For the second straight year, the Ferrari Italia 458 won the “Performance Car of the Year” from UK’s Auto Express magazine. It is not an easy feat for the Italian sport scar as it competed against a host of very exciting performance cars that are currently available in the UK market. The Ferrari Italia though was the clear favorite of the panel of judges once again as it outscored the other automobiles on all three categories, namely, performance, the ability to handle both road and track and sheer desirability.
Other performance cars that participated in Auto Express’ Performance Car of the Year test are Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe, Porsche Cayman R, Aston Martin Vantage S, McLaren MP4-12C, Renault Megane RenaultSport Trophy 265, Ford Fiesta Metal, Jaguar XKR-S, MINI Cooper SD and Audi RS3.
“Being a double winner of our Performance Car of the Year is a massive achievement for the 458 Italia, “ said Auto Express Editor in Chief, Steve Fowler. “Nothing has come close to matching its blend of performance, agility, style and quality – this is a car that’s as thrilling to drive as it is to look at, a joy to potter around in and an absolute blast to drive fast. It’s going to take some stopping at next year’s shootout.”
The Auto Express’ Performance Car of the Year award is not the only international accolade that the Ferrari Italia 458 has won. In fact, it already received more than 35 awards to date. In its debut year, the car received BBC Top Gear’s “Car of the Year” and “Supercar of the Year”, and Fifth Gear’s “Fast Car of the Year” awards. In 2010, the 458 Italia was named “Performance Car of the Year” by Auto Express, What Car? and CAR Magazine. This year, the car was honored as “2011 Best Driver’s Car” from Motor Trend, “Best Sports Car” from Auto Motor and Sport in Germany and “World Performance Car of the Year 2011.” The 458 Italia’s 4.5-liter V8 engine was also voted “Best Performance Engine” and “Best Engine Above 4 Litres” at the prestigious 2011 International Engine of the Year Awards.
Source: Teamspeed.com
