One of them driven 31,000 km (19,200 miles) since February is for sale for SFr 275k ($286,000). If they can sell it for that I would say the price has held up very well. This would indicate strong demand. Think about how much more a 430 or 360 with 20k miles would depreciate.
I was at exotics racing in Las Vegas this past weekend and put in 10 laps in the 458 as well as many laps in the 430 Scud, 430, Gallardo and the Porsche. Total blast! Highly recommend to any car lover that doesn't already get to track a car... I have to say I was surprised by the 458...and, hold on, gotta put my flame proof suit on here...okay...disappointed. The steering was soooo light and somewhat numb, the electronic protectors of ham-fisted drivers (like me) were evident early and often too. I say disappointed because I had just stepped out of 10 laps in the Scud. Loved that car on the track. Sure, I would take a 458 (or even a regular 430 or a 575) over the Scud if I drove it on the street...but on the track the scud was much more pure and fun. The instructor in the car and I spent the entire time in the 458 talking about two things: (1) how it didn't feel like a Ferrari, but rather like a (his words) "Japanese car", and (2) how fantastic the drivetrain in the 458 is. That engine (after several 9000 rpm shifts) and double clutch are far and away the best I've driven. So, great engine, best-yet auto manual clutch, but "softer" than either a 430 or a Scud... I wish I could have gotten lap times. My sense was that they (the Scud and 458) were pretty equal on that track. Its a pretty tight track and only 1.1 miles long with a .2 mile straightaway, so not much chance for the 70HP difference to account for much...I do suspect (not sure, but I'm guessing) that the 458 carried more speed into the corners because I kept plowing more in the 458 despite having learned the track a little as it was the last of the five cars I drove. Meaning I think I was underestimating my speed and ending up off line and over-correcting, thus pushing the front end out...That said, I came away thinking the 458 under-steers much more than the Scud. Re the light steering (I'll add "fast" too)...I agree, it would be something that one would adjust/get used to...it was very notable after being in the other four cars that day though and then only in the 458 for 10 laps... I have to say, being able to drive the cars on a track and one after the other is an amazingly insightful experience. Not the perfect or all-encompassing experience of owning one and driving its lots of miles of course, but nonetheless very insightful.
Funny you should mention AMG - I was stopped at a light the other day right by an AMG w/woman & small kid in it. Thought the exact same thing you did - way more in that car than'll ever get used. Otoh, made me think that I wouldn't mind getting a vanilla Merc one of these days - I like the styling, interior, and any of the sports versions will have plenty of grunt, so no need for the AMG version. Progress ain't all bad; however, it does change the paradigm in which we operate a bit.
Your point is that you think that is too many for sale? And that indicates that people are dumping them? I wonder how many of them have been imported to CH from elsewhere in Europe, because of the price differential here. By the way, I heard from a dealer that the price is going down next year due to the strength of the CHF (too right!), so maybe people are trying to sell before that happens. There are also 4 Enzos, 2 F40s and no less than 46 599s for sale. There are a lot of Ferraris here in Switzerland! Highest per capita ownership in the world?
Getting back to the original thread; the only annoyance I've found is the 2011 model does NOT have the auto folding rear view mirrors. That kind of sucks because I actually used them in the 2010 model. I understand that they will probably put it in as an "option" which is kind of lame. Guess i just have to get out and fold them manually.
I should have stopped reading after 'professional race car driver'. 99% of 458 drivers aren't professional race car drivers. 90% of the people who buy the 458 won't go to the track (a proper one, not a drag strip or a circle). 'The 458 is as close to an F1 car as one can currently get'. Have these professional race car drivers driven F1 cars? Chalk and cheese. I agree about the gearbox, yes it's faster and safer. Doesn't mean one has to love it. Driving round a track without dropping below 7500rpm...I know of no track (one with corners) where this is regarded as a good idea. Especially in a 458 with CST off. Not even at Monza, Hockenheim or Enna Pergusa. All I'm trying to say is...Most people don't buy the 458 to go to the track in. They buy it to drive on the road. And at ordinary speeds some find it boring. Which is fine. I'm actually starting to like the 458 more and more. Hated it when it first came out, pretty cool car now.
