Ekona Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Ladies and gentlefolk, welcome to another episode where I figure out what the hell car I want in the future. Today, I present to you my thoughts on an Italian supercar. I don't like Ferrari. As a brand, I mean. T-shirts, caps, key rings, amusement parks, Massa being Alonso's bitch: None of that appeals to me at all. It's cheap, tacky, and a little bit OTT. That said, I was the exact same with Porsche before I drove one and I still ended up in one, so clearly I'm capable of judging a car on merit not badge. I wasn't actually planning on driving a 458 Spider. I don't really like convertibles any more as they compromise the drive, however when you have both a coupe and a convertible in front you and a 4.5L V8 midships, it would almost have been rude to pick the tin top over movable tin top. Even more so when the sun's out, like it was this morning. Rosso Corsa may be incredibly common, but it's hard to argue with it as a colour when the sun is shining off it. I don't like the typical cream leather inside though, so my car was encased in black leather with subtle red stitching (much like my 911), with deep red carpets. Why they can't get the carpet to match the exterior I don't know, as with the door open you've got both colours next to each other and they jar the eye a tad. Having sat in numerous Ferraris over the recent years, I deliberately picked one with the standard seats too. As good as the carbon buckets look, they're very hard and a little too big on the seat base to be comfortable for me. I'd say the interior was well finished, but really it still suffers compared with the Germans. The leather is good quality but nothing special (some bolster wear already showing on the seat), but the fit is much better than it was a few years back and the plastics are supreme. There was a few bits of carbon fibre trim dotted around, but it's not really to my taste. Did go nicely with the carbon steering wheel with shift lights, though. It feels a massively spacious place to be when you're sat down, far more so than you would think with it being a 2-seat sports car. You could do long tours easy in one, if it wasn't for one small thing which I'll touch on later. Any observations about the interior are soon dispelled when you do three things: 1. Insert key. 2. Turn key. 3. Press 'ENGINE START' button Oh my. That really is something very, very special. It fires up with a thwump and a whoop of exhaust noise, as it gives just enough throttle to open the exhaust flaps up. It's a raw bark, like an untrained pitbull hungry for flesh, and it's a sound that doesn't disappoint once you get moving. I left the car in auto to get a feel for it, as it's substantially wider than my own car plus I didn't feel like picking up the tab if I grazed it against a wall. It's very docile, with just a hint of V8 grumble as you pootle along under 2500 RPM, and you could do a subtle drive anywhere if it wasn't for the fact you're driving a bright red convertible Ferrari with the roof down. It shifts to 7th much quicker than mine and at lower speeds, I think I saw it change as early as 35mph at one point. Which is all well and good if you only use it for popping to the shops, which I wouldn't. I found the first bit of clear road, dropped it to manual mode to enable the carbon paddles, and nailed it. **** me. **** me backwards. *** me backwards with a wet fish. I wouldn't say it's savage, as that's not true. I wouldn't say it feels particularly quick either, because it doesn't. What it does do is give you massive rush of adrenaline as you scream round to the 9K redline and you hear the exhaust truly open fully, and then as you bang into the next gear once the steering wheel is showing full red lights you get the whole noise again. In truth it's much, much quicker than I think it was: 562bhp isn't exactly scrimping on the horses. The gearshift is odd, as even though it's a dual clutch type they've engineered some clunk into it, which gives you the proper feeling of "Oh yes, here we go again!". I suspect the flywheel is made of feathers, as there's pretty much no inertia at all and it simply flies round the rev counter. It's as smooth an engine as I've ever experienced, but with an edge. IT'S VERY LOUD WHEN YOU'RE REALLY GIVING IT BEANS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE ROOF DOWN. Which is good, 'cos that's exactly how a Ferrari V8 should be. Road width aside, there's close to no such thing as too small a gap for an overtake, as long as you're in the right gear. 3rd is massively flexible, as I found out when a hay cart decided to spoil the fun by pulling out in front of me. The suspension is a little hard for UK B-roads really, as it jitters and fidgets when really you want it to flow. It's self-adjusting too, so although the suspension button on the steering wheel should give you the option of changing modes, all it does is tell you that you're on 'bumpy roads'. Well, thanks. Tyre roar was quite intrusive, but then it's on Pirellis so I expect nothing less. I found the steering light, too light really for what I like, but there's no denying that it's accurate. I had no trouble placing the nose, despite the width and the dullness around 12 o'clock. When you find a smooth-ish piece of tarmac though and start attacking it, and I mean properly attacking it, it all comes together very nicely. Twist the manettino into Race, and the steering weights up along with the throttle being more sensitive, and you can really start to feel where your £200K is going. