458 - Introducing my first Ferrari.. 458 | FerrariChat

458 Introducing my first Ferrari.. 458

Discussion in '458 Italia/488/F8' started by novi, Apr 4, 2021.

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  1. novi

    novi Rookie

    Dec 21, 2015
    18
    SoCal
    Hi all

    I received my first Ferrari a bit shy of 2 weeks ago and wanted to intro myself to the club.
    How I ended up here is a bit unfortunate actually. I was in hot pursue of a 997.2 GT3RS, either in blue/gold or white/gold for the past 3-4 months. I do know the car market overall has been pretty hot, but the Porsche GT market's gone a bit full retarded in my opinion. I was being offered 220, even 240 for a low mile GT3RS in the spec I was after. Being a die hard Porsche fan, I kept on looking for a "better deal". And one day I just got fed up. It's still a car I'd love to own in my lifetime but it just isn't worth that crazy money.
    So I started looking outside of Porsche and Ferrari was the only logical choice. I then set my goal on a 430 Scud. I saw a white Scud listed at Bentley of Seattle and called them and I was in talks when they just went silent. I felt we were at close to end of the deal as I set up a PPI date at the Ferrari of Seattle and just needed them to drop the car off when the sales guy just stopped responding. 2 days later, I saw the ad got pulled. A bit of a sour experience how they just left me hanging like that. At least he could have told me hey there's someone else buying it, maybe next time.
    Anyway, long story short, I wasn't finding the Scud I wanted when Mike @ Yellow Compass (HIGHLY RECOMMEND!) brought up "Well I think 458 is a pretty good alternative to Scud" and now I find out it absolutely is! Now that I have driven the 458 for 10 days or so I love the dual personalities and it's raw enough. I probably wouldn't have held onto a Scud for too long as it's in raw mode all the time.

    So my impressions so far compared to GT3RS and other perf Porsches I have been in. GT cars handle real good but it's a bit taller than the 458, so I feel the 458 is more planted. But GT cars feel more nimble. The sound is just insane, can't get enough of the high pitch sound it makes, and with it the poor MPG so far lol.
    The DCT is not smooth when getting on it. Now I like it but initially I was afraid there was something wrong with it. I just assumed it'd be like PDK where it's fast and smooth. The throttle can jerk the car going from 1st to 2nd in auto mode. What else..
    Oh couple of quirks so far.. Being that I am in SoCal, at a light I heard 3 beeps and didn't know what it was. When the light turned green, I started the give it gas and it wasn't moving! I was panicking when I noticed it was in N. At the next red, It beeped again and this time I did see it went to N. I think if the light is longer than 1 min or so, it shifts to N.
    I failed smog first time because the OBD2 monitors weren't ready, so did the drive cycle to reset.
    I can't get used to the turn light buttons being on the steering wheel.
    The backup camera image is pretty dark.
    I lowered the beep level in settings but it still beeps loud!
    I haven't stepped out of garage in awhile :)

    Well that's about it so far.. Can't wait to keep learning more about it!

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    Beez, alum04org, jahdish and 17 others like this.
  2. Petrolhead#32

    Petrolhead#32 Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 23, 2020
    514
    NorCal
    Full Name:
    Petrolhead#32
    Congrats! I too have been a Porsche fan for a long time and in Oct 2020 I bought my first Ferrari, the 458 Spider.

    I identify with your initial perceptions. I also own a 2018 GT3 MT so I could not stop comparing the two. The GT3 is as close to ‘perfection’ as it can be, so I was always comparing the 458 to that benchmark.

    Until I decided to stop doing that and appreciate the 458 for what it actually is. It is, indeed, a very different car. Some things are better and others are not, but I stopped making comparisons because it was driving me a little nuts...

    Now I think of them as my 2 kids. I don’t love one over the other. Impossible ask. I simply decided to give each a specific purpose:

    The 458 is a better DD, can go automatic and smooth, it can actually be pretty quiet if not pushed hard, and has the option of going top down. So it’s become my go-to option for everyday driving, taking wife to lunch, as well as spirited WE driving.

    Then the GT3 is more of the track weapon, as well as some spirited drives once in a while.




    Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat.com mobile app
     
    rossodino and GT2goneF like this.
  3. Natkingcolebasket69

    Natkingcolebasket69 F1 World Champ

    Huge congrats!!!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  4. LVP488

    LVP488 F1 Rookie

    Jan 21, 2017
    4,839
    France
    Congrats - my modest advice would be to drive it in "non-auto" mode all the time, it works better...
     
    DefunctNeurons likes this.
  5. AlfistaPortoghese

    AlfistaPortoghese Moderator
    Lifetime Rossa

    Mar 18, 2014
    3,778
    Europe, but not by much.
    Full Name:
    Nuno
    Same spec than mine.

    Congratulations! Enjoy in good health. Wish you many miles of happiness behind the wheel!

    Kind regards,

    Nuno
     
    GT2goneF likes this.
  6. bball16

    bball16 F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 2, 2011
    3,846
    NY LI FtL
    Full Name:
    Mike
    Congratulations!
     
