First Ferrari coming from 991.2 GT3 - Specific 458 Questions

Lifter is not necessary like it is on the GT3, at least on the 488.

Ask me how I know.

 

Currently own a Speciale and a 991.1 GT3.

The Ferrari will feel lot more fiesta and playful than the GT3, which is very planted.

458 are reliable but not as much as the GT3 (generally). Battery going flat is a likelihood if you don’t have a tendor or drive once a week. You can upgrade the battery to an aftermarket lithium for $1500 or so to alleviate this.

Other than small minor issues, the biggest ticket item is a failed DCT. 2012 and later will have a smaller chance, but this chance is tiny in general (doesn’t compare it to the 991.1 GT3 engine failures in terms of commonality). Of course your mileage may vary. My Speciale has yet to have a single issue. My GT3 engine blew up in the first 200 miles and I just had an engine mount fail today.

Must have options are generally Scuderia shields, forged wheels, and LED Steering Wheel. Highly desirable options are parking sensors, camera, horse stitched into headrest, and lifter. The rest is generally more divisive.

458 rides a higher than GT3, so lifter isn’t mandatory. With that said, I’ve scraped family sedans going in and out of some especially bad driveways, so I personally would never buy a car without the litter.

 

You absolutely won’t regret it. I’ve had two GT3 (both 991) and there isn’t anything I miss about them. Not the sound, not the feel. Don’t get me wrong they’re great but I had the first one exhaust hanger / valve failure and the second one same issue except the infotainment system (PCM) also failed. Not to bash the car I loved them and put about 9k total miles on the two.

I’m local (LA) if you need anything let me know.

The 458 is not as fragile as older Ferrari’s and I certainly wouldn’t buy one without the following:

Nice to have:
HiFi System
Carbon Fiber rear grill (similar to the challenge grill)
Nav (don’t use it, but looks nice )
Sport exhaust tips (black out the normal silver color)


MUST Haves for me:
Forged wheels (preferably in gunmetal)
Lifter
Carbon Fiber Goldrake Seats
Carbon Fiber Racing Pack (includes all carbon pieces around the driver and paddle shifters in carbon)
Front & Rear Parking sensors
Backup Camera
iPod cable (without it you’ll be screwed for audio streaming)
Scuderia Shields
LED steering wheel



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Oh and get a spider if you can. The sound is just that much better with a spider and the fact that it’s a convertible hard top makes it a huge bonus for Californians


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Owned a lot of P-cars but none of them can compare to the feeling I get when driving my 458. I think you're move will be just 100% right if you 're looking for a higher sense of occasion.

- Battery maintainer. I live in a flat as well and I don't charge my battery but I drive it at least once a week. What you can do is upgrade the battery to a stronger aftermarket one = AGM battery.

- Lifter System. Had a 458 with the lifter and now one without the lifter and I am just fine without the lifter as the 458 sits so high of the ground. The one thing you need to be careful about is the fins on the back of the car which can dip to the ground of you're not careful going down a steep bump or so.

- Bluetooth music streaming. Make sure you have the ipod connector in the glovebox as you will not easily without going OEM and very costly bee able to have it retrofitted.

- Sticky button issue. Never had any issues with any of my 458:s with this but it also from what I've heard depends in the weather and that hot climate might accelerate the process. There are permanent fixes to this though.

- AC blows cold? You're correct but this is the first summer I've experienced the issue as we had over 35 celsius here in Sweden, but I would say it's decent enough, but not blowing as hard as an Audi or Porsche

- Must have options? These are the most desirable options on the second hand market: Forged wheels, Carbon fiber race seats, LED carbon fibre steering wheel, Carbon fibre dash, extended alcantara sorroundings, ipod connector, upgraded audio system, parking camera, if you can find one with the upgraded software (race pack I think it's called that recalibrated the sensors for the shocks and the DCT) that is a plus.

- Better for a car to be driven and have some miles on it or find lower mileage? Mostly cars driven frequently will have less issues.

- If not much in the form of maintenance records - Very important, if the service records don't check out 100% accurate and clean, then walk away from the car. You will have hard time to sell the car later if this is not in place

- Anything specific to check out/inquire on for the Ferrari 458? The DCT has been addressed but I've owned two early 458s from 2011 and had 0 issues with the DCT. I've had more problems with mu P-cars that any of the F-cars I've owned, as the 458 seems pretty bulletproof, I daily drive mine and done around 60 000 km in 2 years.
Get the stronger AGM battery, that will release you from a lot of headache.
Compared to any P-car 458 will squeak and make weird noises from the dash, roof, speakers etc and either you will have to live with it or you can get it tightened up once the time is up for servicing the car - that's the only negative thing I have to say about the car.

 

- Battery maintainer. I can't say if it is crucial, but I put mine on when I won't drive for a few days and I've never had a flat battery. I've also never had a flat battery when I forgot to put it on and it sat for 4-5 days.

- Lifter System. I don't have one and I've not scraped. I'm just careful about angles.

