Comparison 458 vs 675LT


otis

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Nov 13, 2011
349
Stillwater, MN
Pulled from Maclife.

Finally a great weekend day to take the cars out and stretch their legs a little. Spring weather has been a little finicky up north. I'm starting with the typical disclaimer. No animals were injured in the creation of this review. No legal speed limits were broken...its very long winded too.

I will first admit I was bitten by the Ferrari bug about 4 years ago. I just had to have one. Finances had fallen in place and I own most of the beginner supercars. It was time for my first grownup supercar (ok I have a FGT and that's a real supercar, but for drama sake let's leave that out).

Being a first time new Ferrari buyer I was dumb enough to believe I could just go out and order a new 2013 458 Spider. In 2012 I called 6 or 7 dealers since Minneapolis/StP doesn't have a dealer despite our 4.5M area residents? They all laughed and would take a hefty deposit and make me wait 3 years. "If I bought a nice used FF I could get a car within a year..."

Being in the local car community I was lucky enough to have a friend pull some strings and secure me a new car. 2013 458 Spider. Rosso Scuderia with matte black roof and race seats. Carbon everywhere. I'd died and went to car heaven! It was beautiful and epic all the same time. Like most Ferrari owners I was afraid to drive it and take the depreciation hit for the first 6 months. Everywhere I drove I was a celebrity. It made all the right sounds and felt like a true supercar. It felt so fast. It really wasn't much faster than my R8 V10 or 911TT, but if felt faster and it was a Ferrari so that mattered.

Then I finally stopped caring about the miles and just drove it like I stole it. Dealer dropped it 1" front and rear and added the "new" Speciale alignment. It was even better! I let my close friends experience and drive it and all was right in the world.

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Then the shiny penny wore off. The Speciale was the next big thing. I needed one. Then I asked myself do I want the open top sound and the wind in my hair or do I want the racer boy coupe? Called the dealer and they could secure me a later build car. I was going back and forth. Take the 50-70k hit on the trade for my Spider for the Speciale or keep the spider, but then they announced the Aperta!

I immediately called my dealer and asked about the Aperta and was again laughed at for my naïveté. Only special customers could experience this limited edition 499 build. They asked if I had an F40/50, 599 or 288 GTO, or an Enzo. Of course I didn't so I was turned away.

At that exact time I was invited to a McLaren 650S track test drive. Never had Ferrari offered me a chance to drive anything especially before being a client. Even after becoming a new Fcar client I was only asked if I wanted to bring my car 600 miles to a Chicago track for a one day track fun run.

I never made the McLaren track day due to a last minute reschedule. The dealer kept in close contact after the rescheduling. They called and asked if they could somehow make it up almost the next day after Ferrari told me I wasn't worthy.

Suddenly somehow I secured a 650 Le Mans allocation. Wow! I'd never been a prior McLaren owner just a big Senna fan and I now held a ticket to a 1 in 50 build limited edition car. McLaren even allowed me to alter the color to Taracco Orange and build the roof snorkel in exposed carbon! I had to pinch myself how was the experience so vastly different? I was working directly with MSO and it was amazing.

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Sorry I know you started reading this to hear my review between 2 great modern supercars, but instead I've led you down a rabbit hole. For me it's important for you to understand my perspective. When I was younger I read car magazines like they were the bible. I could recite almost any piece of subjective or objective data. As I've matured and now own most of these vehicles my opinion has flipped. So many times now I've read a car rag review and can't believe my eyes. Most of the time I own the actual car they are reviewing and I couldn't disagree more with what's been written. I want you to understand that after writing this I'm unlikely to ever receive another Ferrari allocation ever again.

I'm now waiting for my Le Mans car to be finalized and the 675LT gets announced and the pics are leaked by some French magazine. I was hooked. I immediately added another deposit for the LT. As I'm in the middle of speccing the Le Mans I asked James Banks if the LT would have the roof snorkel and he conceded it would be available for a limited number of owners. I then jumped on that wagon. Now I've got an orange 650 Le Mans with a snorkel and a 675LT with a snorkel on order.

It became very obvious which car I really wanted. Fortunately my dealer easily moved the Le Mans to another client. And now I'm the owner of this Papaya Spark beauty.

