F1 vs 6 Speed

I am planning on buying a late model 360 or early 430 and would like any thoughts re getting the F1 vs 6-speed transmission. Is one more reliable? require less maintenance? better? I have been driving manual transmissions my whole life and the idea of a steering wheel based paddle shifter without a clutch for me to depress seems foreign. Currently I drive a 993 Carrera and love the 6 speed.

 

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=154736&highlight=f1+speed

 

Paddle cars are significantly less reliable and tend to go through clutches more swiftly.

Dave

 

I really liked the F1 system in my old 360, but I ordered my F430 manual as I like it better this way and no F1 glitches or whatever else.

 

I am in love with the F1 tranny. I've got sticks in other cars... but no other car has paddles like an F-Car!

Ferrari made the F1 tranny part of the entire driving experience. If you flip on Sport Mode in a 360 or Race Mode in a 430, the tranny will act considerably different. F1 cars, in sport mode, does more than just stiffen the suspension.

Yes, F1 will be harder on your clutch. Who cares. Where else can you get such an incredible transmission.

Drive both... then decide. I'll bet you go F1.

Frank

 

I have a manual 6 speed 360 and love it. I have never driven an F1, but my gut feeling is that it comes in much more handy on the race track, than on the street.

Also, if you read over the threads on Ferrarichat closely enough, you'll start to notice a trend where most of the strange problems people have on the 360 relate to the F1 system (probably about 80% of the time). Just search the threads and it won't take long to notice that the F1 system can produce some strange problems at times. Also, they tend to be a little more rough on clutches from what I have read.

6 speed manual gear boxes are a little more difficult to find on the 360, but the extra effort is worth it in my opinion.

Ray

 

with porsche definitely the stick, tiptronics is just pos. ferrari definitely the f1 since its manual based. if u hv driven sticks all ur life why not try something different?

 

I drove both and was disappointed in the jerkiness of the upshifts with the F1 'box under reasonable to hard acceleration. I drove 4 F1's to confirm this and 1 manual..... I bought the manual. Now, I understand the F430 F1 is far less abrupt on upshifts. Have a look here around 4m 20secs.

 

I was so sold on buying a 360 F1 that I practiced left foot braking for two years in my daily driver. Then I drove one. I promptly bought a manual. I have since driven 360 F1's and Stradale's in traffic, freeway, spirited mountain drives, etc.
In every case, the manual was much better. So make sure you drive both before you decide.

 

+1

I came from a 3 pedal 360 to a Egear G. I feel when I had the 360 I was more involved in the driving experience. I've been to busy to track the G this year but my feeling that it is probally incredible on the track.

Perhaps when making a decision between F1 and 6 speed is to determine the pupose of the car. More track or street?

 

The shift guys will tell you one thing the F1 guys will tell you another. You have to drive both and see. I have a triptronic in my bmw which is pretty useless. You cannot feel the gear changed at all. The F1 is a toally different beast. You feel the engine slow as you go down the gears and of course you really feel it when you go back up again. It is like a manual in that sense and not auto at all.

I was coming back through Germany on the autobahn yesterday and the F1 in this situation definitley was more fun that a manual box. I could also keep both hands on the wheel ( not that I am a sissy) but it helped at speeds of about 240 km when sudden traffic appeared to be able to break and shift with paddels at the same time and have full concentration.

Now the BEST bit by far on the F1 is the button called "sport". Is that is the manual too? I have only had my car for 3 weeks and never used it but coming back near Plzen in Czech I called Peter, a guy on this board who also has a 360. After a chat he said put in sport mode and get to 7000 rpm and see what happens<evil grin>. We set off and my god! The changes are at lightning speed and you really get that racing car sound and feel. Fun, fun fun!

I am most certainly an F1 convert but as someone said, only on this car on a porsche I would get have AWD and a manual for the winters where I live.

 

Manual all the way!!!!! You'll love it!

 

I bought a 2003 6 speed in 2004 because the FI in my view on the 360 model is too abrupt, quick but jerky.

When I bought my F430 a few months ago I went for the F1 because Ferrari improved dramatically the new F1. It is much smoother and i wanted to try one. I have not had any problems with my F1. I have read about problems on this forum and have adjusted my driving and parking accordingly to hopefully avoid issues.

