Hello All! I am converted...488 all the way...first 50 miles driven today Wow...what an amazing machine 488 Spider -Sound...yes sound is different but man I really like the growl -fast and responsive -aggressive yet elegant looks 458 Speciale -high revs -a bit angrier -unrefined and aggressive looks Ferrari did it right!
Not sure I agree with that conclusion although it is a reasonable and understandable one. The 488 does not quite have the purity of the Speciale and the handling is not as sharp with front end pushing wide at track limits compared with Speciale. The extra power from the turbos is great and the engine is something of a masterpiece, considering it uses turbo technology. The Speciale engine is a masterpiece full stop. I (will) have both cars. I drove the 488 Spider for about 500 miles over a weekend and the 488 coupe over two days on track at Fiorano. There is something really appealing about the 488 Spider though. It is good looking, maybe about the same as the Speciale to my eyes, although if forced to pick I would probably go with the older car. The Spider has the open roof and a bit more usability (my Speciale has harnesses, which I spec'd and love on that car) and mixes astonishing speed, with friendly on limit handling, an exciting driving experience and some really nice advances to the interfaces, including the availability of apple CarPlay. In short, a brilliant successor to the 458. Who's to say the 488 Speciale, which should technically suffer from having no n/a engine, won't be a significant step ahead of the 458 version in enough other areas as to render the lack of n/a engine unimportant?
To be honest. Although owning a GTB, I am still looking for a Speciale. Which is difficult. Not as a replacement, however!
To each his own. I wouldn't trade my Speciale for any turbo car (F40 excepted!). Don't like the buttholes above the door handles.
Thanks all for your feedback, I felt the same way before and after. Maybe the answer should be 488 Speciale Aperta! I was going plug in for fun!
my impression as I am driving both side by side. Not on a track etc. The immediate power available is amazing almost anywhere in the band...wow...maybe it's the top down experience I missed on my previous 458 Spider tainting my experience... Not saying the Speciale isn't the best car I have driven including Lambos, Porsches etc, (road and track driving). There is definite improvements all around...
Hi guys, As a previous 458 Spider owner, current Speciale owner, I can honestly say that I don't understand the comparison between the 488 and the Speciale. The two cars are built for entirely different purposes. To penalise the 488 for not being as "hard-edged" as the Speciale is non-sensical, as the car is primarily a road car. Having driven a 488 already, I believe it is an overall improvement over the 458. The SSC2 is a welcome inclusion, the gearbox is Speciale-quick, and the additional torque is a welcome change. The noise is just not the same, however this for me was a minor setback and could quite easily be addressed through the changing out of the backbox. Regards, H
Agree with your points... I think we compare because 1) we are considering one or the other 2) they are different and want to know 3) we have both
Love your car. Similar spec as my gtb and my spider ordered for this fall. I LOVE the white but I'm starting to consider a triple layer like Rosso Fuoco which has gotten into my head.
I don't understand a coupe vs spider comparison much less one accross 2 generations. For me, a spider always has a built-in fun advantage to start with
Both great cars with different personalities. I wouldn't compare as to say which is "better". Love them both. In my opinion, 488 is classy and so easy to drive. I could drive it just about anywhere. Drive the speciale when you want to feel like a F1 driver. Image Unavailable, Please Login