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Finally I'm where I meant this thing to go. The comparison is between 2 cars I'm completely head over heels for. I believe either the 488 or the 458 Speciale is a better true comparison for a "data" driven review. This review isn't that. This is about driving. Real driving. The sounds and the feelings taking cars out and pushing them out on the open road like most of us do. Track days are very special for me and I'm not shaving tenths off my personal best at the track. I'm opening the garage door staring at 2 epic cars wondering which will I take out on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

Yesterday was that day. I've had the 458 for 3 years and the 675 for 3 months. I hope the shiny penny feelings have subsided some so I will admit some bias for the newer car.

I drove the 458 to work. Great day left the office at 1pm. Hit my favorite 45 mile twisty back in the middle of no where country roads. These are fast, tight and technical roads which have very irregular surfaces that really challenge the car and the chassis. It's a secret route I take all my cars and friends on to understand what car zen is about.

The car is fantastic, roof closed to concentrate on the drive. 9000 redline banging against the rev limiter manually shifting. Race mode. Rear window is open to listen to the mechanical sounds of the flat plane crank stirring and the exhaust valves open whaling a magical noise. My heart is pounding and palms sweaty from the pace. Who needs antidepressants with this kind of drug? I pull into the garage and see the orange beast waiting.

Mac's turn. I head out on the exact same 45 mile circuit. Car gets up to temp quickly. Tires have hit that magic number and bam bam bam. Sport/Sport mode quickly gives to Sport/Track with dynamic ESC. Of course Aero is active. My heart rate slows significantly as the car is so much more secure and agile. The sweaty palms disappear and my eyes widen. The corners come so much more quickly and the car just obeys. My nervous on the edge feeling gives way to absolute confidence. With the 458 you ride on it and with the LT you ride in it. I can't explain it better.

I will try to break down my comparisons to cockpit/ergonomics, chassis, brakes, suspension, motor, transmission, and feel.

The race seats in 458 are comfortable and have good support, but I'm all over the place. I need a 6 point harness to keep me in place. Brake slide forward, turn slide sideways, and accelerate slide back. The drivers position is good. Visibility is good. Steering wheel position is good. Shift lights on the wheel work ok, but are not bright enough on a sunny bright day. The paddle shifters are just plain crap. They extend upwards and not downwards. Your fingers can't reach them at 9:00 and 3:00. Also they don't move with the wheel and are never where your hands need them. They are so bad I just ordered $900 Carbonio extended paddles.

675 race seats are snug, secure, and amazing. They are so connected to the car you feel you are a part of the car. The Ferrari made me so terrified I was gripping the wheel so heavy handed to just hang on. I fatigued so much faster. Driving fast is so much about relaxing and concentrating on the moment. It's very hard to do when you make so much effort to just keep your butt planted. The seating position is good as is visibility. Slightly better than the Ferrari looking almost downward over the front. Feels like you are leaning forward on your tippy toes looking down at the pavement. Love the alcantara wheel for both shape and grip. The audible shift beep works better than the Ferrari shift lights in bright sun.

Cockpit. Massive Edge: 675

The chassis in the 458 is like rubber. I will give Ferrari a little pass here since it's a convertible, but seriously when your competition has a carbon rigid tub and you release a wet noodle you are quitting before the race begins. The twisting and torsional rigidity is just plain terrible. The car skips over rough surfaces. The dampeners are set well, but the body adds so much movement the car just hops around rough tight corners. I felt so on the edge all the time I backed off by 20-30% to keep peace with the chassis.

The 675 is the most rigid chassis I've been in. I drive Formula Fords on a regular basis and dare I say this chassis is more rigid than a race car? The advantages are too numerous to mention. Light and rigid. Nothing else to add here.

Chassis. Massive Edge 675

Brakes on the 458 were always amazing. This hasn't changed. ABS is late and forgiving. Feel is on par with the best available. Not as good as the 675 mainly due to tires. Trofeo R vs Pilot Super Sports. Unfair to rate distances. Feel is similar. No back end movement with mine, but tires were hot and stayed there. Great feel on the Mac.

