Why does "everyone" prefer the 458 over the 488?

I have to ask ... why 5 ?

 

Engines kept falling out. But the gearbox was fine.

 

Ok in seriousness…when I started out I could only justify keeping one exotic at a time and moved on to the next Ferrari or Lambo etc. Or from coupe to Speciale to Spider. Always regretted selling and came back to another 458. Once you’ve tried just about everything out there, it’s easier to understand what you love.

 

Huge turbo lag on the 80's even 90's and 2000's...NO THANK YOU. Ferrari did the right thing with a 488.

 

Agree, reducing lag has been a game changer for modern well-designed turbo systems. The old single turbo setups just sucked.

 

single v twin is not the cause of lag in cars from that era

the improvements have largely been metalurgical and in geometry

in the 80s you couldn't make the turbine out of a material which was light and wouldn't melt, things have improved a lot in modern era

CNC machines are also a lot better and can cut much more complex/efficient shapes than was possible in the 80s

the fact it's a twin turbo doesn't have anything to do with it, in fact the amount of displacement powering each turbo hasn't changed much, 3.9l powering two turbos would give you the same lag as 1.95l powering a single turbo of the same size

 

I'm enthused about the electric-assist turbo that Porsche put into their most recent 911 GTS. 26psi, 12k rpm in 0.8 seconds with an electric assist to reach those numbers even before the exhaust flow is sufficient to sustain it. Modern turbos definitely aren't what you're remembering from the 80s.

The 458/488 question seems to simply be a matter of what aspects of a car you consider most appealing. We're not all shopping for the same things and it stands to reason we don't all decide on the same car. If someone else prefers a different car than you, it's not a personal attack.

 

Meh, opinions differ.....

 

you cant have opinions about engineering fact

 

The opinions of why multi-turbo systems can deliver a smoother spool up power delivery are held by most knowledgeable that have real experience with both types.

And this was known in the 1990s, long before any of the recent advances in turbo design. Go on Rennlist and search for differences between 964s and 993s.

And BTW, while something may be a fact.....the applicability of how useful a fact is in an application is ALWAYS up for debate...we go through this kind of analysis quite often in Engineering.

BTW, are there ANY manufacturers even using single turbo setups even with all these recent innovations? I suspect not....

 

I've not run into a single 458 owner personally whose had an issue with a 458's gear box. I have had 2 friend with 488's who have had turbo issues so let's not go there .

 

If you search this and the California forum, you will find numerous issues with the cars up to 3 years or so into the production run

 

I personally know people that had issues with the 458's (most minor, one serious), as well as 488's with issues, mostly minor, ie. coil packs, but one with an oil pump issue, so I will call that one major.
But thankfully nobody that has a turbo issue (yet). The first thing I did when I was researching the 488 was to go speak to my local dealer's top mechanic and ask about its reliability. He said that he doesn't see any real or repeated issues with any 488's. When I said, "how about the turbos". He said that he hasn't had to repair many, maybe one or two over the years, and they were worked or tuned. He said they were very reliable if left stock.
If he said that they came in often for turbo issues, I wouldn't have purchased the car.

 

As mentioned upthread, Porsche went from a twin turbo in the 991.2 GTS to a single blower in the facelift, achieving the same performance goals with the electric-assist tech.

* https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a60914997/2025-porsche-911-gts-t-hybrid-engine-details/
* https://newsroom.porsche.com/en/press-kits/911/Drive-technology--engine-and-gearbox.html

 

Just quoting the reports.

 

We are all blessed to even be having this discussion lol. Stay humble gents

CHEERS!

 

Certainly agree with no wrong answer. I just questioned who ever made the comment with regards to reliability.

BTW

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IMO all these cars have enough power.

My point is that with a turbo and the massive torque difference one can have more fun whilst still keeping ones license.

 

I guess you were lucky. Point is there were those that had issues.

 

Just asked Ferrari service department . The order was California , 458 none on the 488GTB yet in July 2025.

Please allow me to ask. Your friends with the 488 GTB are they the original owners ? Did they change anything on their cars, exhaust , cat , ECU ?

Please ask them to get on here if they are the original owners and left their cars stock and give us details with regards to what happened.

Just remember man made , man can FU

 

Chat GPT lol



How an Inconel Exhaust Impacts the 488 GTB

1. Sound Quality:
   
   • Inconel systems (like those from Kline, Novitec, or Brooks Racing) give the 488 a much sharper, F1-inspired scream.
     
     
   • It dials back the muffled, whooshy turbo noise and brings out more of that exotic high-pitched tone the 488 lacks stock.
     
     
   • It won’t match the 458’s 9,000rpm wail, but it gets you way closer than most expect.
     
2. Weight Reduction:
   
   • Inconel is significantly lighter than stock exhausts — improves handling and responsiveness.
     
3. Heat Management:
   
   • Inconel can withstand brutal temps, which helps turbo longevity and reduces heat soak around the engine bay.
     
4. Perceived Emotion Boost:
   
   • The right exhaust gives the 488 the emotional drama most people miss from the 458 — and that’s where the 458 usually wins.
     

So... Does the 488 Beat the 458 With Inconel?
Performance-wise: ✅ Already won.
Sound: ❗️ Now a close fight — still not quite a 458, but way more exotic and satisfying.
Driving Emotion: Leveling up, but the 458 still feels more raw and unfiltered.
Final Word:
A 488 GTB with an Inconel system closes the emotional gap significantly.
It becomes a car that’s faster, sharper, and now sounds worthy of the badge — especially if paired with carbon bits, lower springs, and a proper tune.

If you're choosing between:

• A stock 458 Italia
  
  
• and a tastefully modified 488 GTB with Inconel, carbon, and OEM+ spec
  

...then honestly? The 488 might now be the better all-around car — unless you're a purist chasing the last NA Ferrari V8 experience.

Want help optimizing your current 488 spec for sound and resale value?

 

You realise the Pista has inconel from the factory ?

 

Chat AI fail. Nowhere close to a NA Ferrari.

 

I wouldn't trust what F dealers/F dealer mechanics say. My local F dealer told me 'we have never heard of any transmission issues in 458s or 488s'.

 

You are correct about that if you are asking service writers these questions. When I ask service writers, my problem always seems like it's the first time they are hearing it. It's probably part of their universal training for the job, lol. I don't even bother asking them anymore.
In my case, when I asked about the reliability of the 488, , I am friendly with the head mechanic and basically friends with him. He helps me out with questions that I have when I work on my own car, I have known him for about 13 years. It's definitely not a trust issue. I believe him when he tells me the issues and problems he sees, there's no reason to lie. So, the only reason that he would be "wrong" would be because he didn't run into certain issues by luck (Or possibly forgot). Which of course is possible, but as time goes on, the percentage of failures he sees are going to be more accurate and representative of actual percentage of failures with each model.
As time goes on, we will see more and more problems with the 458 as well as the 488, so we will really know what we are in for.

 

Personal preference, I prefer clean 458 lines, don't like gaping wounds in 488 rear quarter panels.

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