599 GTB vs. 430 SCUDERIA

Hi Guys,

I need some input. I have the choice between the 2 cars. Which one? Why? I'm 50/50 as of right now!

 

599 is more cruiser, scuderia is more fun.. both are awesome...

Scuderia +1

 

two different cars here. one's a GT car, while one if more for tracking.

 

12 cylinder or walk.....

But seriously I would go for the 599, most of the time is spent driving on the road and one owner has already confirmed to me that around town the Scud isnt that comfortable and getting in and out with the harnesses is a bit of an irritation.

The 599 wins for me on the basis that its the more complete car, does more things well, its execeptional around the track, the sound of the V12 is nothing short of intoxicating and those looks get better and better with every passing day.

At the end of the day its your decision and you need to decide what you want and what would suit you best.

Am hoping whe we have some decent weather here to do a comparison between the 599 and Scud....

 

Apologies for the re/cross-post from another string, but I thought I would add my $0.02

I LOVE my 599 - No complaints at all - it is perfect - It is NOT a Scuderia - and was not intended as such (that is why they are doing the Scuderia) - nor is it an F430 or a CS. Different approach, attitude and execution - as intended - Like an F430 coupe versus F430 Spider - From personal experience, I can tell you that the coupe is a much different car from a handling and general driving POV than the F430 Spider - Better? Nope. Just different.

A small point, but incredibly important () -- the 599 engine is in the front, so you ain't gonna get the F430 sensation (sound, balance, handling, general dynamics, and physics, etc.) in any event. My personal experience with the 599 is that when pushed hard, it responds - takes on another dimenson incredibly so. Is it my F430? Nope - did not want or expect that -

And, more importantly, I just spent two track days driving the Scuderia - I find it knife-edge sharp and when driving it back-to-back with the F430 coupe, and "11" - blazing shifts, firmer and more dialed in suspension and just incredible dynamics - I have not driven a Scuderia on the road, etc (but will shortly as mine is due to arrive in a few weeks).

If I had to keep just one, which would it be you may be asking.... The 599 - on the street, you can perhaps wring more speed and performance whist maintaining some civility when you want it - it is a beast and handles incredibly so.

Good luck

 

red wine vs white. depends on your entree.

Personally I prefer the look of the 430 Scud, but I prefer the drive and usability of the 599GTB. Both are fantastic. But they are very different...

The only right answer is BOTH.

There is no wrong choice.

 

If you're driving it everyday - 599

If you're driving it on weekends - 430S

 

I bought my F430 with a plan to replace it with the F430S once it arrives but I have changed my mind and gone to the 599 simply because the F430S is so extreme and desinged for Track use mainly.

In addition, I believe the 599 looks more modern than the F430.

 

Completely different cars,saying one is better then the other makes no sense whatsoever.
Depending on your needs and wants,one is better then the other.
599 is "do it all" luxury GT that can be driven daily and even occasionally to the track,I pre-traded mine for 430S because I don't need another daily driver (there are better cars for that duty then 599),I need a more "raw experience" which Scuderia can provide in spades.
I was even more convinced after 2 days of driving both cars on the track,where 430S totally blew my mind.
Each car for different purpose,wish could have both of them.....

 

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ What he said /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

 

Toss a coin.......


They are both DIFFERENT animals, yet they are both fantastic cars!!

 

No experience...just thinking from a cost standpoint... 360CS (or 360 Challenge car) AND a 550/575! Both one generation old, but both still AMAZING and the 360's look WAY better than the 430's! I suspect you could both of those for the price of either ONE of the others. I know that was not a choice, but, was just thinking of the amt of money being spent and a different twist on it...

Good luck!
J
Austin, TX

 

That option makes a lot of sense if you are on budget....

 

I'd suggest therapy actually, because you're clearly very conflicted or schizophrenic
Seriously, these cars cannot be compared. They have such different personalities and purposes that it's hard to imagine you don't have a particular leaning toward one or the other type. As a few have already pointed out, the 599 is a very user friendly big torque GT and the 430 Scud, IMO is a nervous racehorse that needs ideal conditions to be what it was designed to be. IOW it needs a track or tight twisty back country roads where you can keep the engine high in the rev band.
The 599 is, for my money, the best car Ferrari have ever offered. It does everything right, can be used as a daily driver, is happy in urban environments, has a real trunk, looks good, has a spectacularly great F1 tranny and goes like a real sports car in the right track type environment. I drive mine virtually every day. I also have a Challenge Stradale for those "need a race car" moments and I honestly believe that the Scud, at almost twice the price of a CS, is simply not worth it.

 

For my $.02, I say that there are a lot more choices in the GT arena you can look at, even at a lower cost (575 F1) but if you want a track car, I cannot think of another car that can do what the Scuderia can do on the track for that kind of money. So in the end you need to decide.... Do you want a track car or a street car? Also, you have a lot of 599s to choose from, but how many Scuderias can you actually buy?

