Dilemma 1 - DBS Superleggera vs 488 vs Performante

Dilemma 1 - DBS Superleggera vs 488 vs Performante

Author
Discussion

Memnoch888

Original Poster:

21 posts

79 months

Tuesday 9th June 2020
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Hi Everyone.

I've been doing alot of reading and I'm still very undecided as to which car to get. I've just recently seen the superleggera and it looks awesome! I've seen the 488 and the Performante in previous showrooms and now that all the 2nd hand prices seem to hover at the £160k to £170k, I'm just can't seem to decide on which is better, bearing in mind i've never owned a car past the 400bhp mark! I've never heard the sound of a 488 but i'm sure it sounds as good as the other 2!

Residuals to me are important and I''ll most definitely be going down the PCP road. I can't help but notice with finance providers, that the GFV/Balloon values for Lambo's and Ferrari's are extremely low compared to the Superleggera and I just can't work out why?

I just thought'd i would try and get some opinions and viewpoints from the community here in terms of ownership and experience with these cars and any tips and feedback would be most appreciated.

Best!

PompeyReece

1,536 posts

96 months

Wednesday 10th June 2020
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You'll get a lot of opinions on here but all will be personal to the individual - what are the most criteria is important to you?

Engine noise?
Lots of public attention?
Weekend beast or daily driver?
Depreciation?
Reliability?
Ownership/service costs?

cayman-black

12,925 posts

223 months

Wednesday 10th June 2020
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That's a hard one. The DBS is far more GT car than the other two , sounds and looks great though, no idea.

TonyF

2,300 posts

283 months

Wednesday 10th June 2020
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Had a 488 and currently own a performante spider. Since sold the 488 gtb and replaced that with a 488 Pista. 488 gtb for me just didn’t cut it in the sound dept, Pista is much better but if it’s sound your after then the performante will tick all the boxes, best sounding car out there right now for me at the price point.
Personally wouldn’t touch an Aston of any sort.
Just my personal opinion though.
Wish you all the best with your search.

mikiec

326 posts

93 months

Wednesday 10th June 2020
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For me it would the the Lambo hands down, that engine!

Performante might be a little raw, especially as you a looking at a DBS, so in your position I would look at a Huracán evo RWD as well. As this is a new car, it might be possible to get finance with a GFV so you have a known worse case position at the end of the term.

footsoldier

2,273 posts

199 months

Thursday 11th June 2020
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All of very different character.
Lambo sounds best by a long way, then DBS then 488
DBS was too much in between when I drove one - neither GT nor sportscar.
488 good, and more than fast enough but needs to be driven with paddles otherwise it has you in top gear at 30mph. Definitely sportscar, can be quite edgy in wet or if you’re not paying attention!
Lambo is the most focused but also the most planted of the 3, depends if you’re happy driving round with wing etc.

dazmanultra

443 posts

99 months

Thursday 11th June 2020
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I love my Performante, I've had it for 18 months now and it's a great all round car. I actually find it fine for long distances (I have the comfort seats). The biggest downside (if you can consider it that) is the amount of attention it gets. It just screams "look at me"! I like the split personality - in Strada you can be driving along very peacefully, it's not particularly noisy and it rides very well. Switch to Corsa or Sport and it becomes an animal. The gear changes in Corsa are particularly fun.

The Evo RWD brand new is not a bad shout, you've got a defined entry/exit point with a brand new PCP there which is re-assuring in times like this. In a subtle colour, you could definitely blend in more with the Evo than a Perf.

MarkM3Evoplus

825 posts

207 months

Thursday 11th June 2020
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They are all so different, you would need to arrange extended test drives to choose.

See if the dealers will lend you each car for a week. In these post lock down days, if you're a serious buyer, I'm sure they will oblige.

cayman-black

12,925 posts

223 months

Thursday 11th June 2020
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Just to add i would change the Ferrari to an F12 which would cover easily the other two options.

Memnoch888

Original Poster:

21 posts

79 months

Saturday 13th June 2020
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Thank you all very much for your suggestions - I am now leaning towards the performante instead!

Just worth noting guys, dealer was offering 10% of a brand new superleggera. It’s no secret but just thought I’d share just in case someone else was wondering. It was at a London dealership.

rjg1966

30 posts

55 months

Saturday 13th June 2020
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Performante would be a great choice, just make sure you get the comfort seat though !!

PompeyReece

1,536 posts

96 months

Saturday 13th June 2020
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Also make sure you’re not tall - anything above 6’ I think and the seating position is tight.

Sure I’ve read one poster ruling a Performante out as they were 6’ 6”!

Anyone confirm?

rjg1966

30 posts

55 months

Saturday 13th June 2020
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I think it’s the Spyder where people suffer with headroom !!

PompeyReece

1,536 posts

96 months

Sunday 14th June 2020
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Thought the issue was the drivers seat simply didn’t go back far enough to accommodate tall people?

cayman-black

12,925 posts

223 months

Sunday 14th June 2020
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IMO they are too cramped inside, stunning car though.

S1M VP

949 posts

241 months

Wednesday 17th June 2020
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Interesting choice of cars you’re looking at here.
Speaking as I personally find the cars ...

DBS
This car just looks good from any angle.
Power is finally on par with the other brands at this price point and torque on tap.
It’s a very solid car and kind-of feels like a block of granite powering down the road and will crush anything in its path.
Engine note can be changed by pressing “sport” or “sport +” on the wheel.
It’s a luxurious GT cruiser that puts a smile on your face and is just a lovely place to be. It’s also my wife’s favourite.