ACR might be last of its kind ... Don't have to grab it by the throat to know you're driving, and seems to run okay when you give it the bidness. http://hubpages.com/hub/Top-10-Fastest-Nurburgring-Laps-Production-Cars
there are indeed many 599's for sale. a great car but probabaly massively overpriced when new in today's world
What's wrong with the 458? Show me a car that doesn't have flaws, and I'll consider this question more seriously. If one argues that the 458 is not raw enough driving below 70 mph, then I'll show you someone who bought the car for the wrong reason. If you argue that most people don't buy Ferraris to take to the track to explore it's true potential, yet expect the total experience around town, then you're asking the Italian mistress for a night of passion without even taking her out to dinner. The 458 offers to you all the capabilities of a true sports car, the question is do you have all the capabilities of a driver that can bring it out of her. I am certainly not this driver, and so you won't hear me complaining. Life's a bowl of cherries, you have to deal with the pits.
No street legal car is anything even remotely close to an F1 car or any other race car for that matter. But I'm sure Ferrari likes to promote the image. Dave
Should have but didn't. Racecar, one of those words that can be separated or combined, here in Indianapolis we have a little race each year with 33 racecar drivers And I am not sure how what I said previously would have indicated what 99% and 90% have to do with anything I said. Yes, some of them have. And all of them have driven either LeMans Prototypes, IRL machines or older vintage and even some current F1 machines. Which by the way, current F1 machines don't have as much F1 nannies as the 458. To slow down the F1 speed parade and in an attempt to control costs, launch control, traction control, and a host of other F1 derived technologies that can be found on the 458 are now banned on a current F1 car. You could make an argument that the 458 has more F1 technology than a current 1 car. Whoops, I think I just did I would recommend that all 458 owners should take a driving course at the Ferrari Driving Experience. You will experience first hand what the 458, 599 HGTE and Scud are capable of. And the professional racecar drivers are amazing to learn from. Love it, no. But you do have to learn how to use it. A lot of people think it is just plug and play, it's not. With all the other technology on the car you can do things with the double clutch system that you just can't do with a 3 pedal car. Speed being one of the things. The driver that learns to utilize all of the technology the best can get the best out of the car. Driving a Ferrari fast without the nannies is not the way to go fast. Same as a three pedal car. I guess you don't know enough tracks. And why would you drive the 458 to the edge with CST off, unless I guess you want to go slower and scare yourself to death or worse. I did it at Mont Treblant, and I have done it at Road America and I have come close to getting it done at Indy's new Formula One track. Out of two days at Mont Treblant, I had only 2 golden laps. So that is not to say that keeping the 458 between 7500 and 9200 is easy but it is akin to driving a video game. It is an amazing experience and one that ever 458 owner should experience at least once, unless they don't want to go incredible fast and that's okay too. But until you take the 458 to the edge of its envelope, you don't know what it or you are capable of. You are correct though that many if not most of them will not. I was just suggesting that Lee try it before he dumps his 458, it just might show a side of the car that has been hidden so far Well said, but just because they find it boring doesn't mean something is wrong with the 458. This was the most interesting thing you said. What made you change your mind? Did you drive one at speed? Do a lap or two? Or just drive one in the parking lot?
I think the 458 is a very boring car i driven one for a week there nothing there i ran the crap of it but doesnt do anything for me , it to quite of a car it doesnt sound like a ferrari at all , I rather have a scud anytime I feel the power the noise that it should make sound like a ferrari the raw performace of the car,the way it handle at the street and track it beat the Enzo track time anytime it has everything you want in a ferrari, the sound it makes,the handling and the raw look of it and it a beauiful car on top of all that.
