458 Interest. Anyone know this car?

[Hobo]

I've recently been considering switching from my current 992 Targa GTS instead a Ferrari. I initially was looking at a 488, however the more I read about Ferrari's I'm thinking the 458 may be the better option for me.

There seems to be quite a range in prices being sought for the cars as the market seems to think they may potentially increase in value, and I've found myself looking at the following one;

https://www.tfprestigecars.co.uk/vehicle-details/u...

My concern is that obviously TF are not a Ferrari dealership so I'd be paying top price for something without a warranty, etc, so would prefer to buy through the official network, but this one ticks all the boxes, ie colour & spec.

The other thing which concerns me is that at 5.44 on the video is says the car has had a full (glass out) respray. Would this effect value in any way ? The video states it was not due to any damage, but just the previous owner wanting it to be in the best condition possible.

Any thoughts ?

[CLK-GTR]

I may do. If the first owner sold the car about 2 years ago then yes, it is the car i think it is. I won't comment until you confirm as it might not be.

[Hobo]

Registration is LJ61 DXC if that helps.

HR Owen, London, supplied and maintained since.

In the last 4 years it has done less than 1000 miles.

Edited by Hobo on Monday 4th March 11:49

[ANOpax]

Well, for starters, the front bumper/bonnet alignment is off.

Add that to the respray story and already we're into - "needs a lot of further investigation" territory.

And then the icing on the cake - 1,000 miles in 4 years. Admittedly lockdown hasn't helped and there are genuine reasons for lower miles - so if the last owner bought it 4 years ago then it tallies. If the same owner has had it for more than 4 years, then why did the mileage suddenly drop?

Regardless of the reason/excuses, you're opening a can of worms. These cars need to be driven to remain in good fettle and this one hasn't been. And it's not like you're buying a low mileage garage queen either which could justify the heartache of recommissioning. This car was once used well and has been effectively laid up for a while which increases your risk of nasty surprises.

[Hobo]

ANOpax said:

Well, for starters, the front bumper/bonnet alignment is off.

Add that to the respray story and already we're into - "needs a lot of further investigation" territory.

And then the icing on the cake - 1,000 miles in 4 years. Admittedly lockdown hasn't helped and there are genuine reasons for lower miles - so if the last owner bought it 4 years ago then it tallies. If the same owner has had it for more than 4 years, then why did the mileage suddenly drop?

Regardless of the reason/excuses, you're opening a can of worms. These cars need to be driven to remain in good fettle and this one hasn't been. And it's not like you're buying a low mileage garage queen either which could justify the heartache of recommissioning. This car was once used well and has been effectively laid up for a while which increases your risk of nasty surprises.

Pretty much my own concerns, but doesn't necessarily mean its a bad car.

[ANOpax]

Hobo said:

Pretty much my own concerns, but doesn't necessarily mean its a bad car.

It depends on your definition of ‘bad’.

But the misaligned bumper is throwing up all sorts of alarms as it’s very inconsistent with the respray story. If the last owner was fastidious enough to respray the car with the screen out (BTW, destroying a £2k part in the process as the screen doesn’t come put without breaking) then there’s no way he would have accepted the misaligned bumper.

So while the car may not be ‘bad’ per se, it seems like the seller is hiding something. And while you may be able to uncover some information about the car, you’ll never know if you have all of it because the convoluted story is already creating trust issues in you mind (as well as mine).

I appreciate that this car has a great spec and you’re keen to convince yourself that it’s an okay car but trust your instincts…

[cgt2]

Seems like a punchy price. Maranello Egham have an 11,000 mile Approved car for similar money.

[Hobo]

cgt2 said:

Seems like a punchy price. Maranello Egham have an 11,000 mile Approved car for similar money.

10k more, not as good a specification and the wrong colour (for me) as it would be my first Ferrari so needs to be red.

[supersport]

Hobo said:

cgt2 said:

Seems like a punchy price. Maranello Egham have an 11,000 mile Approved car for similar money.

