488 - [Advice Requested] About to pull the trigger on my first Ferrari | Page 3 | FerrariChat

488 [Advice Requested] About to pull the trigger on my first Ferrari

Discussion in '458 Italia/488/F8' started by 8th_Sin, Apr 6, 2020.

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  1. RayJohns

    RayJohns F1 Veteran
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  2. 8th_Sin

    8th_Sin Rookie

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    The gentlemen helping me at Ferrari of Scottsdale called in a favor and brought a 458 Spider for me to drive. I was able to drive it then immediately took out a new 488 to test. It was a great experience and very thoughtful. Everything that has been said in this and other posts came into perspective.

    The sound is intoxicating and the handling is more involved. I didn't go railing on the car and wanted to be respectful, because it's not mine nor the dealerships, but went fast enough to understand the passion people have for the 458. I could tell it wasn't as fast and didn't give you a the absolute confidence that the 488 did, which I think is half the reason to enjoy it. You have to be more on your toes and slightly fight back vs going through the motions at a faster pace. Small adjustments vs an almost too easy line. It's an interesting feeling to want to be less assured. The power band was linear and the higher revs just scream at you. I think they are both very very beautiful cars and both have their advantages. The 458 just has a little more character.
     
  3. AlfistaPortoghese

    AlfistaPortoghese Moderator
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    Scott,

    That may very well be one of the most elegant and striking 488s I’ve ever seen. Congratulations on that beautiful spec choice. Keep enjoying in good health!

    Kind regards,

    Nuno.
     
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  4. AlfistaPortoghese

    AlfistaPortoghese Moderator
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    #54 AlfistaPortoghese, Apr 8, 2020
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2020
    That’s great to hear, Sean. I think you did the right thing trying out both cars. That’s really paramount to end up making a wise, right and informed decision. And the fact that you came back to tell us with respect to the 458 that “you get it”, has made my day.

    You got it after driving a car with respect because, naturally, it isn’t yours (yet). Now imagine how engaging it is, if it was yours and you could just carelessly floor it, top down.

    Now go choose whichever won your heart. Whichever you choose, I’ll have nothing but sheer excitement for you and your choice.

    Kindest regards,

    Nuno.
     
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  5. RayJohns

    RayJohns F1 Veteran
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    That's great that you were able to drive them both back to back. The last thing you want to do is write a check for $200k-$300K and not be sure you are making the correct choice :)

    One of the things I enjoyed most about my 458 was being able to turn on or off the exhaust note. In sport mode, it's quiet and very nice to drive around town or cruise on the highway. If you suddenly want to hear the exhaust, you can just flip it into Race mode (or higher) and the car becomes much more aggressive sounding.

    I usually drove my 458 in CT off. Once you get used to it, it's pretty easy to hang the back end out a bit in corners with the throttle. Or just flip it back to sport mode and you can come flying into a 90 degree corner, crank the wheel and go through it like nobody's business. The electronics that keep the car on track have been greatly improved since the days of the 360 Modena :)

    By the way, the front of the 458 is usually a little high from the factory and that can make it feel a little unstable sometimes - especially under hard acceleration. The factory settings are 1mm toe-out as I recall in front, which can make the car dart around a little. However, when I lowered the front of my car 15mm, all that went away and it became noticeably more stable and enjoyable to drive hard. I'm not sure if lowering it affected the toe in/out also or if just having the front lower helped to keep air out from under the car or what, but there was a very definite improvement.

    Tire pressure is also very important on the 458. I always ran my tires at 30.5 PSI front and 29.0 PSI rear (at ~800 feet above sea level and about 65 degrees outside).

    BTW, did you drive the cars in manual mode or in auto mode?

    Ray
     
  6. MANDALAY

    MANDALAY F1 World Champ
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    Power decrease is the one thing a N/A would experience at elevation.
     
  7. RayJohns

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    Very true.

    I remember one time I drove to Utah - for some unknown reason - when I was about 19 or 20. I had a high performance car back then that made tons of power. But when we went over some huge mountain range, I suddenly noticed power was way down.

    My house is up on a hill (roughly 800 or 900 feet above sea level according to Google Earth). But within a couple minutes of leaving the garage, I'm back down at sea level.

