MotorMouths

Ferrari has positioned the 458 very effectively against an onslaught of new competitors trying to dethrone it, specifically the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and the upcoming McLaren MP4-12C. Yes, the latest Ferrari is that good

But if you have that kind of money, the Italia — unlike some high-priced, half-baked exotics — is worth every penny. I declare the 458 is the best sports car I’ve ever driven, the current state of the art.

Perfect? Committed sensualists will miss some degree of adventure. Gone are the adrenaline chinchillas running up and down your spine. The 458 Italia is spooky fast without the haunting of mortality.

The new 458 Italia is so fast that you wonder how much faster cars can get before you need a special license to drive supercars. Public-road driving in the 458 is a supreme test of self-discipline, but it is surprisingly uncompromised.

Ferrari’s 458 Italia not only eclipses the performance of every challenger save the Bugatti Veyron, it lifts the normally-aspirated bar to heights that will probably never be topped.

The 458 Italia is looking like a raging good deal, promising Enzo performance at 60 percent off. It’s also one of the prettiest and best engineered supercars of this century.

At day’s end, headed back to the factory, I reflect that the Ferrari 458 is so far beyond the spectrum of any other car that I’ve recently driven — Lamborghinis, Mercedes and Porsches — that it’s almost alarming.

With all its high-g grip, straight-line zoom, and denture-launching brakes, the 458 is a new benchmark for megadollar vomit inducers. The 458 has performance that race cars could once only dream of.

If there is a downside, it is that that on the road there are precious few opportunities to use all 458’s performance. Even in Italy. If you’re lucky you’ll see all of second gear, and occasionally third.

Lower, sleeker, more powerful than the California and as nimble as a gazelle, the Ferrari 458 Italia is simply a spectacular supercar.

The Ferrari 458 Italia has set a new target for future mid-engine, V8-powered exotics. All of this adds up to an Exocet missile almost anyone can drive, and drive hard.

The level of performance and driving pleasure in the Ferrari 458 Italia is nothing short of extraordinary. Lamborghini, McLaren, Porsche, and Aston Martin engineers have their work cut out for them.