458 test drive - wow
Discussion
I took a 458 out for a test drive recently - WOW. It was through London so I didn't really get to push it, but even before firing the engine it was like nothing else I'd been in (I've never had a Ferrari, but I've owned a couple of 997s and an AMV8 - and I've driven plenty of Ferraris).
The cockpit, the noise, the aesthetics, the driving position, the steering wheel (amazing), everything about it was incredible. The car I drove was specced to £229k (ouch), and apparently the average car is specced over £200k. I have decided not to buy for the time being - being required to put down a £20k non-refundable deposit for delivery in 18 months put me off (who knows what the next 18 months holds?), but certainly a consideration for the future.
It made me feel like a kid again... if you've got cash burning a hole in your pocket GET ONE.
[[ Edited to correct the prices! ]]
The cockpit, the noise, the aesthetics, the driving position, the steering wheel (amazing), everything about it was incredible. The car I drove was specced to £229k (ouch), and apparently the average car is specced over £200k. I have decided not to buy for the time being - being required to put down a £20k non-refundable deposit for delivery in 18 months put me off (who knows what the next 18 months holds?), but certainly a consideration for the future.
It made me feel like a kid again... if you've got cash burning a hole in your pocket GET ONE.
[[ Edited to correct the prices! ]]
Edited by wrn on Saturday 22 January 15:07
[quote=wrn]I took a 458 out for a test drive recently - WOW. It was through London so I didn't really get to push it, but even before firing the engine it was like nothing else I'd been in (I've never had a Ferrari, but I've owned a couple of 997s and an AMV8 - and I've driven plenty of Ferraris).
The cockpit, the noise, the aesthetics, the driving position, the steering wheel (amazing), everything about it was incredible. The car I drove was specced to £229k (ouch), and apparently the average car is specced over £200k. I have decided not to buy for the time being - being required to put down a £20k non-refundable deposit for delivery in 18 months put me off (who knows what the next 18 months holds?), but certainly a consideration for the future.
It made me feel like a kid again... if you've got cash burning a hole in your pocket GET ONE.
[[ Edited to correct the prices! ]]
If you are keen to purchase and are only put off by the waiting list why not get a used one? Ok, they're a little over list but if you want one!
All the best.
J
The cockpit, the noise, the aesthetics, the driving position, the steering wheel (amazing), everything about it was incredible. The car I drove was specced to £229k (ouch), and apparently the average car is specced over £200k. I have decided not to buy for the time being - being required to put down a £20k non-refundable deposit for delivery in 18 months put me off (who knows what the next 18 months holds?), but certainly a consideration for the future.
It made me feel like a kid again... if you've got cash burning a hole in your pocket GET ONE.
[[ Edited to correct the prices! ]]
Edited by wrn on Saturday 22 January 15:07
If you are keen to purchase and are only put off by the waiting list why not get a used one? Ok, they're a little over list but if you want one!
All the best.
J
Edited by JADF on Saturday 22 January 17:42
Why don't you join Ecurie 25 and use their's ? - about £12,000 a year and you get to use the other cars as well !
I've got the 458 being delivered to my house to use for my birthday weekend at the end of February - no maintainence/service/repair/insurance costs either ! - I went up to the Lake District in it last year, absolutely fantastic car. Also had the SLS for the weekend a while back as well - definately worth trying one of those !
I've got the 458 being delivered to my house to use for my birthday weekend at the end of February - no maintainence/service/repair/insurance costs either ! - I went up to the Lake District in it last year, absolutely fantastic car. Also had the SLS for the weekend a while back as well - definately worth trying one of those !
SonnyM said:
wrn said:
The cockpit, the noise, the aesthetics, the driving position, the steering wheel (amazing), everything about it was incredible.
You should try new 997 GT3 RS - I drove one yesterday at Silverstone and it made me go WOW too... 458 is amazing too 
Anjum said:
SonnyM said:
wrn said:
The cockpit, the noise, the aesthetics, the driving position, the steering wheel (amazing), everything about it was incredible.
