| Author | Message | ||
| KCCK (Kenneth)
New member Username: Kenneth Post Number: 1 Registered: 10-2002 |
I find the 456 GTA worth a pot of gold if you have to do a lot of uphill travelling. During traffic jams on an uphill crawl, a manual transmission could soon become unbearable, as you go through the motions of handbrake, clutch, 1st gear, clutch, brake, neutral, and handbrake again, again, and again - only to move about 5 feet at a time. This is what the daily driving life is like in Hong Kong if you should happen to live up in the hills somewhere. Many people choose the automatics just in order to avoid that pain. The 456 is a great car. Silky, smooth, and sweet. But its turning circle is about 6 feet more than many other cars that I know. Difficult to park in tight places. There are carparks which you simply cannot take the 456 there to park. One hell of a driving machine, though. Gentlemanly, modest, refined, well mannered, but always packing an almighty punch in case of need. It is a car that rightfully commands respect. | ||
| Kevin Marcus (Rumordude)
Junior Member Username: Rumordude Post Number: 81 Registered: 9-2001 |
Oh yeah, I might add that if you decide to go for a 456, I would suggest getting the GT instead of GTA. | ||
| Kevin Horner (Boz)
New member Username: Boz Post Number: 25 Registered: 8-2002 |
The best combination I've seen of luxury and performance outside the Ferrari are the AMG Mercs. Especially the higher-end models (S, SL, CLK, CL). I definitely prefer those over the Jags. Ultimately, you get what you pay for. I believe I'd get twice the value out of the Ferrari over the Merc or Jag. | ||
| JPR22 (Cavallini)
New member Username: Cavallini Post Number: 9 Registered: 6-2002 |
It sounds like the 456 is very, very hard to beat and worth every penny. Does anything combine the luxury and refinement with the handling, suspension and brio? | ||
| john (Johnwto)
New member Username: Johnwto Post Number: 20 Registered: 6-2002 |
i have a 2001 xkr silverstone and had a 98 500sl. they are really two different cars. the jag looks amazing with the big 20inch wheels but the benz felt very solid, expecially at speed. the new ones are probably much better than the 98 i had. i also have a cl55 which i usually drive. it fells 100 times better than the jag in every category even though its a bigger car. i always like looking at the jag but its not my favorite car to drive. i really like the 02 aston martin vantage with the 19inch wheels. | ||
| Mark Freeman (Mrpc12)
Junior Member Username: Mrpc12 Post Number: 77 Registered: 11-2001 |
I had a 2001 XKR Silverstone and was terribly disappointed by the performance and handling. On paper it should have been a much better performer. The automatic transmission shifts very slow and the cornering was bad. I had a Z28 Camaro blow me away around a freeway on-ramp. I traded it in for my 550 Maranello just about exactly 1 year ago. | ||
| Kevin Johnson (Jammy)
Junior Member Username: Jammy Post Number: 79 Registered: 3-2002 |
Firstly have to qualify this to say I'm a HUGE fan of the 456 and am therefore horribly biased  I also don't like autos. At all. Can't say anything about the Mercs as apart from the S500, they do nothing for me. You will need to judge this for yourself. My neighbour has an XKR and I swapped him a drive in the 456 since I was looking then (and still am) for a daily driver with a difference. While there's no doubt I could use the 456 this way I want to keep it for best. The XKR is a good car and very quick, but it drives like a BIG car and you pay for those overhangs with the handling, which isn't great. Had an XK8 cabrio over a weekend to test drive it, and I thought that handled like a PIG. Of course the 456 is no track car, but in the real world it is a devastatingly fast instrument. I have two small children and this car will take my whole family from A to B quickly and comfortably; I like the fact that it can match the circumstances- relaxed pace when my family's aboard, pressing on when I'm on my own. You don't have to be a race driver to exploit it to the full because it's so communicative and progressive. Firstly you can feel the tyre blocks moving around, then the tyres start to chirp, then the car will start to break away. All these stages are separable and you know which you are in and can adjust. You don't get anything like this warning in the 360 Modena I can tell you. The XK is the closest I have seen to a match for the 456 in the looks stakes, but dynamically it is nowhere near it. | ||
| Kevin Marcus (Rumordude)
Junior Member Username: Rumordude Post Number: 80 Registered: 9-2001 |
I used to have a renntech sl 600 (which i recently sold), have a 456m gt and have driven the *xjr*. they are all very, very different cars. the sl of course has a bit of class to it - nice interior, plenty of power and a relatively nice flat torque curve. the biggest beef i had with the car was that it is heavy. and you can feel it throw it's weight around a lot. and there isn't much you can do with the suspension to make it any better (i already had the sway bars which helped but still). And of course, worst part was that it was an automatic. You also confuse it easily if you heel-toe on it and the gas guage goes funny. anyway, it's a nice car but not a great one. I havent driven one of the new sl's, so i can't comment there. My view was the xjr was more competitive with the bmw 740/750. We actually got the 740 (which we've since sold in favor of an s600), but i felt that the car was more well balanced and had a much, much nicer interior than the bmw. The only piece i didnt like about it was that you really had to put your foot down past the little 'bump' to get the last bits of power from the engine. very irritating. the sl would downshift for you if you did the same thing. the 456 has a very nice and tight suspension. now like i've previously said, i don't like the fact that mine is a gta, but you know, i think of it as more of a family car than a real gt but thats just me. i have had it at the track once (to see what it could do) and it was pretty spiffy but not fabulous. ultimately, i would say that, like all ferrari's, it's more expensive than something that could perform better, but the car's unique character makes up for it. | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
Member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 501 Registered: 1-2002 |
Short answer: yes. | ||
| JPR22 (Cavallini)
New member Username: Cavallini Post Number: 8 Registered: 6-2002 |
Your thoughts, experiences and insights, gents. Many thanks. |