10k more, not as good a specification and the wrong colour (for me) as it would be my first Ferrari so needs to be red.

But the grey ones are so much faster

[willy wombat]

I’m not going to comment on this particular car but for a first Ferrari I’d strongly suggest that you buy from the franchise dealer network or from a recognised Ferrari specialist. Yes, the initial cost may be higher but the long term cost could be lower.

[ANOpax]

Hobo said:

10k more, not as good a specification and the wrong colour (for me) as it would be my first Ferrari so needs to be red.

The warranty (which you seemed to want) explains 3.5k of that difference. The mileage explains another 10k and the lower spec drags it back down again. So the pricing seems fair.

But if it’s not the spec you want then you’ll have to be patient. Rosso corsa over black is hardly an unusual spec (in fact, it’s probably the most common) so I’m sure a less questionable car will be along soon enough.

[Hobo]

willy wombat said:

I’m not going to comment on this particular car but for a first Ferrari I’d strongly suggest that you buy from the franchise dealer network or from a recognised Ferrari specialist. Yes, the initial cost may be higher but the long term cost could be lower.

My gut is telling me the same, but there are very few 458's in the network, hence why I was originally looking at 488's.

[CLK-GTR]

Hobo said:

Registration is LJ61 DXC if that helps.

HR Owen, London, supplied and maintained since.

In the last 4 years it has done less than 1000 miles.

Edited by Hobo on Monday 4th March 11:49

It had a private plate when I knew it. I'm not sure of the original registration. You'd need to HPI it but sounds like different cars despite the same spec and ownership history.

That car had an innocent explanation for the respray (bubbling paint) and had sat untouched in a garage since Covid to explain the lack of mileage, but it had seen the wrong side of a hedge in its early years.

[col68]

Looks a decent example, bumper alignment always variable on these, regardless of whether it’s been shunted or not, all shimmed from the factory. For context I sold my 14k mile similar spec car to Meridien last year for 142k.

[col68]

And FYI the Ferrari ‘ warranty’ does not cover the things that rarely do actually go wrong with 458’s ie Gearbox leaks, shock absorber leaks, so I wouldn’t put too much in to that particular chalice of buying from a main dealer, in my experience they generally retail stock with zero prep, just their 20k uplift!

[murphyaj]

There may be another explanation for the displayed mileage dropping to almost nothing in the last 4 years. One which doesn't involve the owner using the car less.

Just something to be mindful of.

[ANOpax]

col68 said:

Looks a decent example, bumper alignment always variable on these, regardless of whether it’s been shunted or not, all shimmed from the factory. For context I sold my 14k mile similar spec car to Meridien last year for 142k.

Alignment is never as bad as this. And more to the point, it doesn’t tally with an owner who is anal enough to commission a screen out respray but can’t be bothered to insist on correct bumper alignment.

Something is off and it’s not just the bumper.

[garystoybox]

I disagree with this, both of my 458’s had issues with bonnet alignment (looking at the pics, this is clearly not a bumper positioning issue). It was always a game of compromise with the approved body shop to get this rectified. You’d sort one area of alignment and it would have a knock on effect elsewhere I.e. got the gap along bumper spot on and you notice a slight raising where the bonnet meets the upper wing by the windscreen.
Just saying I personally wouldn’t rule out a car for this reason alone. Obviously full respray and no mileage is a tad unusual.

[Hobo]

Thanks for the replies. I think people have confirmed my own initial concerns about the painting and the lack of use, and that for my first dip into Ferrari ownership the dealer route is probably the way to go.

Still looks a fantastic car, but there will be others.

[andyr]

I wouldn’t touch it. It’s too new a car for a respray and now isn’t a genuine car. Who knows what that paint will look like in a few years time.

It’s also a 2011. I would go for 2013 onwards.
Spec looks good otherwise.

For reference I paid 150k for a 2013 spider on 15k miles. RC paint and carbon seats etc. it was in immaculate condition.