To celebrate the launch of their new state of the art Ferrari and Maserati showrooms in Belfast, Charles Hurst very kindly invited me along to meet their team and gave me the opportunity to drive one of their Ferraris. We were given a tour of the showroom and it really is out of this world, Matteo Torre, Regional Manager of Ferrari North Europe was also on hand to talk us through the essence of their showrooms. Firstly, they have lounge area where customers can discuss the merits of becoming a supercar owner or indeed, experience the aftersales experience in bright, contemporary, comfortable surroundings. Secondly, there is a primary display area where the correct viewing angles and lighting are designed to showcase what is on display. Lastly, they have a configuration room, where a member of the team will talk you through customising everything from alloys, body colour (yes – there are other colours besides red!), steering wheel, interior material and even the colour of your seatbelt. Russell Simpson, Head of Aftersales UK, also interestingly explained there is an impressive 7 year, unlimited mileage maintenance programme on all new models for non-consumables, absolutely free of charge, and that this programme stays with the car, not the owner.
So now to the car, my steed for the day was a Ferrari 458 Italia, all 570 horses of it – which were prancing around in the engine bay itching to get going. The exterior is aerodynamically impressive, it certainly has presence. While the front will grow on you, I don’t know what Ferrari was thinking with the rear which is a bit akin to a preying mantis in my opinion. Upon getting into the car, I immediately fell in love with the leather stitched and plush velour interior, which is angled towards the driver. The seats aren’t as comfortable as I’d like and I found the lumbar support too excessive. The steering wheel has all major controls on it, including buttons for the indicator and wipers which are honestly, a bit fiddly. There are also different modes on the wheel, for example, in RACE mode, the dash changes to show you information like your fastest lap times, how hot the tyres are etc. Your rear view mirror is taken up the most beautiful sight you could ever see – a V8 powerhouse. And what a sound it makes, I found myself gearing down just for the hi-revving pops and bangs on the overrun! Believe it or not this noise can get a bit tedious in traffic, so thankfully I discovered that if you switch it to SPORTS mode; it completely tones down the noise of the exhaust.
Disappointingly, there is no manual option with the 458 – instead Ferrari have opted for a F1 7 speed, dual clutch flappy paddle system which I was a bit sceptical about and rightly so, in traffic, there is a rather annoying ‘kangaroo’ type effect so best to opt for the auto button when keeping in lower gears. However, on the open road this system really comes into its own. It didn’t take me long to get used to the paddles and in the end I think I’d actually prefer them on this car, especially on track. There is no lag between shifts; power is fed through instantaneously and smoothly, continuing to pull all the way up through the gears. Another downside to the paddles is that it is extremely difficult to change gear when you are steering hard at the same time as they don’t move with the wheel, so you have to make that adjustment with your hands. Handling wise, the steering is short, sharp but heavy and the traction and torque are phenomenal. If you want to unsettle the car it is quite easy to do so even at low speeds of 40 mph, but it’s all very controllable. The suspension is stiff but not uncomfortable; I was quite surprised at how smooth it was on bumpy roads. If this isn’t soft enough however, there is a button on the wheel that allows you to soften them up further. Apparently I left foot brake when there is no clutch present, so I quickly discovered the Brembo, CCM brakes are superb, with whiplash type severity. This car is quick, with a top speed of 202 mph and a sequential red dot, LED gauge on the top of the wheel egging you on to rev it out more - you can easily find yourself in licence losing territory before you even blink. Other little things I liked about it were the fact that it automatically goes into first when you stop and the rather good wide angled reversing camera, the hidden air vents in the headlights and behind the side windows, along with how the dash changes with each toggle of the mode switch.
So, would I buy one? I’ve always had a soft spot for 360s and think they are one of the best looking Ferraris ever made; along with the F430 they are also one of the last Ferraris to have a manual option. While I will admit on the way home I was thinking about how much I’d get for my kidney or if it is really necessary to buy a house or have kids, the 458 just felt a bit too controlled for me, there was little or no driver feedback – you get the sense that the ECU is doing everything for you. There was no ‘head thumping against the head rest when you powered down’ feel - because it was all just a bit smooth. Call me old fashioned – but I like a little bit more rawness in a car. Maybe I’ll just have to wait until I’m offered a test drive in the new Speciale, don’t all rush at once mind…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fb_DKDUDlM From Youtube.com
