The Ferrari 458 Italia
has been nominated by UK television programme Fifth
Gear as its “Fast Car of the Year”. Reviewing
Ferrari’s latest mid-engined V8 sports car on a road
test in the hills above Maranello, home of the Prancing
Horse, Jason Plato described the 458 Italia as “a
beautifully-engineered bit of kit.” His praise went even
further when he declared: “I’m not kidding when I say
this is the best car I’ve ever driven, by a good way. It
is just amazing!”
The Fifth Gear Awards
are decided by the entire Fifth Gear team,
including presenters and crew, and are only given to the
most deserving and notable cars that have been featured
in either of the two latest series of Fifth Gear.
The Fifth Gear
“Fast Car of the Year” award comes on the back of whole
raft of other international awards for the 458 Italia,
including BBC Top Gear Magazine’s “Supercar of the Year”
and “Car of the Year”, GQ Magazine’s “Supercar of the
Year”, MSN Cars “Car of the Year”, and Auto Express’s
“Performance Car of the Year”.
The Ferrari 458 Italia
was first revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in
September 2009 to immediate critical acclaim. Following
an extensive international media test drive programme in
Maranello 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.
