drive on a sunny sunday morning.

Same for the 991 full options, it has been measured at 1550 kgs, over 100 kgs more than factory figures, which ultimately gives it a power weight ratio barely superior to a 997.

At the end of the day, for owners, performance figures are nice, but the pleasure comes from the grin on the face. I am sure my late 997 Turbo S was quicker than my Carrera GT from standing start, but I know which I'd rather take for driving pleasure.

Ferrari quoted 1385 kg dry weight for 458 italia optioned with race seats and forged wheels. On the other hand 1600 kg customer car is weighted with all the fluids and fuel. So saying italia weights 200 kg more than factory claim is a comparison of apple to oranges.

I put my italia on a scale on which it weighted 1470 kg with approx. 10-15 liters of fuel. My car has standard (heavier) wheels, racing seats (save about 20-25 kg), alcantara pack (lighter than leather) and has no navi, lift, JBL (all of which add extra weight) So it is normal that heavily equipped customer italia with lux. Options weights 1600 kg vs 1500 kg of, full of carbon press test cars (inside&out carbon including intake monifolds, engine bay, rear diffuser, interior trim, alcantara racing seats etc) 

If you look at the latest american car magazine tests of 458, they are not tuned cars but equipped with every carbon option from the factory which alone adds 40% over the base price of the car. In those tests 458 did pretty well and is faster than the first press cars in 2010.

Especially in the recent Road&Track test of 458 vs MP4-12C vs Corvette ZR1 comparison, 458 established very good times and the cars were put on dyno to verify engine powers. 

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-reviews/car-comparison-tests/chevrolet-corvette-zr1-vs-ferrari-458-italia-vs-mclaren-mp4-12c

In Motortrend Best Drivers Car of the year 2011, italia again posted very fast times both for straight line and track.

http://www.motortrend.com/features/performance/1108_2010_ferrari_458_italia_best_drivers_car_contender/

Italia did pretty well again in EVO megatest against Mclaren-Turbo S-Noble-SLS

On the other hand, Mclaren kept delaying releasing of the MP4 several times in the past and updated the car heavily in the last 2 years to cope with Italia and finally boost additional 25 hp for MY13 cars to be faster than 458 

--

ONUR

THE BEST CAR EVER 

11 E92 M3 CP - 09 Audi TTS Coupe - 07 997 Carrera S - 05 M3 Coupe - 03 M3 Coupe - 96 M3 Coupe EVO (PASS TIME HISTORY)

 

The 458 is a fantastic modern car. If only that steering wasn't so light and a bit more communicative, there'd be one in my garage. Everything else is pretty spectacular. 

And some serious deals now in Europe for LHD cars. Can get a clean one for a 120k euros. Pretty good bargain.

Christian, in all seriousness I fear for your safety. I am pretty sure you are a good driver but based on some of your posts I believe you take unnecessary risks. If a M3 was following me on a slippery mountain pass road I could give a rats ass whether he passed me or stayed on my rear. My first and only concern would be for my safety and those in the car with me.

On a track it would be different.

nberry:

Christian, in all seriousness I fear for your safety. I am pretty sure you are a good driver but based on some of your posts I believe you take unnecessary risks. If a M3 was following me on a slippery mountain pass road I could give a rats ass whether he passed me or stayed on my rear. My first and only concern would be for my safety and those in the car with me.

On a track it would be different.

Nick, why post your concerns in this thread

Google the pass first.. It's not like he was doing 200km/h with clear cliffs on either side...

nberry:

Christian, in all seriousness I fear for your safety. I am pretty sure you are a good driver but based on some of your posts I believe you take unnecessary risks. If a M3 was following me on a slippery mountain pass road I could give a rats ass whether he passed me or stayed on my rear. My first and only concern would be for my safety and those in the car with me.

On a track it would be different.

Those conditions are MADE for awd, be it SUV or sedan. The Cayenne is a VERY capable machine, in those conditions the Cayenne doesn't even NEED to go very fast to stay ahead, simply because the M3 is so BAD in those condition. 

With AWD the Cayenne would have no trouble laying down forward momentum even with just a 1/4 throttle, but the M3 would have trouble even at 1/8 throttle, so Christian could have been driving at just normal speed, and the M3 still need to be driven REALLY HARD just to keep up.

The guys in the M3 is the one taking risks, not Christian. 

Futch:

The 458 is a fantastic modern car. If only that steering wasn't so light and a bit more communicative, there'd be one in my garage. Everything else is pretty spectacular. 

And some serious deals now in Europe for LHD cars. Can get a clean one for a 120k euros. Pretty good bargain.

 

You will be glad to know then that the steering wheel weight can be adjusted. An acquintance of mine had it done in a Ferrari dealership. The car is just set up this way as lighter steering helps directional changes with minimal effort.

