Japanese Car Auction Find – 2012 Ferrari 458 Italia

We’re moving a bit upscale for today’s Japanese car auction find. It’s a 2012 Ferrari 458 Italia, which is the original two-seat berlinetta version of the car that made its original debut a little more than five years ago at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Ferrari 458 succeeded the Ferrari F430 Coupe, however you wouldn’t be able to see any relationship by looking at the two cars. The 458 has a much more invigorating design, and was developed specifically with technology from the firm’s experience in Formula 1 racing.

We can start by talking about what’s under the hood of this renowned Italian sports car. This 2012 458 Italia boasts a 4.5L V8 engine with direct fuel injection. It can output a rubber-burning 562 hp at the redline, and a full 398 lb-ft of torque. Plus, the car has a very efficient rev-range; Ferrari brags that you can access 80% of the car’s torque by 3,250 rpm, which is a hair over a third of the car’s 9,000 rpm redline. The 458’s engine is paired with a dual-clutch 7-speed GETRAG transmission.

Of course, all of these specs are meaningless until you put them into real-world numbers… The Ferrari 458’s official 0 to 100 km time (aka. 0 to 62 mph) is a staggering 3.4 seconds, and its top speed is 202 mph (325 km/h).

While the engine is what gives this 2012 Ferrari 458 Italia its power, you’ll need to thank the double wishbone suspension and the perfectly symmetrical 50/50 mid-engine mount. This perfect front-rear balance and performance-tuned suspension allow for precise motion control throughout all states of movement and acceleration. When you pair that with Ferrari’s incredible traction control systems – E-Diff and F1-Trac – it’s no wonder that piloting the 458 is regarded as nothing short of an epic experience.

Looking inside the Ferrari 458 Italia, you’ll find a highly organic interior with a surprising amount of legroom for the driver and his/her passenger. This car showcases the epitome of luxury materials – fine leather seating and upholstery with subtle red accent stitching. Ferrari also kept the dashboard controls minimally complicated. Navigation and vehicle information is delivered via dual-purpose LCD screens, and many of the controls such as turn signals and wipers can be directly controlled from the steering wheel.

All in all, this 2012 Ferrari 458 Italia is an incredible Japanese car auction find. We don’t always see these newer Ferrari models hit the auction floors in Japan, simply because people really like holding onto them. So, if you’re interested, be sure to get more details for this one by reading the translation below the auction sheet:

Grade 4.5, interior B, first registered September 2012, 458 Italia model, AT, AC, service book, original alloy wheels, two wheel drive, power steering, power windows, leather, airbag, one owner, Cornes official dealer left-hand drive import, ¥3.7 million worth of option items, 2012 model, carbon fibre-look wrapping, protective film on headlights, spare remote key, seats have minor wear, marks where a mount has been on the dashboard, scratches, marks as per map