no lift kit - Deal breaker?

I've had a few 458s and a 488 and only had it on one of the 458s. Never needed or even used it once!!!

 

To elaborate on my earlier post, there are benefits associated with the suspension lifter ..... for some! 1) If the vehicle is used in an area where speed bumps, steep driveways, ramps, etc. are prevalent, it's essential and beats the alternative of repairing underbody damage; 2) It may enhance a vehicle's attractiveness to a buyer when compared to another vehicle, provided that all other things are equal.

 

I consider the lifter as Insurance in case you ever need it

When I ordered my 458 I included it as such. Never needed it until my country club installed speed bumps. Had I not ordered the lifter I would have never driven the car to the club

Ordered it on my 488 and needed it on delivery day. Had a third party pick up the car for paint correction and Clear Bra installation. His trailer ramp was too steep to load the car without the lifter. Asked him what he did with cars without the lifter and he shrugged his shoulders

 

I lowered my 458 about an inch and would not be able to get into a number of driveways or over speed bumps without it.


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Now I can see needing the lifter if you lower your car... but other than that it's rare that you would need it.

 

I had my car trailered ... no lifter needed just boards for the front wheels to get the nose on.

 

Have had the pleasure of having multiple 458 variants and was never sold on the front lifter....until I actually tried it. It's a wonderful addition when the there's a steep dip, speed bump, driveway or street segment that you have to negotiate. I wouldn't put in the class of a "deal breaker" but it's really nice to have so if two cars are close, take the one with the lifter. Feel the same way about the back up camera. Have it on a 13 458 spider and have used it many times in the past couple of months.

 

I think I would prefer the backup camera over the lifter

 

Interesting feedback - I have a steep entrance into my driveway and my 360 just makes it without scraping. I’m looking at 458’s with a lifter in fear that it would scrape.

If I’m reading this right, if my 360 makes it so will a 458?


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I would not own a care that is that low in the front without a lift system...Novitec offers a system from around 9k installed....

 

Question , has anyone ever looked under the bumper with a lift system on a second hand car ? Do people always remember to activate or smash on their brakes in time to activate before a speed bump or if you front park forget to lift before you accidentally hit the curb ?

 

never used it once on my 488

 

The driver of the shipping company that delivered my car to FL said many Ferrari drivers are surprised they have scratches under their front bumper. He makes notes of those scratches so his company is not responsible for those repairs.

 

If your 360 made it a 458 stock should make it!

 

The question asked by the OP can be applied to 99,9% of all options: If you can, add them. If you can't, get the car you love anyway.

That said, because it's a Ferrari, there are indeed some options that are virtually "mandatory": either for resale purposes or because they are really that useful and frequently put to use. I'd say that's not the case of the front lifter, at least not to a point where it would lead me to walk away from a deal on a car that is pretty much what I want, apart from that one item.

Another thing I'd personally be careful about is not to end up with I call a "schizophrenic" car (i.e. where added options don't make sense and may even be conflicting): carbon fiber everything but no Sat Nav or Bluetooth, for instance. No front lifter also doesn't fit into this category, imho.

I'd say if you have the front lifter, the better. If you don't, apply a bit more caution if you frequently drive on uneven surfaces and you'll be just fine. Clearance is more than enough for a relaxed and responsible use of the car.

Just my 2 cents anyway.

Kind regards,

Nuno.

 

I probably said this before, but "it depends." A lifter is needed in some geographic areas where there are many speed bumps and steep driveways, especially if you live in one of those areas and really can't avoid them. But if you live in a place that's relatively flat (Florida?), don't worry.

Realize, however, that the Ferrari used car market is nationwide if not global. People will hunt far and wide to find the car they want with the colors and options they want. That buyer could live where it's flat and not care, or they might live in a place like hilly San Francisco where a lifter is almost mandatory.

 

The lifter alleviates the need to second guess, and provides less stressful usage vs a car without - that in itself makes the lifter worth every cent. I can understand buyers walking from a car without as I just find it very hard to imagine that there won't be an occasion over the period of ownership where the lifter proves invaluable. It truly must be a very rare place on the map of the earth where a car like this is able to encounter 100% of situations.

 

Five year old thread and all the OP's questions were answered except the one that can't be answered and he never even responded to any of the replies. I'm left wondering if he's lifter-less, Ferrari-less, neither or both.

 

Good spot. Didn't pay attention to the fact how he made the OP and then left scene.
PS. I suspect the later.

 

If OP is still alive, I would only purchase a car without the lifter due to the weight penalty. They belong on cars like the Range Rover. I would not retrofit an aftermarket solution. I can get it, but I don't want to get it.

 

So what is the weight penalty? The search function did not yield an answer. I'd guess no more than 100 lb.

 

Weight for the 488 lift kit would be much the same as the Porsche but is most probably even less nowadays. Not sure if 7kg is really worth fussing over... thought the fuss was mainly to do with $?
https://www.rennteam.com/forum/page1.html;jsessionid=node0oyvutlobnk761mys8b9lmvbro417405.node0?vs=0

 

In F1 terms, that's a ton. To me and for my purposes, it's completely insignificant. Thanks for clarifying.

 

Agree. Totally insignificant - but some like to make out they are buying/driving an F1.....and 7kg will make or break the entire ownership experience.

 

As already said on here more useful for your peace of mind. I have it on my 488 and found myself using it infrequently, helped a lot when the car was new while I was figuring out the limits on the bumps in and around my neighborhood. Probably won't bother ordering it on another Ferraris in the future.