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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

The 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia is a very clever car. Fast, comfortable, refined and yet still overtly exciting. It packages Ferrari’s motorsport knowledge into a road car that takes the business of accessible supercar performance to new levels.

The new Ferrari 458 Italia is a most fitting successor to the F430. On the track at Fiorano, the 458 is a treat. It feels like a race car. Response is crisp from the throttle, steering and brakes.

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.

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.