Howdy! Thank you for any consideration and your comments. I am considering a few 458 Spiders. For background I am a pretty sophisticated car person with a 5 car collection. I am a person who drives my cars regularly for pleasure and I use a Porsche 992 for track days. My current Ferrari is a 2007 F430 Spider. I am considering a few different 458 Spiders. I would like to ask the F-Chat 458 participants which options they consider must haves or any options that they wish they had gotten. Especially ones that are great for your driving experience. I intend on long term ownership and probably will never ever track the car (my F430 I drive but never tracked). I am interested in the carbon seats vs the regular seats as I am tall. Any comments on that is also appreciated. And further I would like to mention that anyone wanting to part with a Grigio Scuro 458 Spider who is reading this to please PM me. Thank you again and Cheers! Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
Rear backup camera is a must in my opinion. I would say that's gonna be top on my list of must haves, given my experience driving a 458 daily for a number of years. A lot of people will say a lift is a "must have", but I personally think less stuff to add weight and/or fail is a better route to go. I had a front skid plate on my car and it worked fantastic and you never have to stop to push a button, etc. It's always on, as it were. Heated seats in the 458 work amazing. My girlfriend and I both really came to appreciate those heated seats on the 458. I like forged factory wheels (the diamond cut wheels look the best in my opinion). My car did not have the LED steering wheel stuff and I didn't miss it. In fact, when I bought my 488, one of the very first things I did was go into the menu and disable those silly LED's. Also, upgrading to the after market Braille i48CS battery makes a heck of a difference in how reliable the car is. I comment endlessly on this because I feel it's the single best upgrade you can do to the 458 after purchase. Yes, it's $2500 or so, but it's worth every penny. A Hill Engineering dead pedal upgrade is also nice. Having folding mirrors and a power adjustable steering wheel is also nice. I always liked how the steering wheel would move into place when getting into the car, etc. I'd also say a tach color other than yellow, if possible. Yellow is sometimes hard to see in direct sunlight. I'm also not a huge fan of light contrasty stitching up on the dash board, as it reflects into the windshield at times (which can tend to be somewhat annoying in some lighting situations). Other than that, it's a fantastic car. Ray
I have the suspension lift on mine and haven't needed it yet. As far as sports cars go the 458 has better than average clearance compared to the Porsche Boxster Spyder I have now as well as several 911's I have had in the past. It was on my list as a must have because I wasn't sure if my road or driveway would be a problem. I think for most it's safe to consider a 458 without a lift depending on your driveway and the roads in your area. The heated seats work great (they actually can get pretty hot) but you can't get them with the racing seats. The racing seats weren't comfortable for me so they were ruled out anyhow. I like the CF steering wheel, both it's appearance and the feel in my hand. I find the LED's redundant as I can always look at the tachometer. I have the parking warning sensors that make noise and change color. Obviously you can't see exactly when you are going to touch something. However many backup camera's from this era do not have adequate video fidelity to be much more useful. Check it out for yourself. Personally I love the yellow tachometer as it ties in with my yellow brake calipers. Obviously color is a personal choice. Good luck with your hunt.
You're going to find that everyone will say the options they have are must have options and the ones they don't have aren't necessary. I personally wouldn't buy a car without the LED steering wheel, mostly for resale. I don't need racing seats. I think a backup camera is useless for the driving I do, not worth having the ugly camera on the bumper. For the most part the more carbon the better. Folding mirrors are nice because I park on a lift, otherwise not necessary. I look through the $60k+ of options on my car and can't really say any is a "must " have but most are nice. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ferrarifobs.com Key fobs for the 355, 360, 456, 550 and 575
Very true. The backup camera on the 488 is totally useless, because it's mounted way too low. On the 458, it's mounted up higher and actually I found it super helpful when parking. I had the parking sensors on the 488 and they drove me crazy. I didn't have them on the 458 and prefer it that way. Ray
I wish my car had cruise control. A backup camera would be nice but I've never really needed it, and the lack of camera keeps the rear bumper looking clean. The suspension lift is nice if only for peace of mind. Everything else is just personal preference.
Can't help OP but suspect there are ten years of similar threads Your dealer can upgrade your car with the original item for maybe two thousand bucks
If you're a taller driver, you're going to want the CF buckets, they get you lower in the car. Where I live, I couldn't own the car without the front lift, so for me that's an essential option. Love the look of the CF steering wheel, but I really don't see much value in the lights. I really wish I had the cruise, and I may add it.
Racing seats are a must. So is the CF driving zone with leds. Lift needed only on very steep driveways. Folding mirrors, sport wheels, JBL stereo (I wish I had this too).
the must haves will vary by person. my list of must haves: carbon wheel with the LED lights. is it absolutely needed no, but since it's an option it is useful when you're hauling but and can concentrate and count the lights vs looking at the clock. also helps with resale. users can turn the lights off carbon buckets - it's lighter, more comfy and I can sit lower, and they look better rear camera isn't a must to me, the backup sensor is nice to have, but in the end you can get buy without either -
LED steering wheel & carbon racing seats are the only two must-have options that improve the visceral driving enjoyment.
Hi terrence, mind if i ask where you got your Side-skirt fins/underdoor kit, I really like them thinking of adding them thank-you
Many different "must have" options in this thread but the only consistent one is the LED wheel. Does that make the LED wheel the only "must have" option? ______________________________ ferrarifobs.com Key fobs for the 355, 360, 456, 550 and 575
You can add "pit speed" for about $1800 (https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/had-dealer-install-pit-speed-on-my-458-and-i-love-it.558742/). i have the backup camera and never use it. i use the lift pretty much every time I drive. Rob
A number of similar threads. And, lift kit desirability is very much tied to your driving environment. In central CA I need to use it every time I drive; we have many water drain systems; everywhere.
I love the LED steering Wheel. Thank goodness I opted for the Lift. An out of control neighborhood association added "Speed Humps"! Without the Lift kit I'd be beached!
What has added to my driving experience? Let me state that I drive an Italian and enjoy canyon carving in the Colorado mountains. I am 6’2” and the goldrake CF seats give me plenty of room, fit me like a glove and keep me secure. The most important feature for me. I had an AMG and would easily slide in the seats with any canyon carving. The LED wheel I like but I usually drive with windows down and shift based on sound. No front end lift, and I made some simple ramps for my driveway way with 2 x 10s I added a Hill bros dead pedal plate and a passenger foot plate that I thinks adds to the experience as well. Good luck on your search! Market is crazy right now. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
I’ve had four 458’s, two of them spiders. CF seats are a must. Not only are they comfortable and lower, but the make the look of the interior. Daytona’s are very, very dated looking. LED wheel for resale, but not really needed as you can easily shift via sound with just a few miles of exereince. Lift only if you need it. I never did. Diamond wheels look stellar. Dealer can also turn regular wheels into Diamond for about $1500, FWIW. Records, history, services…far more important than any above.
How tall are you? I know it also depends on torso length vs leg length, but if you're tall you're gonna want the CF racing seats. FWIW I'm 6'5", had a 458 Spider on order back in the day with the CF seats. A customer brought their Spider with CF seats in for service, and when I sat in it my head hit the ceiling. I wound up cancelling the order and moving over to a California T. The issue with the Spider is there is less room behind the seat to recline vs the Italia or a car with a front engine. Your mileage may vary, but I'd suggest going and finding one to sit in before you pull the trigger. Other options I think are "must haves" are the 20" diamond wheels, the LED wheel (for resale), shields. But again it's all personal taste.