Last night, one of my closest amigos took delivery of the very first 458 Spider in the state. He put a deposit down almost 5 years ago when the first rumors of a F430 Spider successor were being publicized. It was a long wait and at the very end, the earthquakes in Maranello occurred which fortunately did not delay delivery of this supercar.

Several days were required by the dealership to prep the Spider. The official unveiling took place this week. A couple hours were required last night to complete the paperwork and then I received a call inviting me to go for a ride in this beast. Like a good friend, my boy drove straight from the dealership to my crib and we spent just under 1 hour christening this Bianco Avus 458. I spent roughly 25 minutes behind the wheel.

Without question, this is the best car I have ever driven. This is what happens when Maranello adds the “black goop” (reference to the very mediocre Prometheus) to its automotive concoction. The 458 spider blends sophistication and raw capability unlike any modern supercar I have experienced. She’s both elegant and brutish, sophisticated yet carnal.

Some observers have complained about the 458’s aesthetics. The 3 pipe exhaust, the flat nose, and the LED staircase in the headlamps. These complaints are a matter of taste, and these complainers are obviously wrong.

The spider is a brilliant convertible that’s also a coupe. The manual explicitly states one must keep the car <5000 RPM for the first 1000km (600 miles). Yeah, that pretty much failed as soon as my boy drove off the lot. Of course, we all know these cars are “broken in” at the factory and one can only assume this break-in period is for legal liabilities.

I took the Spider to WOT and the 0-60 mph time of 3.3 seconds is no joke. During some spirited backroad driving, I could feel the serotonin rushing through my brain, the adrenaline flowing to my fingertips. The air tasted sweet like nectar.

Pros:

Surprisingly compliant ride with sufficient road feel without being jarring or uncomfortable. The Mannettino has 5 settings: wet, sport, race, CT off and CST off(deactivation of traction and stability controls). I spent most of the time in Race mode.

Firm and controlled with surgical precision and scant body roll. Spot on steering (no numbness) with confident turn-in, sensitive throttle response, and versatile suspension (2 settings like Porsche PASM).

Precise shifting with the sublime 7 speed DCT in Race mode. The technology is so good it makes traditional 3 pedal driving almost archaic IMHO.

Roof drops in a quick 14 seconds (comparable to my Cali) with a unique twisting action. Rear window can be raised or lowered above decklid to buffet wind making it entirely possible to enjoy a civilized conversation with the top down.

The CF steering wheel option has 4 red lights at the top that progressively lighten up as one revs the RPMs. Very functional as I found it difficult to keep an eye on the left screen which shows the MPH without taking my eyes off the road.

This spider featured the Carbon Fiber lower zone package with CF center console, door trim, and door sills. Very tasteful.

The 20” diamond finished rims, scuderia shields, painted calipers were all nice.

Cons:

Buttresses behind the seats impair rear viewing and create a blindspot. I usually turn my head to look over my shoulder with the top down so this isn’t a huge issue.

Exhaust. Many reviewers rave about the exhaust note but it seemed muzzled last night with a bass-like tone. F-chatters report that the exhaust improves with time and this may be due to the <100 miles on the odometer. I did not experience the symphonic arrangement of burbles, shrieks, and growls characteristic of my Cali. The brutish staccato on downshifts I love about the LP560-4 were surprisingly absent. I’m sure once we get the nuances down of the revised 7 speed DCT, we will be able to elicit more bark out of the exhaust. OTW as my wise friend 1badnsx says “Capristo FTW.”

Closed top Spider doesn’t look as sexy as coupe IMHO. Top down Spider looks fantastic.

Spider loses the coupe’s window showcasing the gorgeous 4.5L V8. Interestingly enough, the MP4-12C hardtop vert retains the window although I understand the Mac engine is not much to look at unless one is into plastic encasings.

Controls. WTFBBQ there is one nob on the right of the wheel to navigate the right screen which has audio, phone, and navi and another nob on the left to scroll through the various temperature, oil, odometer, suspension, and fuel reserve settings.

The CF steering wheel was race-designed and thus has the turn signals and windshield wiper buttons on the wheel itself. As if there weren’t enough frickin buttons on the wheel already. If one wants to signal left, press the left button with the left thumb, press button 2nd time to turn off signal.

Conclusion:
Wonderful car that lives up to its superlative reviews. Functional and compliant enough to be a daily driver while retaining racecar DNA and no doubt a beast on the track. When he first pulled up to my driveway, I was captivated by the spider’s presence. She seemed to be the sum of all my hopes and dreams wrapped up in gorgeous sheetmetal. I thought about all the sleepless nights, the exam cramming, the all-nighters mainlining No Doz, the 100 hour study weeks, the student diets of microwave popcorn and Top Ramen, all the years of school…and it all seemed worth it to own one of these.