Brakes. Tied

Suspension setup is very unique to each car. There is the chassis at real speed and the chassis at cruise speed. The 458 spider has slightly lower spring rates than the Italia, but on rough surfaces they were not as compliant as the 675 in sport mode pushing the car at speed. The 458 moves vertically much more than the 675. Ironically the 458 does take big hits better like a single giant pot hole. Maybe chassis flex and sound insulation helps here. Almost like it has more wheel travel.

I like the 675 suspension much more at speed around corners. This is where the lack of sway bars really shines. In the 458 when one tire hits a bump around a corner it upsets the chassis much more. It feels like the tires want to jump and skip. Much more twitchyness to the chassis. This also addresses the ease the back end of the Ferrari comes around. Mild tug on the wheel and a little right foot and power slides come quick and easy. This is the twitchy feeling for me. It almost feels like the car wants you to power slide around a corner. At the edge of cornering I always felt the urge to fight against this. Maybe I'm not as comfortable sliding the rear end around which made the car harder for me to drive near the limit.

Bumpy road setting on the 458 and normal chassis on the 675 are very near each other for expansion joints or road cracks for compliance. When the road was medium bumpy the Macs ride was better and on a terrible road the 458 better.

Suspension. Edge 675

Moving on to the motor. This is supposed to be the 458's category to own the 675. I'm listening to all the 458 owners not wanting to switch to the 488 because of the motor. Trust me get a 458 spider and drop the rear window. Mash the throttle and you will giggle like a school girl. You run the throttle up and down past the 40-50% it needs to open the exhaust baffles and listen to what is still the quintessential Ferrari experience. The throttle response is immediate and precise. The motor pulls quickly to the 9k redline. It's all Ferrari. By itself it's amazing, but and there is a but.

Add 100+ HP and -500lbs and the 675 just eats the shorts off the 458. The 458 is marginally faster than a R8 V10 and a 911T. The 675 eats them for lunch. The pull of the turbo motor is so much harder than the 458 in any gear at any RPM. If you believe that motor sound is what makes the car experience than a 458 will do, but if you believe power is king there is no contest. The 675 in normal mode does have some turbo lag as the transmission wants to enter an economy mode, but in sport mode it hits the correct gear almost instantly to get the motor in the correct power band to cancel out the lag.

Motor. Toss up (Sound and response 458 and sheer power 675)

I've added my feelings about the Ferrari throttle input to the transmission area since I believe it's a programming issue. The 458 has Auto and Manual modes. You can get into manual mode by pulling the shifter. If you don't shift for 10-15 seconds the car goes back to auto mode. The problem is the car goes into Beast Mode when you hit the paddle. The accelerator is 50% more sensitive and the car holds a gear up to red line. The gas pedal is so sensitive you can't keep a smooth speed. 1mm on or off jerks the car forward or backwards. This sensitivity is great on the track, but not on the street. Coming hot into a corner on the street and wanting to drop 2 gears and moderately accelerate out creates so much drama it keeps me from doing it since when I lift off to avoid illegal speeds the car jerks on/off due to this precise pedal response. I've felt this in the Alfa 4C and the 488 so it's Ferrari programming. Basic manual mode the car shifts perfectly and the DCT is quick and precise.

The 675 transmission is very good. Normal Auto mode is a bit lazy on the downshift for me. Sport mode is exciting with the "pop" between shifts and race mode is so fast. Fastest DCT made. Mac has the manual mode activated with the paddles like the Ferrari except the throttle response isn't sharpened so much which takes all the jerkiness away. Much better programming.

Transmission. Edge 675

Last topic is feel. This is the emotional part of ownership. The 458 for me has turned away from an edgy supercar and instead to an open top GT car. It's beautiful and has presence that few cars can match. Open the roof or rear window and listen to the motor roar. It hits speeds that are illegal in seconds and corners like a supercar. At car shows it's a head turner and I still enjoy it. What's different is that I absolutely loved this car when I first got it and now it's just a fun in the sun beauty.

The 675 LT for me is on a different level. The car has looks that make the 458 blush. Few cars make a 458 Spider look dated or plain. This car does that. It's such a head turner I can't believe it. Add the looks to the emotional feel the car gives and it's an instant winner.

