488 GTB... is it fun?

[Patsy]

Hi there,

I may be in the fortunate position in the next 6-12 months where I may be in market for a 458/488/F12. I think I've settled on the 488 as being a great blend of looks, it's mid engined and also having a very sizeable dollop of torquey turbo power. I've not driven any of the cars I've listed but I've had decent (1 hour ish) drives in an F8 and a Roma both of which I really enjoyed.

I fully expect the 488 to be hugely quick and possess handing capabilities well beyond my pay grade, but my question is this - at normal/reasonable speeds on the road, is it a fun thing to drive? I've driven a raft of cars such as Porsches that are really engaging and bring a smile to your face but you really have to be driving them pretty quickly for much feedback through the wheel and the seat of your pants. What's the consensus on the 488 in this regard?

Thanks!

[Trev450]

If you enjoyed driving the F8 there's no reason why you shouldn't enjoy a 488. Yes the F8 is noticibly quicker, but that is somewhat academic when we are talking about cars with an excess of 600bhp.

[7GJR]

I went from 4 years in a 458 to a 488 - haven't regretted a second.

Yes, the 458 revs to the heavens. However, how often are you pinging the limiter? That's where all the torque is, too - whereas the 488 has bucket-loads of low-down torque. I rarely drove my 458 in race (not a hero driver, sorry) but I have the 488 in race all of the time, it is bl00dy brilliant.

The 488 also has more torque than an F12 by the way.

Enjoy the hunt!

[supersport]

I find the 458 great fun at all speeds. You’re never going to rev it out on the public road, it’s way too fast. Why they bother with so many gears is beyond me

It’s a blast in race mode.

I’ve never driven the 488 or F8. But love the NA engine, it’s certainly to a slouch, and seems insanely responsive.

[Bobbywboy]

just go buy one
youll have a smile on your face every moment you drive it and every moment you look at it on the drive and every moment you spend polishing/cleaning/showing it to others
Just go do it

[WCZ]

i'd personally go 458 or f8 over the 488 but you can't go wrong with any of them

[turboman786]

💯 fun. Too much fun. You will want to drive it daily and then will realise the miles you are putting on will depreciate it more than you'd like. A stunning car to look at and drive. I love mine!