Need Help! Which to buy: 488 vs F12 vs 458

It really depends on what you want a sports car in which case the 458 would be best . Or a V12 GT .. in which case the F12 would be best ..
One of each of the 2 would be perfect..
For me The F12 is a great car… thats what I have and would choose
Welcome and good luck

 

This has to be a candidate for understatement of the year !!!

 

Buying a Ferrari isn't an intellectual decision.. it's an emotional one. Which one of the three sets your heart aflutter when you look at it parked and then when you sit in it. THAT's the one to get. With the more vintage cars, they will have problems and that passion for the car gets you through it.

If it's a "I have a Ferrari!" thing.. then it's going to be a letdown because nobody cares...

 

Drive them and you will know which one speaks to you. Our opinions are (or should be) meaningless.

I would take the Portofino without hesitation as I like GT convertibles.

 

The F12 to me is the best V12 made to date. I am not an 812 fan.

 

Test drive all of em. Buy the one you like most. Nuff

 

This decision is as much about you, your preferences and where you are in your car journey, as it is about the cars themselves. As it pertains to features like the lifter, do you need that in your area? In my area, it’s almost mandatory. I can get by without one, but it sure is nice to have.

Some random thoughts about each type of car and then each model

Mid engine: very nimble, not as powerful, think playful / “jet fighter for the road”, more of a unique look and driving experience.
V12 front engine: more familiar setup, but very long hood, not easy to judge for the novice, think of Ferraris take on an M3 coupe
V8 front engine: Ferrari’s attempt to make a more friendly car. Pros: it’s easier to do normal driving and parking. Cons: its not quite as strong in the “Ferrari” stuff.

458/ Spider: one of the all time greats, but you’ve noticed prices are going higher. Older tech. Not too hard to see out, but, mid engine Ferrari is not like another car. Its unique. Engine has plenty of power, but you have to rev it. In 2025 that means youll be making a lot of noise. Does that bother you? As it pertains to spider/ coupe, do you like open air driving? Spider is a bit jiggly. If your area has really smooth roads, you might really like the spider. I find having an open car adds to the experience. But in this generation, the coupe feels so much more rigid, and that’s something I would take over the open experience. You are most likely to not lose too much money on a 458, but when values move quickly, it makes me more hesitant to assume they will remain where they are (either positive or negative).

488/ Spider: Overshadowed by both the 458 on the older side, and the F8 on the newer side. I think this makes the 488 a good buy. Your money is pretty safe here. The engine is also great to rev, but its not as loud as the 458, the sound isnt as sweet either, there is more torque spread across more of the rev range. It’s faster than the 458, and you can feel that. But you do lose that NA engine thing. Which one is better depends on you. I dont hear about problems with these, but with any car, you want to get some kind of warranty coverage. That goes for 458 too. Same comments about the options, and for the spider, its still jiggly, but less so as they reinforced the structure for the 458 Speciale Aperta, and this carried over to the 488 and F8 spider. Newer interior tech, a car that has CarPlay will be fairly modern in how you use it.

F12: incredible engine. More NA magic but now with a very wide torque band. With that said, the magic really gets going as you rev it. You’ll see almost every Ferrari engine has different power bands, but almost all of them really come into their own from around 4000 RPM onwards. Very long hood, can be tricky to get to grips with when new. Rear end can bite if provoked, you’d have to try real hard. Suspension does not settle down on some roads. Dated tech. Along with the 458, another all time great Ferrari. Values seem strong on these and likely will remain so. The engine in the F12 is truly a masterpiece, this engine and its variants , I would argue is the greatest mass produced engine ever. This car is literally the manifestation of Enzo Ferrari’s statement that he sells you an engine, and throws in the car for free. The car part is very good overall, but showing its age, as can be understood since its over 12 years since its debut! Everyone should own a Ferrari V12 at least once in their life. This is truly a magic engine.

Portofino: the easiest one of these to daily drive. But the least sporting. The regular Portofino is nice, the M drives a lot better. Both are great cars, and with the newest technology, which plays into the easier to drive daily factor. Values likely fall, not sure where they are today, but, look at a California T and a Portofino, the gap between them could get fairly small as both find floors. Note, if you frequently drive on poor roads, if your roads have a lot of expansion joints, the folding hardtop roof on the Portofino and California will rattle.

My advice- unless you are new to sports cars in general, Id skip the Portofino and then decide if you want the turbo torque or the NA sweetness, and then decide which form factor you prefer.

No matter what you decide, youll be making a good choice, you just want to make sure its the best one for you, and finally,

Finally, welcome to the family!