458 Speciale option: roll bar or roll cage? | FerrariChat
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458 Speciale option: roll bar or roll cage?

Discussion in '458 Italia/488/F8' started by drvik, Sep 9, 2014.

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  1. drvik

    drvik Rookie

    Aug 13, 2014
    27
    #1 drvik, Sep 9, 2014
    I've been working with 2 separate sales guys on speccing my car and one insisted I get the roll bar as I intend to track it while the other told me it was intact a roll cage, and it would involve having to step over horizontal bars when getting into the car (as in a full race car roll cage). He is the general manager of a large city dealership!

    The configurator certainly renders this option as a simple up and over roll bar, with no intrusions into the front cabin...

    Has anyone ordered this option and can you confirm what this option actually is or take some pics?
     
  2. avalente

    avalente Rookie

    Aug 7, 2013
    19
    Switzerland
    #2 avalente, Sep 9, 2014
    Hi!

    It's a roll BAR, not a cage at all, so access is not changed in anyway. Besides, in most countries, having a roll CAGE would render the car to be not street legal anymore.

    Go for the roll bar option if you track it a bit. It won't hurt. Mine has it.

    Best,

    A
     
  3. Stevenb

    Stevenb F1 Rookie

    Aug 5, 2012
    2,799
    Los Angeles
    Full Name:
    Steven
    #3 Stevenb, Sep 9, 2014
  4. drvik

    drvik Rookie

    Aug 13, 2014
    27
    #4 drvik, Sep 9, 2014
    Thanks for clearing that up. I followed that link and it has some good info. Am I to understand that the deciding factor now is stiffer chassis vs less rear storage + partly obscured visibility??

    Can anyone with the bar offer some feedback??
     
  5. avalente

    avalente Rookie

    Aug 7, 2013
    19
    Switzerland
    #5 avalente, Sep 10, 2014
    Hi,

    You understand correctly:

    - slightly less visibility (starting from the top). You do see the engine properly though + the spoiler + about 10-15cm above it. This is probably variable according to driver's size. I'm 1m77 for the record.

    - less storage space: well, I didn't realise there was any space except from the 2 nets behind the seats, and they still are there. So IMHO, there is no "less" storage space.

    Hope this helps!

    Enjoy your beast!!!!

    Best,

    A


    Envoyé de mon iPhone à l'aide de Tapatalk
     
  6. radix

    radix Karting

    Dec 2, 2010
    234
    #6 radix, Sep 10, 2014
    I seriously doubt that adding the roll bar will have any effect on stiffness at all. This is not like the case where a lot of metal is added to to form a roll cage. You cannot get any stiffness if there are not members added to increase the strength laterally/longitudinally or torsionally of the frame.

    This simple roll bar is designed to increase the roof crush strength in the case of a roll over - outside of that particular condition it will only add weight and decrease vision - so that is the trade-off you need to decide on.
     
  7. neil-f

    neil-f Karting

    Feb 6, 2008
    223
    UK
    #7 neil-f, Sep 11, 2014
    I gather the roll bar is rather heavy, having driven a speciale with one fitted it does reduce the rear vision, not going to add this option.
     
  8. willcrook

    willcrook F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 3, 2009
    2,554
    UK
    #8 willcrook, Sep 11, 2014
    didn't someone have a barney with ferrari recently because a fault occured whilst he was on track and Ferrari didn't want to replace it under warranty insisting that the speciale is not a track car and shouldnt be used on track?
     

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