458 vs California…….caught the bug I want more

I knew someone that had a 355 and a 360, then a lambo gallardo then a cali, he was very disappointed with the cali (it was v8), couldnt stand it, too soft, and was of the opinion if its that soft, why buy a ferrari at all??

I tend to agree (not trying to poke fun), so if you love the cali, the f430 or 458 will be x10 in terms of excitement

 

I never drove a Cali but I did drive the Portofino at the National Rally in Watkins Glen a couple of years back. The Ferrari Rep asked me what I thought and I told him it was boring. He asked me what I was driving and I told him it was a 458. He said "correct, if you are driving a 458 the Portofino would be boring for you"
But it depends what you want: the Cali would be a better car for trips and will deal with our roads here in Michigan much better, except in the winter when we anyway put them away for ~ 5 months: they all look the same in a car bag...

 

First - don't kick yourself or apologize for buying a Cali - while the aesthetics and other factors may spawn debate they are still FERRARI's and amazing cars IMHO. Plus it got you into Ferrari ownership

I have not owned a Cali or Porto but have driven them both and do currently own a 2014 458 Spider. As far as the feasibility of driving the 458 on a regular basis, I would not worry about that at all. From a "less than perfect road" standpoint it has a "Bumpy Road" setting that softens the suspension and make the ride quite nice/pliable for such a car. I would strongly suggest finding a car with the front lift option - saves a lot of grief and potential damage incurred in normal driving situations. There is plenty of room under the bonnet to carry reasonable things (small suitcase/groceries/etc.) and there is room behind the seats. If you enjoy the top-down aspect of the Cali then I would go for a 458 Spider - obviously for the top but they are also a bit softened and more for road/touring use than track (don't be fooled however - the Spider is a BEAST when you want it to be). From a dependability standpoint I have had minimal issues - CEL came on due to secondary air valves - quick and fairly reasonable cost to fix. Annual maintenance is VERY reasonable / Bi-Annual is also not bad and majors are nowhere near as pricey as say a 355 (which I also own). Brakes will last forever assuming you don't track the snot out of it. The DCT is smooth and insanely fast in manual mode and not annoying in Auto mode should you get in stop&go traffic - plus it is a WET clutch setup so clutch wear/replacement should be a non-issue.

In summary - if you can live without the "rear seat" in the Cali and a 458 makes your heart pound then go for it - there are plenty out there with 1 or 2 owners and solid history. That said, since they are the last of the Pininfarina cars (again, all about taste) and last of the normally-aspirated cars (all about sound versus outright performance at the max) they are creeping up in price and people are starting to hold on to them - not to mention in some cases 488 owners back-trading for 458s (not that there is ANYTHING wrong with 488s).

Good luck - The hunt is half the fun - Cheers

 

I had the same debate about 5 or 6 years ago. The California made more sense, but I wanted the 458. I finally found the perfect (for me) 458 Spider and that has been my daily driver for the last four years. Admittedly, I work from home, don't have kids, and live in San Diego, so my definition of "daily driver" is not the same as others. It is a fantatstic car and I make up reasons to take it out as often as possible: top down/ race mode / manual shifting.

At the same time I have an order in for a Portofino M to park next to the 458. My wife and I saw it at a launch event in March. We loved it in person and put an order in a few weeks later. We got a few test drives in August and loved it even more (still waiting on a build slot).

The correct answer is the 458 Spider is better than the California. The better answer is have both if you can.

Rob

 

I drive my 458 everyday on potholed city roads. There is absolutely no situation where I can’t drive a 458 except offroad. No reason to choose a California over a 458 except for money. The 458 can be daily driven JUST as easily as a Cali.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

My first was a 2010 California I picked up in 2017. Loved it at first sight and then after reading too many opinions online I began to agree and not like the looks of it, especially from the rear. Front quarter view was sweet though. I also became very wary of the potential issues with the top and DCT. So…I traded it in on a 488 and loved it so much more. Although, I eventually sold it and am awaiting an F8. The 488 was a much better experience. Extremely fast and a better driving position than the Cali. There is no bad angle on the 488. You’ll love the 458 over the Cali.

 

You will need deep pockets if you track your Ferrari.

