Switching from 911 to 488, need advice

I had 16 Porsche cars over the years, I switched because I hated South Bay Porsche in Los Angeles and I got tired of being treated as like a peasant. Just buy the extended warranty for 5000 per year and you will not have to worry about repairs. I drive my f8 every day it's a lot of fun about 300 miles a month. As the cars become older the mileage makes little difference anyways life is short buy a Ferrari drive it. I doubt you lose over 10 k per year maybe 20 either way totally worth. Also get to know you dealer super solid South Bay Ferrari in my case.

 

My F8 is my third Ferrari— my last Ferrari was an 07 F430 and I drove it 30k miles in 9 years and did nothing to it except tires and I think 4 batteries… and exhaust manifolds cracked after warranty but Ferrari still covered them. Car was solid as hell and I’d have driven it from Florida to California without a worry at all… the F8, I’ve only had for a month but I’m not worried about reliability at all on this one either. I think people complain WAY too much about Ferrari’s electronics, build quality and overall reliability—- I think they’re solid AF.

I skipped the 458 and 488 purely for aesthetic reasons as I don’t like the single taillight models and overall look so I can’t speak for their reliability but I have plenty of friends with them and I don’t hear any horror stories. I’m sure they’re perfectly reliable as all, since the 360, have been.

I did buy the CPO 2yr extension on my F8 however just because it was a good deal imo and as with any car, things CAN break.


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did the same. was diehard 911 guy for 15 years. now the garage has none of them. you'll be fine in a 488 for what you described, honestly id buy a higher miles one that's less expensive and has been used and shaken down plenty. even when i had both a 911 and Ferrari in the garage i always went for the Ferrari. that was enough.

 

I’ve had several of both brands (991.1 TTS, 991.2 TTS and 992 TTS plus Panamara GTS Taycan 4s and now a Taycan TTS) (360,F430,458, 488,488 Spider and now an f8)

There really is no comparison from a Porsche to Ferrari except performance numbers are similar but the Ferrari is way more fun to drive as long as you don’t worry too much about stuff that happens to cars (chips miles depreciation etc) the First Ferrari is the hardest to manage this stuff psychologically. Porsche is a great brand and the 911 is iconic but kind of boring (except maybe their GT series)

488 ia a great car and if you drive it you’ll be fine. Maybe switch out the battery to a lithium or AGM. Lots of posts here about it.

 

Completely different cars and experience. One blends in, no one really notices it on the road and is technical. The other is an experience every time you drive it and will get a lot of attention that someone that has just owned 911's will not be accustomed to. That should also be a consideration for you. Much like owning a yacht, if you cannot afford maintenance, even routine maintenance on a Ferrari, you can't afford it. These are not mass produced cars like a 911. Sometimes parts take longer to get and the dealer network is small, so wait times for maintenance will be longer than a Porsche. With a little planning, you'll adjust.

Frankly, I wouldn't drive a Ferrari, any Ferrari, as a daily. Many do and most are happy doing that. However, the attention they get would be tiring for me to daily one. Some people will even give you dirty looks. You'll experience that negative side as well though not often. It's not a reliability issue at all, its being the center of attention everyday that would drive me nuts. Where you can get in trouble with reliability is if the car is NOT driven very often, but I've had problems with even Lexus if I let the car sit without driving it and Porsche might as well be a Yugo next to a Lexus in terms of reliability. They need to be lubricated through driving, ECU's need to calibrate through driving etc. Good luck with whatever you decide but do consider these items I've outlined in your decision. Many 911 owners are practical, engineering types and introverts. If you're naturally an introvert, Ferrari ownership may not be for you.

Lastly, I'd be concerned about parking a Ferrari in a community garage.

 

Ive had my 488 from new, drive it on weekends mostly.
As far as battery goes, if the car is run regularly the battery lasts for a long time.
The only issue Ive had is sticky buttons, which once fixed is something you dont have to worry about for a while.

 

I’d go from the 992 to a 488 in a heartbeat if you are looking for a bit more drama. Battery and reliability net net are none issues, imho. Just treat and service the car properly and you’ll be just fine.

But the one thing id suggest you think about, as already stated, is that you’ll no longer be under the radar. Ferraris, especially any color except perhaps a grey tone, so attract a lot of attention. I’m sure you’ve taken this into consideration but just adding it to the mix.

 

Interestingly, in the almost 2 years that I've had my F8 with now 4000 miles on it, I have gotten virtually no attention here in the Bay Area. You may think that's because there's a lot of exotics here, but in my experience it's still pretty rare to see them driving around (unlike LA). So I've actually been a little surprised... pleasantly because I didn't really want a lot of attention, which is why I went with Grigio Silverstone. So it you may or may not get a lot of attention depending where you live.

 

I’m in the Bay Area as well. To me it’s a pretty special / rare / unlike any other places when it comes to cars. Except for SF dtwn, nothing but thumbs up, safe, respect, etc. But again, really rare…

I also went for the Grigio S for the 812 for that matter. But my F8 is rosso corsa and even around here it turns the necks of all ages, even animals!

 

Driving 3-4x per week or 100 miles per week is PLENTY to keep a battery charged. I also have no access to a charger and I try to drive at least once per week. I might only do 10 miles -- enough to warm up the car and park it -- but that's plenty to keep the battery charged.

Maintaining a Ferrari can be expensive. The 488 is generally pretty reliable for supercar standards. But it's not a Toyota; don't expect it to go 100k+ miles without issue. And be prepared that IF something goes wrong it can be expensive to repair. If you want peace of mind buy the extended warranty through Ferrari.

