The 458 Italia, Ferrari's V8 supercar, is the default choice in its category. Sexy, with a fabulous design and the latest in automotive technology, it is a pure driver’s car to be enjoyed by anyone who can afford it.

Yet McLaren plans to spoil Ferrari’s party claiming that its own brand-new supercar, the MP4-12C, can beat it. On paper, little separates them. But the question for car fanatics remains: which one is better?

To find out, Channel 5's Fifth Gear presenters Tiff Needell and Jason Plato decided to pit the Ferrari against its new challenger from Britain. Their verdict? To find out, just follow the jump and watch the video…

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We’ve been patiently waiting for the new season of Top Gear to come to our screens, but the time is almost here as the first episode of the series will air on Sunday.

Following last week’s release of the first teaser of season 17, BBC has now aired a second video highlighting the antics of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.

Among the other cars featured in the trailer are a McLaren MP4-12C taking on a Ferrari 458 Italia, a BMW 8-Series Coupe compared to a Mercedes CL, the rally version of the Mini Countryman and a Chevrolet Corvette from the early 1990s. You can check out the trailer for the new season of Top Gear after the break.

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In today’s economy, AU$1.0 will get you US$1.06, but it seems Australia’s overseas automakers have yet to acknowledge this. A Lamborghini Aventador, for example, costs a hefty AU$754,600 – or more than twice the price you would pay for one in the U.S. of A. And its 51% pricier than a V12 powered Lamborghini Diablo was ten years ago. This was tolerable when the Aussie dollar was worth 64 U.S. cents a few years ago, but those days are over.

While TV’s, computers and mobile phones have all become more affordable, supercars have not. It’s so bad that one prospective Lamborghini buyer, businessman Ra Hazouri, has flat out refused to pay.

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It seems that there is a tune for just about everyone and everything these days, from subtle to extreme, and all points in between. We do not know where exactly this Ferrari 458 Italia from German tuning firm Graf Weckerle fits in that spectrum, but those odd-looking alloy wheels are sure to catch the attention of every passerby. Read more »

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The first ever Ferrari dealership in India opened its doors today in the heart of New Delhi. The Grand Opening, which was hosted by Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa, Ferrari Commercial and Marketing Director Enrico Galliera, and Ashish Chordia, Chairman of the Shreyans Group, the official Ferrari importer for India, was devoted to the members of the local and international press. India is the 58th country where Ferrari is present in the world. Read more »

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In Australia and indeed the world, Ferrari waiting lists are notoriously long. At one point the average wait time for a Ferrari 575M Maranello was as much as three years, as demand rapidly stripped out the brand’s relatively small production capacity. Whatever is a cashed up Ferrarista to do?

Well, you could just buy whatever’s available and drive that until your hot pink Ferrari 458 with the diamante-encrusted wheel arches and baby seal leather interior arrives. I mean, who cares about depreciation when you can lay down half a million on a factory fresh Ferrari? You’d be surprised how many Ferrari customers in Australia are doing this exact thing.

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When Ferrari released the 458 Italia back in 2009, the Italian supercar surprised the world not only with its performance (after all, it's expected from a new Ferrari to set the bar high), but with its high-tech gadgetry as well.

Using Formula 1 expertise, Ferrari put almost all of the car's controls on the steering wheel, including the indicator switches, windshield wipers, long beam, horn, engine start button, Manettino switch, suspension de-coupling, gearshift paddles, audio volume and track selection system.

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You’ve probably heard about Ferrari’s track-alicious 458 Italia Challenge, the latest in a line of racers to emerge from Maranello’s production cars. Revealed to the public for the first time at the Bologna Motor Show last December, the Italian company has produced a new video of the hardcore supercar hot lapping the Monza circuit in the hands of the Stefano Gai, World Champion in the Trofeo Pirelli Italia 2010, with breathtaking footage from two in-car cameras.

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Challenging the notion that a true Ferrari has to be red, Anderson Germany has whipped up a murdered out 458 Italia with both styling and mechanical upgrades. Starting with the visible modifications, Anderson Germany's Ferrari 458 is finished in a black color and features a carbon fiber package that includes a pair of vents on the front hood, spoiler lips, rear diffuser and exterior mirrors. The German tuner also tinted the Italian supercar’s windows, headlamps and taillights. Read more »

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Internet users visiting Ferrari’s official website today were greeted by a modified home page with a special wallpaper featuring a green FF, a white 458 Italia and this year’s F1 race car in red, which combine to make a motoring version of the Italian flag. This is Ferrari’s online way of celebrating the 150th anniversary of Italy’s unification. In addition, the automaker said that the window displays in the forty Ferrari Stores spread around the globe were decked out in the colors of the Italian flag.

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A no-nonsense, classic American muscle car from the 1960s going head to head with a high-tech, thoroughbred Italian supercar in the ultimate quarter mile race. What more could you ask to make this battle more interesting? Well, how about a $400,000 wager?

