Ferrari 458M spied, to debut at Paris

Even Ferrari isn’t immune to the downsizing and turbocharging trend that manufacturers all over the world have turned to including Volvo, Porsche, Honda and BMW. The next-gen supercar will bear the 458M moniker and is the more powerful and more eco-friendly version of the 458 as it is powered by the California T’s tubrocharged V8 petrol engine.

The California T’s 3.8-litre V8 engine currently churns out about 552bhp and 755Nm of torque but will be tuned to produce 100bhp more than the 458’s naturally-aspirated 4.5-litre V8. Expect a 660bhp power figure with over 800Nm of torque from low down in the rev range thanks to the turbocharger. The 458 Italia is no slouch and achieves the stand-still to 100kmph run in just 3.6 seconds though with an increased amount of power on tap, 0–100kmph times should improve to the sub-3-second area while the supercar will be able to top out at 320kmph. An increase in the 458 Italia’s current claimed fuel economy of 7.29kmpl is also expected.

There are some cosmetic changes as well as it looks like the new 458M sports a vent behind the front wheel arch to improve air flow down the side of the car. The central tail-pipe seen on the 458 Italia is given a miss and replaced with dual-pipe set-up from the 458 Speciale.

The largest point of contention is naturally the aural sensation that we have come to expect from Ferrari cars. In addition, Ferrari will have to use their usual technological wizardry like torque-limiting in lower gears and ECU managment tricks so that the 458M will be as much of a firecarcker to drive. Ferrari engineers will have to also develop a complex exhuast set-up to make sure the overall package that is the 458M is better than the 458 Italia it replaces.

The Ferrari 458M is expected to debut at the Paris Motor Show taking place this October.