F8 - Ok, in seriousness, tell me what is the real difference | FerrariChat
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F8 Ok, in seriousness, tell me what is the real difference

Discussion in '458 Italia/488/F8' started by 05F430F1, Sep 26, 2023.

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  1. 05F430F1

    05F430F1 F1 Rookie
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    #1 05F430F1, Sep 26, 2023
    The F8 and the Pista. I had a friend over with his Pista.. had them parked next to each other and drove both. So, after looking at them and driving them— all we could say is “wtf, they’re the same car.”

    These two cars must be the most similar cars Ferrari has ever made, am I right? No other two Ferraris resemble each other SO MUCH— so why the huge price difference?? What am I missing?

    Engine - same engine with some material improvements in the F8

    Speed and acceleration- equal within 5/100ths of a second

    Weight - 100 pounds - which is really just the difference of me driving it or EricC [emoji4]

    Exterior and interior - extremely similar with some subjective aesthetic differences

    Exhaust - Pista a bit better without the GPFs but you can just put an exhaust on both

    Suspension and handling - pretty damn close where most people wouldn’t know or care about the difference- both amazing

    Steering - supposedly better in the F8 but both near perfection

    Transmission - the same? They felt pretty much the same to me. Maybe a bit harder shifts in the Pista but can’t be certain.

    The only difference I can really see or think of is the ‘rawness’ of the Pista without carpets and stuff like that. But why does that bring a premium?

    Does the Pista have more carbon fiber body panels which are more expensive? Is this why?

    Production numbers- I assume this is the biggest reason but c’mon, the amount of cars isn’t even that much of a difference either. I mean, if there are 6000 Pistas (probably more) and 12000 F8’s(probably less), is that really a difference? Is that worth a 200k+ price difference??? They’re both very limited in the grand scheme of things.

    Bottom line is, we can’t understand this giant price difference (or desirability difference) for what are VERY close to the same car, both aesthetically and all around performance.

    For those that don’t track the car (which I assume is MOST of us), isn’t the F8 just a ‘more streetable and drivable Pista’?

    Thoughts? Especially from the few here that have both, please.


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  2. Eilig

    Eilig F1 Rookie
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    #2 Eilig, Sep 26, 2023
    You're not the first to observe/say this... the biggest difference between the two cars is: marketing.
     
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  3. mkraft3003

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    #3 mkraft3003, Sep 26, 2023
    I think you are totally missing the purpose of the two cars. The Pista is a track focus car where the F8 is an every day version of the Pista. Compare the track times of each car and you will see what the differences. You know on auto racing The difference can come down to milliseconds. The Pista is three or four seconds faster on a lot of tracks. People pay huge money to make there cars 3 or 4 seconds faster. You could make that same argument for a Porsche GT3 and GT3RS?
     
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  4. 05F430F1

    05F430F1 F1 Rookie
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    #4 05F430F1, Sep 26, 2023
    We were thinking that 'hype' or marketing was a factor... being a 'special series' etc.... I mean, I've always thought they were similar and the F8 is simply a Pista for the street and every day... but now, after, having them side by side and driving them, they're the SAME F**KING CAR!! Like REALLY the same. Weird the price difference... like maybe a 30k price difference would make a little sense just for being a bit more exclusive or 'rare' but 200-250k is just nutty.
     
  5. mkraft3003

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    #5 mkraft3003, Sep 26, 2023
    I’ve had both and pushed both. They are not the same car at all. They have similar DNA but serve different purposes. You know your old AMG GT, was it the same car as the AMG GT R?
     
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  6. 05F430F1

    05F430F1 F1 Rookie
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    #6 05F430F1, Sep 26, 2023
    Ya I get that... but as I said, I think 'most' owners don't track them (with any frequency) and again, that price difference is just huge. And I've never seen any test showing the PIsta being that much faster around a track but even if it is 3-4 seconds, that's not a useable amount or difference that you can feel on the street.

    so in short... 3-4 seconds faster on a track + lower production numbers = ~225k? Seems like an absurd equation lol.
     
  7. mkraft3003

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    #7 mkraft3003, Sep 26, 2023
    People pay a lot more than that for performance. Only absurd to you as they are selling like crazy. F8 is dropping in value every day and Pista is not.
     
  8. 05F430F1

    05F430F1 F1 Rookie
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    #8 05F430F1, Sep 26, 2023
    good example and YES, the GTC was EXACTLY like a GTR..... 27 HP difference and some traction control settings -- and I drove both extensively and couldn't feel any difference-- but even those two are only like 10-30k price diff.
     
  9. mkraft3003

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    #9 mkraft3003, Sep 26, 2023
    Since you are in finance how about in terms of a GTR is about 30-40k for than a GTC right now. It’s about a 30-40% increase since a GTC is 100k and GTR is 130-140k. Take that same ratio for a F8 and apply to a Pista and what do you come up with?
     
  10. 05F430F1

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    #10 05F430F1, Sep 26, 2023
    well, the GTC was 170k and the GTR 193k-- now on used market the GTC is 110-130 and GTR 130-160 so about 20-25% - I understand what you mean of course and already thought of that but there's a big difference.... and that is, we are talking about the same model years for GTC and GTR... whereas the Pistas are 2 years older than the F8's.... but even using the same % increase for the small performance increase, it would = 380k for F8 = 465k ish for Pista, not 380 and 550-625k AND its older.... anyway, I get there is a price difference but the post is more focused on WHY so much of one for an older car that is VERY VERY similar to the other.... again, the closest two models of any Ferraris I can think of.
     