The story has it that Dan Bilzerian, owner of a ‘tricked-out’ 1965 427 Shelby Cobra, placed a bet that his American muscle car can beat his friend Tom Goldstein's 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia in a quarter mile race.

On March 9, 2011, the two men brought their cars down to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway racetrack and put their money where their mouth is. And no, we won’t spoil the surprise by telling you who won the bet. Video follows after the break.

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Mansory's products are always eye-catching (if not necessarily attractive), whether they be a clear coat carbon Aston Martin named Cyrus or that silly pink Bentley. Beauty, after all, is in the eye of the beholder. That being said, allow me to introduce you to the Siracusa. Rant and rave in the comments below.

Underneath all the new and revised carbon fiber body panels (now with more louvers!) is a Ferrari 458 Italia. Named after a Sicilian raceway, the Siracusa has received a respiratory performance boost to 590 horsepower / 434 kW and 560 Nm / 413 lb-ft representing gains of + 20 hp and + 20 Nm / 15 lb-ft over the standard model.

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The new Ferrari FF won't be the only model from Maranello to make its world premiere at the 2011 Geneva Salon, as Carscoop has learned that the Italian supercar maker will also introduce a greener version of the 458 Italia equipped with the company’s HELE (High Emotion, Low Emission) technology, which improves CO2 emissions and reduces fuel consumption.

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Upgrading a Ferrari is a tricky job, but the guys at Novitec Rosso seem to be pretty good at it, judging from their latest interpretation of Ferrari's thoroughbred sportscar, the 458 Italia. The German aftermarket specialists offer a complete package that includes engine tuning, aerodynamic tweaks and styling upgrades, inside and out.

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Even before McLaren released the final specifications on the brand-new MP4-12C, we knew that the British firm's supercar was fast, but if we are to believe this video that mysteriously popped up on Youtube, then the MP4-12C has a serious speed edge over some of its most famed rivals - at least in a straight line race. The video shows the McLaren MP4-12C clearly beating both the Ferrari 458 Italia and the Porsche 911 Turbo MkII [997] in a drag race believed to have taken place at the Portimao Circuit in Portugal. You can watch the short clip along with a couple more fresh videos released by McLaren right after the jump.

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The owner of a brand new Ferrari 458 Italia with some 500 miles on the odometer in Brandon Florida received a quick lesson on the disadvantages of a low slung sports car in the land of pickup trucks and SUVs when a Ford F-150 ran over its hood. We don't know if the F-150 driver mistook Maranello's creation for a red speed bump or if the Ferrari owner questioned Ford's 'Built Tough' slogan, but something tells us this video is going to become a hit. You can watch the clip after the break.

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While Underground Racing admits that Ferrari has done a great job with the 458 Italia, the North Carolina-based tuner wants to spice up the Italian supercar as “something’s missing” from the stock setup. And what may that "something" be, we hear you ask? Why a turbo kit, or even better, how about two? Underground Racing will develop a Stage 1 system that will be fitted to the stock engine, while the Stage 2 conversion will be a more comprehensive update, including a custom built powerplant and force induction. More photos and videos alongside with performance numbers are said to follow soon.

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At this year’s Bologna Motor Show in Italy, Ferrari unveiled the fabulous 458 Challenge, a competition model boasting the standard model's 4.5-liter V8 capable of 570 hp. To promote the new racer, Ferrari also organized a series of tests at the Valencia circuit in Spain, inviting its own test drivers and Challenge Cup competitors to share their thoughts about the car. According to Raffaele De Simone, the 458 Challenge is faster than its predecessor, the F430 Challenge, but also easier to drive, while Maurizio Mediani was impressed with the double-clutch gearbox. Scroll down for the video.

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The 35th edition of the Bologna Motor Show in Italy, which runs for the public from December 4 to 12, saw Ferrari lifting the covers off the 458 Challenge, a track-only version of the automakers fiery -no pun intended- supercar. The 458 Challenge boasts a host of upgrades over its road-legal sibling to make it race worthy when it hits the grid in Ferrari's one-make race series from 2011.

While the Challenge keeps the 458 Italia's direct injection 4.5-liter V8 with an output of 570 hp at 9,000 rpm intact, Ferrari's engineers have made modifications to the gear ratios and calibration of its dual-clutch F1 gearbox to further improve torque at lower revs. The 458 Challenge is equipped with the E-Diff electronic differential already employed on the road-going version, a first for Ferrari's track-only cars. Another first for a Ferrari Challenge model is the adoption of the firm's F1-Trac traction control system.

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British car magazine Auto Express, has crowned the Ferrari 458 Italia their 2011 Performance Car of the Year (PCOTY). The magazine chose the Italian supercar from a list of 20 contenders, including other big names like the Audi V10 Spyder, Porsche GT3 RS, BMW M3 Competition and Mercedes SLS AMG. The Honda CR-Z, Renault Twingo Cup 133 and Skoda Fabia RS were the more down-to-earth cars of the group. Watch the video summary after the break to see what makes the F458 this year's performance car in AE's opinion.

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