Delphi Automotive LLP supplies the new Ferrari 458 Italia's heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. The system has a dual-zone heating facility and utilizes the American supplier's latest-generation compact variable compressor. To improve the 458's performance compared with the model it replaces, the F430, Delphi produced a unit that is 36 percent lighter yet gives a 15 percent increase in cooling power. Delphi, which has been supplying climate control technology to Ferrari since 1992, achieved the weight reduction with a lightweight condenser and compressor and by optimizing the design using aero-acoustic modeling techniques at its technical center in Luxembourg. The Italian supplier SPAL Automotive supplies the front-end double fan module for the engine cooling and the HVAC system.
Delphi provides further weight savings with its halogen-free wiring harnesses. The cable's insulation measures 0.2mm, half that of conventional coatings, reducing weight by up to 27 percent and volume by up to 47 percent. Being free from toxic halogens further improves the product's environmental credentials.
The 458 is equipped with the latest version of the MagneRide suspension system from Beijing West Industries Group. BWI acquired the system from Delphi in November 2009 when the Chinese firm bought Delphi's ride dynamics and brakes business units for $100 million. MagneRide uses dampers filled with an iron particle suspension. Passing an electric current through a surrounding coil creates a magnetic field, which in turn causes the iron particles to align creating the damping force. Since the strength of the damping force is proportional to the electric current, the damper can be controlled with great sensitivity in real time. The 458 showcases the second generation of the magneto-rheological suspension system, a significant improvement on the original introduced on the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, which had a damper force generation time of 15 milliseconds; in the new system the time is almost halved to 8 milliseconds.
ZF Friedrichshafen AG also contributes to the smoothness of the ride by providing the chassis mounts and the hydraulic powertrain suspension. The mounts use special rubber mixtures, capable of surviving the extreme temperatures generated by a high-performance vehicle.
Other noteworthy suppliers include Alcoa Auto Wheels, a division of Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products, which supplies lightweight forged aluminum wheels. Faurecia SA supplies the complete exhaust line from its site in Terni, Italy. This is new business for Faurecia, a result of its acquisition in February 2010 of Emcon Technologies.
Ferrari launched the 458 Italia at the 2009 IAA in Frankfurt. The supercar has a rear-mounted V-8 engine delivering a maximum 570 hp, resulting in a top speed of 202mph (325kph).
Ferrari assembles the 458 at its factory in Maranello, Italy. The supercar’s starting price is 197,000 euros (about $265,360) in Italy.
