First Ferrari coming from 991.2 GT3 - Specific 458 Questions

Prior to my 458 Spider, I only had a 997 C2S. Entirely different level. I don't really miss it, but it might be a different experience had I come from a modern GT3. In fact, I look for GT3 Tourings on occasion, but they are still scarce.

 

I owned Many porsches 928s4,944 Turbo,964c4,964 c2,964 Turbo,996 turbo,997 Turbo and i realy dont miss all of them.
I own now an Black ferrari 458 Italia Since 3 years and Love it Every day more and more.dont know Why.perhaps its the feeling by pushing hard the Gas pedal,and the car Fiels like driving on ICE.
I will only change it to an 458 Speciale,perhaps in 1 year.

 

I sold my 2016 GT3 RS for my 458 Spider, and the 458 is the best sounding V8 I’ve ever heard along with a timeless look very pleased. You can have fun in the 458 at any speed/rev band vs the GT cars. Next it’s a Ferrari that it .....the feeling when you get in and fire it up amazing.

Now with the said I ordered a 2019 GT3 RS which is waiting for a ride from Germany to the states. I did miss my RS just because it’s a different car ....you can beat it up more than a Ferrari and it’s meant to be abused on the track. For me they will be a good pair for me to keep lomg term because I enjoy both of them equally for different reasons.


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Freaking beautiful cars.

 

I would love to drive a DCT mid V8. I love my manual 360, but I realize that it's a couple generations old now. I actually prefer the 458 over the 488. Performance be damned.

 

Oh no. How dare you brought the 458 vs 488 up!

 

Sure. But there are a lot more seasoned 458 owners online.

 

I absolutely share your sentiment towards the GT3, that's why mine is for sale as well, decided to keep the R8 and italia as it's just harder to enjoy the GT3 other than full canyon carving mode. I will try to keep my big 3 but for now the gt3 is kinda over rated in my opinion, even though it's the fastest car here. I am a bit surprised that's still the case with the .2 (i currently have the .1) I would say the battery tender is a must, the car chews through batteries and and not exactly easy to change (need to lower windows, move seat, access passenger footwell etc.) especially parked in an apartment complex. If you dont have power, i think u can get by with a jumpstarter battery back in your car all the time in case it dies. You will usually get signs before the battery is about to go, like weak starting or low voltage after 3 days. 2) bluetooth...i just use 30 pin to lightning cable adapter, works ok. 3)this car actually has pretty good ground clearance, just have to be careful when you drive that's all 4) sticky buttons are 100%. just had mine refinished, what a pain to remove the entire dash. It's a matter of time, i say 5-7 years you will get it. 5) if u drive in the city a lot, i say sensors and backup cam. All the carbon options or seat are nice to have, especially if you are looking for a sense of occasion when driving the car. These are things that you look at everytime you drive it, i would try to get as much of these as you can. Lift I think you can live without as long as you know the roads and avoid low spots, which is hard to daily for a daily driver but easy to live with as a weekend driver. The sound sys isnt that good even if upgraded, so that's not a must. If you dont drive a lot at night, the AFS is hardly necessary. I think the sport wheels is a must, the base wheels look horrible. 6) the 458 is a very reliable car, so honestly i dont think low mileage is that bad, unlike the older cars. I had a very low mileage f430, and basically found that u pay a premium and yet u have to spend even more to replace things that are supposed to be replaced, but weren't. Wouldnt be afraid to get a high mileage one as well, as long as it's well serviced and maintained. The risk of DCT failure is the same for a low mileage or high mileage car. 7) A very thorough PPI might give an overall good view of the car in lieu of service records. The car doesnt require a lot of maintenance/replacements unlike the older models, so a full service history is really just stuff like annual oil change, brake fluid, coolant flush and filter change and maybe spark plugs, there's really not much else. Of course it's nice to have full history, but still cant replace a good PPI to see any kind of leak, brake wear, electronic malfunctions, body repair etc.

 

- Battery maintainer.
If you drive it often enough, once twice a week and not a short 5 minute drive for example, you should be fine. Otherwise ferrari battery is AGM, which prefers to be stored charged and doesn't like to be discharged very well, that's prob why they included the little battery maintainer if you don't drive your car often enough. If you know you are not driving it for a 4-5 days, plug it in. Its said to help battery lifetime.

