We all have our favourites – favourite foods, favourite movies, favourite animals and favourite songs. However, what you might’ve liked as a child may not be something you like when you’re older. This can be for a multitude of reasons which I won’t go through here, but there are some things that stick with you through your childhood and into adult life. Cars that you adore as a child tend to stay with you because of the positive feelings you associate with them. There are many cars that illict a strong emotional reaction, and the Ferrari 458 Italia is up there with the best of them in my opinion. After you read this post, you will understand why I still revere it to this day.
There was one point in time where the Ferrari F40 and 458 were both at the top of my favourite cars list. I suppose the 458 has dropped a few spots but it’s still right up there as one of my dream cars. As a young enthusiast, you hold a brand like Ferrari in high regard and you pay attention to their offerings, both good and bad. I was well aware of the 360 and 430 before the 458 showed up, but I never saw them as “dream” cars. In fact one of my dream cars in 2008 was the R35 GT-R, but that was quickly usurped by the 458 when I laid eyes on it for the first time in 2009. Suddenly the F40 had competition, and I saw the 458 as the best looking car ever made.
Moreover, it’s numbers were very strong: 563 HP from a naturally aspirated 4.5 litre V8 and a 0-100 KM/H time under 4 seconds. The best part? It showed up in Gran Turismo 5 at launch, so I could enjoy the car in my own time and get a feeling for the superb performance. I was thrilled and my love affair with this Italian supercar began. Yes, faster cars have appeared that can completely lay waste to this at a moment’s notice, but I’d feel much happier knowing that I’m in a stunning piece of engineering with emotion, heart and a wondrous design that single-handedly livens up any dreary city street. Yes, this is a car I’m talking about.
As time has gone on, the 458’s stocks have increased because naturally aspirated engines are hot right now. The Ferrari 296, whilst being a fantastic car, is turbocharged with a hybrid system – thus lacking the raw purity of a naturally-aspirated unit. People may dock the 458 for having an automatic gearbox instead of a gated gear shifter, but I don’t because a 4.5 litre, flat-plane V8 is no joke. F1-style paddle shifters do carry street cred because it keeps the engine in the optimum power window more often, which means more noise. There’s no way you can argue with that.
It’s impossible to ignore a car like this. Whether you’re a car enthusiast or not, you will feel something as you spot it on the road or parked up on Domain Rd. Time will go on but for just one second, everything will stop as your attention swings to this immaculate creation. It has all the hallmarks of a future classic and I know that values will go up. The car touched the lives of millions through GT5, giving Ferrari an invaluable marketing tool that very few mediums could ever match. It had an impact on me, and that’s why I captured this one at Highball 17.
