Help on 458 Spider Specs/Price Pls!

Hello,

Just joined and looking to purchase a 458 Italia Spider in 1-2 years (yes I know I'm too early to ask questions). Just wanted to ask current and previous owners on any recommendations for interior and exterior specs that you felt increased the owning and reselling experience. Also, I often hear that a 458 that is driven often by previous owners tend to have less technical issues than garage queens, any recommendations on sweet spot/range for mileage when looking to purchase?

If there is already another thread that addresses this, please do direct me there and thank you for all your input!

 

2013 458 Spider with 6000 miles. Incredible car and ownership experience. I wouldn't personally be concerned with the whole mileage thing. The car I bought happened to have low miles but I would've bought a much higher mileage/slightly less expensive car if one was available.

The FSH is more important to me.

Spec wise I wanted the LED steering wheel and diamond cut wheels, red ext and black interior with red stitching. I lucked out and got that. I also wanted front/rear sensors and the full electric seats (not CF), this car had that too.

I have owned a few 'nice' cars and prefer the driven ones as opposed to garage queens. But that's just me. No one wants to have their pride and joy lose money, but that's a reality of ownership in most cases.

In 1-2 years I would imagine you'll be in a very good place to buy one of these. You'll never regret it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Thank you so much for your reply. I too want a red exterior, was thinking of Rosso Scuderia. Any comments on how that compares with Rosso Corsa/Dino?

Could you please explain what FSH means to a noob like me, thanks!

 

Spend a lot of time enjoying the process and get to know a dealership or two. I spent almost a year obsessing on McLaren 570s. During a test drive as I was close to starting the buying process when my wife spied a black 458 in the McLaren lot and 2 weeks later I was all in on Ferrari. Keep an open mind on what you want and keep us posted.


Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app

 

If you're in the second hand market the best thing to accept, is that you prob wont get exactly what you're after. The different shades of red are a personal choice.

I nearly went with Argentine color initially even though I wanted red. But it sold before I got to it.

FSH= full service history. All service and maintenance receipted and stamped service book, preferably at the correct mileage/time intervals. Crucial on cars like these, most on here would agree.

Remember you can retrofit genuine Ferrari parts (I added a reverse camera) , so even though those items won't be on the build sheet, they're in the car.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I am the original owner of a 2013 458 spider. It has roughly 4300 miles on it. It is my 5th car. I stopped climbing the dealer ladder after buying this one. No turbos or batteries for me! The reasons have nothing to do with your query.
First, my buddy who has had multiple F-cars is firmly in the camp of more miles equals more chance to get the bugs out. So, not a deal breaker if car properly maintained and records show that it is a "good one."
Only one mechanical failure so far and it was a doozie: the entire gauge cluster went out. If not under warranty it would have been 18K. The good news is that these failures while rare and absurd are able to be fixed for far less these days. I understand that time and the number of cars out of warranty has led to the ability to find repair shops for this. There is one in CA if my memory is correct.
In regards to color, Dino is orange. Not red-orange, orange. Scuderia red had its formula changed late in the 458 cycle. The scud red when the Speciale came out is less orange than the "old" scud red. Unless you see it next to Corsa, you will not see as much orange in it as one used to see even without another red car near by. The paint code is different under the hood should you care to find out how it differs. The traditional Rossa Corsa also changed. All 458s have the new paint code if my memory is correct. The newest Rossa corsa formula has a drop of yellow in it. It brightens the red up more. I know as I had to do a tiny front bumper scratch repair. When we put in "Rossa corsa" into the color match computer 2 different recent Ferrari colors came up. Only looking at my paint code for which one I had and then comparing formulas did the reason for the change become obvious. My buddy has a 458 Speciale in Scud and when we put it next to mine in the sun one day when out driving, you could see the difference. It was clearly much less orange than his old scud red 458. Think Porsche Guards red/ Mustang red and it gets you closer to Scud red these days.
I love my race seats vs the regular seats. 2 completely different seats. I had the regular seat with full power/heat and Daytona stitching in my Italia. In my spider I have the race seat. Without opening up the lengthy which is better argument I will merely say what is better/worse about each one. Ease of entry into standard seat for constant in/out is somewhat better in the regular seat as less bolstering. This also leads to less support laterally during cornering if you are small framed like myself. Inflatable bladders did not help my being locked into the seat. Regular seat sits higher. Regular seat more comfortable for passenger over a long distance as race seat NOT adjustable in height on passenger seat. Passenger's legs are straight out. Short distances are a non issue. Visibility out a non issue. Just less thigh support as seat low. The race seat leather is literally pulled tighter over its frame. I tend to see more wear on the regular seat edges due to what I guess is the leather being able to be "crushed" more on entry/exit. I have always lowered myself into the seat. I never "ride" the bolsters to get in. So, look at interior wear/tear if this kind of thing bothers you.
I love the carbon/LED wheel. The tach is fairly useless in many bright light settings. It is no longer back lit during day as 430 tach was. Yes at night it is lit, but it is always black NOT whatever color it was "painted". I can drive by sound, but the lights do help as the sound/car just loves to rev and you can oops it easily.
I didn't order any nav. sensors, home link, etc for multiple reasons. The biggest was cost. Both to put in and then more chances for expensive repairs later. More importantly, I really have no need for any of these. I rarely parallel park the car and the sensors only tell me what I already know: someone is behind or in front of me! And parking in your own garage should NOT require a sensor! I will say the roof buttresses are a pain in parking. Unlike the Italia with the rear quarter window, your vision is obscured. A rear camera for $3200 would have helped. But, 5 1/2 years in I have worked around it just fine.
Wheels are such a personal choice. I went with the standard rims for style reasons. I saved over 8K. You can buy factory wheels in perfect condition for around 4K a set on Ebay pretty much all the time. So, don't let wheel style sway you too much.
If there is anything specific you want to ask, please let me know.
Good luck!!
Randy

