First Challenge car 458 or 488?

I have heard the 488C is more fragile than the 458C and relatively more expensive to run. But I have no first hand experience with either. I am in a similar boat as you, but I bought a GT3.

 

A well sorted 458 CH is your best course.

 

agree with what greg said ^^^

 

personally im going down the 488c road. whilst 458c sounds better i like the turbo torque and 488 is quite a bit quicker. also im not convinced of the condition of 458c cars now due to age and km so i feel a 488c will be a safer approach to get a mint car i will have no surprises with.
maintenance wise they seem comparable. turbo is a known weak point but just need to be careful when buying - turbo fix wont break the bank anyway - i don’t expect issues as wont be racing- hence less stress when doing only track days. eg 15 min sessions vs 30min = less extended heat load.
wheels tires is the other big difference- 19” rims on 488c makes tires as a consumable alot more expensive. i only know one option - pirelli.
my carbon brakes are half gone so plan to replace with steel. i tend to find steel have a better progressive feel ( eg most gt3 class run steel) and obvious other bonus is they are half the price.
Both cars run quite a few rubber bushings in suspension geometry and my understanding is basically very similar to street version. No one seems to talk about this but, that seems to me to be the by far the big difference between a street car and race car - verdict is out if this is going to cause issues - time will tell but that is my REALLY big concern/reservation about the whole challenge class cars. nothing annoys me more then a rattly sloppy car.

thats my 2 cents - hope it helps






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I have heard you can't fit steel brakes in a 488 Challenge (please, correct me if I'm wrong)

If that's the case, then the 458 Challenge is a much more attractive track-day car from the running-costs point of view.

This may also have a big impact on future values of the 488 Challenge once its racing life is over. Their future market value would depend mainly on track-day buyers, and they would probably be scared of the running costs, choosing a 458 Challenge instead.

By the way, from the telemetry data of a team running both cars, the overall lap time of the 488 Challenge is faster than the 458 Challenge. However, the difference is entirely on the straights, as due to the higher weight and higher center of gravity of the 488, it's apparently slower in the corners.

Overall, I think the 458 Challenge is a better track-day option than the 488 Challenge from the economics side, but probably also form the pleasure of driving (non turbo, lighter and lower center of gravity).

And if money is not a factor (or my first comment about not being able to fit steel brakes on the 488 is wrong), then consider that a 458 GT3 purchase price is about the same as a 488 Challenge, running costs are significantly lower (carbon vs steel brakes), lap-time is faster, driving pleasure is for sure higher, and expected depreciation is lower.

Overall, I can't see the case for a 488 Challenge as a track car vs. a 458 Challenge or a 458 GT3. Just my opinion.

 

I am fairly sure that the 488c can run steel rotors. I know the GTE/GT3 cars can and do.

458 appears to be a relatively cheap (in the Ferrari sense) car for an amateur driver to run.

I think 458c will hold value a little better because they are the final NA V8s.

 

yes you can run steel brakes on a 488C

agreed on final NA V8 factory built race car. And the sound is epic.

 

Thanks for the information about running steel brakes on a 488 Challenge. Always happy to learn.

 

I believe both carbon and steel 488c rotors are a brembo oem component. im told u can get the steel direct from brembo. ill know more after xmas when mine gets done.

agree gt3 would be better option - harder wearing and will hold value better. certainly had my reservations about buying a challenge which is basically a race preped road car, rather than a ground up race car. i couldn’t find a low wear example for comparable price to 488c so price dictated decision.

i think u are also right that the 458c will hold value better being na for enthusiasts but i personally find the turbo power, torque and noise addictive - all three are bloody good cars! no bad choice with any of them.


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Thanks for the feedback, maybe right or wrong, but decided to go the “ the full enchillada” time will tell.....

 

Lookin good! Congrats and welcome to the club.