Help for the newbie wanting to join the club...

Firstly, there is no such thing as a perfect car. Like everything else that exists on this planet, nothing is or can be perfect. First consideration has to be the purpose for which the car is chosen. Is it occasional use? Will you be tracking it or driving only on the street. Will you use it in winter where it is cold and / snowy. Is running costs, reliability and depreciation of fundamental concerns?.

458- not suitable for daily winter driving. Relatively expensive to maintain out of warranty with potentially enormous repair bills if unlucky. If you plan on driving it more than 7K miles per year, steep depreciation. Obviously it is a great car. One of the most exciting to drive.
Mclaren - pretty much as above. You must personally drive both to determine which hits your buttons the most deeply. Mclaren has depreciated severely due to being replaced by the 650. The 458 will be doing the same since the new model is imminent.

 

i bought my 458 italia in june 2013 and it has 21K km by now. i drive it on long road trips and on weekend outings. sunshine, rain and snow, no matter...
it is wonderful car, the sound makes me feel....exhilarated.
the pic below was taken yesterday in northern italy and....yes...the white stuff is snow.
cheers peter
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What a beautiful picture, that's what it's all about What colour is that?

 

Ok so I have had the 360, 430, 458 and Speciale gets deliver next month. Since 2008 I have owned Ferrari's. I have had ZERO (0) issues with any of them. They have been bulletproof. I have driven them hard (long trips 1000km+ ... fast) and they have been a pleasure. I always buy the extended warranty and have never had to use them.

So, in answer to your question buy what grabs you by the b*lls and enjoy it. Our time in this world is short and you might as well enjoy it.

BTW I do want a 650S at some point to

 

DD'd a 2011 California until 32k miles, and now have added a 458 Spider. They're not bulletproof or perfect, but get one, man, and do it now.

Brett

 

triple black.
cheers peter

 

Tough dilemma. Challenge is 12c resale is terrible, so if you head down that path, you need to absolutely make sure you buy right upfront. With 458, of course amazing car, but market is great (and going to get better) for buyers. You may want to hold off 2-3 more months and you should be able to snap up a nice 458 at a steal. Also McLaren is coming out with their sports series for under $200k in a few months (at least introduced) and that could be a better deal than 12c. That's my .02.

 

For me a Ferrari is all about passion. If depreciation and repair costs really concern you buy another car.

The 458 spider is the best Fcar I have ever owned...it's my third. I put 7k fair weather miles on it year. Only problem was a bad speaker replaced under warranty. My Porsche and Audis have been trouble free as well.

I will probably get the two year extended warranty on the 458 and hope I never need it.

As a first time Fcar owner I would recommend buying one with a warranty.

Best

 

My advice is as long as you have a commuter car, either of these two will be fine. The maintenance shouldn't be too bad.

I think you should budget about $3,000 a year for both maintenance + wear and tear items like tires and wheels. (Don't know the specifics on the McLaren but I bet its close).

The 2012+ 458s have the Ferrari Maintenance Plan- at least in the USA. The good news is this covers some maintenance. The bad news is it's not really an extensive maintenance plan. If you are going to keep the car a few years then thats one thing. But to my mechanical mind, I'd want more than an oil change and new wipers every year.

As to depreciation- both of these cars will continue to depreciate and yes they will be mileage sensitive. The good news will be that you have the commuter car to absorb a lot of your miles. Keep the toy for the special occasions.

Between these two cars they are both spectacular cars. I am biased to the Ferrari but really the McLaren is an excellent car too. I think the choice really comes down to what inspires you the most.

Final thought- I think the 458 is so good I keep thinking there is no way I'll ever sell mine.

 

That issue is all about you and what you want and what's important to you. We had the exact same "concerns" going in to our first new 458. Bottom line, my wife and I both love the cars and enjoy driving. I do not want to waste money, but in reality we enjoy the "miles and smiles" and neither of us are into art, jewelry or status items (including cars), so we're unlikely to tolerate garage queens. If you are going to worry about every mile and depreciation hits, it will probably ruin the experience. Having said that, most (new) Porsches and BMW's are seeing typically massive depreciation percentages....just that with these cars, the size of the numbers are bigger going in, and going out.

Honestly, we're on our 4th Ferrari (not including race cars) and they have been the most reliable cars. Maintenance is not "that bad", and while Ferrari parts are expensive, these cars do not consume them. We're anal and tedious about our cars being in perfect shape, i will admit I didn't budget enough for professional detailing. Get a car under warranty, or get the extended warranty. FWIW my friend's BMW X5 is just out of warranty and he's already into it for $15K for injectors, turbos and electrical issues; it's not just Ferraris that cost a lot.

As for 458 vs. McLaren, both are astonishingly good - and very different. You can probably get a steal on a McLaren right now. Used markets for both are flush with inventory. If it's your first "exotic" - you may find like us it's not that "exotic", they are just great cars. Get the one that fuels your passion, and hopefully moves you to drive and enjoy, vs. park and worry.

Good luck

 

18,000km in 6months on a 458 here. I drove all over Europe in it, mountain passes, lots of high speed runs. Mechanically it has been bullet proof however I am disappointed in the poor quality of the paint work, a few rocks did damage to the clear coat. Rear parking camera failed, and the plastic vents started to creak. I recommend Xpel ultimate on the entire car. Other then that it has been bullet proof.

My friend had a 12c spyder and he did 30,000km in the same 6months from new. It had a few small issues like random CEL, strange windnoise around the mirrors when flies were stuck on them from high speed driving. Other then that it was bullet proof as well. The 458 was more exciting simply due to the noise. I thought the 12c had much better visibility and seating position. Both turned heads.

 

Hey Steve,

Welcome. The trick to driving and enjoying a 458, if you choose to get one, is to ignore the certain depreciation consequences of such an action. It's true that Fcars depreciate according to a simple formula: 10k per model year and roughly $2 per mile. Early model years hold their value better than ones later in the model cycle. You'll still be able to sell your 458 when you're done, barring an unusual exterior color or interior choices, so if (and you won't be disappointed if you do) you get a 458 drive it. Join the FCA and drive with other Fcar owners. You'll loose a few thousand dollars but you'll have a ton of fun.

Rod

 

Hey Steve, congrats on the GT3, mine arrives in 2 weeks! You might want to look at the 430 Scuderia. its is the predecessor to the 458 speciale and IMOP it is far more exciting to drive then the 458 Italia. It also is pretty close to being fully depreciated. I picked up a 2009 with 3k miles and a warranty that i can keep rolling for the next 5 years. I was dead set on getting the gt3 and in all my research fell in love with the 430 scud. As some one posted earlier, life is short and you can't take any of this stuff with you so enjoy as much as you can!

 

Very likely.