You should try new 997 GT3 RS - I drove one yesterday at Silverstone and it made me go WOW too... 458 is amazing too As a counterpoint to the OP's comments, I wrote this a few weeks ago, I have only included a few key passages:
"I will admit that I am no fan of the way the 458 looks. I think the front and back half look they were designed by two different committees that never spoke to each other.
But having recently driving one at Silverstone thanks to a mate in the industry I have a few comments to make.
The Ferrari 458, is a great driver’s car, but comes with a huge caveat; I will explain based on my recent drive.
Little real skill is required to drive the 458 quickly. Your ham-fisted driving is kept under control by a computer 1000's of times more powerful than the one that put men on the moon. The slower less computer controlled Porsche GT3 RS is actually more fun to drive.
The DSG gearbox is an amazing thing to use, but requires no finesse or skill. Yes it is very quick, but that is not the be all and end all. I love being able to use a manual gearbox well and have honed my heal and toe gear changes over the years.
As I said before the 458 is a great car, but to truly find out how interfering the electronics are, switch them off at a track and then try and drive as fast as you were before. Like the Euro fighter jet which is so unstable that it cannot fly without computer assistance, the 458 turns into a complete animal when you turn the electronics off. My lap times at Silverstone dropped by nearly 6 seconds with them off. When you turn them back on again you can really feel them working away in the background. It’s like your inputs are being translated by a committee of computers who then decide ultimately what the car needs to do on your behalf.
I am not being a Luddite here; I know progress has to continue. Cars are becoming quicker, safer and cleaner and that is to be applauded. But as the super car war continues manufactures will have to continue to add more electronics to these cars to stop the less skilled drivers from killing themselves.
I am not trying to put the likes of the 458 down, I think it is a landmark car. It just feels like it has it has now turned into a computer game.
So looks aside that is why great as the 458 is it would not have a place in my fantasy garage"
So as an aside do any 458 owners on here actually turn the computers off when they drive their car? I suspect very few do because if you happened to be pressing on then a visit to the scenery is more than likely.
Which then begs the question why have the option to turn them off at all if all it is going to do is turn it into a car of much lesser ability????
"I will admit that I am no fan of the way the 458 looks. I think the front and back half look they were designed by two different committees that never spoke to each other.
But having recently driving one at Silverstone thanks to a mate in the industry I have a few comments to make.
The Ferrari 458, is a great driver’s car, but comes with a huge caveat; I will explain based on my recent drive.
Little real skill is required to drive the 458 quickly. Your ham-fisted driving is kept under control by a computer 1000's of times more powerful than the one that put men on the moon. The slower less computer controlled Porsche GT3 RS is actually more fun to drive.
The DSG gearbox is an amazing thing to use, but requires no finesse or skill. Yes it is very quick, but that is not the be all and end all. I love being able to use a manual gearbox well and have honed my heal and toe gear changes over the years.
As I said before the 458 is a great car, but to truly find out how interfering the electronics are, switch them off at a track and then try and drive as fast as you were before. Like the Euro fighter jet which is so unstable that it cannot fly without computer assistance, the 458 turns into a complete animal when you turn the electronics off. My lap times at Silverstone dropped by nearly 6 seconds with them off. When you turn them back on again you can really feel them working away in the background. It’s like your inputs are being translated by a committee of computers who then decide ultimately what the car needs to do on your behalf.
I am not being a Luddite here; I know progress has to continue. Cars are becoming quicker, safer and cleaner and that is to be applauded. But as the super car war continues manufactures will have to continue to add more electronics to these cars to stop the less skilled drivers from killing themselves.
I am not trying to put the likes of the 458 down, I think it is a landmark car. It just feels like it has it has now turned into a computer game.
So looks aside that is why great as the 458 is it would not have a place in my fantasy garage"
So as an aside do any 458 owners on here actually turn the computers off when they drive their car? I suspect very few do because if you happened to be pressing on then a visit to the scenery is more than likely.
Which then begs the question why have the option to turn them off at all if all it is going to do is turn it into a car of much lesser ability????
Gassing Station | Supercar General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff