Is suspension lift necessary on 458?

Nice but no must have.

 

agree, didn't have it on mine and didn't miss it, but of course it would depend where you live & your driving environment
my driveway isn't a problem, and I'm careful when entering gas station driveways, etc.
if it were the 'right' car, the lack of it wouldn't stop me from buying

 

Agree, adds unnecessary weight and lessens lowering
flexibility, fwiw I have a real low rider and never felt
the need to have a lifter, I just use caution and common sense

 

I thought I would need it because both of my driveway entries have fairly high curbs and are slightly steep, but entering at an angle avoids any issue. I have also not encountered any of the typical parking cement curbs that the car couldn't clear. I have a friend that has it installed on his car, and in the past couple of years he's never used it. That said, I'm sure there are some owner's that found it a "must have" based on their driving environment. I certainly would not allow that one item to be deciding factor in buying a car that meets all of your other requirements.



Jim

 

I agree with this gentleman. My 2010 458 which I bought in 2010 does not have it and it is a waste of money on this car.

Some cars like the Lamborghini Adventador have it as standard and it is beneficial.

good luck with your purchase

Best

Lee

 

My 458 has a lift. Although I dislike complexity, I am pleased the car has a lift. Because the streets are highly crowned in both my places, I need to lift the front to get into and out the drive straight on. Even with the lift, I cannot pull straight out at one of the places. To make things easier, I had my driveway apron widened to 30 feet. I can now hit the drive diagonally with no lift, but it's close.

My car is stock height.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

It really just depends on where you live. For me I find that the 458 already has good ground clearance and never am in a situation where a lift would be helpful.

 

I had a 911 turbo previously. Live in Maryland...Havent needed it. The ground clearance is better with my 458 than the 911 ( which i hit a few times) It seems to me when you need it , its prob too late to use. When i ordered the car, didnt see the benefit

 

If you ever plan on lowering your car, you would be very glad to have it.

 

I need it in all my cars. 458 spider, 458 Speciale and Cali T didn't need it since it was higher in clearance. I test drove a model S, dealer near us and it didn't clear unless it had a lift or different rims.

 

I have it on my 2011 458 and have been in situations where I needed it. When you need it, you really need it and it gives peace of mind. Unlike my Porsche, there is no rubber under the front, one mistake or misjudgment will be unforgiving. But as said by others, in the majority of instances, it is not needed, but only takes one time.

 

I drive my 458 very frequently around town and to go to work. I don't have a lift and I hardly ever scrape. So it really depends on where you live

 

You have a steep driveway. You want to lower the car. Get the lift. Why worry?

 

Not needed unless you have a very steep driveway. Skid plates make more sense for driving in general (just my humble opinion). Had a 12 Italia, without front lifter and had no issues with 10k miles of driving.

 

The 458 actually has pretty good clearance. I personally think it's better without the lift. Just more to go wrong, more weight, etc. The single button on the console looks nicer also in my opinion.

If everything else is spot on, then I think the lift is pretty low on the important list.

Since I just bought a 458, here are a few things that are noteworthy.

1. Folding mirrors sure are nice. I use them quite a bit. Of course, the normal mirrors can be folded in manually too.

2. Diamond cut rims are super easy to polish out if you accidentally rub the lip across a curb. Sand down and buff with a finger nail file, then clear coat. Painted wheels may be a little more difficult to repair.

3. Light color stitching on the dash reflects like a hologram in the windshield. I'm actually going to recover my dash in alcantara and black stitching. For one, alcantara will match the rest of my interior better, and for two it will resolve the reflection thing. Not a big deal, but something to be aware of.

4. If you like music, the iPod attachment is very nice to have. Also, the stock stereo is a bit lacking. It's okay, but I think the JBL one is probably a nice upgrade.

5. Rear view camera is super handy. The car has decent viability actually, but the rear camera is very nice to have.

6. Sport sills look real nice. Not sure how the car looks without them, but with them they give a nice finished look.

7. Racing seats are nice, but so are electric. I have full electric with memory and heat in mine and really like them. The racing seats are comfortable also, but the bolsters kinda much. Also, the racing seat height can only be adjusted up and down via the use of tools.

8. With the satellite radio (I believe) the car has a shark fin looking antenna on the roof. Cars without that option have a smooth roof.

Anyway, that's a few things just off the top of my head to consider.

Ray

 

This driveway should be ok, I reckon I could even negotiate it with
my car, plenty of space for diagonal egress and ingress

 

I have it on my 2012 Spider and never used it. I lowered the car 1 inch and use it now.

 

Have it, daily drive it and never use it.

Go to Whole Foods every day that has speed bumps and don't use it there either.

Bought the car with it so glad it has it in just in case but certainly not a deal killer.


Cars:

2013 Ferrari 458 Spider
2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S Cab

 

+1. But for me, I use/need it a fair amount. If I visit a location I may frequent with some regularity (like a local gas station), I will gingerly not use the lifter the first time. If I make contact, I use the lifter and file away in my brain the need to use the lifter at that location. If no contact, I just don't hit the lifter button at that location. I find there are enough locations where I need to use the lifter that I'm glad I have it. Beware that just because your front clears does not always mean the fins on your rear diffuser will clear (although they mostly do).

 

Imo you don't really need such a lift if you know how to drive a Ferrari

Go and get that 458 .... good hunting !

 

Agreed. I wish my 430 had one.

 

I ordered it in my 458 and never needed it for the 2 years I owned the car. I ordered my 488 without it and again have not had an issue...Both cars have pretty good clearance in comparison to many exotics....

 

I live in a hilly area and used the lifter on my 458 regularly. I scraped twice when I failed to use it (fortunately, the front license plate frame took all of the abuse).