  11. mkraft3003

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    #11 mkraft3003, Sep 26, 2023
    I give up. Track version of every car are the exact same as the regular version and not worth the premium

    going to go tell my lab to stop chasing squirrels now.
     
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  12. Eric C

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    #12 Eric C, Sep 26, 2023
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  13. 05F430F1

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    #13 05F430F1, Sep 26, 2023
    I didn't mean to 'argue'... I was just dissecting your responses... So, your answer is simply being a track version? ok. fair enough.
     
  14. mkraft3003

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    #14 mkraft3003, Sep 26, 2023
    Exactly. When the Pista was released, it was advertised as a track version of the 488. When the F8 was unveiled, it was portrayed as a daily version of the Pista.

    The Pista was amazing but I got rid of mine as it was not enjoyable as a regular car. It was too raw for my weekend drives. On a track it was out of this world. My F8 has the same “seat of the pants” feel but actually has insulation and I don’t hear ever pebble. However on a track it does not feel as tight as the Pista. I’m too old and slow to compare my lap times but I can definitely understand and appreciate the 3-4 seconds difference.
     
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  15. mkraft3003

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    #15 mkraft3003, Sep 26, 2023
    Btw I still kick myself that I sold my Pista 3 months before the covid explosion. It barely sold for 35k under msrp. If only my crystal ball was working and I had held on to it a little longer.
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  16. Eilig

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    #16 Eilig, Sep 26, 2023
  17. mkraft3003

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    #17 mkraft3003, Sep 26, 2023
  18. 05F430F1

    05F430F1 F1 Rookie
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    #18 05F430F1, Sep 26, 2023
    wasn't really trying to compare them like the other threads... was more of a WHY such a price difference regardless of comparisons and also just to point out just how alike they are
     
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  19. pdxjim488

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    #19 pdxjim488, Sep 26, 2023
    I think the major difference, except for price, is the location of the horn button!
     
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  20. Caeruleus11

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    #20 Caeruleus11, Sep 26, 2023
    Its calibration. There are a lot of small differences in favor of being more sporty in the Pista. If you want to paint with a broad enough brush then you can say they are the same car. But I was thinking about an F8 to go along with my Pista and realized I’d never drive it, I found the car just too “GT” in its calibration for me.



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  21. 05F430F1

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    #21 05F430F1, Sep 26, 2023
    ^^ lol that's actually my point-- they aren't just similar or one a tiny bit better than the other in a category ..... they're the SAME MF'ing car! like, exactly the same with different bumpers.
     
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  22. Bkclients

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    #22 Bkclients, Sep 26, 2023
    The real difference is side by side the Pista looks wayyyyyy better, no comparison. Looks command premium :)


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  23. ipsedixit

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    #23 ipsedixit, Sep 26, 2023
    If you drive them, and I mean really drive them -- not just to Starbucks before you head out to Cars & Coffee -- you will notice and understand the difference.

    The cabin in the Pista is more loud, the induction noise hovers over your ears like a band of mosquitos, and even on well paved roads you can hear the rocks and pebbles doing their dance on the underbelly of the car. You don't get that in the F8. While the ride is not harsh, and the car is very compliant even without using the "grandma" button, the Pista rides stiffer than its older brother the F8.

    Driving dynamics are also different. Turn in is sharper (call it twitchy if you want, but then it just means that its twitchier than the F8), the chassis is more balanced on turn in and feels more settled.

    Both cars are superb.

    The Pista is just more mechanical (not raw because most modern F cars are not raw unless you consider medium rare to be raw) whereas the F8 is more polished.

    It's like you can use the same ingredients (dough, cheese and tomatoes) to make two different pizzas -- a Neopolitan pie and a Chicago deep dish. Both good, but different. Even though you started out, ostensibly, with 99% of the same ingredients. Just in different quantities and applications.

    Same is true with the Pista and F8. Little tweaks here and there, make a huge difference. Something about the whole is greater than the sum of the parts thing ...
     
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  24. 05F430F1

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    #24 05F430F1, Sep 26, 2023
    I like that explanation, ty... and I'm sure MY drives were not near the point of feeling those differences. But ok, I guess for the very hardcore driver and on the track, the differences can be felt. So, your answer is the 200k difference is due to the tweaks and differences felt while driving it hard. gotcha.
     
  25. Dazed2day

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    #25 Dazed2day, Sep 26, 2023
    Law of diminishing returns. I'm sure at 9/10th or 10/10ths you'll totally feel the difference between the two. And to be able to make a difference at 9/10th it'll cost you... but this is also why I didn't get a Pista (maybe mistakenly given values), I just knew I'd never drive at 9/10ths and wouldn't ever care. But, there are obviously those who just like knowing they own a car that can. Like my Pinarello Dogma, it's WAY more capable of a bike than I'll ever be able to extract the crazy amount more than it was over a Pinarello Prince... but I still like knowing it's just that little bit better.
     
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