Originally Posted by superquant

I recently received a 458 that I had ordered earlier this year and thought that the comparison with my RS might be of interest to other enthusiasts on this board.

These impressions are preliminary and not based on anything more than a couple hundred street miles in the 458 and about 1000mi in the RS (including one track day). Further, although I have a few dozen track days and a couple race schools under my belt, I am not a hardcore tracktard so I am presenting this for those that do most of their driving on the streets at a reasonable pace, as I do. I have owned P-cars before, but this is my first F-car, although I have driven several in the past quite extensively.

I am sure many of you have seen the Chris Harris Evo comparison of the cars, and to avoid writing my own 5 pager on the topic, I will use some of his material as a base and add my own impressions.

1) From an aesthetic standpoint, both cars look wonderful and get the blood flowing upon seeing them. The RS is all business and appears to have a more aggressive stance, perhaps due to the oversized wing as well as the very low front end clearance. In addition, the fender gap is smaller on the RS which makes it appear more "race-car". At the same time, the 911 shape is very familiar and so when comparing this side by side with the form of the 458 one can't help but be mesmerized by the details of the Ferrari. Downside of the 458, for those that like to keep a lower profile, is the inevitable chase car drivers with cell phone cameras in hand and a constant attention from bystanders. Overall, I will call the exterior looks a tie as this aspect is quite subjective. I add that the 458 looks significantly better in person from every angle and I have a hard time imagining an unbiased observer calling it unpleasant, as has been opined on these boards.

On the interior, it is a different story, and the 458 simply blows the RS out of the water. The build quality, the materials, the ergonomics of the 458 are incomparable to any other sports car I have sat in. This may be strong, but I think that going from sitting in the 458 to the RS is like stepping back a good 10 years in interior development. The carbon steering wheel on the 458 (admittedly an option I paid for) is itself a drool-worthy feature that would make any sports car lover swoon. There is nothing "wrong" with the RS interior, and the tracktards will be sure to point out that for a "true" RS buyer this aspect is irrelevant, but for someone like myself that puts 80% of miles on the street it is an important element when you pay this kind of money for a car.

2) On the driving experience, there are a few things to be said: First, as Harris stated, it is remarkable how the 458 can go from relaxed cruising mode to unleashed beast so seamlessly. I drove about 120 miles from pickup to home at a comfortable pace and I think Ferrari nailed the daily driver elements of this car. The radio sounds good, the seats (I have the optional carbon racing seats) are extremely comfortable, the interior is spacious for a tall guy, and most importantly the engine is docile and quite quiet at cruising speed. Compare this to the constant engine drone of my RS and it is quite the difference. I love an aggressive exhaust note but it is also revealing to drive a proper sports car that can be refined in casual situations. Once unleashed, both cars produce a spine tingling sound - different and each unique. One can debate which engine sounds better on its own merits (I disagree entirely here with Harris with regards to any 'synthetic' aspect of the F-car, not sure where he got that). However, what makes a big difference is when you add in the shifting element. It is in this area that I feel the F-car pulls ahead in terms of total aural experience. While one can debate whether the RS or the 458 engine sounds better going up the rev range, there is no denying what when you add the machine gun like shifts from the DCT you really get the feeling you are in a proper race car.

On the topic of the 458 gearbox, I will confess to it being my biggest concern pre-purchase. Not having been able to test the 458 before ordering I was afraid that the shifting might be too precise and efficient, removing some of the feel from the experience. I am a die hard manual fan and get much thrill out of great heel-toes and the control I get with the clutch. Well, what Ferrari has done with this gearbox turned out to be the biggest surprise, as it is nothing short of astounding. Unlike some of the other dual clutch boxes I have tested (including Nissan GTR, VW GTI and BMW DSG), this gearbox seems to have two characters: the first is the smooth, almost slushbox like experience that you get when working softly on the throttle and with the manettino in the more sedate modes. The second is the manic/aggressive one that emerges when revving the engine into 6000+ and manettino in race modes. In both cases, the gear changes are instantaneous, but in the hardcore mode they are enhanced with just enough "kick" to make it feel like a manual shift, just executed at super fast speed. It kind of feels like the Ricardo sequential gearbox in the Skip Barber open wheel cars I drove a few months ago. Going through gears 1-2-3 on a full throttle run is absolutely life affirming and I have to say I am now a convert. This gearbox truly fits the car and it is hard to imagine having a manual in there now. Same thing can be said on the downshifts - approaching a hairpin on the throttle and then hitting the brakes while holding down the left paddle will execute a series of downshifts to the optimal gear, allowing full attention to hitting the right entry speed and point. A lot more could be said here, but it really just needs to be experienced.

Having jumped in the RS to evaluate on the gearbox matter, I got out realizing that there was another element to consider: the manual is tried and true, and will always be effective. But it is also very familiar. The 458 DCT is something special - something you will not find in any other car at the moment, and this gives the driver the feeling of out of the ordinary that is intangible yet very exciting. Again, the feeling that the game has been moved forward.

The steering and braking on both cars is comparable. Based on my limited driving so far I could not detect any significant differences. Both cars provide great road feel, the 458 steering is light but with good feedback. It is a nice change to have a fast enough rack to make almost any turn without shuffling hands.

3) In terms of seat of the pants feel, the 458 feels like a rocketship. It is likely the combination of the extra power and torque plus the gearbox that create a big difference in experience (at least from the driver's standpoint). Both of these cars have more power than reasonable, but after the first drive in the 458 I really was concerned that the car was too fast for public roads as the acceleration to 100 is outlandish. I have never seriously thought that before.

4) On the usability side, it is clear to me after just a week with the 458 that the RS has the upper hand when it comes to ease of daily use, not surprisingly. Much less attention drawn to it, a feeling it is not entirely out of place in a shopping mall parking lot, and generally a great simplicity about the whole car that allows for less emotional commitment. In addition, for the track junkies, it is questionable how much track use would be appropriate for the 458, while for the RS it is second nature. Not that there I would have any mechanical concern for the 458, rather just comes down to it seeming like a car built for the street rather than the track (leave that to a stripped version that should be forthcoming). I do however plan on getting it to a few track days this fall if possible to see what it is like in that scenario.

In closing, I love both cars - they have different traits that serve different ultimate purposes I believe. I do not know at this time whether I will keep the RS for an extended period of time because I don't think I would do either car justice in terms of usage if that were the case, and that would be an injustice to them. More to be seen here over the next few weeks.

I do think that Porsche could learn a few things about taking risks with their new models and doing things differently with their sports car lineup. Seems like the 918 will be that way, but it would be exciting to see them do more with their standard models as well.

Originally Posted by Blue4reF1

The 458 is undoubtedly the best looking Ferrari since the F355, IMO.