Introduced in 2009 as a replacement for the F430, the 458 Italia was discontinued in 2015, thus making room for the 488 GTB. As the final Ferrari mid-engine supercar with a naturally aspirated V8, there’s no denying the 458 Italia holds a special place in the hearts of many enthusiasts.
It was around that time Ferrari decided to make do without manual transmissions, choosing the DCT over the good ol’ three-pedal setup for the sake of acceleration. The paddle shifters on the steering wheel also level up the motorsport heritage of the Prancing Horse, but then again, the same can be said about the gated shifter from days long gone. Here’s looking at you, F430!
Thankfully for manual purists, a Texas-based company has a manual in the pipeline for the 458 Italia. Founded by Art Bartosik, the name is European Auto Group and the headquarters are located in San Antonio. Before EAG took to the 458 Italia to develop a manual conversion, the engineers worked their magic on the 430 Scuderia.
That particular special edition is the first mainstream Ferrari without a manual transmission, hence the desire to develop a manual conversion for the F136 E engine. The biggest challenge was to work up a transmission in the available space, a feat that demands a round of applause considering the tight packaging of the 430 Scuderia.
Turning our attention back to the 458 Italia, chances are European Auto Group had to modify an off-the-shelf transmission with beefier synchros, a suitable clutch, and so forth. Bartosik keeps quiet on all of these details for the time being, but he did mention the conversion won’t be available to the masses. With a bit of luck, EAG will build “around 10 or 11 of them” according to Car Buzz.
"We've already got a list but people should start lining up out the door," declared Bartosik, adding that “it’s going to be exclusive.” Because the final product will be out in a few months, the prototype in the following video will have to suffice for now.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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