As a daily driver, I enjoy the Cali more. The ride is far more supple and the rear-seats and trunk space are a blessing. Shit I made a Sam’s Club run last Sunday. Gotta put the magnums of Grey Gizzle someplace. For the near future, the Cali fulfills all of my needs. I don’t race, I don’t need a weekend warrior, I need a car that is a joy to drive during my daily commute. The Cali is sporty enough for me while providing all the amenities of a GT. Whether this changes as I spend more time with the 458 Spider will be interesting to see.

Here are a few crappy iphone pics. I'm fortunate enough to be the tag-a-long in a small, rarefied group of exotic owners and these types of dudes don't belong to the Ferrari Club and never go to Cars and Coffee. The exotic ownership is for their personal satisfaction. Taking pics of my boy's ride felt borderline . "Quit taking pics bitch and get in the car already!"

The official unveiling. What pomp and circumstance, like frickin pulling the drapes off the Mona Lisa LOL.














When he picked up the Spider, there was 70 miles on the odometer. "Delivery miles" FTL haha although some was from testing at Maranello factory.

[IMG]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7241/7375260414_2d878b0098_b.jpg[/'IMG]



So my boy got to pick 4 items from the dealership and was cool enough to hook me up with this keychain. Frickin sticker price is $160, y'all know this shit was made in China for a dollar.

 

 

Great review & looks like an absolute blast to drive.

On the exhaust note, it may have something to do with the Spider's exhaust being developed differently to the coupe. When I went to the unveiling here, the speaker said that Ferrari had used a different type of material when the exhaust was built to give it a deeper sound instead of the high-pitch on the coupe.

 

 

That is awesome. The 458 is gorgeous and one of the few Ferrari's I have ever liked in white. I bet that was a great 25min behind the wheel. Definitely has to be nice to run in the circle of friends but you don't do to bad yourself either Thanks for the review

 

fukin sweet

 

 

That's awesome! Beautiful color combo with the white stitching as well...

 

And i hate you

 

This.


458 Spider is fantastic.


Excellent review write-up Rick. Thanks for taking the time and energy for us on this one.

 

Sweet.

And why the fuck didn't I stick with Pre-Med and studied more in college? WHY?!?

 

I. Hate. You.

Seriously, though, thanks for the thorough write-up.

This thread is one more example of why you should stay in school, kids!

 

That is fucking awesome.

 

 

5 years waiting? No way I can do that!

 

That car is awesome. Thanks for the pics.

 

Awesome review Rick. What an amazing machine. Was the Cali your boy's first F-car?

 

Great car and review! I am curious about the DCT transmission and how it is better over a standard manual?

Maybe, I am just ignorant to this technology but wouldn't a regular manual be a better (more fun/engaging) fit for a Ferrari?

 

 

Holy shit brah. That car is a work of art. Great review Rick!

 

Rick just chiseled his name into Yummy's number 1 jearous I hate you list topping the robot crushing, vantage crashing iphone

 

Nice!

 

oh yeah, that steering wheel is pure sex.

 

You just used this post to make us all jealous of you

haha jk but seriously dude that freakin awesome!!

 

Rick, did you ever post pictures of your Cali? Or do you still have the 911?

 

Rick, that thing looks incredible. Thanks for the pics and the great review!

Oh, and like the others, I hate you haha

 

Frickin sweet ride! Thanks Surfer Rick for taking the time to post pics and write about your driving impressions. I was able to imagine myself, if only for a brief moment, behind the wheel of that sexy beast. Unfortunately for me, this is probably the closest I'll ever get to driving one.

 

That is truly awesome, I wish I was in that seat

 

<-----will never even sit in an F car. *sigh

Thanks for the insight Rick.

 

458

 

Ferrari is more performance oriented, and paddle shifts are WAY faster than any kind of manual tranny. Such as the F430 Scuderia, it shifts in 60 milliseconds.

A lot of new exotics are moving to paddle shifters, hell even some daily driver cars, even the 07-08 TL Type-S has it, but these do not shift as fast as Ferrari's.

Also paddle shifts in the Ferrari allow you to keep the throttle to the floor.

 

Hai!

Y'all know I was 3 pedal guy all the way when I had my 997C2S for 4 years but as a daily driver it got quite taxing in stop and go traffic, especially after I tore my left Achilles. The 7 speed DCT is surprisingly engaging with rapid fire shifts in Sports mode and has wonderful staccato barks when downshifting. I can keep the throttle to the floor and upshift and the exhaust fires like a pistol shot above 6-7K rpm, I believe because the fuel remnant is being burned off? I could be wrong though but it sounds fantastic nonetheless.

 

Yah brah I posted the Cali's pics awhile back but took them down. I sold the 911.

 

Yeah probably burning gas just for shits and giggles.

One question. What do you and your friend do for work? I want a Ferrari

 

Yeah, I've noticed that many new exotics all come with DCT. I believe the new M5 is actually faster in auto than the 6MT.

 

Doctors

 

Paging Dr. Rick.. Las Vegas is calling.

 

 

Damn, too much schooling for my liking lol

 

Very nice......Perhaps in my next life.