458 First Ferrari for $230K ..458 Spider or F12?

I think you buy cause you want to enjoy ..........value threads on cars my opinion is always a losing proposition it’s like Vegas. Look all the hype around the GT2RS and 200k ADM moved to 100K to 50k now MSRP in a year. Good luck on your choice, but I think the 458 is the better buy due to fun factor.

 

No and no.
The F12 will hit a plateau, and the prices on the 458 will continue to soften. Don't think too much about that last na thing. People move on and cars develop.
Drive both and get the one you enjoy the most. The idea that the 458 is some kind of rare icon because it's the last na is just a bit silly. Look around. Thousands upon thousands were made. You do see cars that are priced high, but they are not a yardstick for anything. They do not sell, unlike the cars that are reasonably priced. Fact is that it all will depreciate, and inflation will catch up too. What will the price be in a few years? Who cares. Go and have fun. The car that you like the most will cost you the most to own, because that's the one you will put the most fuel in and wear the most tyres on.

 

So were you out waving the flag today? It is 800 years old!!!

And no question the F12 is the way to roll on a tidal wave of prancing horsepower.

 

I think it's quite safe to say that both will still depreciate significantly. Right now 458 and Spiders asking prices are around the 180-220 range on average and the F12, 220-250ish. I would guess the 458 will drop to the 120-150 range and settle there without ever going much lower and the F12 will probably drop to about the 150 range and sit there. Thus, you can expect up to 50k depreciation on a 458 and probably at least 70k on an F12 (depends of course on your time frame, these are long term numbers). Short term, maybe 20-30k/year in depreciation. Depends if you sell privately or trade back to dealer. A buy from dealer, then sell/trade back into the dealer is probably close to 40k that first year and then lessens with each year after. YMMV.

 

Indeed I was. You can't spend a few years as a national team rower dressed in the country colours, without picking up a bit of patriotism

 

458 all day long...


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The 458 Spider is holding value, right now it’s not depreciating.

 

458 Italia, looks way better as you can see the engine in back, it’s how this car was supposed to look. And you can get a great one in between $170 and $200 and save yourself the $$$. F12 are too much like S class 2 door Mercedes, buy a sports car!

 

Buy a spider if sound is importat and double the sentations!

 

458 spider if you want an agile, exhilarating ride with NA noise for days; F12 if you want a comfortable rocket with a dual personality... drive both. Then decide for yourself. I did and ultimately picked a 2015 458 spider.

 

I went through this too and ended up getting the spider

For me, the F12 is a monster with amazing sound, but did not excite me like the spider. I prefer the spider lines and the open top which allows the exhaust to be heard better. Just a better driving experience for me.

 

I have a number of Porsches...and a 458 and a F12...the F12 wins this one for me.

The V12 is amazing, it's comfy, fast and mean...yet you can actually throw bags in the back. Depends what you want it for really.

 

458 Spider all the way..... Depreciation? If you can afford a Ferrari, then why does depreciation matter? Enjoy it and have fun driving it...

 

I agree with others who suggest a mix of vehicles with different design briefs and styles & strengths/weaknesses. A front/mid-engined gentleman’s GT, mid-engined lightweight stripped out trackday special, (for me) a classic Porsche 993TT with the engine hanging out the ass behind the rear axle, dedicated track/race cars, mid-engined convertible, great-sounding NA cars, turbocharged models, CF tubs, hybrids, etc etc, etc. YMMV but variety is the spice of life? Mix and match!


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Have you ever driven an F12? Like a Mercedes S? It is absolutely NOTHING like a Mercedes S. While it is for all intended purposes a front engined GT, it is also very much a sportscar.
The 458 Spider is just as much of a "soft" GT as the F12 is, with its soft suspension, and shaking and flexing chassis. The 458 Spider does not feel larticular nimble, light and precise as you chase the steering column around while you try and push the car.

 

Call me old fashioned , i would pick up a 550/575/599 +/- $120K ,"invest" the $110 and see how you like the V12 .Depreciation should be minimal.

Meanwhile watch the 458/F12 drop ...

 

I will add bunch of comments but the above is all you need to know.
My 2 cents is as follows:
When you pose this question as you did I am afraid you are just going to get a polling of peoples' choices. Not a complete/true discussion of the cars personalities.
What I hope/interpret your question to mean is that you really want to know what the collective wisdom of the owners who have lived with them is in regards to each car.

First, despite both being mid engined, the GT4 and 458 -in any guise- have very little in common from behind the wheel. This is due (IMO) to the different philosophies of the companies. Porsche's GT arm does magical things with stiff springs/chassis/steering interface. Ferrari takes a much softer route with their magnetic shocks/light-rapid steering.
Then there is Ferrari's short gears and exotic engine. Versus the venerable but "ordinary" Carrera motor in the GT4 with longer gearing. (More noticeable on the manual GT4.) Mind you the GT4 won EVO's PCOTY for good reason. My point is, a 458 and GT4 drive nothing alike. I think the GT4 has more in common with another Porsche due to their DNA being more similar than compared to a mid engined Ferrari's. I am not calling a "better" scenario to either. Rather, the mid-engine similarity does not preclude a VERY different driving experience. For the record my buddy had a GT4 and now a GT3 touring to complement his Speciale and I have driven the GT4. Great car!!!

Sound is frequently brought up. In fairness, the V12 is a gold standard of great sound*. The asterisk is because not all V12s or V8s -even from Ferrari -sound the same. You need to drive each to determine which you like best. The V12 soundtrack of a 250,330,550,612,599,F12, or Lusso are NOT the same. Similarly, the 355/360 V8 "small" block 5 valve per cylinder has a very different intake and exhaust sound vs the "big" block, direct injected 458.

The view out the windshield is also a very different experience. The long hood of the F12 vs the feeling of hanging over the front wheels of the 458 is yet another difference.

Yes the F12 structure is more solid all the time. No, you can't put down the roof on an F12.

NET: You can/will get opinions that are all over the place. Only you can decide which ticks the most important boxes. BUT, only after you drive it. Don't rely on opinions for this one.

 

very well said

drive the cars and decide

 

I just did a track event with the top up it didn’t shake a bit. In fact I had no problem staying ahead of Corvette coupe Z06 and ZR1’s the latest versions with 650 and 755 hp. Both were on track tires and I was on the stock street tires.

Best of both worlds, yes when you drop the top it does have some cowl shake but worth it for me in cruising mode. Track mode leave the top up and problem solved.

 

If the F12 were a hardtop convertible l would have to seriously check it out.

But it doesn’t so 458 spider it is.

BTW Jeremy Clarkson gave F12 a horrible review. He said it was like trying to practice tennis with the ball machine shooting a ball at you every second.

I don’t know what your needs are but l would drive both cars on the exact same route...one that typifies your recreational driving and the pick the one that melts your butter.