458 Spider

I heard that somewhere earlier today.

 

Sounds like a winner, also allows the 430 spiders to breathe before depreciation sets in.

 

No soft top for 2011? I don't see a hardtop on the 458 to be appealing, I liked the design on the 360/430 verts.

 

I'm with you...

Unless they do a SuperAmerica flip top,... not sure how they'll pull this off...

I'm skeptical...

 

I don't think it can be done like the SA because of the engine in the back, and for that matter I don't think I've seen a hardtop in the back unless it was a front engine car. This will be interesting!

 

Deja Deux

 

Deja Tres

 

gonna miss the soft top look...not a huge fan of hardtops...

 

Good job on making 3 different threads...

 

I heard that somewhere earlier today.

 

Where?....

 

thought i was seeing triple but yeah, this hard top is going to be trick...storing vertically, just you wait and see!

 

another post stated the same thing!

 

I think we got the memo the first time around.

 

If this is true I want one.

 

Forgive me for sounding naive, but with the drastic price jump into a 458, is there really that much cause for concern with a vast drop in 430 prices??? They will decrease in value somewhat, but that price gap shouldn't get that big, right?

What is the base price difference between a 2009 F430 & a 2010 458?

 

The 430 Spyder's have taken most their hit already.
From here on out we will probably see incremental steps in depreciation.
I don't think there will be a huge step when the 458 Spyder launches.

 

I agree. They made just a few 2009 Spiders, will make none in 2010 and none for the US market in 2011. The first 458 spiders won't get here for almost another 2 years (Spring 2012). For that reason, I expect waiting lists to be long. You're only choice will be to wait for a 458 spider or buy a late model/low mileage F430 spider, or a new California.

Dealers are already pushing "spider lovers" into Californias. I expect the hit to be more in that area than F430 spiders.

With almost a 3 year span of no new 2 place spiders sold in the states, there's a large pent up demand for new spiders (aside from the economy which no one can predict).

Pent up demand means higher or stable prices, especially for the rarer and faster 16M.

HOWEVER, I have one possible caveat. The factory has capacity to produce more cars than it does today. And, the California and 458 share the same line. When the 458 spider comes online, the factory can bang out quite a few in a short period of time to make up for demand. They've already implied that they want to bring down waiting times and lists. By going into a rapid production rate of the 458 spider, the waiting lists will drop rapidly and so will 430 spider prices with it. This, however, is still speculation.

 

Wonder if a foldable hard top addresses the two issues I have with the open tops. First, with the top up, will the folder faithfully retain the lines of the hard top? One of the nicest parts of the design is all those lines that flow into the rear, and this is usually the area that gets lost with a rag. Second, with the top on at least, will the folder match the hard top dynamically? Despite what I've read in the press on occasion it's not hard to tell the difference between the hard top and the Spider version of the F430 if you drive them back to back. The difference might not be huge but the hard top definitely feels a little more 'together'.

In the hope that those two questions might be addressed by this design the prospect of a folding hard top is certainly more exciting than the idea that the 458 might be a soft top.

 

I doubt a folding top adds anything in the way of rigidity

 

So... does this mean the California will be dirt cheap from an overflow of inventory when the 458 Spyder comes out?

 

Weren't there words that the new 991 Porsche 911 cabrio will also be retractable hardtop? Interesting...

 

No, that will be soft top

 

I've said this many times before. The California will become one of the most purchased choice for first time Ferrari buyers of all time.

Why?

Because it's practical (easy to justify), is a coupe and convertible, has low maintenance, will be built in fairly large numbers (so they will be easy to find and obtain), has outstanding performance, sounds great, and will be inexpensive to purchase used.

Will they be dirt cheap? I can't tell you that. But for the first time buyers of the future, they will be very popular.