09, I find that all very interesting and just goes to prove, to each his own or was it bone? I can never get those two straight. So you tracked a 458 on a Formula One calibur track. You ran the crap out of it for days. You got the car up to 190+MPH repeatedly and it didn't do anything for you. Did you have the windows down? Just asking Actually we really need more guys that feel like you do or else the bottom would fall out of the used Scud market.....oh wait.......Sorry
I just don't see how you can use 570 HP on the street. Where are you going to get this car out of third gear? Really? I would think it would get to be frustrating, not being able to use all the gears and in the higher rev ranges. Us poor folks in the 308/328 circles like to say, "we'd rather drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow". Of course, we're just rationalizing our old, slow F-cars but, at the same, time, I think there is a glimmer of truth to the sentiment. It's fun being able to crank the snot out of a Ferrari...and still only be at around 100MPH! LOL!
Scuds are fun but old technology. It's like you are my teenage son who likes a lot of grunting and bumpy ride of and old muscle car. When you want all out performance and massive sound turn off the computer in a 458 and it is louder than any scud I have raced. I have video of us chasing instructors in their scuds while we followed in our 458. I can share with you the tight wound up sound difference of the 458. You are right the 458 sounds like a gt car or forumla one. Scuds feel the road more, handle as well if not better, and are harder to drive and harder on your body. The 458 is butter and a hell of a lot faster.
Phenomenal car with unquestionably great ability and technology...surely different than GT3 RS (or other "competitors) but so? As for Evo and a few others, as good as they used to seem, lately it seems almost silly to listen to their perspective-- In the eCoty edition, 4 of ten guys say the 458 is the best this year. 6 rate GT3 RS as best. Why? One has a "stick", nothing but empty holes in the dash where air con/sound system etc should be, along with a built in (and if you've owned a Porsche Motorsport car you understand) crude PMS roll cage, sparsely appointed (door pulls) cabin and a big, gaudy wing. The other is said to have a fantastic engine, great and well finished cabin, super tranny, sound and aero package... Both are dymanically better than the cars they replaced and so good that I'd suggest nearly no one that owns them will ever reach their true potential. As I said, Evo's "wolf pack" picked the GT 3 RS-- I've owned, driven hard and absolutely loved 997 GT3s. I admit to honestly enjoying great Porsche's, period. They drive differently and need to be driven hard differently than any other sports performance car. But to say its "better" because 2 guys out of ten drivers in wet conditions on ratty British B roads picked a GT 3 RS over a 458 is simply lunacy. My take--its all about how you "feel" with any car if its truly is a world class performer...which both are. And the facts are that some like the old school feel while others prefer what comes from Maranello. So to say there is something "wrong" with the 458 when it comes in "2nd" based on the above criteria, judged as it is, by decent but not ALL spectacular mag writers--belies truth. If I had a vote, I'd have rather had the GT2 RS over both--but not in wet, tight unfamiliar conditions. And, bias as I am, I much prefer my 599 GTO over all of them. But THAT's MY OPINION--and honestly, there's not a lick unacceptable about any of these, the 458 included. My gripe is not that there's something wrong with the 458--but that Ferrari will simply make too many of them over the next few years. And, so like the 355, 360 and 430 before, the values of the 458 simply will never hold up to the level previously expected in such a special car... But on the otherhand, that means more owners will get to enjoy "nearly new" 458s in 5 to 6 years when the next iteration is released--and while this new one will undoubtedly be "better" or "faster", it doesn't mean there will be anything "wrong" with the 458--it is and will always be a world class performance car...
Put a scud and a 458 side by side what car would you take, you just opening the door and you would love the Scud the raw look of the car inside and out, I ran the 458 in tremblanc this summer and drove it 190k and up so what my Caddy feels the same at that speed i own my Scud for 2 year now I track the car all the time you feel like your in a F1 car the sound the car makes and the RAW look of the Scud you may have to look at the Top Gear video on the Scud Again and then let me know , Ciao