REALZEUS:

Futch:

The 458 is a fantastic modern car. If only that steering wasn't so light and a bit more communicative, there'd be one in my garage. Everything else is pretty spectacular. 

And some serious deals now in Europe for LHD cars. Can get a clean one for a 120k euros. Pretty good bargain.

 

You will be glad to know then that the steering wheel weight can be adjusted. An acquintance of mine had it done in a Ferrari dealership. The car is just set up this way as lighter steering helps directional changes with minimal effort.

Very interesting piece of information. Do you know if the steering is electric like the 991 or hydraulic? Having it less light would be a good thing, more feel on what the front end is doing would be perfect.

Futch:

The 458 is a fantastic modern car. If only that steering wasn't so light and a bit more communicative, there'd be one in my garage. Everything else is pretty spectacular. 

And some serious deals now in Europe for LHD cars. Can get a clean one for a 120k euros. Pretty good bargain.

Futch,

I guess all the fluids, oil and fuel (86 liter) weight approx. 110-120 kg. With the full tank, I estimate the weight of my italia to be around 1520-1525 kg. Not under 1500 kg but not as high as 1600 kg.

I agree with you about weight should be under 1500 kg but this is what I got.

as for the 120k euro for a clean 458 is a real bargain. I paid 181k euro (without tax) for my 13 italia after 5% discount off the list price. Maybe you should drive another one to convince your self to buy one. I know that you test drive one (read your thread about it) but maybe you like the upgraded 458 (which happened after sept. 2011) better 

ONUR

THE BEST CAR EVER 

11 E92 M3 CP - 09 Audi TTS Coupe - 07 997 Carrera S - 05 M3 Coupe - 03 M3 Coupe - 96 M3 Coupe EVO (PASS TIME HISTORY)

Futch:

REALZEUS:

Futch:

The 458 is a fantastic modern car. If only that steering wasn't so light and a bit more communicative, there'd be one in my garage. Everything else is pretty spectacular. 

And some serious deals now in Europe for LHD cars. Can get a clean one for a 120k euros. Pretty good bargain.

 

You will be glad to know then that the steering wheel weight can be adjusted. An acquintance of mine had it done in a Ferrari dealership. The car is just set up this way as lighter steering helps directional changes with minimal effort.

Very interesting piece of information. Do you know if the steering is electric like the 991 or hydraulic? Having it less light would be a good thing, more feel on what the front end is doing would be perfect.

futch,

Once you start pushing the car, the weight of the steering wheel increases. Also, the syntetic feel is gone. I took my car to a race track, and I found the steering wheel very communicative. However, you are coming from Carrera GT and I'm coming from E92 M3.  That alone would cause different perceptions of the very same car.

ONUR

THE BEST CAR EVER 

11 E92 M3 CP - 09 Audi TTS Coupe - 07 997 Carrera S - 05 M3 Coupe - 03 M3 Coupe - 96 M3 Coupe EVO (PASS TIME HISTORY)

REALZEUS:

You will be glad to know then that the steering wheel weight can be adjusted. An acquintance of mine had it done in a Ferrari dealership. The car is just set up this way as lighter steering helps directional changes with minimal effort.

I didn't know that. I'll check it with the service evenif I'm happy with the steeringwheel. I didn't hear it before, either. Maybe the weight of the steering slightly changes with different manettino settings.

ONUR

THE BEST CAR EVER 

11 E92 M3 CP - 09 Audi TTS Coupe - 07 997 Carrera S - 05 M3 Coupe - 03 M3 Coupe - 96 M3 Coupe EVO (PASS TIME HISTORY)

Futch:

REALZEUS:

Futch:

The 458 is a fantastic modern car. If only that steering wasn't so light and a bit more communicative, there'd be one in my garage. Everything else is pretty spectacular. 

And some serious deals now in Europe for LHD cars. Can get a clean one for a 120k euros. Pretty good bargain.

 

You will be glad to know then that the steering wheel weight can be adjusted. An acquintance of mine had it done in a Ferrari dealership. The car is just set up this way as lighter steering helps directional changes with minimal effort.

Very interesting piece of information. Do you know if the steering is electric like the 991 or hydraulic? Having it less light would be a good thing, more feel on what the front end is doing would be perfect.

 

 

It is a hydraulic system. They just reduce the hydraulic assistance. It does not really get more communicative as there is no suspension set up change (you can always ask for alignment changes though) but it makes the steering heavier. 

pride355:

Futch:

REALZEUS:

Futch:

The 458 is a fantastic modern car. If only that steering wasn't so light and a bit more communicative, there'd be one in my garage. Everything else is pretty spectacular. 

And some serious deals now in Europe for LHD cars. Can get a clean one for a 120k euros. Pretty good bargain.

 

You will be glad to know then that the steering wheel weight can be adjusted. An acquintance of mine had it done in a Ferrari dealership. The car is just set up this way as lighter steering helps directional changes with minimal effort.

