Ferrari switched its sports cars to turbo power back in 2015, and debate has raged since over whether that was a good or bad move.
Everyone from magazine testers to armchair critics who haven’t got nearer than a YouTube video to either car, has had their say, but now it looks like the people who really matter have given us an answer.
Those people are the ones who have enough money to choose between the two. And looking at values of both the Ferrari 458 and 488 suggests naturally aspirated power is still highly prized.
If you look at the prices of the earliest 458s, of course, the Italia is much cheaper than a 488 because it is four or five years older. You might get into a 2011 458 for less than $155,000 in the US, or £120,000 in the UK, if you’re happy to go without main dealer support, whereas the earliest customer 488s were 2016 models and cost from $218,000 in the US and £140,000 in the UK.
But look at the prices for 458s built closer to the model changeover and the situation is less clear cut. You’d expect the newer, more powerful car to command a significant premium, yet even official Ferrari dealers selling approved used examples of both types of cars are asking similar money, and occasionally more, for the older, slower, 458.
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For example, UK Ferrari dealer Stratstone has an approved used 10k-mile 2013-model year 458 up for £144,800. But a 2016 488 at the same garage with only 7,300 miles is stickered at £152,000. That seems like a small mark-up for car that’s significantly younger and has fewer miles. We reached out to Stratstone for some insight but have yet to hear back.
Meanwhile, three other UK Ferrari dealers are offering 488s for less than £150,000, and Dick Lovett Swindon wants £159,990 for a 6384-mile 458 registered in 2014. Moreover, an independent dealer told us he has far more interest from customers looking for the older car.
In the US, 458 Italias top out at around $210,000, while the cheapest 488s start at just under $220,000. It’s worth pointing out, however, that the value of a car can vary depending on the options and color the original owner chose.
Want to talk Speciale? The harder, lighter, faster version of the 458 is a different deal altogether. US dealers are asking up to $380,000 for the coupe, and a crazy $690,000 for the convertible Aperta version.
The 458 first appeared in 2010, and in 2015 evolved into the 488. There were some small styling changes but the big difference was the engine. Ferrari junked the old naturally aspirated F136 4.5-litre V8 for a new F154 3.9-litre V8 using turbo technology it had already revealed in the California T the year before.
On the positive side, engine power got a massive boost, jumping from 562 hp (570ps) in the 458 Italia to 661 hp for its 488 GTB successor. And more noticeably, torque ramped up from 398 lb ft (540 Nm) to 561 lb ft (760 Nm). The 488 was faster from a stop light, and it was also massively quicker in passing situations, while a cleverly tailored boost curve meant there was still pleasure to be had by winding it out to the redline.
But not as much pleasure, because the turbocharged engine didn’t sound anywhere near as exciting, and that redline was ,1000 rpm lower. We’ve driven both and definitely prefer the sound of the 458, though the kick of the turbocharged Ferrari is seriously addictive and it’s a much easier car to live with and enjoy with day to day.
We wouldn’t kick either out of bed, but which would you choose? Let us know in the comments.