Comparing a 992 Carrera S to a 488 is no contest. A 3RS may give the F car a run for its money but even then the Ferrari would probably still come out on top. I say go for it. Good luck finding the right one (it took me 14 months to find my 458) but the hunt is half the fun.

 

No one looks at Grigio Silverstone. . Just kidding, but kinda not. Admittedly, the F8 doesn't, in my opinion, attract the same attention as an N/A Ferrari. However, having lived in Mountain View, not too far from you, your experience is not typical. But then again, there is a definite difference in "presense" between a N/A Ferrari and a hybrid/turbo Ferrari. The 458 is my last stop with Ferrari most likely, unless I add another N/A one to the stable. But the turbo and hybrid cars or the post Pininfarina cars don't excite me, excepting the F40 and LaFerrarri.

 

My responses above in RED.

 

When needing to free up some cash, I went from a 2008 F430F1 to a 2014 Porsche 911 Carrera S for a couple of years. While the performance of the Porsche was acceptable, like RCorsa I actually found it to be boring. When I was able to get back to Ferrari with a 2018 488 GTB after resolving the cash issue, I was delighted to reclaim that experience of being excited every time I drive it.

I had also had a 2004 360 Modena before the F430F1; in retrospect, owning the two Ferraris earlier may have set me up to be disappointed in the 911. In fact, while I had the Porsche I commented more than once to friends that I found the 911 to be "too refined," and that I might have enjoyed a 911 more had I owned one *before* having any Ferrari.

 

Your biggest concern from my vantage point is not having it garaged. You have a far higher risk of issues with that than the other worries you listed.

I have a F12 and F8. Have not had battery or reliability problems with either. I do drive them though and only plug them in the tender if I don’t plan on driving them beyond a 3 consecutive day span.

I don’t daily them but I put about 100 - 150 miles per month on them, weather permitting.


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I owned many 911s. They are great. I think Porsche may not be as bulletproof as people think though. Basically for the longest time people avoided the 996 because of possible complete engine failure. Now that 997 are getting older, people are discovering that bore scoring is an issue. So even a Porsche can need An expensive repair. The last 992 I bought a few months ago, my dealer who I’ve known years, made me pay over sticker. I don’t like doing business with them. A fully loaded 911s is 170k. The dealer wants extra money. A Turbo is is nearly 300k with the markup.

At the same time, I was building a relationship with a Ferrari dealer. I bought a Certified 458. It was bulletproof. Then I bought a 2023 Roma, at sticker. I have a pre-order on another Ferrari. I don’t really miss the Porsche customer experience.

 

That's why I got a blue pozzi F8 I park go shopping no problem hard to find car in different hiding spots.

 

I think the issue may be with the current Porsche offerings. The older NA engine Porsches were much more fun to drive. You might consider a 2016 GTS manual, that is, if you could find one. Otherwise, if you want the excitement it’s the Ferrari all day long particularly the 458. Reliability has not been issue in my experience. Though I would not want to have it parked outside. The sun/elements may be an issue.

 

I think of Porsches like I do German beer: both exceptionally high-quality products refined and perfected over decades, but they lack a certain amount of character.

My GT4 was an incredibly capable car and mechanically everything was great. Every piece of the drivetrain was tight and high performing, the chassis was firm yet supple, the sound of the exhaust and tip-taps of the valve train was great. But it just lacked the joy of my 458. Maybe not a fair comparison because the 458 is 2.5x the cost, but driving the Ferrari was always joyful while the P car was an exercise in good engineering.

That said the next car on my list would be a 991.2 or 992 GT3 6spd. I need a 9000rpm manual in my life.

 

I have a 488 with almost 25k miles. Drive it daily. I've had to swap out a battery and that's it. Car has bulletproof reliability in my case and is an absolute joy every time I press that red button to fire it up. Honestly I think the ones that are sitting are the ones that are getting issues. Did the exhaust flap mod myself and makes it that much louder. It's comfortable and has plenty of space for groceries in the front.

With the amount you expect to drive it, battery should not be an issue. If you were really worried about that, you can always buy a portable jumpstarter (which every Ferrari owner should keep in their trunk IMO), and then you REALLY never have anything to worry about.

My bigger issue would be what kind of parking you've got, hopefully it's in a higher-end building but that would have me nervous.

 

Yes, the attention is something you have to get used to. I have two Ferraris, and drive them both equally as my daily drivers. It is weird all the attention you get, I can sometimes be annoying. But, the most part people of the cars and excited to see them, so I enjoyed that. Just plan on having your car photographed a lot.

 

And videoed. I've seen people nearly crash their own cars on the highway taking video. It's a real thing I'm not sure a Porsche owner can fully appreciate until it happens to them.

 

I've always been told never to use a jump starter on a Ferrari?

 

I’m in a condo garage. I got them to add an outlet by pointing out what they do for electric cars…

 

I've been driving a 2014 458 Spider since 2017 and it is an amazing car (recently took delivery of a Portofino M for my wife, also fantastic). 3900 miles when I bought the 458, a little over 12,000 at the moment. Reliability has been great (expenses have been for tires, battery, and a coolant expansion tank replacement). I wouldn't worry about getting a low mileage car, I think these cars need about 1000 to 1500 miles a year to stay healthy.

I would worry about not having a place to plug in a battery tender. It might be fine if you drive it regularly, but any issue you have or code that shows up will make you wonder about the battery. Battery tenders don't just charge the battery, they give you an update on battery health. If you can't use a tender, I would suggest something like https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NSTQCM8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 to keep an eye on battery health. I keep a NOCO or Beatit jump kit in each of my cars and they are great in case your battery fails, but 458 / 488s will definitely start throwing up codes and errors if the battery is in bad shape.

Enjoy the search, best of luck.