Anyone traded from a 458 to a Testarossa?

Both you and Raylex can also atest, it also drives better with 18s given the Butt greater tire availability!

 

Besides the wider rubber the technology in 18s is FAR superior, I have brand new pilot sports on my 16s (they started making them again last year) but the technology of that tire is now 25+ years old. It’s night and day


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Completely agree! Its for the same reason I am building a set of 19in wheels for one of my cars...access to modern rubber!

 

Important cars will drive irrespective of the prevailing mode of transport.

 

Not if the government prohibits the production/sale of gasoline.

 

You can get Michelin Pilot Sport 4S in 225/40R18 and 285/35R18


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Europe burns wood like 1 mil years ago (literally) and calls it green.

Ain't happening. Might be synthetic but it's not going away.

 

Yes but Too narrow for a 512TR

 

This is an excellent thread as I have a 458 and would like to add a Testarossa as well. The only hesitation I have is maintenance cost, but I do have a good independent shop in town. I've just never owned a car that old, so I really have no idea what to expect (other than knowing that stuff is going to fail due to age and it will likely be expensive to fix). I've wanted a gated manual for a long time and after getting the 458, I decided I'd love to add a 12 cylinder car.

 

Sorry I thought we were talking about a testarossa.
For the testarossa in 18s you can use these 3 sizes, being the one in the middle the best option in my opinion and you can get a pilot 4S
215/45 and 275/40
225/40 and 285/35
235/40 and 295/35 (this is actually the 512TR size)

Problem is, as you are aware, for the 512TR there are not many options in that size (hence your need for 19s) there’s only the (also dated technology) Michelin Pilot Sport 2 and the Continental Extreme Contact Sport 02 which is a very good tire!! Of course not at as popular as the Michelin 4S but a very good tire indeed.
Tire rack has it actually ranked better than the 4S


Note there’s also other tires (Yokohama, Bridgestone, Toyo) but they are more extreme tires, I would stick to a Max performance tire (Like the Contis) than a Extreme Performance tire for a touring car like the 512TR



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Besides the engine out service thing, that in my opinion is perfectly done every 7 years, maintenance in a 458 would be way more expensive than a Testarossa, as long as the independent shop you have know what he is doing you will be a very happy person with one.


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Yes those Conti ECS2 are great if a little soft. I found I need to run slightly higher pressures on every application I’ve used. In fact, I just took them off my 456m when I switched that to 19s. The 19in P4S so far is superior to the ECS2 in 17s in terms of “GT” characteristics while giving up little (P4S seem to need more lateral loading early in turn in…not sure if that’s just as I havnt worn them in yet but will see.)

Right now on the 512TR, I run RE71rs on my OEM 18s and they are excellent if very stiff. The stiffness is more than even my old dry rotted Pirelli’s. Steering and braking are other worldly vs either the Pirelli or Conti. The stiffness though makes the ride jarring. The P4S should fix that though. We will find out !

 

I'll jump in with some opinions:

Assuming the playing fields are level, both cars must be on fresh rubber. A newer car on old, dead tires will feel worse than an older car on fresh rubber. Additionally, both cars should be competently well maintained.

I've driven a brand new 512 M (as well as an older '1987 TR) and a brand new F8 Tributo, which is a close comparison to the TR & 458. The older car offers more of a ritual experience when taking it out of the garage, while the newer car is so refined it feels like you could take it to Costco. My daughter also loved driving both the Tributo and the older 512 and shares my opinion. They're both very cool; the manual gearbox provides an incredible connection to the machinery, while the dual-clutch refinement adds a lot of fun. As for reliability, an old car is an old car. What will be the story on servicing or restoring a 40-year-old F8 if one of the black boxes acts up?

That said, I love them all. It just depends on which itch you're trying to scratch.

 

Who says you cannot take your testarossa to Costco??
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That's ambitious! I wonder how far of a drive to get the flat panel TV home, and what kind of roads? I'd think if you hurt the beautiful car, it'd wreck your day.

 

Not my car, it is a popular photo online, but I’ve taken my testarossa to Costco or any shopping mall without any issues, trunk is a good size maybe even bigger than the 458, you just need to park in a wide spot to avoid door dings [emoji4]
But regarding the picture I think a TV would put a lot of weight there and it will seriously damage the car.


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And besides Costco you can actually take it to the slopes!!




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I have driven a few 458s on track and street and have a 91 Testarossa. In the world of speed limits, traffic, etc. the Testarossa with its orchestral flat 12 and manual gearbox gives me far more to do and enjoy while driving on public roads. I also service the TR myself, including belt changes which gives me more of a sense of involvement as well (I would probably not service my 458 were I to own one). Whenever I see a new Ferrari on the road while driving the TR, I suspect I am having more fun than the other guy (at a fraction of the cost). TRs are the best secret in Ferraris in my opinion.


(I also don’t like automatic transmission sports cars, but that’s my preference.)

 

Half that for my last one.

 

I’m sure I am having the most fun on the road than anyone when driving either of my cars (Lamborghini Diablo Roadster & Ford GT) and more fun than most in my daily (Jeep Wrangler 392). But I will say that having a newer exotic would be much easier to live with, better reliability and more availability. I’m in position to go newer financially (I’m like a church mouse in this forum) but probably have to sell one.

The Diablo has been in the shop since June 7th for its annual service and a couple of minor repairs. The invoice will be around $3,100. Generally, maintenance averages $6,000 per year (over 10 years now, but is has been decreasing as I have been refreshing different mechanical systems). Definitely has been worth the expense….but part of the trade off the OP (who has been silent) would have to make.

 

If you take your time to find the right car, do the right things to it, at the right time, a Testarossa really isn't that expensive to run at all! Just do some research, some thorough checks and go and buy one - they are quite wonderful. Be prepared for slow progress though as everyone wants a photo and a video clip!!

 

Knowing how much heat haze comes off the back of mine when ever I stop, I hope that box is well insulated!!

 

Just for grins, I added up my maintenance expenditures for the Diablo over 10 years. This doesn’t include tires or anything I upgraded just because I wanted to (like exhaust and wheels). There has not been any major driveline issues, and this includes one engine out service for the head gasket plus assorted “while you’re in there” refreshing.

$60,633

 

Remarkable. I also have a Diablo parked next to the TR. As I come to grip with issues I find from the previous owners’s lack of attention the bills are coming down (so far).

 

As a 458 Spider owner, and I have three Testarossa's, the idea of selling a 458 and buying a Testarossa is interesting. I had TWO Testarossa's when I went the other direction and bought the 458. The 458 has been an incredible car, and has almost become my daily driver.

The Testarossa's are a completely different car than the 458. Owning a 458 AND a Testarossa seems like a MUCH better move. While people may dis the "automatic" in a 458, the DCT is absolutely amazing. While maintenance of a Testarossa is labor intensive, with the help of Ferrari Chat's brain trust, a mechanically inclined person can take care of a TR. The 458 with the myriad of computers, sensors, etc, I THINK could be a ticking time bomb. While my 458 has cost almost NOTHING to keep running for the last 8 years, I think it could potentially be a disaster.

Selling a 458,and buying a Testarossa you COULD end up with an extra 70 to 100K in your pocket. The Testarossa, certainly attracts attention and is a real super car without the super car price. It's a fun car to drive, but again NOT like a 458.