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say it does become a rather large go-kart, albeit one with an engine made from the finest Italian aluminium rather than put together in someone's shed from lawnmower parts. By the end of the drive, I was comfortable turning in and using the power to move the rear around, which certainly gives credence to the fact that this is an almighty supercar. Downsides? I do have some. My first one, and I go back to my earlier comment about touring, is that there's no cruise control. Apparently only 5% of owners spec it, so it's almost impossible to find. Now, I can see why they might not prioritise it over a carbon fibre fuel cap, but surely if you're doing long trips it's a must have? What doesn't help is that I found the throttle to have a lot of dead zone at the top, so I was constantly on/off/on throttle to maintain an even speed. Maybe I'd get used to it, but it's never been an issue in other cars. Is it a Ferrari thing? I don't know. My biggest gripe, and I find myself almost hitting myself over the head with a crowbar for saying this, but it didn't feel like a supercar. Sure, it's quick, but it didn't feel as quick as an M6. It clearly is (3.4 to 60 says so), but it makes 100mph feel like 70mph and that's not good in this country. In Europe yes, I'd love it, over here it's not quite the same. There were times I'd go to overtake on the dual carriageway and end up shooting past significantly quicker than them, and a quick sanity check on the speedo was required. On a track I can only imagine the weapon it would be. In terms of outright "Is this a good car?", my god yes. The handling, the noise, the looks (which have grown on me since it was launched, I'll admit), it's every inch the supercar. Do I think it's worth £200K? I don't know. In relative company yes, but is it twice my own car? Or 6 times the 350Z? I'm just not convinced. As a lottery win car, I think I'd come away disappointed. Now the 458 Speciale that was next to it, on the other hand... More drives to come soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhackyWill Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Great car. Been having a play with my mates Maserati Grand Cab Sports. Again it's a brilliant car, and the noise WOW..!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoogyRev Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Nice write up Dan I think they look stunning . . apart from the wheels which look cheap, and don't fit the arches Cant say I have ever had the opportunity to drive one, but they sound nice too, all be it from the side of the road For that money I think I would go with the new Lambo thingamajig . . . not that I have the money 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gangzoom Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Lovely looking thing the 458.....I see man maths is working hard here, weren't you looking at £4K RX8s a few weeks ago .... Go for something exotic to replace the 911 with you know you want to 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilogikal1 Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Excellent write up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will370z Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Lovely car, just need to know if it will fit my 6ft7 frame then I'll put the order in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsexr Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Nice write up. If you fancy something that feels really fast try two wheels mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stutopia Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Nice even handed write up, hard to imagine I wouldn't get ridiculously carried away having a shot in one. Sounds like all kinds of fun. CC is surely a must? It's hard enough keeping the Zed speed legal with it's lazy power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted May 17, 2014 Author Share Posted May 17, 2014 Well yeah, I genuinely cannot believe that cruise isn't a common option, if not standard. Bizarre. Loads of room in there Will, you'd fit easy mate. I don't like the wheels either, I did mention about swapping them which they would do, or powdercoat a different colour. They're fine in black, oddly. Forgot to mention that the paddles are on the column not the wheel, which seemed very strange in usage. Couple of times I went for a gear and had to take my hands off the wheel to grab a paddle. I'm sure you'd get used to it, but I definitely prefer having them wheel-mounted. Odd how they talk up the 458 as being closely related to an F1 car, when the F1 car has them on the steering wheel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebized Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Forgot to mention that the paddles are on the column not the wheel, which seemed very strange in usage. Couple of times I went for a gear and had to take my hands off the wheel to grab a paddle. I'm sure you'd get used to it, but I definitely prefer having them wheel-mounted. Odd how they talk up the 458 as being closely related to an F1 car, when the F1 car has them on the steering wheel! Same as the 370 when I tried an auto. Surprised to hear Ferrari have done that. Oh, an another excellent