Is the 458 spider worth the $100,000 over the F430 spider?

You can be the judge of that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgKjp1pq7iI

Kind regards,

Nuno.

 

to be honest this entire thread is pointless. Go drive both cars then you will know if its worth an extra $100k

All of our opinions are absolutely meaningless. You need to drive them.

Dunno about you but after a half hour I know if I love a car or not.

 

I don't know about the 430 but my jump from 360 to 458 was amazing. It took me about ten seconds in a test drive to realize that it was a totally different beast.

It cruses like a 1969 Cadillac, and if you jump on it it will school you. At first I thought it was lacking in the looks department compared to my red/tan 360 spider which got comments everywhere, but it is two humps of sublime. I thought the front was "iffy" with the two air intakes and the one oval grille, I thought the three exhaust and the Enzo lights were a little obvious dragging up past achievements.

But it is a very good looking car. It drives fantastic, the 360 was raw and exotic, the 430 is a large step forward in every way. I do think the red/tan 458 is slightly lacking, something about the front. My personal taste only. I love the white ones and the nero.

 

I am going against the crowd, but I am bias. I had it explained to me like this by a woman salesman (and I know it was a sales job), a 458 is great, any body can drive it, I can drive it. A 430 is the last man's car.
I bought a 430. And have loved it.
Another friend, who has had just about everything, currently driving an FF as he waits for a F12, "you know, I never had as much fun in an Italia as in my 430, it was just a whole lot funnier to drive"
Is the 458 a better car? Yes. Is it funnier to drive (which is really what it is all about)?
It's your $100,000.

 

for my girlfriend, the challenge stradale i am driving is "only worth $5,000 more than" her 2010 ford focus.

That's not a joke, its really her opinion.

 

My tastes are obviously faulty but it's saved me a lot of money. None of us are using much of the capabilities of our cars (whatever they are) on the street. But if you want to have the latest tech, and blast the fastest on that freeway onramp, and you feel any interior without a video screen is "dated," the 458 is the only way to go. But if you are a fortunate philistine like me, you find the 430 to be perfectly satisfying.

I drove a 458 at a track day and after one lap I was faster in it than in my 430. But I could feel the car helping me and so, for me, that doesn't count. I'm perfectly happy on the track in a slow car, trying to work on my skills. And I thought my 430 sounded better, although the 458 is great in every way. But my 430 to me is just as much fun and I'm more relaxed driving it because it isn't worth $300K. I even like the more simple interior and the looks, including the engine visibility.

I can understand why many want the latest thing, but as for me, I am much, much happier spending that extra money on another car. I find that having two exotics is three times more fun than just one car. And even better, it garners four times the disapproval from the wives of my friends.

 

And she's not your ex-girlfriend?

 

Really depends on your financial situation. If $100k makes no difference in your wealth, who wouldn't choose a 458?

In my case, I would have to finance that $100k difference....sure, I can do it (and the wife has no problem with me doing it) but the risk of default is higher if there is a family emergency and it would complicate the family budget. And there is the opportunity cost issue, coupled with financing a depreciating car.

For the OP, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess since he doesn't have a bunch of supercars, AND has to sell a 355 to make this happen, that his situation is more like mine than like the big hitters on here.

 

If you buy the 430 you will forever be second guessing yourself. If you park next to a 458 you may hate yourself. Spend the $$


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Not basically, explicitly, emphatically and redundantly.
It's a pretty awesome video for the 458, esp if you're a trsck oriented person.
For the daily driver/cruiser....meh.

 

Maybe I am too timid* but there are only about two gears you can "wring out" in a 458 before you are pushing the limits of regular roads.



*Ask TheMayor

 

The F430 spider is still one of my favorites. Modern, fast enough, and more analog than the 458.

And, in spider form, a "real spider". The 458 just doesn't have the F430's open feeling because of the large fins on the right and left side behind you.

I know it's not a Ferrari fan favorite but drive one and then see. I love hearing the gears slam when you hit the paddles. With the top down the engine and gear box noises are beamed into your ears like laser beams. I can't imagine what a 16m is like. Too bad they are so expensive now they don't get driven much.

The one thing the 458 has is just an amazing engine and engine note at 9 grand. It's why the 488 just doesn't do it for me.

The 458 is more of a GT. More user friendly, more comfort, and quieter on the freeway or just puttering around town. The gearbox for daily driving is much better but just seems too much like a video game where someone has tried to "program" emotion instead of the car actually having it. But, it appears to be very reliable and it's certainly fast if that's what you want.

 

Here's a sneaky thought: Give her the F355 for her birthday!

 

458 Spider is a beautiful car. Better looking than the 430 Spider. But $100k better? Even with more HP? I'd take the 430 and buy an additional car with the difference.

 

Also, still lots of room for the 458 to depreciate. The 430 seems to already have taken the bulk of the damage, and should remain a 6-figure car.

 

I agree....that's my point. Either car for regular road driving is overkill. So for that kind of driver, 100k is a lot to pay for some bragging rights.
But on the track it looks like a formidable tool.

 

You are absolutely right.

I don't "know".

But my money-in-my-mouth batting average is pretty damn good.

Is the 458 "better" than a 430 Scud ?
Is it better looking and better performing ?
Sure.

In ten years let's revisit the thread and see which is worth more (IE more desirable).

A 550 would absolutely wax a 250 GTO in every conceivable statistic.
Which would you rather own ?

 

550. I can take it to dinner. Drive it in the summer and it's got OK air conditioning. I can parallel park it on the side of the street and not worry about it. 250 GTO I'd have locked up in some garage 364 days a year.

Lets revisit this. Please. As cars with the F1 system age I don't think they're going to become more valuable than a car with better technology. Anymore than a selectric typewriter is massively collectable. But as you guys know my opinions are obnoxious and everyone has one...

 

I would go for Ferrari 430. My friend has this car and I have driven this car many times. I just love to drive this car. It is far smoother and faster car. It's design more aggressive and modern. Its instrumentation is functional and elegant. The F 430 will give you world class handling. The best features are no more timing belt and valve adjustment services.

 

I have a late 08 F430F1 which I've owned since 2013, and probably like many here occasionally wondered was I missing out on the later car?
So I went to my local AD and tried a 2013 458 Spider - very nice - fact.

BUT - the gearbox was too like my Competition Package F10 M5 and hell my wife loves driving that car and she won't go near the flappy paddle 430!!

So is it a better car than the 430 - yes of course, smoother, slightly quicker in the real world, better gearbox etc. not sure about the interior - I prefer the older school 430 feel, but maybe that's just me.

So what did I do - Kept the F430 for my Ferrari fix - and now love it even more!

Bought myself a 991 Turbo S Cab for the summer fun with the change - now that is quite a car - do I feel like I'm missing out on the slower 458? - no way!!

 

I had a 430 and went to a 458. The transmission alone is worth it!