458 Spider Owners Please Chime In

Love the open air
Looks great with top down
Looks okay with top up
Engine bay is a joke on spider
Do feel it flexes more than coupe; not as stiff
Can't go wrong with open air drives

 

Although I just purchased '13 spider a month ago, I don't think I would ever trade the top down with the engine view.

 

+458

Sounds much better even with the top up...you can put the rear window down and hear the music from the rear even in the rain and cold weather. You can hear the engine all the time during drives...you have to get out of the car to see the engine.

I would never own a coupe...one of the reasons F12 is not a consideration. The hard top convertible is the best of both worlds. I would not trade the hard top feature for the engine window. Guess l got it out of my system with the 360 Spider.

Best

 

The spider has 2 worlds. And this is the only way to hear the sound like a bystander while driving. Whats the point to see the engine? If engine is visible, then you have to make sure its always clean, like working 2 jobs.

 

I found that Ferrari made the spider more of a GT than the coupe. Exhaust quieter, shock settings softer, and shifts smoother.

There is some chassis flex.

 

I had both cars and I preferred coupe.
Imo the spider lacked the firmness of coupe and had to much cowl shake.

 

Yes agreed

 

I owned a '13 spider and absolutely loved it. If the roads in PA were worth a d*mn I would still have it. I agree with the comment that with the rear window down there is nothing better than driving under an overpass and running the engine up to 9000 rpm. Heaven.

 

How about a tunnel?
Colorado has 55.

Cowl shake is more significant if you track alot.

 

I absolutely love my Spider, top down as much as possible. And gunning 9K rpm in a tunnel is a bliss. The cowl shake doesn't bother me as much even though the roads here in Seattle are terrible. Would never buy a coupe for a Ferrari. Although an F12 would be fine I guess, was just looking at them and wondering if I could trade my Spider for an F12. Just wishful thinking. I'm happy with the Spider but that V12 is something special.

 

Had both I think pure driving experience would be Speciale coupe. Spider is amazing top down all the time. Tunnel and underpass...amazing!!! Will have 488 Spider soon so will let you know if it's the same.

 

Echo the lowering of rear window sentiment. Not that it's 458 relevant, but the lil engine in the 488 is nice to actually cover up.

 

ROTFL

 

Yep!! Only do Spiders. I have grown to like the soft tops better because I hate that A lot of people thought it was a coupe til I put the top down. Lol

If my tops up, I'd prefer they know it's a spider so there is no best of both worlds. . I do miss that about my old 430 Spider.

Never met a car that didn't look better with the top down.

 

Agree 100% - I would never buy the coupe and love the convertibles. My aperta is probably the best car I've owned.

 

I HAD a 2010 italia and HAVE a 2013 spider. I found the Italia to have the most amazing structural rigidity. But, it was almost Lexus smooth and somehow became less of an occasion to drive then my slower/less than perfect previous 360/430s. The spider I almost sold within the first month as it just didn't feel right. Long story for another day.
3 years on I still have it. At the end of the day, it has 2 completely different modes: top up or down. And it has 3 additional "1/2" modes as I call them. Meaning top up or down is radically changed by exhaust flap position (1st 2 1/2 positions) and the third 1/2 is roof up and rear window down.
By having all these different driving modes, you alter the car's feel very drastically. This in turn makes for the illusion that you have more than one car to drive. I have yet to be bored my car. Small warts and all, the spider for me is always an occasion to drive.
Most importantly, I find the rear deck of the spider to look cooler than seeing the motor. Ferrari did a fantastic job with the styling. Yes, I miss seeing the motor with the engine lid up. But not that much. (After my drives I lift up engine cover and have fan in garage to get all that heat out of the car/garage. So, I see, or should I say, don't see, the motor all the time!)
Best

 

had a 13 Spider now have a 15 Coupe would not go back to a Spider on a 458 however I do own 360 and 430 Spiders 6MT and love them both

 

where do you live? if your LA or south florida get the spider. If you are northeast keep the 458 and get a 430 spider or 360 spider for the 5 months of the year where you will actually have the top down.

 

I know a friend in South Africa who has a 16M ...

Open driving for him is impossible for him because of the sun !

 

Have an italia coupe and a 430 spider. I agree that the convertible is like having two cars to drive. If I didn't have the 430 spider I would choose a 458 spider over the coupe since its more fun.

 

I have to agree for the most part. Except for 911. IMHO 911 cabriolet looks ugly compared to the coupe.

 

Hey! Don't be making fun of my Turbo S Cab!! I'm going to cry for a month now!!

 

I can't comment of the comparison between the 458 Italia and the 458 Spider, but ... I would always recommend a spider of whatever car. Wind in your hair, sun in your face, open air around you, and that sound, OMG, that sound - there is nothing like the experience of the 458 Spider. I've had soft tops since 1978, a Triumph Stag for 25 years (and it's 3 engines - but that's another story), a Maserati Bi-Turbo Spider from 1988, a Maserati 4200 CambioCorsa Spider from 2003 and now the 458 Spider. Obviously the Ferrari is a universe apart from my previous cars, but they all had one thing in common that is absolutely addictive - the open air feeling. I love in Melbourne, Australia and have the roof off about 300 days of the year. It's not always hot, but if it's not raining, then I immediately take off the roof. - So my advice is, go for the 458 Spider. Forget the fact that you can't see the engine - as PhilNotHill says, (to paraphrase) - you can't see the engine when driving a 458 Italia, so forget about that issue.

 

One of the things l don't like about a cloth top spider is l feel l must wait until the top is completely dry before putting the top down. With the hard top l just towel off the top and can put the top down right away, thus saving precious moments of top down driving.

And then l worry that somebody or a bear (yes, a bear) will tear into the cloth top when the car is unattended. Never happened yet but still a concern. And we never leave any food in the car as bears can smell it a mile away and will do anything to get at it. Really.

I'll never forget when our bankers from the big city took us out to dinner and encountered a bear on their way back to their Aspen hotel from the restaurant. Made a big impression indeed.