As per an earlier thread I bought a new 458 Ferrari. Altohugh it is a capable car it is not as exciting to drive as I hoped. Anyway I went back to the dealer today to see what I could tade it for or just give it back. There will be no money lost to me if I just let it go. I have bought three Ferraris from this dealer and I consider them good people. Anyway the salesman found a F40 Ferrari. that I could trade for. I have a friend, Simon who had one but other than that I have no real experience or understanding of the car or the specs. Opinions and thoughts are appreciated Lee
OMG, why are you hesitating. From your earlier posts, this should be an easy contender - test drive it NOW and report back Best of luck on finding your holy grail
Having read your other thread and seen what you're looking for in a car, have you considered one of these... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEzHvFANUkA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0-KeWu4mP0
What kind of exceitement seems to be missing? {Looks, Acceleration, Deceleration, Cornering, Shifting, overly refined, rawness, edginess, ...} Along a different line:: Have you taken it to the track to learn how to drive it at its lmits? In my opinion, the F40 is a superb car for a "select few" who can put up with its idiosyncrasies, and absolutely horrible options for those that want anything like Porsche/Mercedes reliability, drivablility, tripability, parkability, maintanence costs.
2 totally different cars...458 is a usable performer than does everything well and u can beat the crap out if it...the f40 is an icon, a religious experience that only a handful of people can drive and control at its limits...u cant take it to dinner, u look like a jackass getting out of it and ur wife will moon the entire world...its a go cart...dont get me wrong, ill never sell my f40 but its like a piece of art...the 458 i drive the crap out of and i can take it to dinner etc...and btw u need to give the 458 more time...it is a ridiculous machine...if u think its boring ur not driving it right....
Mitch on the 458 section below this thread about 6 or so down is "458 design flaw" read that and it will bring you up to speed. You will read posts, pro and con to my point of view. Alot of well thought out posts. As per the other gentlemans utube post I have considered the Noble. But not something I would consider. But thank you for the recommendation. Lee
Turn that little switch on the steering wheel to CST - you'll probably see any boredom disappear if you drive it hard!
The F40 is a great car, but it is what it is...a race car type experience for the road. Ferrari wanted to give the owner the feeling of driving a race car. From the look/feel/smell of the cabin to the aggressive exterior styling to the ballistic performance, they delivered exactly that. If you want that type of car, you probably won't be disappointed. Of course, it's a older Ferrari super-car, so there's the maintenance and potential repairs to think about. Negatives? Well it's very low, so you have to be careful not to damage the nose. It has a relatively small motor with mid-late 80's turbo technology, so there's a bit of lag before it comes up on boost and rockets away. Also, while its brakes were good for their time, they're not as good as modern hi-perf braking systems (they're probably plenty good for street driving, though). And, of the four modern Ferrari super cars, the F40 was built in the highest numbers, so it's not as rare as the others.
Ricky, you may be right on the 458. I have 12 cars in total. The 458 may be a go get dinner car but it is not exciting to drive. My other F cars the 360 and F430 were awesome. The 458 while competant to go get groceries is boring. I must admit the design is stunning and the engine sound under power and in "race" mode is world shaking. Taking it to the track is not the point if it is not exciting to drive it home. Besides if I was going to go to the track I would take my Mosler, ZR1 or even my racing Lotus. These cars are exciting and more competant. I am not saying the 458 is a bad car just Ferrari made the car for everyday driving and everybody. The ZR1 has more hp 638 versus 562 and a heads up display. The ZR1 and 458 drive about the same with the nod in my view to the ZR1. I have never been a Vette fan but I have cecome a ZR1 supporter. I will say no more about the 458 i want to get back to my question F40 Lee
ok. i like my 458 better than my CGT but not better than the f40. the f40 is a religious experience...if u have the money get one, no reason not to. if u dont want to spend f40 money then consider a 360 CS. the 360 CS blows away the 430 and alot of CS/scuderia owners like the CS better...it might give u that raw feel ur looking for....anyone who can afford an f40 shld have one.
The F40 is very exciting to drive but also very crude compared to the 458. The brakes have not a lot of feel, the clutch is heavy and the gb will seem very slow compared to what you are used to with a 360/430/458. It is not comfortable and there is no space inside if you are 5.10 or taller. But when you get some speed built up, you really feel like it's you who's the hero and not the computer chips.