 

Thank you for your feedback! If you could expand on the dealership experience, I'm curious as to when I should start the process. I know in terms of how I want to purchase the car, its financing, and I have enough for 20% downpayment now but I'm taking care of paying of a student loan (which interestingly has a monthly payment that is equivalent to what I'd expect to pay right now for a 458 spider) that should end in 1-2 years at which point I'm ready to purchase. Would dealers be upset that I'm coming in too early to test drive and "build a relationship" if say I went to one now and was only able to buy in 2 years?

 

This feedback in itself to me made buying the membership for ferrari chat worth it, I didn't know Ferrari would add retrofit parts to cars such as "reverse camera" because that is something I definitely want but don't see in a lot of spec sheets when browsing 458 spiders. Also parking sensors would be a must to retrofit as well for me.

 

Randy, your reply was filled with gems that will help in the process of my purchase and I am grateful you took the time to write all that. From what you have written, it has helped clear up that I should definitely go for the race seats. Couple questions if you have time to respond to them, it'd be greatly appreciated!
1) Alright so as you said, more miles with FSH and no issues is a safe bet, but would you set a range at which it's not worth getting into a car? I've seen 458s offered with 30k and 45k miles, no issues, clean carfax, but I always wonder about the engine, transmission, brakes, holding up after 30k.
2) I gather you have the original scud red on your 458, could you please provide the paint code for it as from your description I'd prefer searching for a car with the old version rather than the new scud red.

Thanks again Randy, and I'll definitely be posting up updates on my journey as it becomes more interesting.

 

I actually have the Rossa Corsa, not Scuderia red. It is my buddy who had the 2 different scud red colors. So, while I cannot come up with the 2 different paint codes, they are easy to get. I recall years ago when I had a yellow 360 called similarly Giallo Modena. I wanted the famous Ferrari "Fly Yellow" for my soon to be ordered 430. Ferrari said there is no such color! So, I went to PPG who does the Ferrari paint and they had every color from virtually every year with its PPG color code. I am sure if you Google or go to PPG Paints you can find the color codes for Scuderia red along with the model years they coincide with. Having said that, the spiders came out late in 2012 and not sure if any built in 2013 and going forward would have had the 2010 or so paint color. A scud red spider is a rare bird in any year. Getting the specific scud red likely an exercise in futility. But, if that color is essential your choices for cars will likely be limited to that 1 or 2 cars IF they even exist. FYI.
In regards to transmissions, the failures most of them experience is with these cheap little sensors. Unfortunately said cheap little sensor cannot be purchased without the EXPENSIVE circuit board it is attached to. So a 4-18K repair is possible. Less than the original 25K completely new gearbox that Ferrari was "requiring" early in 458 failures. While rare, they do occur. Per my agency in Atlanta which is one of the few dealerships authorized to crack open these cases, mileage is not a factor.
In regards to motors, I and my Ferrari buddies always talk about the motors being unbelievably reliable. A/C, various electronic stuff, and virtually everything else breaks in these cars. It is probably where the expression: "you pay 100k for the motor and they give you the rest of the car for free" came from. In other words, the motors just don't fail.
I have no hard and fast rules about mileage. Of course more miles or "harder" miles (city much harder than highway cruising on a motor all things being equal) I guess could be considered. That being said, while there are some crazy high milage cars out there that guys report to be bullet proof, I cannot believe that like anything mechanical, the more you use it the more wear the parts experience. I think a car driven by the same owner may be more likely to have been used appropriately as he/she is not needing to "see what it can do" as often as each new owner is likely to do. So, I cannot answer your question with any authority/facts to back up what is honestly only conjecture. I am guessing a 2-3K/year car is probably a "lovingly" used pre-owned car. Now, 8 years in a 2013 spider at 2-3K/year is 16-24K miles. I bet you will find cars above and below that mark. But probably a reasonable area as purely a GUESS.
I would build a dealer relationship now, not later. For many reasons. The more cars you see the easier it will be to determine what you really like/don't like. Your opinion will change believe it or not. Plus, you never know when the right car at the right price will appear at the WRONG time.
In regards to your buying time frame, you may really luck out. I am of the firm opinion that our currently strong stock market/classic car market is in for a rude awakening. No, I am not a permanent-bear. Nor am I rooting for one. Just old enough to have seen frothy things go up in smoke. Rapidly. A recession will hurt me very much so no hoping for one. Just saying that a rising interest rate environment and a stock market sell off may provide you with a great buying opportunity in 2 years time. Again, I hope not for my personal wealth, just saying.
Best,
Randy

 

I bought a 2012 with 1,300 miles. Had been flat bedded to the dealership every year for service and mostly sat in a garage it seems. It still looks and smells brand new. I've doubled the miles in about a month and it has been rock solid, with no issues.

Unlike many here, I'm not into carbon fiber, so was happy to find one with loads of leather and I don't care about the plastic, non-carbon fiber bits. I also appreciate "resale" red, but didn't want it for mine.

I'd just get the best car that you can afford, with a good service history and with the least miles, equipped as you like. Find an opportunity to drive and sit in as many as you can.

My plan is to drive mine to 10,000 or so miles and I'll explore going to a different model, maybe a V12. I've read that 10,000 miles and 20,000 miles are important milestones in the psychology of Ferrari resale.

 

Good Luck to Jack in your search for a red 458 Spider.

A big 'thank you' to Randy for sharing his Ferrari knowledge! Below is a 1970 example of the 'fly yellow' that he mentioned. Also remember, just like rosso corsa there are different versions of 'fly yellow' to >

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Try this tool to help you gauge the market: https://goo.gl/44Tey8

 

Hey everyone,

Found a 458 spider that is basically in the spec that I want, just wanted to get some feedback from current owners on this listing in regards to spec and price. I'm completely new to this so any advice on who provides the best financing and which terms should I be asking for would be greatly appreciated. I have excellent credit and looking to put 10% deposit down. https://www.drivingemotions.com/2013-ferrari-458-spider-c-370.htm

 

Wow that is one beautifully Optioned 458...didn’t miss any CF on that spec...plus Rossa Scuderia...perfect[emoji844]



Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app

 

Before anyone says to use premier Financial, DON'T. Not that they aren't reputable. Only because you pay higher than current interest rates and pay huge fees in and out of their contract. They structure it like a lease but charge you a month's payment in and 1-2 months going out plus the aforementioned high interest rate. That was my experience when I priced them twice. Great, honest guys. Just horrible numbers. IMO
Your best bet are the various credit unions and of course if you have a personal banker or stock brokerage account they sometimes are not bad. Brokerage house floating rate credit lines aren't horrible (yes it floats but any months you are "short" you can just pay interest and/or amortize it over a longer time until you pay off your student loans if cash flow an issue right now). Your personal bank might have some good money as they usually discount loans for customers. I know BB&T offered me some good money when I was looking at a new BMW for my wife. BMW ended up giving me 0.9% so that was that with BB&T. The dealer in FL that you are using also might have some good financing offers. Capital One has quoted rates on line. Sometimes they are fine and other times I hear they don't do what they re supposed to do. That was from my Ferrari dealer. But you never know if he said that because the dealer wanted Ferrari Financial Services to get the business. My experience with Ferrari Financial Services was that they charged more. I did use them a few times to curry favor with my dealer. In the end I don't think it helped and did cost me some extra money BUT, you could call your dealer and run it by them.
I have no idea if this is of any help to you.
best

 

Try Pen Fed especially if you have a high credit score. I almost used them because they had a rate ~ 2pct but I decided to go cash instead. Best , Kirk.

Sidebar : the car in question looks gorgeous, but get a PPI done.

 

This just saved me because just before I had read your post I was looking at Premier Financial, so thanks for the heads up. I never knew thought about Brokerage house floating rate so I'll have to look into that.

 

Thanks, yes I do agree that the car has a beautiful spec. The car fax shows that the ignition coils had to be replaced twice, is that alarming for engine misfiring issues? I am going to request full maintenance records to review prior to making an offer.

 

Any idea how to get the link to work, it keeps saying content is not available when I click on it, do I need to download any program to open it on a mac?

 

And don’t post cars you really want. Now I want to buy that one! I don’t want a red car but that one -wow. All kidding aside don’t generate interest before you try to convince the seller no one wants it, it’s overpriced etc.

You didn’t ask the other question- what to offer /how to negotiate with Ferrari dealers and high end used cars/exotic dealers.
I’ll let others chime in but it never hurts to ask.

Buy in the fall, sell in the spring.

A cheap Ferrari is usually more expensive.



Scott


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

If you have any light to shed on that, please do enlighten me. I posted the car because I felt that everything happens at the right time and the insight I could gain from asking for advice on a specific car would be worth a lot even if I miss out on it to someone else. Plus I'm pretty sure every car available on the market is already on everyone's radar who is actively looking.

But again, please do shed your insight on the negotiation process and how to begin/close it.

 

This is the KEY! Otherwise, love the car.

 

+1

 

Just ask nonchalantly, how aggressively are you with this car? I see this car has been sitting for x months... I am currently also shopping 570s and huracan, and so I am not sure...can I test drive? blah x 3