Among the many cars that the great Jeremy Clarkson has had the fortune to drive was the Ferrari 458, one of the most beautiful supercars to come out of the Prancing Horse factory, produced from 2009 to 2015 and successor to the Ferrari F430. The review took place in episode 6 of the 15th season when Jeremy Clarkson showed up in James May‘s newly purchased Ferrari F430 to demonstrate which of the two was better.
The Ferrari 458 is one of the most beautiful supercars from the Maranello automotive company
“This is James’ actual car, the one where he keeps a little brush to clean the air intakes. And he said we could borrow it, provided we didn’t change any of the settings or get it dirty in any way,” Clarkson began while making a mess everywhere eating snacks.
“Anyway, he also said I wasn’t supposed to drive it fast.” Unfortunately, a 458 showed up right beside him and challenged James’s car to a drag race, humiliating it. “The new car doesn’t just beat the old one, it humiliates it. It destroys it. It crushes it,” commented Jeremy Clarkson.
“I think if I’d just bought a 430, I’d be feeling sick now,” Clarkson added, obviously to mock May: “That feeling of never being able to drive it again, of looking like an idiot.”
At that point, Clarkson got behind the wheel of the 458 to test it himself, remembering how not all Ferraris were jewels, pointing out for example how the “348 felt like it had wooden tires,” while “the F50’s engine seemed bolted directly to your spine,” and much more.
With the 458, however, the first impression was different: “Oh my God! It’s incredible! It feels so light,” he exclaimed, then judging the transmission as “sensational. What an incredible machine! The rear end of the car is so planted. Thanks to its new suspension system, they’ve been able to install super-quick steering.”
He compared the engine noise to a bear’s roar, then added and concluded his review by saying: “The 458 is one of the greatest Ferraris ever and I swear I’m not just saying that to annoy James. It’s absolutely, incredibly, hypnotically brilliant. I think, and this is the only problem… I think it’s better than an F40.”