Rob thank you for the post. Do you have to let the turbos warm up before you drive it? Also do you have the car idle and the turbos spool down as you do in turbo airplanes? The nose and ground clearance you said is a problem do you know how much you can go over? I had my Mosler put up so I can do 5 1/4 inches. My Lambo can put the nose up if needed for bump clearance. I do not even know hp torque or weight. The dealer is pulling that together for me but I am curious. LEE Lee
There is no F40 existent, except for a very storied one like Roland's, that a Dealer would trade straight across for a 458. There is a huge difference in the value of F40's depending on condition, mileage, and modifications. What is he giving you for your 458? What is the condition etc. of the F40? An F40 requires a lot of knowledge to buy correctly. The range between good and bad ones can be 300K. One that has issues can require a lot of money to straighten out. There are perfectly serviceable ones for under 400K and one's with massive stories for even less but they have mileage and often modifications. Pristine Fetish F 40 still bring over 550K. Putting that aside F458's are modern sports cars. F 40's are a lot rawer and require a service from someone who knows what they're doing. They also require a bit more skill to drive at speed in the Rain.
In my honest opinion, the F40 is the most visceral Ferrari road car experience that you could ever have. It is the ultimate Ferrari for me... never driven one but I have ridden in one several times. I'm 5'11", 160 pounds and it's a perfect fit for me. It is hard to get in and out of, there are no luxuries at all. It really is a go-cart or a race car for the street. Girls at the Starbucks will point & laugh when they see you hand cranking the windows... seen it happen. I'm no pro driver and I have little to no track experience, so quite frankly the F40 scares the crap out of me. Even if my friend handed me the keys to his F40 like he has with all of his other Ferraris, I don't think I would take it for a spin unless I had lots of open space to myself. I've driven 7 different Ferraris and several other exotics. I've ridden in over two dozen exotics, including an Enzo. There is no doubt that the F40 is the most exciting experience out of all of them. I can't afford any Ferrari but if I could, I would love to own an F40. Here is the twist... If I could choose any Ferrari for free but only one, it would be a Challenge Stradale. Simply because it is so much more usable for me than an F40. I have driven a Challenge Stradale... It's orgasmic, but you never feel like the car is trying to kill you like with the F40. I've also been on the track as a passenger in an F40. I will NEVER do that again.
I haven't driven an f40-but I've spent time in a 458and scud-- If u want a race car-I don't think the 458 is it---- I would suggest a gt3 cup car, or a 430 challenge, and just track them all the time. Sounds like you have enough street cars, time to step up to the next level.
As with any sports car, you should bring the engine up to temperature (both water and oil) before driving it hard. Whenever I had turbo cars in the past, after a drive I would always let the car idle for a little bit before turning off the engine. This lets the turbos slow down so they don't spin at high speed without oil circulation, it also lets them cool down a bit which prevents oil coking. I don't know the exact ground clearance, but I know the F40's nose is pretty low. You have to be careful going up inclines, over speed bumps, etc. IIRC, the F40 has 478hp and 425ft-lbs. of torque. Weight is well under 3000lbs (probably around 2800lbs or less). The car is very fast, not as fast as your Mosler, but fast. They run quarter mile times in the mid 11 second range at 125+ mph.
Don't understand the point of this thread. Comparing any of the modern Ferraris to the F40 is silly. If you are not crazy about hte 458, no problem, sell it back to the dealer. As Jim says above, if you have done your due diligence and want an F40 and can afford it's big league costs, then by all means buy it. It is not a substitute for the 458, however. After all, with a dozen or so other cars in the stable, do you really need or want any more?
+1....it's like comparing a beach house in the Hamptons to a villa in Tuscany. Not sure why you would choose the 458 out of your stable to the F40. Certainly one of the other 11 must be more boring or purposeless than the 458. why not get rid of one of them and buy a F40 in its place?