- Lifter System. I used to scrape the f430 nose a lot, but 458 doesn't seem to have that issue at all, even clears most parking lot blocks.

- Bluetooth music streaming. You can easily get an adaptor like Bovee 1000 on amazon about $70. It supports inputs from behind steering wheel as well as voice commands to go to next track etc. It also gets rid of that annoying "phone call completed" thing if you keep audio on iPod mode.

- Sticky button issue. Have not had any issue yet... maybe not old enough to know?

- AC blows cold? pretty cold and fast too... but i don't know how that compares.

- Must have options? Personally i prefer the parking sensors and rear view camera. these cars are notorious difficult to back up precisely due lack of straight reference lines like most cars do... but that's just me...

- Better for a car to be driven and have some miles on it or find lower mileage? I personally I prefer a car that's driven than the garage queen. An enthusiast driven car is usually better cared for.

- If not much in the form of maintenance records - It should have at least annual service records right? You said late model, late models come with 7 years service.

- Anything specific to check out/inquire on for the Ferrari 458? Nothing that I recall for.

 

I'd pass on that black interior. There are lots of cars out there an you'll always be sorry when you see the one later that you really wanted.

 

Too funny Sam. I am also looking for a 458 and have tons of questions. Thanks for helping me do my homework!

 

I would stay 2013 and after. People often need more than 6 months to find the right spec. No rush to get a ferrari. Patience will pay.

 

Since i am in the same boat as Sam, and no need to create another thread, let me ask a few more questions.

1. What is the warranty situation like? If i buy from private party vs dealer what are the implications?

2. I do most of the maintenance on my .1 GT3 (oil changes, spark plugs, etc.). The car is super easy to work on. With the 458 are the basics DIY friendly?

3. How much does an extended warranty cost and how long does the regular warranty last?

4. Assuming red exterior, what are desirable interior color combos?

Thanks guys!

 

Definitely. It took me several months to find the right GT3 and getting the right spec makes it more enjoyable to own, and easier to keep long-term.

 

1. Not sure
2. Yes
3. 2 year extended warranty at the conclusion of previous 3 year warranty is ~$9K. You could get annually-renewable power train only warranty for less, not sure of that number. I believe you can get that for 12 years total.
4. Any shade of tan, or black are the most you see in the US. in the UK they like crema.

 

Thanks!

 

OEM warranty would transfer or run with the car, even with a private party sale.

No idea, sorry. I don't even own a wrench.

I was quoted (retail) for an extended warranty for 2 years at 10,500 for my 488. I think this would be the same for the 458 because Ferrari prices their extended warranties based on cylinders, not models per se. I think wholesale for a V8 is around 9,500. So it pays to shop around.

OEM warranty is 3 years and 7 year free maintenance.

Tan, or black, would be my guess. Nothing says classic Ferrari like red/tan combo.

 

All of you that exchanged from 991 GT3 to 458 would you still do it if your car was a 991.2 GT3 RS??
From what ive heard that car is amazing! Super playful like a go kart, great sound, monster on track and of course its a Porsche 911 so its a TANK.

 

Sounds like you have a good plan, Sam. Yeah, i just can’t sell the GT3. That car is awesome. Perfect spec for me. So i either add the 458 or just stick with my GT3. But will i want to drive the GT3 after getting a 458? That is a concern.

 

Have both. Very different cars.

For me, personally, the 991.2 GT3 RS is not a substitute for the 488, and vice versa. While both cars are capable track toys, the 1.2 GT3 RS is more track-focused and less of a GT daily car; whereas the 488 is a more compliant daily but less hard edged for the track, though it's still more than capable around a circuit.

Another thing to note, in part because of the NA versus FI setup of the two cars, the 488 is more enjoyable at less than 7/10s than the 1.2 GT3 RS is, but at its limits the RS is several folds more magical than the 488. Hard to top the scream of a 9k redline.

 

I don’t care for the looks of the RS. If i wanted one, 997 here i come.