The famous British TV show Top Gear has awarded their Car of the Year 2009 title to the Ferrari 458 Italia. The reason given by Top Gear for their choice is simple - the Ferrari 458 Italia "has established a new benchmark in getting from A to B as rapidly as possible."
The Ferrari 458 Italia, unveiled at the last Frankfurt Motor Show in September, is powered by a 4.5-liter V8 engine developing 570 hp. The top speed of the Ferrari 458 Italia is 325 km/h and the car can hit 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds. If you're concerned with fuel economy and global warming, the Ferrari 458 Italia needs 13.7 l of fuel to run for 100 km and emits 320 g/km of CO2. The price for the new Top Gear Car of the Year is 162,900 Euros without tax.
Ferrari Press Release:
The Ferrari 458 Italia has scooped two prestigious awards from BBC Top Gear Magazine, one of the world’s most influential automotive magazines. Not only did the British magazine nominate the 458 Italia “Supercar of the Year”, but also, for the very first time for Ferrari, the coveted title of “Car of the Year”. This brings Ferrari’s tally of consecutive Top Gear Magazine Awards to the astonishing figure of eight in seven years.
The Ferrari 458 Italia was revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September to immediate critical acclaim. Following an extensive international media test drive program in Maranello, the home of the fabled Prancing Horse, the car has been the subject of enthusiastic reviews, with its handling, roadholding, ride comfort and performance all being subject to the kind of superlatives rarely seen from the world’s leading journalists.
In electing the Ferrari 458 Italiaas their “Supercar of the Year”, BBC Top Gear Magazine underlined how it has established “the
new benchmark in getting from A to B as rapidly as possible.” They also described the 570-hp V8-engined berlinetta as “a game-changing car.”
When nominating the car for the overall top award as “Car of the Year”, BBC Top Gear Magazine described how it became “our winner because the scope of its abilities is absolutely breathtaking”, concluding that the Ferrari 458 Italia “isn’t just a worthy winner, it’s off the scale!”