Peformante/Huracan
The Coupe is fine for space, although will feel much smaller than either 488 or DBS. I’m 6’1” and Coupe was fine. Spider was too small as lower roofline when closed and windscreen to low when open (head poked about the windscreen line).
I’ve personally had V12’s (Aventador, S & SV), so haven’t owned a Huracan.
My S is for sale at Birmingham (Shameful plug).
I did an extended hour long test drive in the Peformante Coupe a few years ago.
It was a very quick car, felt glued to the road ... and devoured twisty B roads ... but I recall thinking at the time that it could be a car you could become bored of after a few months if it’s a well used car, as it’s “too good” it could lack excitement.
But ... I only did a short drive so that was a first impression rather than a long term owners view. I know quite a few guys who’ve had them and they rave about them.
It will get attention though (it’s a Lambo) but to be fair all these cars will and colour will be a factor in the amount of attention you get.

488
I have a Spider which I’ve had for a few years and did a trip down to LeMans last year. At first I thought it lacked a little excitement, but having done a good few miles in it now, it’s probably my overall favourite car.
It feels very planted and is hugely rewarding to drive slowly, but comes alive when pushing on. It’s very confidence inspiring through the twisty B Roads.
It sound lovely too ... more of a rumble than a howl, but it’s a great sounding car because it has lots of different tones going on.
Mine has the race seats and they are far more comfortable than you would expect them to be. As I say, we went in several all day drives last year through France and drove from LeMans back to the Midlands with only the odd drink stop and tunnel stretch. It was faultless.
It does get plenty of attention, being Rosso/Crema ... not as many dropped jaws as either Aventador, but for obvious reasons.

Other suggestions;

F12/812/Lusso
Similar ‘Ferrari feel’ but obviously more a GT than the mid engined V8’s.
Big boot and ideal for longer trips.
Ferrari V12’s absolutely howl over 5-6000rpm, which is very addictive!
Don’t overlook the Lusso either ... drive similar but adult seats in the back.

720S
Personally not a huge fan, but that’s more due to depreciation.
A very quick car and better tech than any of the others (But tech that can be frustrating as it makes you close doors, belt up etc before moving, which I get, but there can be occasions moving around your driveway when it’s annoying being forced to do it) ... but lacks overall build quality and has some rattles & wind noise ... again a VERY QUICK car and with the cheaper cars now hovering at £140k, maybe the best bhp/£ car on the market. Fairly low service costs too which is a bonus.

Aventador
If it’s a weekend toy, don’t overlook an Aventador either, if budget will stretch.
They seem to have a reputation for being big/wide, but you quickly get used to them and they don’t feel any different to anything else really and I’d think nothing of popping to the shops in mine. Doors go up and they really do howl. Just be mindful of the 2yr service costs (£4-5k) and the ATTENTION they get wherever they go.
My first Aventador was a 2012 car had done 12k mls by the time I parted with it and I had it for 5yrs, without any issues whatsoever.


Decide what you want the car for ...
is it a main car or one you can use anytime for anything, or is it a weekend toy.
If you want to do any track days etc etc.
For a capable all rounder, the DBS is an awesome car, as is the F12/812/Lusso
Quite heavy depreciation on the DBS though.

The choice between the Performante & 488 is a closer comparison, being mid engined. 4WD vs RWD, V8 vs V10, you need to drive both to see which you prefer.

Depreciation

If residuals and PCP are important factors to you, choose wisely!
V8 Ferrari‘s and V10 Lambo’s tend to hold their money (fairly well).
But don’t have to buy new .. all these cars are fairly bullet proof and will have been someone’s pride & joy (in most cases).
I’d get a 2-3yr old car, that someone else has taken the big hit on and you won’t do too badly over the finance term. Buy new and you should be prepared to lose a fair chunk when the term ends. My DBS has dropped a lot ... which is probably why the balloons are higher, but they also tend to get used more as they make a great daily.

Eg. Approx depreciation (my exp)

488GTS was 270k, now c170k (67 plate), 3yrs old, 5k mls
DBS was 259k, now c170k (19 plate) yes, 12 months, 2k mls
720S was 283k, now c.155k (18 plate), 2yrs old, 2k mls
AvS was 323k, now c205k (67 plate), 3yrs old, 2k mls
Lusso was 270k, now c170k, (67 plate), 3yrs old, 7k mls


Happy hunting & good luck ... go test drive them and see for yourself.

Cheers

Calculator

759 posts

222 months

Wednesday 17th June 2020
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Great post

PompeyReece

1,536 posts

96 months

Wednesday 17th June 2020
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S1M VP said:
488GTS was 270k, now c170k (67 plate), 3yrs old, 5k mls
DBS was 259k, now c170k (19 plate) yes, 12 months, 2k mls
720S was 283k, now c.155k (18 plate), 2yrs old, 2k mls
AvS was 323k, now c205k (67 plate), 3yrs old, 2k mls
Lusso was 270k, now c170k, (67 plate), 3yrs old, 7k mls
Interesting how that depreciation works out roughly per year - some big numbers in there:

488GTS - £50k PA
DBS - £89k PA
720S - £64k PA
AvS - £39k PA
Lusso - £33k PA


garystoybox

812 posts

124 months

Wednesday 17th June 2020
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PompeyReece said:
Interesting how that depreciation works out roughly per year - some big numbers in there:

488GTS - £33k PA
DBS - £89k PA
720S - £64k PA
AvS - £39k PA
Lusso - £33k PA
Amended the maths for you!

PompeyReece

1,536 posts

96 months

Wednesday 17th June 2020
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garystoybox said:
Amended the maths for you!
Doh! Thanks. 80% isn't bad though :-)

Does echo the current state of the manufacturers involved though - Ferrari brand is strong, McLaren and AM especially seem to be on a bit of a nose dive.