  7. Lobekay

    Lobekay Rookie

    Apr 14, 2018
    27
    Full Name:
    Lob Lob
    Step 1 of new ownership of any vehicle (new or used): read the manual. . . 3 times, the 2nd time while in the car
     
    AD211 and Fcar dreams like this.
  8. Fcar dreams

    Fcar dreams Karting

    Mar 25, 2021
    134
    Manchester UK
    Full Name:
    Peter G
    Agree with Lobekay, regarding read the manual, I'm very new to Fcars and have been missing a step the 612 manual advises when starting.
     
  9. GT2goneF

    GT2goneF F1 Rookie

    May 28, 2020
    2,861
    Southern California
    Hope not while driving!
     
  10. GT2goneF

    GT2goneF F1 Rookie

    May 28, 2020
    2,861
    Southern California
    Congratulations. Beautiful car!
     
  11. Ngcanada

    Ngcanada Formula Junior

    May 16, 2016
    622
    Ottawa Canada
    Its a beauty!! You are going to be in love for a long long time!
     
  12. racerdj

    racerdj F1 Veteran
    Owner

    Jan 19, 2003
    6,952
    Indianapolis
    Full Name:
    DJS
    Congratulations
     
  13. 3POINT8

    3POINT8 F1 Rookie
    Rossa Subscribed

    Jan 23, 2014
    4,395
    congrats. one day you'll brain will make a switch and the turn signals will make sense. hang in there.
     
    GT2goneF likes this.
  14. v35

    v35 Karting

    May 15, 2013
    190
    Los Angeles
    Full Name:
    Aaron
    Congratulations, I had a 997 for 13 years before stepping into my 458. They are two very different cars and I can appreciate the differences between the 2. My 997 felt a lot more nimble, small and intimate. The 458 is more refined and has a dual personality. I like that the DCT in the 458 isn't too smooth that the gear changes aren't perceptible. I like a little bit of the drama of the shifts so that it doesn't completely feel like an automatic transmission.
     
    GT2goneF likes this.
  15. axlesofevil

    axlesofevil Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 14, 2012
    1,669
    San Diego, CA
    I drove mine in automatic mode for a few weeks before I realized it'd better to just put it into manual. It takes some getting used to if you're used to a normal manual or a normal automatic but once you do it's definitely a better experience.
     
    GT2goneF likes this.
  16. IloveGT

    IloveGT Formula 3
    BANNED

    Oct 17, 2015
    2,419
    GT3 does not sound as good as 458 in slower speed. I had both pdk and manual .1 and .2 GT3. The manual one became annoying to me at low speed. 458 on the other hands, sounds so sweet at all different rpm.
     
  17. Petrolhead#32

    Petrolhead#32 Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 23, 2020
    514
    NorCal
    Full Name:
    Petrolhead#32
    With my 991.2 I decided to add the sharkwerks bypass and then I set it up so that the valves are always open (no need to hit the button on the center console). Now it sounds amazing at any speed.

    The 458 sounds like a proper V8 NA Ferrari and it’s certainly more unique than the GT3’s note, imho.
     
    cole328 and AlfistaPortoghese like this.
  18. novi

    novi Rookie

    Dec 21, 2015
    18
    SoCal
    I definitely love the 458 and appreciate its specialness (though not a speciale :) )
    You have a perfect pair! I am thinking about a 996 as a track car, but haven't done any HPDE in a decade. But every time I fire up the 458, sure is a special feeling!
     
    Petrolhead#32 likes this.
  19. novi

    novi Rookie

    Dec 21, 2015
    18
    SoCal
    I feel the same! I do like the shifting characteristics and the DCT in this sure feels quite sporty. It's just that I just assumed it'd be smoother.
    Every 458 YT vids I've watched, maybe I was focused on the engine sound that I may have missed some comment on what to expect. But I love it!
     
  20. novi

    novi Rookie

    Dec 21, 2015
    18
    SoCal
    Hahaha I haven't got out of the sport mode. I will see how Race feels like soon :cool:
     
  21. novi

    novi Rookie

    Dec 21, 2015
    18
    SoCal
    Thanks all for the warm welcome!
    We just got back from a camping trip and first thing I did was getting in the 458 and wife wasn't happy that I wasn't helping with unloading lol
     
    RoadRonin and alum04org like this.
  22. novi

    novi Rookie

    Dec 21, 2015
    18
    SoCal
    Oh for sure! It's a keeper!
     
  23. axlesofevil

    axlesofevil Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 14, 2012
    1,669
    San Diego, CA
    Oh I rarely take it out of sport. For normal street driving I like Sport + Bumpy Road best. I'm a bit of a softy. :p
     
  24. rob5819

    rob5819 Formula Junior

    Dec 12, 2017
    815
    San Diego
    Full Name:
    Rob Barry
    Race mode and manual transmission. Always.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    Rob
     
  25. rmlovett1

    rmlovett1 Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Dec 27, 2011
    531
    GA
    Full Name:
    RL
    Congratulations! Beautiful 458!
     

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