Good Evening Ya'll, I am fortunate enough that i am able to buy my first ferrari but i can't decide what to get. In the country i am in , it is not so common to get a Ferrari so the dealership has only one 488 GTB left ( 2019 ). My heart was set on this car, but then i find out the f8 is coming out in around a year minimum here. I can't decide if its worth waiting out for the F8 or to just go straight for the 488. I have watched numerous reviews on youtube etc but i think its time to ask some real ferrari guru's, as i am not a purist at all to me it seems like the f8 is just a little better, but what do i know. The price difference for the two would be around 50-60k usd , i would really like some help if anyone can . Thanks for your time and stay safe
Get the 488 and put a few thousand km on it over the next two months. Then order and spec an F8 when you know more about what you might like to change in a car you personally spec. Then when the F8 arrives, trade in the 488. Sent from my SM-G930F using FerrariChat.com mobile app
As others said, I'd recommend to take and enjoy the 488 now and then get the F8. When discussing the price you may try to get an insight on the future trade-in value when you'll get a brand new F8. The F8 is an improvement of the 488 - while the cars are very similar the F8 is significantly faster, but the 488 is not exactly slow anyway. As a first step the 488 may be a good choice, to build confidence and gradually increase how much of the car performance you use - then switching to the F8 will be even more rewarding since you'll be happy to use the added performance.
thats what im thinking however the resale market here is absolutely tiny. yup i agree with your points entirely. I think what worries me is that the resale market here is practically non existent. There are a few Ferrari's however most people buy them from a grey/black market ( imported without paying tax ), not all but a fair few people . I think i will just get the 488 and hold it a few years, maybe i am being too picky for a first time Ferrari. As long as the dealers trade in value is good then i guess i should just go for that
i feel like i am deciding between getting a new iphone or waiting for the next release ! haha , i think i am just going for the 488
thanks for the advice. i think thats what i will do, not sure i want to just wait it out for a car which could be delayed longer due to this lockdown. Might even just go for a 458 from a reseller
Where are you located since there are so many illegal cars? Cars on the black market without tax, usually means stolen. Sent from my SM-G930F using FerrariChat.com mobile app
The 458 though is a lot slower than the 488- but it has the glorious NA (as opposed to turbocharged) sound that many worship. Financially (but it may depend on your market) going first for a (relatively) depreciated 458, then going to a used 488 if you feel you need more power, and eventually going for a used F8 if you still want more, could be more efficient than buying a very recent 488 and/or a brand new F8.
As others have stated, live for today and get the 488. I faced similar decision a few months back when deciding to part with my 360. 488 was sitting on showroom floor with all nearly all of the options that I wanted and a (IMHO) lovely color. Still contemplating putting a deposit down on F8 or possibly just wait for whatever replaces it in 3 years. Life is short - go for it!
Personally I think asking strangers who live across the globe how to proceed in a situation like this won’t help. What color F8? Which 488? I can understand, but between a 488 now and F8 later should be pretty clear.
There's like people walking away from F8 orders as well. I'm sure you could find an F8 out there if you really wanted one.
If budget is endless, get the 488 and trade in for F8. If budget is limited, get the F8. If you are stretching, get the 488.
I have a 488GTB and you won't be disappointed....Its a glorious car! You can always trade for the F8, but I bet you just end up keeping the 488....(;-))
I would get a 458 spider and order an F8. You might even make money on the spider. And you will lose less money on the 488. And you will have the experience of driving the best na V8 engine SF has ever produced. Enjoy.
You conclude your post with life is short- go for it. Yet the sentence prior contradicts that by stating you might just wait 3 years for the model that replaces the F8. So your advice is live for today but maybe not.
The best engine? Not sure the 458 mill has been called engine of the year even once. The 488 mill has taken that crown a few times now. The guy is looking for a 488 or F8, and if the sound of the 458 is not the number one priority, why on earth get a model that in all other aspects is not as good. We get it, some prefer that sound so much that it negates the fact that the 488 is a better drivers car. But that is not the case for all. And when recommending a 458 Spider, I think it would be just as important to inform the OP of the drawbacks as it is to inform of the attributes. It is a very flexing chassis by comparison, so much so that some feel that while the Italia was nice, the Spider was no fun at all. There's also the annoyingly sensitive throttle to consider. Lastly, I doubt very much that you or I can say what will happen with prices in the next 12 months in South East Asia . Where I am in Europe, 458 Spiders are selling for less than 488 Spiders, and that looks like it's not about tk change. US pricing is a total unknown. All we know is that all prices will more than likely go down significantly once the depression hits, this might not be the case where the OP is i may be wrong, but I suspect the Asian market will change very little, and from what I can tell, 488's are priced higher than 458's in Asia. Not saying a 458 could not be a good choice, but I would imagine the OP had asked about 458's and not an F8 vs. 488 had he been interested. Just mybtake on things Sent from my SM-G930F using FerrariChat.com mobile app
Bingo. Gives you a chance to test drive the dealership sales and service experience, and see if Ferrari ownership is for you. If all is positive, in a year, so what this gentleman suggests...T
https://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/ferrari-458-wins-a-pair-of-international-engine-of-the-year-awards-ar164112.html
The 488 is spectacular. The F-8 is not a major improvement over the 488 - though admittedly it would be probably more of a status symbol in SE Asia. No need to wait - get the 488 and you will not regret a moment of 488 ownership. PS - I drove the F-8 at my dealership and didn't really understand the big deal. I have an order in for the F-8 Spyder but know the only major improvement over my 488 will the convertible.