Ferrari recently confirmed it plans to give each of its models a shelf life of about eight years, but will also give them a significant update—or “modificato” as Ferrari describes it—midway through their product cycles to keep ‘em fresh and allow a ‘new’ model to be released every year. We’ve already seen this with the transition of the California to the latest California T, and the next model due is an updated 458 Italia.

Set to arrive in 2015, the updated 458, code-named the 458M, is expected to receive a new turbocharged engine. However, this won’t be a V-6 unit as some have suggested, because Ferrari says it will stick with V-8 and V-12 engines for the foreseeable future.

CAR is reporting that the unit destined for the updated 458 will be a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V-8, just like the unit in the California T. However, we can expect the updated 458 to have more power and torque than the 552 horsepower and 556 pound-feet of torque of the California T, with as much as 670 horsepower mooted. This should finally give Ferrari’s entry-level mid-engine car the edge over McLaren’s 12C and latest 650S, which also come with twin-turbo 3.8-liter V-8s.

To ensure the car sounds as ferocious as ever, Ferrari will maintain a flat-plane crank and tweak the exhaust and electronic engine management systems. In order to maximize performance of the car, lessons learned from developing the LaFerrari flagship will also be applied.

Test mules for Ferrari's updated 458 have been spotted in public for the past six months, meaning the first prototypes should emerge soon. A debut at 2015's Frankfurt Auto Show is possible.

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