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Ferrari 488 vs BMW M4

What's the difference?

VS
Ferrari 488
Ferrari 488

$416,668 - $509,990

2017 price

BMW M4
BMW M4

$147,900 - $388,888

2022 price

Summary

2017 Ferrari 488
2022 BMW M4
Safety Rating

Engine Type
V8, 3.9L

Turbo 6, 3.0L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded Petrol

Premium Unleaded Petrol
Fuel Efficiency
11.4L/100km (combined)

10.4L/100km (combined)
Seating
2

4
Dislikes
  • Breathtaking option prices
  • Some shake on rough surfaces
  • Atmo engine noise MIA

  • Aggressive styling
  • Expensive options
  • Short warranty
2017 Ferrari 488 Summary

James Cleary road tests and reviews the new Ferrari 488 Spider with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

It’s almost inevitable. Tell someone you’re a motoring journo and the first question will be, ‘So, what’s the best car you’ve ever driven?’ 

Without getting into an esoteric analysis of what the word 'best' actually means in this context, it’s clear people want you to nominate your favourite. The fastest, the fanciest, the car you’ve enjoyed the most; the one that’s delivered a clearly superior experience.

And if I enter the room of mirrors (where you can always take a good hard look at yourself) the answer is clear. From the thousands of cars I’ve had the privilege of sliding my backside into, the best so far is Ferrari’s 458 Italia, an impossibly pure combination of dynamic brilliance, fierce acceleration, howling soundtrack and flawless beauty.

So, the opportunity to steer the open-roof Spider version of its successor, the 488, is a significant one. By rights, the best should be about to get better. But does it?

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2022 BMW M4 Summary

Few cars carry the burden of expectation more than the BMW M3 – and, by association – the two-door versions latterly rebadged M4. Porsche 911 definitely. Mazda MX-5 probably. Ford Mustang maybe. Icons all.

Since the arrival of the left-hand-drive-only – thus it never officially came to Australia – E30 3 Series two-door original in 1986, it’s become the benchmark for which all others follow, and regular finalist in any given ‘greatest sports car of all time' listings.

Except… it hasn’t always turned out that way.

After the visceral E30 M3, it’s been a rollercoaster ride of disappointment and elation: by 1992’s patchy E36 arch enemies Audi and Mercedes-Benz were chiming in, only to be swept aside by the exquisite E46 M3 from 2000. But then its 2007 E90 and 2014 F80 successors both missed their marks for reasons we’ll go into later, leaving us with 2021’s G82/3 generation.

Does the latest two-door M-car return to form? We take a look at the M4 convertible, which simultaneously rediscovers the fabric roof and adopts all-wheel drive (AWD) for the first time.

Glorified blow dryer or glorious mind blower? Let’s see.

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Deep dive comparison

2017 Ferrari 488 2022 BMW M4

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