There are firsts and lasts surrounding the 458 Italia. It was Ferrari’s first mid-engined V8 sports car only sold with a dual clutch transmission, marking the demise of the do-it-yourself manual. But don’t let your eyes well up; the F1 gearbox was pretty special by this point in its evolution, and a fitting component of the package, given how big a performance increase the 458 offered over the F430.
And then there’s the other facet to this Ferrari that makes it so interesting to collectors. It was the last naturally-aspirated V8 Ferrari, and many who’ve experienced this and subsequent mid-ship models will tell you that it was the peak for the spine-tingling power delivery and soul-stirring soundtrack that we associated with the cars from Maranello.
There followed turbocharged engines which never did a less than impressive job when it came to blowing performance to new heights, but somehow they sucked some of the soul out of the driving experience.
There are other notable characteristics to the 458 Italia, says Henry Catchpole, who joined the making of the 2022 Hagerty Bull Market List to report for Carfection. For example, its ultra-quick steering was unlike anything the company had offered before, but set the template by which future models would follow. And the perfectly minimal yet exotic-looking dashboard architecture feels just as special now as it did at the time of the car’s introduction, in 2010.
During the film, you’ll hear from John Mayhead, Editor of the Hagerty Price Guide, who sets out the case for why the 458 Italia, which is no limited-edition Ferrari, deserves a place in this year’s collection of 10 Bull Market cars. Watch to find out what the market indicators are suggesting.
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