A host of celebrities and philanthropists were on hand last night at an auction held to sell the first U.S.-market Ferrari 458 Italia and benefit the Catholic Medical Mission Board and the William J. Clinton Foundation's Haiti relief efforts. The haul? $530,000 smackeroos, a healthy sum for a good cause--both human and mechanical.
In addition to the 458 Italia, Ferrari also auctioned a racing suit worn by Fernando Alonso ($31,000) and two Scuderia Ferrari team experiences for the Canadian Grand Prix ($20,000 and $21,000 each), bringing the total raised for the relief effort to a sizable $601,000.
the Ferrari 458 Italia is the replacement to the F430, with an even more enticing exterior design and a potent 4.5-liter eight-cylinder powerplant rated at 570 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. That's enough to hurl the mid-engine rear-driver to 62 mph in a scant 3.4 seconds and on to 202 mph top speed.
For more details on the 458 Italia, read our coverage here.
[Ferrari]