    You're absolutely correct though, that can and does impact N/A motors.

    Ray
     
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  8. AlfistaPortoghese

    AlfistaPortoghese Moderator
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    True, but altitude isn’t kind on turbos either. They maintain the power output, but at the expense of considerably harder work, temperature and pressure on the turbines, thus extra wear.

    Kind regards,

    Nuno.
     
  9. Mighty Joe

    Mighty Joe Formula 3

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    That 488 is gorgeous in that color! Well....to me, the 488 would look good in burlap! These cars are stunning!
     
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  10. wthensler

    wthensler F1 Rookie
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    Nuno, I never even considered a Grigio 458, even after seeing many pics. Then I saw one in person - egads!!!

    William
     
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  11. Carnut

    Carnut F1 Rookie
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    These type of discussions always interest me, mostly because there is this assumption that you can drive your Ferrari (or any car) at high speeds often. I was out on a drive with a fellow board member (he has a FF), a couple of weekends ago when the road were empty due to the virus. It was the first time I had a Ferrari over 100mph since Francis handed me the keys to a 512M (that was at least 15 years ago), that I should have bought. I have lots of cars they all have a purpose, my 458 is not the fastest or the most powerful, it is the most capable (at least until I find another 4C and rebuild it) in certain situations. That is how I judge all my machines whether it is a car or toaster oven. If you decide what your purpose for something is, it is easier to determine what will fill that purpose. Might seem a bit too simple for those of you normal brained folks, but it does work.
     
  12. Thecadster

    Thecadster F1 Veteran
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    On the subject of knowing the intended purpose, here are my thoughts...

    This might sound counterintuitive, but I tend to evaluate cars on how they make me feel at SLOW speeds. Let’s call it like it is, all modern cars go zero to jail in about 3.8 seconds. If you do not track your street cars (I do not), very little time is spent truly wringing these cars out. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy a spirited romp. I certainly do. It’s just that as a husband, dad, and business owner, the risk of hurting myself or someone else is always top of mind and informs my driving style. Thus, I prefer empty, desolate, lonely 2-lane country roads.

    Each car I own is uniquely capable of making you feel like you are going much faster than you really are. The HP, is loud, nasty, constantly popping and snarling, with powerful up/down shifts. It’s low slung, with a driving position that feels like it means business. The 812 is all about how fast it could go if you wanted it to. It’s impossible to hide the 800hp (and nearly impossible to restrain the temptation to fully explore it). The engine note also contributes to the caged lion feel. Lastly, the Ford GT, easily the least fast of the 3, has an old-school race car feel. Comparatively heavy steering, combined with the analog nature of the car (no nanny’s and bolt action tranny), plus available low-end torque all contribute to perceived sense of speed. You can get in trouble pretty easily with that car.

    For me, I need to be able to enjoy the car slow, just as much as I do driving fast. Much of the experience is about what the car could do.
     
  13. AlfistaPortoghese

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    #63 AlfistaPortoghese, Apr 9, 2020
    Last edited: Apr 9, 2020
    Extremely well written. Couldn’t agree more.

    It’s a matter of preference/choice. No right or wrong here. But what you’ve just written was literally THE reason why I chose the 458 over the 488: I have fun all the time, even at slow speed and low rpm. I take as much satisfaction to rev it until the limiter at 9.200 rpm, as I do making it backfire upon downshifting or listening to the valves opening at 3.000 rpm.

    On the 488, one touch of the throttle and I’m one inch away from sodomizing the car in front, no matter how far away it was a split second before. As if that wasn’t enough, at low speeds, I get zero emotions. It all feels too silent, too composed, too serious, too much in control, too much Mercedes or BMW. Car doesn’t talk to me. For me, fun comes only in the way of flooring a 488 Spider with the top down but again, as you said, how often are we able to do that? The 458 made more sense to me in that department, as it makes me grin in every situation. But that’s just me. And I feel the car as if it was alive: I feel when he wants to go faster, I feel when it’s uncomfortable due to traffic or heat, I feel what the car wants and needs. It talks to me, it’s not a thing.