The 6 speed on the 360 is not eqivalent to modern sport cars like the Porsche 911 or the Ford GT. The F car is awesome but the manual is not smooth or delightfully notchy like other manuals are. I did not try a F430 manual.

Good luck on whatever you chose!

Lee

 

In Derek Trotter's link it clearly illustrates that Clarkson doesn't know the correct way to drive an F1 360 or rather that he didn't know at that time.

In the clip when he was busy trying to show why he didnt like the F1, it was plain to see that he was 'lifting off' on the acccelerator between changes which was causing that lurch that he went to such pains to show.

As anyone with an F1 will agree, if you lift off between changes the car behaves as if a little old lady was behind the wheel.

 

With regard to clutch wear between F1 V Stick Shift, I believe that it would be pretty similar, with the exception of anyone very frequently using reverse in the F1, where the clutches never fully engages, and there is a serious amount of 'slippage'.

The clutch wear is more about 400HP being dumped on a relatively small clutch disc, and expecting it to handle the huge amount of torque that most Ferrari owner/drivers are constantly be pushing through the system.

Let's face it.......do any of us drive our F Cars like we do the 4 X 4 SUV or the family sedan.

 

I've always had manuals and still do. When I bought the F430 F1 I was concerned, but it was the best decision I made. The F1 is the best part of the F430 without a doubt!!!!

 

Of course, according to Ferrari NA, this thread doesn't exist, and all posters who favor the Manual are false accounts. This is so obvious, as:
"Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, sir, wants the Manual transmission anymore......"

Or so I was assured, several times (when I dared to ask about ordering one).


Uhhhhhh........right.

 

Big difference between the two cars... See for yourself.Best

 

But that's just it; unless you are at redline and wide open throttle, the computer "lifts" (cuts the throttle) automatically anyway, leaving me to feel like a "grandma" when driving through the mountains. With the manual, I can shift just as fast at 4000RPM as I can at 8500RPM, while the 360 F1 cannot.

 

I am not a F car owner but have driven nearly every MY since 2000 and can say that the F1 gets better and better. 2000 or 2001 was not so great, if my memory serves me I think 2002 changed significantly and now the F1 is excellent. HOWEVER, the 2007 eGear from Lamborghini is in my opinion very good indeed - especially in city traffic. Having said that, I could not buy a Ferrari in F1 since I have wanted that gated shift since I was 18 years old - saw a lovely Ferrari and just fell in love.

I think we all remember how we fell in love, with me, I was driving my 1971 VW combi down from Kensington towards Chiswick and pulled into get some juice and the car besides me was a 348. Man, it was awesome - the dude who owned it looked like some stuck up city type and was probably scared I was going to mug him - I was a long hair back then - when I mentioned his car, he was very nice and talked about it endlessly!

Sorry to go off topic a bit!!

 

Before I bought my 06 F430 I drove both the F1 and the 6 speed. For me was no choice, I searched hard for a 6 speed and found one. More control of engagement, I am sure the F1 is faster shifting, but how often are you on a racetrack where milliseconds matter. Thats my piece.

 

Would it be fair to conclude the majority view seems to come down to: all things being equal if I get a 360 go manual and if I get a 430 go F1

Also what's the best way to drive both? Will dealers let a serious committed purchaser drive the cars or are they too afraid of putting miles on?

 

Don't let the tyranny of the majority rule your decisions. Make every effort to drive the 430 in 3-pedal configuration. I ordered mine that way and have never regretted it.

Gary

 

People saying something like I have always driven a manual and always will do not help. Someone who has had both F1 and manual is best. I have always driven a manuals too but now have an F1 and I can tell you it is great fun, I did not expect it to be. I thought the idea of this car was to get close to the F1 feel? I think another consideration is that the F1 transmission is also an extra 10K, well if that really matters at all when you spend the same money as a house on a car.

 

I've owned both and enjoy the 6 speed alot more. not as jerky, less maintainance too. Like everyone says drive em both. I also owned a Gallardo e-gear car and that transmission is awsome, would definetly take the e-gear over the 6 speed. But f-cars still need to work on smoothing out the f1 gearbox, too jerky when shifting..... imo