Opinions on F8 Coupe or Spider

Im a coupe guy as well. IF you like coupe- go with the coupe. Resale wont be an issue.

 

Some of it depends on the difference in release dates between the coupe and spider. In the 458 days there was at least a couple years so you had Italia owners trading in their coupes for the Spider. Maybe they were encouraged to buy the coupe to get the spider or they didn't want to wait over 2 years for the spider without a 458 in the garage and were willing to drive the Italia around first.

Also because the Spider was being offered as a hardtop convertible compared to the softtop 430 you might have had more coupe owners migrating over to spider. This feature placed a higher relative value on the Spider where I live. Might have been different in bad weather climates.

In any case, increased coupes coming to the market after a relatively short time might drive down the resale price. It seems like the difference in release dates is getting shorter as Ferrari is pumping out new iterations at a faster clip so guys that want the F8 spider are going to wait for the spider and guys that want the coupe are more likely to stay with the coupe. I might be wrong.

Furthermore, comparing the Macca spider to the F8 spider is not strictly apples to apples. You benefit from the structural rigidity of a carbon fiber tub in the spider. The F8 Spider is going to have more cowl shake, not as bad as the 458 Spider but possibly/significantly noticeable to a Macca spider owner. The owners that say the 488/F8 Spider doesn't have any noticeable cowl shake compared to the coupe are not all Macca Spider owners so take their opinion with a grain of salt. Best to test drive the 2 to see if it's bothersome to you.

I loved being able to lower the rear window and listen to the engine in the 458 Spider. Driving to work in the morning was often too hot/uncomfortable for top down motoring in work clothes so you got the benefit of still hearing the NA V8 howl with in an air-conditioned cabin.

Since the F8's exterior sound leaves a lot to be desired and the engine sound is piped in to the interior like Sennheiser's anyways, the benefit/difference of rear window down motoring may not be worth the compromise in not being able to see the engine bay and noticeable structural rigidity particularly for a Macca Spider owner. YMMV.

 

As someone who went through this when contemplating the 458, I would ask the simple question - how much of your driving will be top down? Here in FL, I’m probably 80% topless, mostly in winter months (get the heated seats).

I’m really glad with my choice, and that I sought out opinions of the good folks on this site, who were unanimous in steering me to a spider.

 

Like Jeremy Clarkson has said "If your ugly don't get a convertible"

Seriously , with a coupe you can open the windows which I do and the biggest killer for the convertible is you cant see the engine.

Noted in the older cars you couldn't either but its too hard to go back to that.

 

Both

 

something about the way the F8 spider looks is really appealing to me.

i think the rear end looks like could have been great on both f8 coupe and spider. perhaps a F8 VS rear end was designed originally first, then “tweaked” or “dialed back” to be more pedestrian so as not to outshine a later iteration .

 

It took me over a year to find a 458 coupe the way I wanted it as I was searching for a 14+ and every car I found wound up having other interested parties that drove the price up. When mine popped up in inventory I put down a deposit before they even had photos up as I was so traumatized by the missing out on the other late berlinetta cars. Which is to say, there are certainly at least a few of us that just don't like convertibles and it seemed anecdotally that the late model 458 coupes( I tracked a ton of them) went faster vs the what seem to be more plentiful spyders.

I'm thinking of an F8 as well and for me it's an easy choice as I'm a child and even though the rear lexan is genuinely idiotic and obfuscates view I reminds me of an F40 and thats enough to illicit childhood fantasies that result in signing next to silly numbers. I went to Ferrari Long Island's launch day and they had a red coupe and it just about floored me. That said, I don't think you can go wrong either way and most people seem to lust after a drop top exotic lexan notwithstanding. I'd just go with what you genuinely prefer.

 

It depends. If one wants to drive hard, he/she will get the coupe.

 

If you don't lower the roof most of the time, then get the Coupe. The F8 Spider shares the same bones as the 488, which had a bit of cowl shake with the roof down. You never experienced this on your McLaren due to the carbon tub. This really cheapens the car and this is coming from a former 488 Spider owner, who had a 488 GTB before that. The F8 engine note is horrible, so not much value in being able to lower the rear window, significantly worse than the 488. Cowl shake is a big reason I did not opt for the Pista Spider, alongside being able to see the engine bay and others.

Test drive a 488 Spider with roof up and down and that's how the F8 Spider will perform too. The 458 Spider has significantly more cowl shake than a 488 Spider, despite sharing the platform.

