I was wondering if any of you have information on lowering the 458? While I am certain Novitec will be offering replacement springs and quite possible the KW shocks.... It would be nice to drop the car down a bit (especially the front). To me, the 458 looks more like a 4x4 than my 599 did before lowering. I've noticed that the magazine cars seem much lower. TIA, Jati
Friend of mine took delivery of his 458 about a month ago. Had it lowered about 15 mm by the dealership with an alignment before he took delivery. Car looks great and is not too low for street use. Ride and handles great. I plan on doing the same when mine arrives. Recommended. Best.
I believe they just turned down the factory coilovers. David Moore of Moorespeed Race Engineering lowered this particular car. He's a consultant on FChat, so you could contact him if you have any questions. http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/member.php?u=1109
It is my understanding that they are just lessening the preload on the factory coils & sag dropping the ride height. The re-alignment probably takes longer than turning down the spring perches and lock-rings. I wonder if the high factory ride height has anything to do with DOT minimum bumper height requirements, or other? Jati
Unlike most cars*, Ferraris are quite sensitive to ride height. Changing the ride heights changes all sorts of dynamics in the suspension geometry {Well at least in 308, 328, 348, 355, 360, 430}. So, just dropping the car and resetting the alignments does not put you back to where the suspension was, or where the suspension was sorted. For example, on a 348/355 the relationship between oversteer and understeer is set by rear ride height, while on the 355 the center of aerodynamic pressure under braking is set by front ride height. The rear ride height is 2.6 times as manipulative of the roll axis than is the front ride height. While I have no direct experience with 360/430 they are reported to be even more sensitive to ride heights (and getting them wrong) than were the 348/355s. I would suspect that the 458 would follow the trend (more sensitive) because it has so much more aerodynamics in effect at speed than its predicessors. But perhaps, all those electronic features will cancel all this out. But, if the car is used on public roads without vastly exceeding the published limits--none of this maters a whole lot. It, however, is a different animal on a road race track where the limits are going to be used. (*) In contrast, a Corvette (or Viper) can be raised or lowered by 2 full inches (1 inch for Viper) and this changes almost nothing in the suspension dynamics (excepting CoG).
Change ride height. Changing it on the 458 requires you to change too many other settings to get it where it should be. You will just get a car that handles worse. You want to do things right? Just break the car in in Sport or Rain for about 1500 miles, then the car will radically change. Those suspensions need a good chunk of miles to get up to speed. Playing with heights and such is just a really bad idea, unless you know exactly what you are doing. Trust me.
are all 458 sold in the world have the same height or is it only in the US that is a bit higher? just curious
Spot on, as is the prior post. Aiming to lower the 458 sounds like someone desperately wants to have a project just to be different, probably with no clue about the resulting impact on performance. And why lower the height on a 458 anyway. The comment the 458 looks like a 4X4 is just nonsense, at least to my eye. It's perfect as is. And as a prior CS owner with plenty of scrapes on the front end, I can say I'm delighted with the somewhat higher ride height of my 458.
Have to agree - having driven the 458 on the track and in town over speed bumps etc. - don't see the point in lowering the car. The handling is stunning as is and practical around town. Agree - think lowering is nonsense and if the 458 looks like an SUV then I have to wonder what a sports car actually looks like! David
As mentioned previously....The "magazine cars" all seem to sit lower. No 3 inch gap between the top of the tire and the fender lip. Some Ferrari owners such as myself do not have concerns about speed bumps and other "daily driver" road issues. (My Novitec 599 has been dropped 30mm and drives/handles/looks great & has the KW front lift system) To individualize our automobiles adds to the enjoyment for some people. I find it neither nonsense or desperation to be different. Jati
Without question, without hesitation I would lower the car personally. But I would also get aftermarket wheels as the stockers do nothing for me...guess I'm ghetto!
Its a little more complicated and HELL no we did not "turn down" the shocks, springs or anything like that. We are race engineers, so please give us a little more credit. We lowered it around 1.5" on average (corner balance dictates final ride heights). But the shocks came completely off the car. There is only 1/4" of adjustment remaining on the front from the factory (see 1st photo with tape measure) so that's not worth touching unless you go deeper than that. We also completely revised the suspension geometry on the race platform scales like we do on all our corner balance and alignments and we bump steered the car too. It handles vastly better. I personally drove before and after and being a professional race engineer and driver I'll say its "way" better than before. However my feel is quite a bit more trained than most and you have to be out on the edge to feel the difference which probably should be left for the track. I frankly think we just corrected a US mandated bumper height. We are having springs with the same rates for the cars manufactured at 1" & 1.5" lower. Anyone interested, start piping up. You HAVE to have the suspension geometry corrected on a proper setup platform with scales or it will be in left field. But for now you have to either send the shocks to us or send the car and we will make it right. We are also in the middle of design for a complete aero package (splitter/bumper, sideskirts, dive plates, rear wing, and diffuser) all of carbon fiber. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Looks gorgeous, but... You'll scrape the bottom, possibly change the ground effects, lose suspension travel (check the wheel wells' clearance), and destroy the resale value (not to mention voiding the warranty). If you go to Ferrari's website, check out the factory and the beautiful Renzo Piano-designed wind tunnel. I have this nagging suspicion that Ferrari might know how to design this car better than the aftermarket guys. And the design of the bottom and the air-flow is critical to the handling and adhesion. When the 360 Challenge cars first came out to replace the 355s, a number of guys lost control on the rumble strips - if the car got too much air under it, it lost adhesion (read: damage ensues). Now, if you're talking of remapping the chip, etc., that I understand, although it would void the warranty also. And they can be mean mothers. They're probably all Sicilians. http://www.carbodydesign.com/gallery/2008/07/06-ferrari-formula-uomo/6/
Jati, agree with you that some people like to personalize their cars - different strokes for different folks. I don't think lowering looks good and I don't think the 458 in it's normal guise looks like a 4x4. It's interesting to follow the threads and see all the differing views on our cars!! David
well, if we look at the official Photos from Ferrari, the stance is perfect and not too lowered. the 458's that I've seen so far here in US are a bit higher compared to the official photos. official photos: http://www.netcarshow.com/ferrari/2011-458_italia/1280x960/wallpaper_16.htm