Very interesting piece of information. Do you know if the steering is electric like the 991 or hydraulic? Having it less light would be a good thing, more feel on what the front end is doing would be perfect.

futch,

Once you start pushing the car, the weight of the steering wheel increases. Also, the syntetic feel is gone. I took my car to a race track, and I found the steering wheel very communicative. However, you are coming from Carrera GT and I'm coming from E92 M3.  That alone would cause different perceptions of the very same car.

 Porsches and Beemers are pretty spot on when it comes to steering feel.

Zeus mentioned upgrades from MY12 and you too, they haven't been officialised have they? What do they consist of?

Power to weight of 570 hp for 1525 kgs is pretty phenomenal. It is definitely a car I'd consider buying now, maybe I should drive another one you're right. The market is flooded with Italian 458 after the fiscal measures taken by the government this year. New model sales have dropped by 50% in Italy! 

A lot of them advertised around 150k euros with mileage as low as 20k km. I reckon they would go for for between 120k and 130k euros. 

The MY 2012 changes officially consist of more aggressive electronics mapping, different suspension programming and a better gearbox management system. People that have owned both pre 2012 and post 2012 models though mention other changes as well. They say that the car is more agressive on the limit and thus a bit more twitchy than it used to be, especially in the wet. Also they have noticed an exhaust note change but that is unimportant really.

REALZEUS:

 They say that the car is more agressive on the limit and thus a bit more twitchy than it used to be, especially in the wet.

Does this rate as an improvement?

--

"Form follows function"

reginos:

REALZEUS:

 They say that the car is more agressive on the limit and thus a bit more twitchy than it used to be, especially in the wet.

That this rate as an improvement?

Realzeus wrote this according to one fellow who complainst about 2012 changes and he wrote his 2012 car is more twitchy than his 2010 in the wet. There can be several reasons to it and since post-2012 cars are setup more aggressively/stiffer they should be more handful in the wet. However, they are faster in dry.

Ferrari also offer retro-fit kit as "handling pack" for pre-2012 cars. Here you can read the detalied and official explenation of the changes:

http://www.sytner.co.uk/ferrari/graypaul-nottingham/aftersales/aftersales-offers/458.handling.pack.aspx

ONUR

THE BEST CAR EVER 

11 E92 M3 CP - 09 Audi TTS Coupe - 07 997 Carrera S - 05 M3 Coupe - 03 M3 Coupe - 96 M3 Coupe EVO (PASS TIME HISTORY)

reginos:

REALZEUS:

 They say that the car is more agressive on the limit and thus a bit more twitchy than it used to be, especially in the wet.

That this rate as an improvement?

As Onur said, it's a trade off against quicker times in the dry. Of course you can always set the car in Sport mode and it settles down. It also depends on the quality of the tarmac. I have seen the CST light flashing at 200 km/h in 5th gear in the 430! 

--
FERRARI RULES!!!

@REAL and pride

You are very well-read in Ferrari matters,  guys

"Form follows function"

I am very familiar with the Cayenne AWD having owned one. However, I did not get the impression that Christian was doing the speed limit when he posted his experience about the M3 chasing him on a WET MOUNTAIN PASS ROAD.

Ferrari 458 Italia: Handling Pack -- Upgrade to 2012MY specification...

Ferrari 458 Italia Handling pack

 

The 2012MY 458 Italia benefits from an enhanced suspension configuration to further improve the road holding of this extraordinary model. In line with this, a kit is available to retro-fit the improved suspension parameters to ensure uniform performance across all previous model years.

 

Consisting of a modified 'Magnaride' suspension ECU, Accellerometers, fittings and a software upgrade the control is active in all 'Manettino' positions with a dedicated calibration for each setting.

 

MagneRide virtually eliminates the traditional need for a ride/handling compromise. Using patented damper units containing a controllable magneto-rheological fluid, the system offers increased tuning capability and response speed over valve-controlled suspension systems. Drivers benefit from more precise turn-in feel, improved high speed control and superior road isolation, resulting in increased driver enjoyment and comfort.

 

Available for LHD and RHD vehicles at a fitted price of £4400 the kit represents great value over the increased 458 model price with the relevant suspension improvements.

 

Kit handling

 

 

The handling kit upgrades the vehicle to reflect the 2012 configuration of the 458 Italia, offering access to the new performance content of this version, including new shock absorber control software which helps to improve tire performance and offers an even sportier steering feel. The 2012 content for gearbox management is not currently available.

 

Ferrari 458 Italia: Handling Pack -- Upgrade to 2012MY specification -- Official Link

Ferrari 458 Italia: Handling Pack -- Upgrade to 2012MY specification -- PDF Link

 

Ferrari 458 Italia vs McLaren MP4-12C vs Corvette ZR1 -- Video Link

...good to see both Ferrari and McLaren are keen to offer upgrades to existing customers!