 

When a car is designed with a monocoque body (which is the case of all modern cars and of course the Ferrari) the structural rigidity partially relies on the closed top; with an open top and in spite of reinforcements (which also add weight) the degradation of stiffness is noticeable and the shelf flex is perceived (an ultra rigid carbon tub is a solution, but with steel or aluminium there is no miracle). One of the effects of the shelf flexing is that all body moving parts (door, top, bonnets) shake in the structure (of course these are not huge movements, but still very noticeable).
That's also why spiders are better for more relaxed driving, because the lack of stiffness will be emphasized when putting more stress on the car (and why personnally I think cars like the 16M, Speciale Aperta and Pista Spider are total nonsenses).

 

If you're not tracking hard and need that last bit, the Spider will work well. As was said, the 488 took a huge leap in the structural department over the 458, and with top up, it does feel very stiff and solid.

I think the F8 is a stunningly good looking car. Often the coupè is the cleaner and better looking, but boy does the F8 Spider steal the show from the coupè. I can fully understand where you're coming from, and I would choose the Spider in a heartbeat.

Lowering the rear window for the sound? What sound? The F8 gets its sound from the "hot pipes", you get nothing from the outside. Maybe compared to a Mclaren the F8 has some sound, but it is pretty muted at this stage.

 

LVP488 described it thoroughly. To see it in practice, drive a 488 Spider around town, especially on an even slightly bumpy road, and you will see the rear of the car/chassis shake/flex through the rear view mirror. This cheapens the car a bit, but I didn't care as much since the open air experience made up for it.

Cowl shake is the chassis of the car flexing due to a lack of structural rigidity (no solid roof), which is a part of almost all convertibles, except McLarens due to the carbon tub. Manufacturers will add additional support to the bottom of the car, but it only reduces it, not eliminate it.

However, since you've stated almost all of your driving will be top closed, the added shake may bother you, especially when coming from a McLaren. Before committing to the F8 Spider, drive a 488 Spider as you normally would and decide for yourself the best course.

Good luck!

 

+1 coupe

 

Have you driven a 16M?

 

My friends with McLarens tell me that even those cars will exhibit some cowl shake- though not as much as a traditional metal framed vehicle.

The question you have to ask yourself is if it matters to you. If you don't know then you could go test drive a 488 Spider and as you drive it, what do perceive about its structural rigidity? If you love the car and it feels solid to you, you can stop there. If you are curious, go drive a 488 coupe.

Unless you have nearly race track smooth roads, there will be some flex in the spider. It is just a case of how sensitive you are. And theres nothing wrong with you if you are not sensitive to it.

I am sensitive to it so I would go with the coupe almost every time.

 

No I did not - and have no real desire to do so, to be honest ... I drove a Scuderia though, and I think it had a consistent brief.

 

If you haven’t driven a 16M then your opinion on it being “total nonsenses” is “total nonsense.”
One of the most thrilling, rewarding, and acoustically pleasant exotic cars I have ever driven.
It is more powerful than standard 430, faster shifting (lightening fast 60 msec), lowered, better brakes, covered in CF, lighter, louder, more beautiful design...and....wait for it....I’ve never noticed an iota of cowl shake either in the thousands of miles I have driven it.

 

I happen to be a convertible guy and resale of a convertible won’t be an issue either. This cowl shake bs is blown way out of proportion. Get whichever fits your needs and desires and don’t let the peanut gallery make your decision. Both are great choices. All the best ,Kirk.

 

I stand by my total nonsense though - I cannot believe a soft top 430 could not show any rigidity challenge while all efforts by all manufacturers have never succeded to cope with the issue on a car with a monocoque steel or aluminium body.
It's hard for me to believe in miracles no matter which claims are made (sorry for being such an unbeliever).

 

Now that the F8 is only going to be produced for a two year run....and that there will probably be more F8 Spiders produced than F8 Tributo coupes....some are saying that the coupe will the rarest F8 produced....maybe less F8 Tributo coupes than Pista coupes.....

 

Less F8 T's than Pistas? Nope. And even if so, don't for one second think it will cause the F8 T to retain its value as well as the Pista.

The F8 Spider seems to be doing quite well, and there are those who say many have already changed Tributo allocations to Spider allocations. So while the F8 T will be more rare, it's just because people seem to prefer the Spider, and thus the more popular car will retain its value better.

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Without experience.....you stand by nothing.