Joe Mack, great name you make a good point. At some point i will sell them off. Age or maybe lack of interest will demand it. I am sitting here looking and asking what cars are less fun to drive. I have a 1954 corvette with is not bad to frive but not performance. i only bought it because it needed a freind. After a year I now runs and I drive it occasionly. I never see one on the street all orginol like mine or anything. I did aee a replica once. The Aston martin is not boring but at least mine is a 6 speed manual convertible. Not very fast but refined and comfortable. I drove my Mosler today to cars and coffee amd my 1965 vette convertible the day before and I love driving them. So I like all of my cars just fine. The 458 and why I pick it was for a great mark it is a big disappointment. Looks great , sounds great and is boring. The f40 should be more exciting. Thank you for your post and I am thinking about what you said. Regards Lee
i am a huge enthusiast in the Corvette world. Owned a 58, 2 67s and my recent project was a 66BB convertible. The tough thing about them is finding the right group of "friends" to drive with. The NCRS group is a narrow minded clan that thrives on determining whether the glove box sticker is positioned correctly versus driving..... I think the F40 is such an untouchable for so many Ferrari enthusiasts that, to have one in your collection, could not be argued. Driving it will be a rarity because of everything everyone said but certainly a keeper. Whether the 458 is a keeper for some is purely a matter of taste. I find it to be an amazing driver friendly car. Much more driver friendly than my 575M or the Corvette for that matter. It beams above any of the 360s I have owned as well as the 360CS, 430s and 430 Scuds I have owned. Although I would find the CS is one I would have as a keeper (though I fought off that temptation on the 2 I have owned). Amongst a collection of deep as yours, I can understand how the 458 may get lost in the shuffle. You might find, however, that the F40 gets lost in the shuffle because of the limited driver time you'll get...though, staring at it in the garage probably makes up for 50% of the lost seat time.
Texas Mike, great post. Although you and I have not driven one what you say has been told me many times. I was at cars and coffee and monty who has a radio program here in florida and one in New York city. He has been around racing and neat cars all his life. His call in radio shows are all about cars mostley race or exotic. His words of wisdom on the F40 mirrors your view. he said the clutch is hard to push in and it will not feel fast or powerful compared to what I am used to. Once it is rolling and picks up speed and the turbos kick in it is the best Ferrari every made. He watches the car market and said they have dipped in selling value alot at least for now. He did not know if they would come up in value but they should. He said they where going for 1.5 million. I will get the vin number and he will run it down for me. With the cars I have I am not looking for anymore transportation. I am not sure I want the crap scared out of me either but it beats boredom . Regards Lee
Lee, i am a huge enthusiast in the Corvette world. Owned a 58, 2 67s and my recent project was a 66BB convertible. The tough thing about them is finding the right group of "friends" to drive with. The NCRS group is a narrow minded clan that thrives on determining whether the glove box sticker is positioned correctly versus driving..... I think the F40 is such an untouchable for so many Ferrari enthusiasts that, to have one in your collection, could not be argued. Driving it will be a rarity because of everything everyone said but certainly a keeper. Whether the 458 is a keeper for some is purely a matter of taste. I find it to be an amazing driver friendly car. Much more driver friendly than my 575M or the Corvette for that matter. It beams above any of the 360s I have owned as well as the 360CS, 430s and 430 Scuds I have owned. Although I would find the CS is one I would have as a keeper (though I fought off that temptation on the 2 I have owned). Amongst a collection of deep as yours, I can understand how the 458 may get lost in the shuffle. You might find, however, that the F40 gets lost in the shuffle because of the limited driver time you'll get...though, staring at it in the garage probably makes up for 50% of the lost seat time.
Have only driven an F40 one time and it was a real kick. However, I could not afford the price of entry at the time and felt that it was way beyond my capabilities. The lack of braking when the brakes were cold was anxiety provoking at best. I just took delivery of my 458 and frankly am not in love with it. The biggest problem is that it is so bloody fast and capable that at normal speeds it is a yawn. My Stradale feels alive at any speed and is great fun even when not driving fast. The 458 is a blast but at speeds that are difficult to see where I live without major police issues. Too damn good and too damn refined.
Hi Joe mack- Makes alot of sense. Since I use a spreadsheet to do the car drives it is abour every two months or so before I see it again. The easy driver is why I am not impressed with the 458. If I was working and using it to get there I would go back to a Porsche 911. The excitement you and others have mentioned concerning the F40 has peaked my interest. I had a 1960 vette also and a 1968 in the day. Lost in the shuffle is the perfect phrase. I will drive the F40 Friday and decide. Thank you for the post. Lee
Hi Lee! Hope the holidays find you and Joy well. I have very little seat time in a 458 (under 50 miles). That said, I find modern ferrari's too sterile. They are so refined you are insulated from the speed. The F40 is like a rollercoaster... it is an event,... a ride to be feared and then talked about with a smile on your face. Nothing I have ever driven compares. As a final thought,... the only car I would consider against the F40 is the F50... and only because I love the open top configuration. Best to you, Simon
