458 Spider Cowl shake

As far as I know, there isn't.

I agree that after owning a coupe it's noticeable.

 

Don't think there is anything you can do to stiffen...I know with mustangs you could weld in sub frame connectors, but 458 is a full frame chassis. Maybe ask your dealer if there is anything Ferrari offers.

 

You know come to think of it, my F430 spider is not too bad with cowl shake. I wonder if 458 spider is worse. My 12c spider is as stiff or stiffer than my 458 coupe.

 

My opinion was that it was a step backwards between the 458 and F430 spider. It may be that the 458 coupe is just stiff as hell that you notice it more.

I got a lot more seat belt rattles and shaking in the 458 spider than the coupe. I put it in "bumpy road" mode almost all the time. This seems to help.

 

I think you might be right on the F430 spider vs 458 spider. No problems with my F430 spider on the flex issue....

 

I do not notice it. But I drive in Bumpy Road setting 90% of the time. Try that.

Much better than the 360 Spider.

I would surmise that cowl shake would be noticed in the roof joint and connection points. I notice none.

 

+1. Cali had more shake. 2014 spider super sensitive in race mode even with constant pressure on throttle car bucks around like a pony. Maybe coming from Cali, spider is more twitchy. Try to go without bumpy suspension but sometimes it's a must lol.

 

Cowl shake for the 458 Spider on my car is negligible compared to my 355 Spider and somewhat better than my 430 Spider. But without specific data, it's more seat of the pants recollection,since back to back comparisons are not possible for myself.
Each car within a model type may be slightly different as well.
Just one of the minor downsides to owning a 'vert IMHO. The positives more than make up for the deficits.

 

Cowl shake and sunburn are why I no longer own a convertible.

 

I don't get any on my '14 spider - It's very new though, but I made a point of paying special attention to it today, seems rock solid.

 

With my Mclaren spider no cowl shake at all. The carbon tub is super stiff.

 

Cut the roof off a car and you lose torsional rigidity. There's no way around it. The worst part is that as manufacturers and engineers try to remedy the loss of stiffness with bracing, the result is added weight with limited success. I want to like convertibles, but its a deal breaker for me. I've heard a few guys say that they don't notice it or that "x" convertible doesn't shake. I think these guys don't register what the phenomenon even is. Just look in the rearview mirror when you hit a bump and watch the image shake and blur. Now compare that to a coupe.

The only roofless car I have ever owned that did not quake and quiver over bumps is my Carrera GT. Porsche had to resort to a complete carbon tub to achieve that feat, but it really is remarkable.

Just say no to roofless cars. Unless your primary use or the car is a boulevardier.

NOTE: I have not driven a Mclaren Spider, but I have heard they are stiff. Anyone seen any NM deflection specs for that car?

 

I think this is 100% correct. Vault-like solidity is one of the virtues of coupe construction. But if you love the open air, a little looseness is not a high price to pay.

 

Yes, the 12C spider does not have the cowl shake because it also has a complete carbon tub that was designed with the spider version in mind.

 

+1
deal with it

 

Great post by W. MITTY. I agree with this. Its simply a price you pay for the benefit of having an open car. A friend has a 458 Spider and I was surprised with the amount of shake. Another friend who had a 458 Spider and now has the 12C Spider and he reports it is virtually free of shake. I think this is the place the 12C has a real advantage.

 

Just as a data point,... I took an extended (3 day) test drive of a RR drop head coupe a month ago... That car has absolutely zero cowl shake. I purposely took train tracks off angle to see if I could force some shake. Nada. None. It's as if it was machined from a solid block of aluminum.

While the first impulse is to say,... yeah but it's huge,... to me that makes it even more impressive. It's almost exactly the same dimensions as a GMC Yukon XL.

 

Alas, I will have to wait 3 months before I can experience the crowl shale on my spider!

 

I'm a 16M owner and I have to say I was surprised by the level of cowl shake in the 458 Spider on an extended test drive over a couple of days - it felt far less rigid than the 16M.

 

Carbon tub makes all the difference.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Here is one more pic
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I always wonder how much stiffer an aluminum spider chassis would be if they built it with high side beams like that tub? Or vice versa how wobbly the carbon tub would be with normal height step over sills. Must make quite a difference, somehow no one queries such an odd user friendly design flaw once they hear 'carbon'!

 

I have owned a convertible of some sort for many years rarely is the condition just right.

 

It would be much stiffer than a normal monocoque - and weigh too much.