Photo: Carpix
Now that the Ferrari California T has marked the Prancing Horse’s return to turbocharging, it is time to focus on the next Ferrari turbo. Until now, we all thought this would be the Ferrari 458’s replacement, but, if the latest report turns out to be true, the 458 itself will go turbo.
It seems that the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 engine under the hood of the California T is set to arrive at the center of the 458, as CAR writes. 2015 is the year when the supercar is expected to receive some sort of a mid-cycle revamp and a heavily massaged version of the Cali’s engine would make sense given the forced induction context.
We’ll remind you that Ferrari 458 test vehicles with turbocharged engines have been spotted earlier this year. The info in this report means the spied vehicles were not 458 replacement mules, but prototypes for the 458 facelift.
Over in Maranello, friends get to call the car 458M and it seems that this designation holds the key to no less than 552 hp. Wait, we’re talking forced induction here, so torque is king - like we said, the 3,855 cc unit on the California is expected to receive serious tech attention before going into the 458M. Expect something around 557 lb-ft (750 Nm) of torque.
While the McLaren 12C managed to catch the 458 off guard in terms of the power to weight ratio, the revamp isn’t going to leave things like this. Of course, McLaren has moved on to the 650S meanwhile, so this will be an interesting battle. One thing is certain - the Ferrari 458M is going to have a set of monster performance.
Of course, turbocharging doesn’t come without its issues. For one thing, Ferraris need their special character. If the exhaust sound in a McLaren 12C is mediocre for a supercar, Ferrari can’t afford that, so expect a pretty tasty soundtrack on their part.
Just as importantly, the 458 is well known for its tail-happy character. With natural aspiration, the linear power delivery meant it was easy for the driver to modulate the power. Well, Ferrari will strive to bring the turbo’s behavior as close to this as possible. Spanners crossed.
As for the designation, Ferrari could choose the gradual transformation path they’ve selected for the Cali, which means we’ll end up with a 458 T. Or it could look into its history and change that designation despite the fact that the car won’t be an all-new model.
Somewhere in here we were supposed to mention the turbocharging will also increase something called “fuel efficiency”. There you go, we covered this aspect...
We’ll remind you that Ferrari 458 test vehicles with turbocharged engines have been spotted earlier this year. The info in this report means the spied vehicles were not 458 replacement mules, but prototypes for the 458 facelift.
Over in Maranello, friends get to call the car 458M and it seems that this designation holds the key to no less than 552 hp. Wait, we’re talking forced induction here, so torque is king - like we said, the 3,855 cc unit on the California is expected to receive serious tech attention before going into the 458M. Expect something around 557 lb-ft (750 Nm) of torque.
While the McLaren 12C managed to catch the 458 off guard in terms of the power to weight ratio, the revamp isn’t going to leave things like this. Of course, McLaren has moved on to the 650S meanwhile, so this will be an interesting battle. One thing is certain - the Ferrari 458M is going to have a set of monster performance.
Of course, turbocharging doesn’t come without its issues. For one thing, Ferraris need their special character. If the exhaust sound in a McLaren 12C is mediocre for a supercar, Ferrari can’t afford that, so expect a pretty tasty soundtrack on their part.
Just as importantly, the 458 is well known for its tail-happy character. With natural aspiration, the linear power delivery meant it was easy for the driver to modulate the power. Well, Ferrari will strive to bring the turbo’s behavior as close to this as possible. Spanners crossed.
As for the designation, Ferrari could choose the gradual transformation path they’ve selected for the Cali, which means we’ll end up with a 458 T. Or it could look into its history and change that designation despite the fact that the car won’t be an all-new model.
Somewhere in here we were supposed to mention the turbocharging will also increase something called “fuel efficiency”. There you go, we covered this aspect...
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