Ferrari 458 (Italia, Spider and Speciale) buying guide

The Italia launched in 2010. The Spider followed in 2011 with a two-piece folding aluminum roof and the same specs. Exotic Car List counts about 15,000 Italias and about 6,000 Spiders. A quieter exhaust arrived in 2012, along with software updates and chassis and suspension changes.

MPH suggests a late-production 2013 to 2015 car for most buyers and says 2015 is often regarded as the top year. For 2010 and 2011 cars it recommends closer scrutiny for minor early faults, with service and repair records verified. CarChecker adds that early cars had ring and pinion wear in the gearbox, though factory updates addressed most of them.

Coupe or Spider is a matter of taste. SupercarTribe suggests purists may prefer the coupe as more of a driver's car. Autocar's buying guide points out that the Spider commands a premium and that many were fitted with costly extras, so work out what those options are worth to you.

The Speciale brought 597bhp, a carbonfibre undertray, uprated ceramic brakes, magnetic dampers and a new diffuser. evo calls it the ultimate 458 and one of the finest driver's cars of all time. Pages disagree on whether it debuted in 2013 or the 2014 model year. The Speciale A was 2015 only, pairing that powertrain with the Spider's roof, and just 499 were built. Browse used 458 Speciale listings or the Speciale price guide.

Gearbox sensor wiring

Early cars can suffer damaged speed sensor wiring, and the gearbox then misses gears. The wiring insulation degrades with heat, and CarChecker says the fix can mean pulling the transaxle.

Clutch glitches

Some owners have reported clutch faults that evo says were cured by resetting the clutch-positioning sensors and updating the software. A worn clutch is a separate and expensive matter.

Ring and pinion wear

Cars from 2010 and 2011 had wear in the gearbox's ring and pinion. Factory updates sorted most of them, so look for paperwork showing the update was done.

Cam variators

Road News calls the cam variators a known weak point. The warning sign is noise on a cold start.

Camshaft damage

The engine has a reputation for reliability, but one owner's car developed camshaft damage at around 60,000 miles. It was repaired under warranty, and it is a single reported case.

Wheel arch corrosion

Early cars can corrode around the wheel arches, which is not uncommon according to Autocar and can be a costly repair. Separately, Ferrari recalled 2010 cars to replace rear arch liners whose adhesive could overheat and catch fire.

Sticky interior coating

The soft-touch coating on the switches, vents, console and door pulls can break down into a sticky mess, so any tacky patch is a sign it has started.

Ferrari's Genuine Maintenance programme covers routine servicing for seven years and transfers to new owners. Parkers and Sicurauto both describe it, and evo says it applies from 2011.

The wear parts are where the money goes. evo gives UK figures of about £20k for a new clutch kit, about £700 for a set of front pads and £10k for new discs. It also puts adaptive dampers at around £1500 apiece, sold in pairs, and rear tyres at £250 apiece.

Autocar puts a set of four tyres at around £1600, and secondhand wheel sets at between £1500 and £3500. Our 458 Italia price guide covers what the cars themselves cost.

A late 2013 to 2015 Italia or Spider is the best-supported choice for most buyers, and the Speciale is the car to hold out for if you want the 458 at its sharpest. Look through used 458 Italias and Spiders, or weigh the Italia against the 488 GTB.

A 2010 or 2011 car needs proof that the gearbox updates and recall work were done before it is worth a deposit. Whatever the year, pay for the specialist's scan and make sure the clutch wear reading and stored fault codes are on the report.