Decisions on my first ferrari - 488 / f8

I concur. I have a 488 and it's an amazing car. While F8's are growing on me, I'm not sure if I can justify $100k delta. I will first have to test drive one.

 

I don't get these 458 guys trashing the 488's? Makes zero sense to me....if he has a 458, I'm happy for the guy! For some reason they can't seem to be happy for the 488 kids! Go figure!!

 

458!

 

I love 488s!

 

My take on this is , its all about the money. The 488 GTB is excellent and it will cost lower than a F8.

However if this is your first Ferrari as my own 488 GTB was I couldn't pass the aspect of ordering the car the way I WANTED. The anticipation, the wait the everything.

So question is this worth the extra $$$ ?

 

Of course. You can't mention a 488 here without the usual suspects chiming in, telling us how someone should rather get a 458...

Sent from my SM-G930F using FerrariChat.com mobile app

 

Well you know, it's sometimes difficult to accept that your pride and joy is not top dog anymore. Something faster, newer and better has come along, and you're no longer the koolest kid in skool

Sent from my SM-G930F using FerrariChat.com mobile app

 

I just bought a 488 Spider and am going to enjoy driving it now and later when there is an F8 there to consider I will but likely will have had the benefit of 12 months or more enjoying my car which had 314 miles on it when I got it. My suggestion here is buy the car YOU want. I don't get why anyone spends 300k based on what someone else likes or thinks. O decide if it is to be a 458, 488 or F8 would seem to be the definition of 1st world problems. And I equally don't get the whole 458 v 488 thing at all. Whatever you decide drive it in good health

 

+1 and I'm coming from 2 458s and still think the 488 looks so much better and updated whereas the 458 looks very much dated (subjective off course) and the sound is also subjective so no one can actually tell the others as a guru that one sounds better than the other, some prefers NA sound and some Turbo sound.

However in all other measurable aspects as a drivers car the 488 wins over the 458 hands down, it's not even close for me.

 

I can see the whole F8 series living a little longer and go into 2023. IMO I don't see the F8 replacement LB being available until 2023.

 

So what did you end up doing?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Back on topic....that fact that there is only one Ferrari for sale in town tells me there is no Ferrari dealer there, or maybe a third party rep. Check to see if you can get the rep to buy a used F8 six months from now. By then there should be several which can be imported from Europe. F cars are hard to sell in a one horse town. Get one for the long term.

 

Spot on! The 488 is an incredible car in it's own right as well, but this way the OP experiences the raw and N/A nature of the 458, then slides into the more subdued and tamed, F8...

 

go for an 488 GTB - I adore it since 2018...wont trade it for F8 - similar car but cheaper and - in my opinion - prettier

 

@jdlegg post was life is short, so get the 488 now. Then put a deposit on the F8/F8 successor *if* @skffc wants more power. (the successor being around the corner) and the 488 (hopefully meeting the majority of what @skffc wants)

I read no contradiction as the F8/F8 successor is not available, hence the 488 now would be carpe diem.

 

I could not agree more. I am blessed to own many amazing cars including Ferrari’s. I have been a car lover my whole life and do most of my own work on my cars too as well as race cars.

Bottom line....I would NEVER trade a 458 for the 488....but maybe would for an F8.

If I were in the original posters position I’d wait for the F8. Here in the states 488 prices are almost in parity with 458s on price with similar mileage and spec and I’d bet 488 will sell for less than similar 458 spec/mileage cars within the next two years. People who are truly passionate about cars want the 458 not the 488.


Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app

 

So - if you like a 488 you are not truly passionate about cars?

Could you also say "People who truly like slower Ferrari's want the 458"

The Op didn't ask about the 458, why does every thread get hijacked?

Some of us still love the 458 and will keep it forever. Some of us loved the 458 but have moved on to 488's or F8's to gain performance and stay with Ferrari.

All three are great in their own ways. I don't know why we can't celebrate each without the same old....

 

flame suit on.

I'd buy a 720s or 600LT, until a year later when F8 arrives.

Or better yet, ask for F8 demo and test drive all the cars now, and then decide.

So many choices to consider today.

The op asked for guru opinions. Guru opinions, by definition, should not be confined by the expectations of the one who has the need to ask to begin with. So I honestly don't see anything wrong when someone suggested 458 in this thread. You don't have to help make this into 458 vs 488 thread further.

 

The thread is - First Ferrari -488 or F8. Replies include 458 and 720S and 600LT.

The F8 is superior to the 488 on every performance metric, far more attractive and is more compelling to drive. The only advantage of the 488 is cheaper price due to it being the outgoing model and only available used.

 

Buy the F8! It's the faster, better version of the car.
Will you lose money? A LOT, but that shouldn't be the reason you buy these cars.

 

Truth is F8 does not feel superior in any performance metric without back to backing them on a circuit and even then any difference is marginal other than feeling a bit more polished here and there in the ride and steering feel. Power wise the 488 is very powerful so again it makes it hard to single out anything thing which stands out enough, to matter enough, to warrant the extra spend. This was the dilemma I found with the F8 as well, granting it being the improved version even though the improvements really are not that profound. 488 was a very accomplished car too and is not that old. F8 is just a refresh and Ferrari makes no bones about that.

If I didn't own either and one was to be my first Ferrari I would naturally be more inclined to go with the newer car and pay the ticket but having been there done that with the 488 and having taken the significant beating, with the wisdom of hindsight, faced with the same decision today, I would take the saving, buy the gtb now and wait for F8 to drop the same bundle - which it will do - but chances are by that time 1 year or two in from now the attraction for F8 won't be there as it is now anyway. So yes I believe it does come down to money for most as Mandalay said - as in how much one wants to spend to get into one, and, how much is one really prepared to lose when those chickens come home to roost. Because they are coming home to roost, no question there.

Everyone loves to say losing money isn't the reason why you buy these cars but when it happens - as it tends to do on these mainstream models - then a whole new perspective and realization is gained, and, appreciated, when that time comes. I don't care how much money people like to say doesn't matter but funny thing is no one likes losing a ton of it no matter how well off they are. Pretty sure there is no shortage of crying going on behind closed doors in the Ferrari camp lol. I think with F8 a few extra boxes of kleenex will be needed a year or two on from now....and a bucket for the spewing and all the yodeling going on behind closed doors.

 

If you can find a 488 spec that you like priced right, go for it. If you put down a deposit on an F8 right now, probably a year out before delivery. I’m pretty picky on the Spec I wanted, there is not one 488 on the market that didn’t have something I didn’t like, or something I wish it had. So I ordered an F8 almost a year ago..still don’t have the car, maybe by late summer.

 

Did you already post your decision? If not, what did you finally decide?

 

He's expanded his queries.

 

Did I seriously hear someone say the 458 is raw? Raw, the 458 is not. The 9k engine is sweet and smooth, it’s not overly loud, the sound is good but nothing like as good as an 812 or a GT3 RS. A CS is raw, a GTO is fairly raw and the challenge cars are raw. The 458 is a thoroughly competent road car with lots of sound deadening and it is perfectly doable to daily drive one if you felt so inclined. The absolutely bonkers performance of the F8 will feel more like ‘raw’ than the 458, even if the sound is different. Neither car is anything less than an excellent and very usable exotic. One is n/a, which some love to the exclusion of all other attributes, the other is better to drive and faster and some say prettier.

As to 488 v F8, if you can’t wait, the 488 is excellent. If you’re happy to wait and can only buy one the F8 is better but not so much that you’ll feel disappointed to be driving a Ferrari 488 (not a criticism - no new Ferrari should make us feel disappointed if we ‘only’ have the old one!)