    It’s a matter of personal choice and what you want to feel behind the wheel. What you prioritize. No right or wrong answer. As I always say, when in doubt, buy both! :D But I’m a V8 person. Owned a V12 (575 F1), but my heart lies with the V8s.

    Kind regards,

    Nuno.
     
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  14. Rory breaker

    Rory breaker Formula Junior

    Apr 17, 2017
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    Great way to encapsulate, I felt/feel the same way. More involved, more character, more unpredictability, and the sound (esp with proper pipes, if you are just comparing stock, wait until you hear a proper setup)....game over at that point.

    +1 on the blue 488 in the thread...that blu electrico is one of my fave colors on the 488, beautiful.
     
  15. RayJohns

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    That pretty much sums up my experience between the 458 and the 488 as well.

    With the 458, the entire drive - be it crawling along in traffic at 10 MPH or going 100+ MPH down a 5 lane highway - every second of the trip was so enjoyable.

    With the 488, the only fun part was for a brief moment right after a traffic light turned green... and then you're immediately wishing you were back in your 458.

    Ray
     
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  16. scott61

    scott61 F1 Rookie

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    I just stay in lower gears and fun never ends.
     
  17. LVP488

    LVP488 F1 Rookie

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    I really do not understand the thrill of a slower car, unless it's of a different era that triggers nostalgic emotions - which is not the case of the 458, which is far too evolved for that. And still painfully slower.
     
  18. Graz

    Graz Formula 3

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    Perfect analysis
     
  19. IloveGT

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    there is endless debate of 458 vs 488. you will soon find out our passion of Ferrari is indeed something to be reckoned with.

    A very telling sign is that you don't like your TTS and you had similar feeling with a 488 already in a short drive.

    Just do yourself a favor, go test drive a nice 458 and then decide.

    by the way, a lot of owners lament that they are not driving the Ferrari when the country is having over 17 millions joblessness. If you will be joining the camp of not driving, why rush to buy a depreciating asset now? yes, sure, no life 2.0, but I hope a Ferrari won't be that one last thing to fulfill life 1.0 either. You know what I mean?
     
  20. IloveGT

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    This is just an awesome post, Ray.
     
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  21. IloveGT

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    Dustman is finding his 4th 458. Keeping going back to the same woman 4th times after breaking up says a lot about that woman! must be so good in bed, cooks so well and looks so good, but nutty during menstrual period.
     
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  22. IloveGT

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    that's okay. we don't always need to justify or understand everything in the universe.
     
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  23. 8th_Sin

    8th_Sin Rookie

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    I did drive the 458 and posted about the differences yesterday. I understood the passion and why there is a following for the 458. It, "clicked". But openly, I loved the absolute power the 488 had. Also think it's slightly better looking. But the drive... the point of a car like this... it's off

    This isn't a rush, but an enjoyable journey... kind of. Stressing me out!! I am a bulldog when something interests me and I analyze, debate, think thoroughly about each decision I make. It's also part of my job to run analysis daily for the C-Suite on COVID risk for macro economics of it. I hear and respect your point.

    Speaking of analysis... I did a 8 point pro/cons list between the two (458/488) from 1-10, then associated a weight by importance. End results:

    458 = 150 points
    488 = 155 points

    !@$!@J$!@O$I1j24!@$!@%!@%JIP
     
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  24. scott61

    scott61 F1 Rookie

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    I was coming from an 800 HP Supercharged Huracan so power was a big factor in replacing that. Except from a dig the 488 is quicker than that car was, this is my first TT car and I'm still learning how to drive it but it gives me a huge kick in the pants when I want it to. If I want that slower but more fun and fully engaged driving experience I take my 6sp Lotus Evora 400 out.
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
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  25. Thecadster

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    Let me take a shot. My Ford GT by any measure is SLOOOOOOOOWWWW. My 812/HP are categorically much faster. However, I can enjoy the feel of the acceleration much longer in the GT. The manual shifting further lengthens that time sequence. I kind of dig it. I stay in “speed zone” longer. Meanwhile, on my other cars, I have to come off the accelerator almost as fast as I got on it. Like most modern cars, they are just too darn fast for public roads. We are truly in the era of diminishing returns. Of course, for track use, those factors clearly would not apply.
     
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