Driving 458 in the rain

Is this a serious question or are you just kidding? Everyone knows that Ferrari melt in the rain.

 

Burt,
There are holes in the engine compartment to drain any water. I wonder if someone's were plugged.
One important note has to do with putting roof down if it is wet. Unlike the 360/430 (which had a soft top as you know), they also had a compartment that caught any water and vented it to the ground. The 458 has NO such thing. If you put the roof down when wet, the water will "drain" into/onto the carpet cabin.
So, make sure roof dry before putting down after washing or a rain shower.
Best
Randy

 

I have 458 Spider and others in the rain, no issues, was caught in it driving...only issue is cleaning the rain spots in the vents...and no didn't melt

 

Literally have of my drives so far in my 458 have been in the rain!

Paula T.
("It doesn't rain a lot in Seattle; it rains often")

 

sorry typo, that was 'half"

 

Well if you put Hoosier R7 tyres on it and put it in ESC off, it'll be a death trap. But other than that? No...

It will also withstand harsh elements like sun, wind and air. Driving it will not break it either as it will last for more than 3000 km. The doors can be opened without falling off and the paint won't come off if you touch the car.

Have fun

 

If you're concerned about engine vents letting water in, don't be. As stated before, no problem. Not that many going in and engine bay is capable of letting it go through drains and heat evaporates the rest. I don't dismiss your concern as ridiculous, as over time water going in and not being drained may lead to rust.

A much more pressing concern imho is if the vents are adequate to let hot air go away in the summer. Cars tend to suffer more in hot conditions than in the cold.

Kind regards,

Nuno.

 

Maybe this article in Automobile Magazine will address the question of the perils of driving a 458 in the rain.

Everyday Exotics: A High-Dollar Exotic as Your Daily Driver

 

That article matches my philosophy; drive it! I just got back from getting groceries in my 458 (although I have broken eggs on more than one occasion). I do draw a line though, my dogs don't ride in it (they prefer the truck anyway) and I really consider where I park it.

 

We've driven all our Ferraris as frequently as possible - perhaps not quite to a DD level, but the cars themselves are fully suited to it.

As for the 458 in the rain....

^^first I'd heard about drainage (or lack thereof) issues in the 458 spider. I did a wet road trip with a friend in his and we didn't notice any cabin moisture when we went top up/down in between downpours.

Having said that, trapped water in a convertible can be an issue, but easily solved by letting it dry.

Have had zero issues with the 458 and Speciale in the rain, some heavy. I'm anal about our cars and cleanliness, so sometimes I'll have to go in and lightly detail the engine (it does accumulate dust naturally anyway). Another thing I'd do after a wet drive is park the car (under cover) and open the engine cover to allow moisture to escape.

Only "negative" of using a Ferrari in the rain is - again, I'm anal - I have to wash or at least do a quick detail on it afterward, but I"m far off the bell curve on having clean cars. however, my clean cars have a lot of miles

 

It's a car, not the Mona Lisa. Drive it.

Life is for living... not for worshipping a plastic-wrapped Ferrari gathering dust in the garage.

 

Just don't tell anyone you did it or the car value drops $20 grand

(just kidding!)

The great irony of Ferrari selling points:

"Never driven in the rain!"

So, how many times did you wash it?????

 

There are stories about one and two year old Ferrari's which when sold had original dealer filled gas still in the tank!

 

Just don't do anything stupid like stepping on the gas while going into a turn when is wet. You will spin out.
The 458 has some drainage hoses that you can actially see underneath.

 

I drive mine in the rain all the time. No issues that I can think of off hand. I used to love driving the 360 in the rain - that thing handled amazing. It's always fun when you go through a huge puddle and the rear engine compartment steams up for a minute

I do usually flip my car over to the "wet" setting, however.

Ray

 

Other than that, rain doesn't do much 'harm' I suppose. Putting the car on wet mode does take away much of the 458 allure...i.e., riding on a temporarily castrated stallion. From personal experience, I also notice due to selective bias I suppose that Ferrari's get extra dirty after driven in the rain. Since I can no longer wash cars outdoor at home in Georgia, USA due to drought restrictions, it really dampens enthusiasm for any wet trip, the aftermath of which cannot be washed away.

 

Wet mode if you going to push it even on a straight. Spun rear wheels once on a semi wet road with 80pc throttle in sport. Probably wouldn't happen in wet mode.

Sent from my SM-G9350 using Tapatalk

 

Pirelli tyres?

 

indeed ....

 

I tracked my 458 on the Assen circuit in NL under heavy rain.

Using the "normal" setup in sports and rain it was not possible to get the cat OFF the track.

We were really impressed by al the computer assistance. Gives me a lot of confidence in my car !

Tyres: MPSS
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Traction on a good track whether dry or wet is quite different (in a positive way) than the traction you have on public roads. The quality of the asphalt on the roads differs very much, plus there might be areas with saturated with oil, dirt, dust, etc. All of these will effect the car's grip on the road greatly when wet.

 

I took my 458 Italia through some torrential Florida summer downpours...when I mean Florida downpour...some of you may know them..as if a firehose was spraying down on you from directly overhead.
The road became so flooded so quickly I had no choice but to proceed sticking to the crown of the road the best I could..yet was still pushing a bow-wave forward...then a redneck in a giant lifted pickup truck passes me on the right and completely drenched the car even more(guess he got his laughs)...zero visibility...quiet alarming in fact...kept the wheel straight and on the gas in 1st gear...car was completely unflustered...didn't hiccup once...by the time I got home the sun was blasting and the car was dry...like nothing ever happened.

Fantastic cars, the more you drive them the better they are.

I bought a 16M that must have been sitting for awhile...after a few hundred miles running better and better...rain or shine.