Hi all, I have a 2010 458 that I’ve owned for around 7-8 months. Bought it CPO through a Ferrari dealer. I was wondering if someone here can post their experience with taking a 2010 458 to the track and any pertinent advice? Specifically, what type of pre track prep I need to do and what are the risks of stuff susceptible to break down? What potential expenses can I be looking at? I owned a 991.1 Turbo S that I’ve tracked before and found Porsches to be bulletproof for track use and obviously don’t expect the same from a Ferrari. Have traded that in for a 991 GT3 RS that’ll remain my primary track car but the prospect of doing a few laps on the 458 is tempting but not sure if it’s the best idea to do that with a 9 year old car. Would appreciate any advice concerning this! Thanks! Image Unavailable, Please Login Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
Check brakes and change the brake fluids. Stock fluids have too low boiling point and not safe for track use. Change oil before track and after, consider using higher quality oil for track temps. Check tire condition and run slightly lower tire pressures Check alignment since you took over ownership and probably have no idea of the alignment history Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Do all the typical stuff....have the 458 suspension nut and bolted to spec torque by a very competent Ferrari shop, Change all fluids...oil, brake and transmission and coolant, inspect and/or replace carbon ceramic rotors, brake lines and install new brake pads. Have GT3RS on stand by ;-)
My stock alignment feels great on the street, but is an understeering nightmare on the track. I can overheat the front tires in two laps of COTA. Pretty cool that the dash shows me the tires overheating right as I feel them go in T6. Advice I've gotten from other owners is to drive in CT Off. You can burn the rear pads off the car in a single day if you use race mode. Don't expect GT3RS rotor life. I know guys with 30+ COTA track days on their stock ceramic RS rotors. Ceramic rotors have come a long way since August of '09. That being said, I've been afraid to push too hard on the track. My AMG GTS fell apart on me, and I don't want to go through that with an out of warranty Ferrari that uses the same transmission.
and make sure your insurance covers you on the track for extra protection... if you do post some videos.. and be safe and enjoy
FWIW my quickest lap times were in E92M3comp vs my 458 coupe. I just couldn’t push hard enough in the 458 due to fear of the cost if I went off track. The M3 was far easier to predict also, for my style of driving. Tires went quickly on 458.
This but also would check camber, toe and castor... When I took my 16M on track out of the box it has massive understeer. I suspect toe and camber were conservatively set from factory. Sent from my 16M
I have had my 458 since last October and have tracked it twice. I have a 911 that I also track. The above comments about changing fluid before and after track, etc. are overblown. Maintain the car like you always do. Get it properly warmed up (oil temp up, tire temp up) and go for it. This whole deal about pushing the car too hard is total nonsense. Yes, if you do a ton of track days it will wear the tires, brakes, etc. But the 458 is a race car built for the street. It is more than capable of being driven hard on the track without being babied.
Agreed! It’s surely a drivers car! Being a childhood Ferrari fanatic I had to get my hands on one the moment I could afford it but ownership has been even better than I imagined. It’s surely a drivers car! Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
Yes I always stay cautious and stay low key posting videos and pictures on social media. Usually I always buy separate track insurance but as far as I know there are no insurance companies that provide coverage for the track? Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
I have only tracked my 458 once and I was quite impressed on street tires and no other mods it was the fastest car on the track. With track tires it would be truly amazing. I don’t expect to do a lot more on the track because the thought of using up the ceramic rotors makes me cringe!
My thoughts exactly regarding regarding those ceramic rotors. But I’ll surely take inspiration from other members tracking their 458’s. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
If Ferrari ceramic rotors are like the latest generation Porsche ceramic rotors ...depending on the track and your level they will last 30-40 track days. Doing 3 or so days a year will not hurt them. Just swap brake pads side to side after 2 days and replace pads at 50% wear.
My car is a ‘10 also. I’ve tracked it a few times and prep is like any other car you’d track. Make sure brake fluid is fresh, preferably something with a high boiling point like Motul 660, and you have enough pad material. Car handles fine with factory alignment specs and MP4s tires. If you’re concerned about the expense of wearing out rotors, most wear occurs by the ceramic material vaporizing from heat. So while braking deeper and harder is key to fast laps, there is a cost. Otherwise, the car is track ready and can stand up to that use. Use at least Race mode or your rear pads can wear quickly (activating the rears is how the side slip control works). CST-off takes some bravery to remove the safety net but it understeers less and doesn’t activate the rear brakes for stability. You can help reduce brake wear with CST on by keeping your driving smooth. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
Bumping this to ask what alignment specs are people running at the track? Did a search and looks like some folks ran -2/-2.2 degrees camber f/r, but not sure for toe setting. Any help would be appreciated!
Obviously check with your carrier, but traditionally, insurance coverage is in force on a track if it is a 'driving school' vs. a race.
When you get suggested alignment specs from people... ask them: 1- what tires where they running 2- what track were they on 3- what group ran in 4- what psi did they run 5- tire temps 6- tire photos
I have been tracking the 458 (2013) for about 3.5 years and below is my journey: I have gone through a few things in the car that seem to be the weakest links. My tracking has been done in various ambient temps, ranging from low 30s to 115 degrees. I have tracked on the following tires: 2 sets of Michellin Pilot Super Sport - 2 track days and done. 1 set of Pilot Sport 4S - 2 track days and done. 1 set of Cup 2 K1 - 4 track days (tires heat up rather quick but can get over heated quickly if you are pushing). 6 sets of Trofeo R - Wonderful tire (Before Goodyear introduced their near-slick level 3R tires) - Best tire for track days if you are intermediate to advanced. Consumables: - Brake Rotors: Rotors and pads are not meant for heavy and continuous track use. Carbon ceramic rotors do not wear, they turn into dust. In the process, they start to become very effecting sand papers to the pads. You will start having pads last you less and less time. Change rotors and pads to Iron if you plan to track the car moderately or heavily. Currently there are 2 options. Girodisc and AP Racing. Both are direct bolt-on and rather easy to install at home. - Brake fluid: I have not had issues with OEM or Castrol SRF. I however did not like the maintenance of RBF so moved away from it. - Brake pads: 458 is set up to have less need for aggressive rear pads. If you are changing pads to match to Iron discs, use less aggressive pads on REAR rotors to avoid premature ABS intervention. If you are staying stock, OEM pads and rotors are best. I say this as I have tried Pagid RSC1 on OEM rotors too. Not much difference. - Engine oil: Change it more frequently. - Check belts to make sure they are within OEM spec tightness clearance. - CT OFF is a great mode but please understand, 458 does punish you if you get the balance of the car wrong mid-corner, or are too rushed on exit on throttle. The car responds well to progressive inputs, especially on gas. Depending on what you drove before, you may want to take it very easy in the first few days. It will bite you upon making a mistake on CT OFF even considering stability control is still on.