 

Not accurate!

Tires once every 15 track days, which for some could be an entire year or more. New pads once a season as long as you keep CT off, $1k max. Flush/bleed your brakes and change to motul 660 every 3-4 track weekends, less than $100. Oil change at half the normal mileage, $250.

Only real expense is $3k to throw on steel rotors. You don’t want to track your car with the junk carbon rotors if you plan on being on track more than 2-3 times a year.

On old Ferrari’s they are nightmares to track in the wallet department…the 458 and modern generations are not expensive to track as long as you get rid of the rotors and throw on steel.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

How much will one get off cost you? $60k?


Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app

 

Could be a total loss, could be scratches on a bumper. The point remains, it is not expensive to track the 458. Any car has a risk of damage for going off.

I will track my 458 at every possible opportunity. You only have one life. I have enjoyed my Ferrari ownership more than all the low mileage owners of mint 458’s who just stare at their cars in a garage and get excited for hitting the redline once a week in sport mode on their way to cars and coffee.

Man was meant to live, not exist.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I tracked my Ferraris also. I wanted to point out it can be an expensive hobby. I remember Ferrari of Houston once had a track day. I drove my 550. During a break, I asked the parts guy how much the hood on my Maranello cost. He said $10k. There was a Spec Miata race car sitting near by. I asked how expensive it was. The answer was $10k. That's when I switched to Miatas at the track.

 

Haha, I hear you.

I find HPDE track days to be incredibly safe and you don’t need to push to 100% to the limit of traction, I’ll continue tracking my 458. I have as it stands 34k miles on my 458 right now and daily drive the car…everyday on I95 or local roads, people running stop signs, texting and driving and drifting into my lane, etc pose a larger risk than anything on track at an HPDE. Every week I always have a “near miss” with some motorist who isn’t paying attention…people cant drive.

I am getting into SCCA/NASA spec series racing and am looking at buying a Spec E46 racecar for similar reasons you mentioned though! Will always track my Ferrari, but racing is another story, going to do that on the cheap!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

All depends on your needs/wants. I've owned both and personally preferred the Cali overall. 458 drives better hands down of course and IMHO looks better. The Cali still looks good. While you can daily the 458 for sure the Cali is by far more capable to daily. Cali for me was like an SL, fun to drive but hardly got any attention compared to the 458. I could have 3 women in the Cali cruising over to the boat whereas you really can't do that in the 458. Cali was more of a "regular" car whereas the 458 was more of an occasion.

 

I regretted selling my California after I bought my 488. I love the 488, but would have liked to keep both. The California didn't get the attention the 488 does, which was nice. My wife liked the California much more.
Joe

 

I too started with 2010 Cali as I wanted to take both my kids along with me on my fun drives and to weekend car shows. I wanted to start with a 458 as it was the dream car yet I never wanted to do anything without my family with me. It didn’t take too long to break down and get the 458 and now my wife joins me in the Cali while I take the 458 and we each take a kiddo
As for the difference between them, it is significant as noted by others who’ve commented as the Cali is much more of a GT and more enjoyable for longer cruises. The 458 is just an awesome experience that has no comparison. It’s my recommendation to have both and enjoy the best of both worlds Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I love the cali, but it’s no 458. Very different cars. Get the 458.

 

I have the same feeling and experience on this one! Since budget is my main issue so I bought my first F car 2012 Cali last year with fully loaded option and carbon fibers …. Love this car for my daily driven as well as brought to track 6x last year and yes costly I replaced brake pads and tires, replaced brake oil and change oil more frequently than normal…. The issue with Cali is not powerful enough on track since it’s not designed for track so I am thinking of buying 458 Italia or preferable 458 Spider but the price is the issue I don’t have money for $200K so I am just watching the market and hopefully some days who know…. Price is back to $150-$190K like a year ago!! If I have money then I will keep Cali and buy 458 S…. That would be nice!!!



Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login


Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat

 

I've also been bit by the Ferrari bug. Love my 2013 Cali 30 HS, but wish I could have grabbed a 458 before the prices when stratospheric. I was trying to put pen to paper on a single owner 2010 458 for 160K last May before they vanished, and then I bought my car for almost 30K less.