I love my Ford GT like no other car and will never sell it. It created a bond with me the first second I started it. This car has made the same bond. I've never sat in a car and drove it 8/10th in the first 5 minutes I've pulled away. The car is intuitive, confident, sexy, and FAST. Ferrari got sucker punched by this car. I can't wait to see the 488 Speciale and how they react. I don't believe with an aluminum chassis they can hit the marks this car makes.

Feel. Massive Edge 675

I'm trying to summarize the experience. The best way I can think of was when I took a great and dear friend with me yesterday who is also a car nut. He said it best. "Thanks again, Rob. Once again, you have altered my sense of what a car can do. That car is wrong, but yet so right."
 

GTJack

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Oct 1, 2006
1,729
Saddlebrooke, MO
Thanks for posting. The post helped me live vicariously through your experiences. The only supercar I am sure I will ever own is a Ford GT, or maybe two if I am very fortunate in the selection process for the new one.
 

MNJason

GT Owner
May 14, 2010
2,097
San Diego
Amazing to own these to beauties! Well written. Sign me up for a ride!
 

DakotaGT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Dec 9, 2012
1,715
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Wonderful writing. I very much enjoyed reading your review. Congrats on owning such tremendous cars, and sharing the experience with us.

:thumbsup
 

RALPHIE

GT Owner
Mar 1, 2007
7,278
Excellent review of the cars! Obviously you like being a "Ferrari Owner" for the status it brings, not for the performance - or you are a car collector. Otherwise, I expected to see a sales price for the Ferrari at the end, :wink
 
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vyprgt2

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Sep 9, 2005
609
CA
Thanks for sharing. Love the orange color!

It seems to me that McLaren has really stepped up its game in the past few years. The 570S also seems to be a leader in its market segment
 

Cobrar

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jun 24, 2006
4,025
Metro Detroit
Nicely done!
 

GT35065

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
What a great write up, thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm going to guess your secret route is in the back country roads of Washington county. I know them well, I have my Superformance Cobra or Yamaha FZ1 on them frequently in the summer months. Some nice roads on the other side of the river too, as I'm sure you well know.

Thanks for sharing your review. Maybe I'll check with you this summer in case I've missed any back roads out there.

Rick
 

nautoncall

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Apr 6, 2014
1,093
Great review. Thank you so much for sharing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

otis

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Nov 13, 2011
349
Stillwater, MN
What a great write up, thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm going to guess your secret route is in the back country roads of Washington county. I know them well, I have my Superformance Cobra or Yamaha FZ1 on them frequently in the summer months. Some nice roads on the other side of the river too, as I'm sure you well know.

Thanks for sharing your review. Maybe I'll check with you this summer in case I've missed any back roads out there.

Rick

Any time. Except let's avoid a caravan on 394 [emoji41]
 

FENZO

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 7, 2008
1,518
Lafayette, CO
Great write up. Thanks!
 

GT35065

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Any time. Except let's avoid a caravan on 394 [emoji41]

Yes, I saw that on several news releases. Not real smart IMO on busy public freeways.
 
Mar 15, 2006
767
Very cool review and would be neat to see how the new 488 compares to the LT. I've had a couple of opportunities to attend McLaren events including a recent visit to COTA. The staff of McLaren from CEO Mike Flewitt and his wife Mia all the way down to the technicians and engineers, couldn't be any nicer or more welcoming. Mike was formerly head of Ford Europe and worked under Alan Mulally and he treats people the right way. He reminds me a lot of Alan, very warm and has a contagious enthusiasm. By the way, Mike and his wife were not only there for hospitality but they also were driving their cars around the track a lot!! McLaren has impressive cars and people and their passion and willingness to share with fellow car guys is very impressive to me.
 

33Bravo

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Nov 3, 2006
688
Minneapolis, MN
Great write up Rob!

I too would love to join you on a group drive (again, not on 394).

Lets also get you in the other toy this summer!
 

otis

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Nov 13, 2011
349
Stillwater, MN
Great write up Rob!

I too would love to join you on a group drive (again, not on 394).

Lets also get you in the other toy this summer!

Yes! Sorry I've not been better about returning your call. Want to hear all about your latest experience.