How to make a 458 spider (gasp) less loud

You can get a forza switch and keep it closed at all times and don't go into race mode. One question: why a 458 if it's too loud for you?
Btw 200 cell cats are a good option to give the sound what it need. not only DB wise

 

I saw a 458 taking off from a light last week and the car was loud but it didn't sound good. To me it had a brassy sound. Not good to my ears.

 

get a 488! Problem solved

 

Shift sooner and you can control the volume....driving in manual paddle shift mode. I tried auto once on my car and couldn't believe how low rpm it was when it shifted....very quiet...and a poor driving experience Ferrari wise.

Driving with valves closed all the time by use of a controller is a bad idea. Great way to burn up your cats, exhaust and perhaps the car under extreme conditions/load.

 

Took the words out of my...keyboard.

 

LOL!!! Great idea! I sure hate to bash the new 488 as I know it's a great car. I'm sure over time people will appreciate the car more. I just love the N/A screamer in my Spider.

 

Jeff, I agree with you. What bothers me even more is giving light throttle and the valves open, then close, then open. I can't imagine anybody driving a 430 or 458 with the valves open all the time. Ear-bleeding for sure.
My 911 TurboS doesn't do this and it still sounds incredible when accelerating briskly.
Options are few for the 458. A company called JJ Corse in England sells a track use exhaust system for the challenge. It is missing the middle pipe. Very quiet when compared to the stock 458. Maybe they can give assistance.
Chris.

 

This is the exact reason a lot of people want the valves permanently open.. the open, close... open, close is very annoying. Open all the time solves this.

 

You beat me to it.

To OP, I have the opposite problem, how to make it louder.

 

This is really my only complaint with the 458. Even with the valves always open, I don't like the sound below 4k. It's just loud and boomy. It's not a big deal when you're pushing the car as you're not in that range for very long, but when you're cruising on the highway or in town, the drone becomes really unbearable. I end up just turning my valve controller off unless I'm on a open stretch of road. Really hoping an aftermarket exhaust system can fix this. I don't mind loud if the sound is more pleasant/higher pitched. My Maserati GTS has an aftermarket exhaust and is louder than my 458 but sounds significantly better in the lower rpm range.

 

if an aftermarket exhaust can change the pitch a bit, it may remove some of that annoying resonance and make it more bearable

 

IMO the 360 and 430 have a nicer sound quality. A distinctive hollow howl.

 

the older cars did sound better at lower rpm. but i think the 458, once it gets moving, is still the best sounding at the top end.

 

Ferrari has a track friendly exhaust muffler that reduces sound by 12dB.

http://auto.ferrari.com/en_EN/wp-content/genuine-assets/en_EN/P000000114_en_458_Italia_Silencers_for_track_use.pdf

 

Try driving in Wet mode. It is the quietest. Sport louder. Race loudest...opens exhaust at 3000 rpm.

My lines to the exhaust have been disconnected...open all the time in every mode. At speed (say 60-70 mph or higher) in 7th gear the car is under 3000 rpm. Pretty quiet. Can talk on the blue tooth car phone with the top down and windows up. But I dont spend much time on the phone.

On the other hand at slow speeds under 3000 rpm is pretty loud, especially until things get warmed up. Love it.

 

+1

 

If all else fails...get some ear plugs.

 

I find the volume way too loud especially when driving in the city or at night. I am almost embarrassed when I accelerate away and the valves open. The volume draws attention from the police and aggravates pedestrians. Its ridiculous that my street 458 is louder than the 458 GT3 I race.

I know the response will be; buy a 488, which I am, and will park next to the Aperta which is my fourth 458. (Have sold 2).

It would be great if the sound was more exotic, I love the burbles and misfires without the abnormal volume. There have been many great vintage V12's that had great sound but were not stupid loud. Get rid of the automatic cut out valves and tune the exhaust properly!

 

I'm not sure what he's talking about either. I had some exhaust work done on my 458 a few months ago. Before I did you could barely hear the car in sport mode. In track it was louder in low gears but now since I got the exhaust opened it sounds great in sport or track.

My wife can certainly tell the difference. When I open the valves she knows when I'm coming home because she can hear me coming down the road. When closed she can't hear a thing.

Something must be wrong with my car because until I got my remote valve switch my car was only loud at start up.

 

We all have such different tastes. I just sold a Porsche Turbo S (which I would describe as boring but fast) in part, because the sound was so muted, even with a Tubi Exhaust, I called it anemic and often coveted the sound of a Carrera unburdened by turbo's and sounding like a "real" engine. However, the Z 06 (which I bought as a replacement of the Porsche) and my 458 both have valves opening and closing which can be annoying. As a result I keep the valves open on both cars unless carrying a passenger or on the phone, so as not to have to endure the (random) blaring coming from the exhaust. I agree with those who say "loud" is not the same as "melodic". Best