Random Car Wednesday: Ferrari 458 Italia

Welcome to another installment of RCW here on Shifting Gears. This time around, the random car is hot off the showroom floor: A 2013 Ferrari 458 Italia. Ferrari's main performance car, the 458 is everything a Ferrari should be. Its looks are dramatic and beautiful, the engine is in the middle, and power goes to the rear wheels. The 458 is Ferrari's successor to the popular F430 and 430 Scuderia models, and has been in production since 2010. Alongside the oddball FF and the grand tourer F12, the 458 is a few cylinders short, having a V8 in favor of a V12. That said, it's no slouch: The 4.5 L V8 (4.5 liter V8...458) in the Italia makes 562 horsepower, which can propel the car from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just over three seconds. Furthermore, the Italia will continue to accelerate up to an incredible top speed of 202 mph. Until the oddly-named LaFerrari goes on sale, the 458 holds the coveted spot of Ferrari's top supercar. The Italia is every bit the generic Italian supercar, but upon closer inspection it's easy to see that this car is anything but ordinary.

2013 Ferrari 458 Italia