write up Dan - if you get fed up with your day job you ought to turn your hand to being a road tester journo (might upset most manufacturers though if a Ferrari gets so many less than excellent scores ) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jp606 Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Interesting read, your reviews are always good to read as you tell it exactly as it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted May 18, 2014 Author Share Posted May 18, 2014 Thanks chaps, I never know if these thing are as enjoyable to read as to write, I know I can waffle on a bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Stunning motor and great write up. I'm not a massive Ferrari fan but to me the 458 is the most beautiful car on the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted June 7, 2014 Author Share Posted June 7, 2014 Drove another one today Not great colour representation there from the iPhone, but that's actually the most gorgeous pastel orange (or Rosso Dino if you prefer, although it's definitely more orange than red) and looks stunning in the flesh. Wasn't planning on driving that today, but a phone call this morning inviting me up for a spin out with a pro driver kind of convinced me to make the trip. I have to say, it was well worth the effort. Chatting with someone who understands the dynamics of the car rather than just the sales side (no disrespect meant to my salesman, who's a really nice guy) brought out a whole different side to the car. Interestingly setting the mode to Wet and the dampers to soft made the car far more usable and a lot more planted on the roads, without losing the edge you need in a car like this. The softening of the throttle sensitivity also removed my last complaint about being unable to find a stationary throttle position for cruising, and I enjoyed the drive a lot more. This one felt a bit quicker than the last one too, that might be a mental thing though as I was driving the truck today not the 911. Gorgeous weather meant that the roof stayed off, and we managed to find a short underpass where I was encouraged to give it some stick... Let's just say that between 7K and 9K RPM in an enclosed space with the roof down is an absolute moment that I'll never forget. It was almost too loud, but with a tone that I could never call deafening. I have to say, my opinion on Ferraris has definitely changed. I used to despise the flat-plane crank rattle, but it's more refined here in the 458 and I now love it. I always found the brand to be too up tight, but actually if you get the right set of guys it's a hoot. The more I drive the 458, the more I can see the appeal, and tbh my previous post referring to being disappointed with it now seems a tad harsh. I think it's a car you need to live with a bit more to really understand how good it is. I'd be happy with one of these I think, and it's a shame the next car with have two turbos strapped to it. Now, if they'd just make a Speciale Spider... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne370Z Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Insert and turn Key ? How quaint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sipar69 Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Thanks chaps, I never know if these thing are as enjoyable to read as to write, I know I can waffle on a bit At least your write ups are a refreshing change from slating my car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsexr Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Thanks chaps, I never know if these thing are as enjoyable to read as to write, I know I can waffle on a bit Your opinions are never just waffle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humpy Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 It was a very good read Dan so don't worry about that! So what is next list of cars to test drive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted June 7, 2014 Author Share Posted June 7, 2014 I'm looking at the 12C, a V12S and a Gallardo of some kind. It would be a lot easier if 1) McLaren opened on Saturday, and 2) if I actually had some days free in the first place! All will have to wait until after LM now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saihaynes Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Enjoyed the review Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMT Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Dan ....what do you exactly do for a living? lol Nice write up. Very lucky you can consider such a car! Buy a Lambo lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WINKJ Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 the ,only/main problem with the 458 spider is that you can't see the engine. but the roof has to go somewhere i guess! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevoD Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 (edited) you have racing strips on your 911? Edited June 9, 2014 by StevoD 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 Yeah, been on since October last year I think. Just wanted to try something a bit different, they'll be coming off after LM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevoD Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 well i didnt see that coming if im honest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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