- Bluetooth music streaming. Yes, I have that adapter and it works fine. You often have to go into your phone's settings and disconnect and then reconnect it in bluetooth, but after that it works well and shows all the relevant info on your TFT.

- Sticky button issue. Mine is a 2012 and so far they are fine.

- AC blows cold? I've been plenty cool in mine on hot days.

- Must have options? I'll leave this up to others. I bought one with most of the options that I preferred, though now that I look at Ferraris far too often, my tastes might be changing toward carbon fiber.

- Better for a car to be driven and have some miles on it or find lower mileage? Mine is a 2012 and I bought it with 1,300 miles, which means it wasn't driven hardly at all. It was driven and serviced annually. I've not had a lick of problems with it.

- If not much in the form of maintenance records - How much of a deal breaker would this be for you? Wasn't for me at all, because I had a thorough PPI done and it only had 1,300 miles. I later found out where it was serviced and was able to confirm its service history, but this was after I bought it.

- Anything specific to check out/inquire on for the Ferrari 458? Coolant lines pinned (lol), any model specific issues or things to make sure that have been addressed/fixed/looked into? Repairs or recalls? Mine had an open airbag recall, but that was recently fixed by the dealership.

Good luck and enjoy the car!

 

If the GT3 has the same fast but sterile feel as my 996 turbo had you won't ever take a second look at another souped up beetle once you've owned a Ferrari. It a very different experience in so many ways.

 

Being a new owner and longtime Porsche owner, it was shown to me on my first day of ownership how to disconnect the battery located in the passenger footwell. I have a ski boat that we disconnect the battery when not being used. Saves the battery. Would this solve the slow discharge problem OP is concerned about?

 

By the way, if you want a good indicator of how trouble-free the 458 is, do you notice how dull the 458 forum is compared to the rest of the model specific forums? In the other forums there are one after another after another thread of mechanical problems and people helping solve them. The great thing about these forums with the older cars is just about every problem has already been had and someone is willing to share their diagnosis and fix.

But in the 458/488 forum, the top 4 threads are always just people posting pictures! And then the next threads are always just people talking about what car they're ordering next. It's incredibly boring here in the 458 forum if you're someone into the mechanicals of the car.

 

Great responses. The only thing I can add is regarding the AC, I find it works well. You might want to find a car with the heat insulating windscreen- this helps reduce the heat into the car. I am told from a friend who didn't have this that my car (I have it) felt like the AC system worked better. Its the same AC system. I just have the windscreen.

 

And people arguing about which is better: the 458 or the 488.

 

If it's a 2014 it still has 2 years left of the Ferrari 7 year covered maintenance plan. There's no reason it shouldn't have been serviced by a real Ferrari dealer and you should be able to easily get those records.

 

If possible, I'd recommend you find a reputable and experienced Ferrari independent.

 

Had two GT3 (.1 and .2) and GT4. I agree with others that I don't think the Porsche GT cars are much more reliable than the 458.

First and foremost, the cheapest Ferrari is often the most expensive, as most seasoned Fchatters would preach. Second, I think buying a CPO from a F dealer is strongly encouraged for the first time buyer. Third, most owners like it stock when buying used...

Unless you are planning to keep this specific Ferrari forever, I think based on what you wrote about this particular car, I probably will make sure to look at more cars for comparison. Local body shop for repair, so many "he said" and "we will see" and "buddy of the car owner" selling the car... and 10K mile is considered A LOT when purchasing used. You will likely have hard time reselling it later if you want to.

I don't think keeping the car secret is that helpful, because you will never know, someone ought to know about the car history and that may save you a lot of money down the road.

Try preowned.ferrari.com

Yes, battery tender is a must, unfortunately.

 

I have been a Porsche owner for many years and many different Porsches.....everything from air cooled to my latest..a 997.2 turbo with PDK....I purchased my first Ferrari...a 2015 Spider with 5500 miles ...in April 2018. The 458 is a completely different car from my 997.2 turbo. The NA engine....especially with the top down is incredible. The fit/finish/leather is just beautiful. The 458 gets a lot of attention....much more than the Porsche. IMO the 458 is the most beautiful car that I have ever seen....
I did trade my 997.2 turbo for a 2018 GT3 Touring....now on its way from Germany....I cannot wait to compare the two....

 

The Pcar's a better beater. Can't bring myself to drive my Ferrari in the rain or anywhere I'll worry about it.

 

I have 991.1 and 991.2 GT3, and also Italia and Speciale. The Porsches are rock-solid drama-free teutonic track scalpels that are dependable and don't draw too much public attention. The Ferraris are lightweight go-cart feel drama queens that are gorgeous beyond believe and of course draw the attention. If possible, best to have one of each, as you can drive whatever you feel like on that particular day!

 

I'm here for the same reason. I've been mumbling about owning an Fcar for decades now, currently driving a 991.2 GT3 6MT after a long line of Pcars, but thinking maybe now is the time ...