Ferrari 458 Italia
We still have good vibes from the first photos of the Ferrari 458 Italia, which were released a month ago. So we’re happy to get more photos of the new Ferrari in advance of its rollout in Frankfurt in September which is next month.
This new batch of photos gives us a first look at the 458 Italia’s interior and the car on the track. Ferrari says the design of the steering wheel and gauge cluster is a step forward in ergonomics.
There are no stalks on the steering column of the 458 Italia. Most of the controls are on the steering wheel or grouped into pods that flank the wheel. The design takes its cues from Ferrari’s Formula One cars.
Controls on the steering wheel are the turn signals, wipers, suspension setting and engine start. Transmission shift paddles and audio controls are mounted on the back side of the wheel.
The pod to the right of the wheel has controls for the navigation unit, rear parking camera and infotainment unit. The pod to the left of the wheel has controls for cruise control, on-board computer and changing the look of the left display screen in the gauge cluster.
More info on the car, including a video interview with Paolo Pininfarina, chairman of design firm Pininfarina S.p.A, talking about the design philosophy of the 458 Italia, is available at: http://speciali.ferrari.com/458 italia/index_en.html .
Maranello, 27 August 2009 – In the run-up to the official unveiling of the Ferrari 458 Italia at the Frankfurt Motor Show on the 15th of September, enthusiasts can find out more about the car on www.ferrari.com. There they will find the first photographs of the 458 Italia’s interior and of the steering wheel and instrument binnacle which represent a significant step forward in the concept of the ergonomic interface between driver and car.
In fact the main commands are now grouped on the steering wheel, the secondary commands are handily set in two satellite pods either side of the dash and there are now comprehensive instrument displays on the panel ahead of the driver. These solutions represent an important safety aspect, enabling the driver to concentrate fully on driving. Similarly this layout ensures maximum control of the car in high performance driving, an uncompromising approach that derives directly from Ferrari’s F1 experience.Working closely with the Ferrari Styling Centre, the engineers have thus reinterpreted the positioning of the major commands to provide a truly driver-oriented cockpit. All steering-column mounted stalks have been eliminated, with the indicators, full beam, flash and windscreen wiper functions now being activated by buttons on the steering wheel boss. The button to select the shock absorber setting is now positioned next to the ‘Engine start’ button where it falls readily to hand. Behind the wheel are a number of secondary functions, such as the stereo, while the gearbox paddles are now longer making shifts even easier from any steering angle.
The right-hand satellite pod on the dash incorporates controls for the infotainment, the Bluetooth connection, sat-nav, digital speedo and rear parking camera. Clustered on the left-hand satellite pod instead are the optional cruise control, buttons for choosing the video setting of the left-hand dash TFT screen and the on-board computer interface. The latter controls the trip computer, the Vehicle Dynamic Assistance and the display of the car’s set-up.
The Vehicle Dynamic Assistance monitors the operating parameters of the most important areas of the car – engine/gearbox, tyres and brakes. The VDA is enabled in the following manettino settings – Race, CT off and CST off – and provides visual confirmation of the status of each component based on an algorithm from parameters reading lateral and longitudinal acceleration, revs and speed. This enables the driver to assess the ideal operating conditions for the car. There are three status settings: WARM-UP (operating temperature too low), GO (ideal operating conditions) and OVER (one or more components are no longer at their optimum level and need cooling).
Along with the photos now on-line, the Ferrari site also includes an exclusive video interview with Paolo Pininfarina, Chairman of Pininfarina S.p.A., who provides in depth insight into the 458 Italia’s design philosophy and exterior styling. The next release on www.ferrari.com will include an analysis of the car’s performance characteristics with an interview with seven-times F1 World Champion Michael Schumacher.
What do you think about the interior of the Ferrari 458 Italia?
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Source: autoweek.com and caranddriver.com
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4 Responses
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I absolutely hate the interior! Looks like the cluttered crap you’d see in a mid 80′s Nissan. The exterior is gorgeous but too bad about the dash.
Thank you for commenting on my blog. I heard on a video that the front looks like the car has a mean look when the hood slants down at an angle over the headlights. To me it seems the hood doesn’t fit snugly to the rest of the car when there is a gap to it.
Yeah the gap is a bit weird. I’m going to Italy next month so I can’t wait to see the car in person to judge for myself.
Hi Anthony,
I just left a comment on your blog to help you out for social proof. As I said in the comment we might be following each other on Twitter. I’m going to check it out.
Let me know what you find out on the 458 Italia when you go to Italy next month. I want to go there myself someday, especially to the factory to see how Ferraris are built.
Cheers,
Rick