Good Luck on your decision.

 

I've driven both and I'd say 430S under the assumption that you do track your cars.
The 599 is obviously much more usable as a daily driver, but unless you happen to have very specific driving conditions, you will seldom be able to enjoy the glorious savagery deployed every time you venture in the upper half of the rev range. Wonderful but utterly pointless in contemporary road conditions, and largely inadequate for focused track usage.
For puttering around, there's prettier, better finished and more satisfying alternatives available.
The 430S lacks the refinement of the V12, but it's a wonderful track car.

 

I got delivery of my 599 last week and just got back from a 700km drive around central Switzerland’s mountain passes including the Furkapass at an altitude of 2450m/8000ft (some might remember the 2004 Fchat meeting at Andrematt). And I can absolutely +1 410SA. Great car, very comfortable, usable and whenever the conditions are right mindbogglingly fast (and agile for a car its size).

The Scuderia is an amazing track car and, having driven it around the Fiorano track a month ago, the perfect car for its purpose. BUT forget about using it on a daily basis, let alone for long distance cruising! It is way too loud and stiff and overall uncomfortable. You'll get more adrenalin per km driven in the Scud but you'll drive many fewer kms than with the 599.

As a conclusion I would agree with what has been repeatedly said before: you should decide depending on your use of the car.

@ze_shark: there is no question that the 599 is not intended for track use but I would be very curious as to which are those ‘prettier’ and ‘more satisfying’ alternatives?? Especially ones whose early-2000s predecessors would not “beat” your Maranello ;-p
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Scud

You can't go wrong though, either choice will be a good one

 

Those pics are AWESOME! When I was driving through the alps in 2000 it was bad weather and so we could not really take advantage of the views. There was VERY LITTLE traffic though so that was nice. I kind of surprised me how little traffic and little anything there was. We were going from Lucerne to Garmish-Partenkierken (probably misspelled all those names...sorry)...

I wish we had been doing it in an F-car! Heck, even in the P-car would have been nice... M/B 300 Diesel wagon, not so much fun, of course the weather was not conducive to spirited driving anyway...

Thanks for sharing!
James
Austin, TX

 

Ah if you have to ask ... ;-)
Porsche 997 w/ PSE, Aston DB9 (although I am no die hard fan) are already a start, Conti GT if you are on the plush side.
And yes, they are huge improvements over their predecessors (996, DB7) which make them pretty compelling alternatives for daily and GT use.

Don't misunderstand me, I have a lot of respect for what Ferrari achieved with the 599, but it's becoming fast a matter of what you can realistically do with these cars nowadays, almost to the point where less is more. A nice exhaust note, reasonable performance, good looks, a nicely finished interior, and you have 90% of the pleasure for 50 to 60% of the price of a 599, enough to leave with enough money for a track toy.
Things have changed in 5 years. It feels to me like the context in which you could still enjoy a V12 supercar in the beginning of the decade is gone. Hope you'll be lucky enough to dig hard in 3rd and 4th gear on your 599, it's a fantastic experience, but an increasingly rare one.

That's why I'd take a Scud any day over a 599.
Track the thing as often as I can and drive something else that looks, feels and sounds nice the rest of the time.
I agree with you however that the 430S is tiring on long distances. Don't mind the firmness at all, but gearbox and noise keep you constantly on edge.

 

+1

Well said, Simon!

 

same than my virtual friends

Ricardo

 

After 20K in a CS, the 430S is to me just the right amount more useable compared to the CS. The 599 to me was just over the line of too much like a regular car, it only got exciting when you were really really on it which in a 620 bhp car was not frequent enough on the road, so I sold mine after 1K or so in it.

I have 2K on my Scud in <1 month, drove it up to Montreal and back and its very useable. Obviously I have a somewhat warped perspective on useability. The 599 is extremely impressive but I simply didn't love it, my Scud I do.

FWIW my use of the scud is road only, I have a challenge car for the track.

 

I wish my life consisted this very tough decision

In all honesty it is actually quite a difficult choice.

In my mind, the 430S is more of a boy toy racer and the 599 is more of a refined luxary car. Neither is a bad choice. A lot of people want the boy toy racer car and a lot of people want more of a refined luxary car. What stage are you at right now?

 

If you can prefer a Scud over 599 but I strongly disagree with most of your other statements:

You are talking about value for money and track toys? To paraphrase you: one can get 90% (if not more) of the track pleasure of the Scud for 15% of the price! Get a Caterham CSR (550kg, 0-100kmh in 3.1 sec etc) and with the money saved get a 997 Turbo for everyday. Who needs a Scud??

You then mention the Conti GT. I recently drove the Speed version (-200kg, +50hp over the regular one) on the Col du Pillion I can assure you that for roughly the same price as the 599 you do not start to get close to 90% of the driving pleasure.

You also mention the 996 turbo which is an absolutely fantastic car and clearly beats the 575 from an overall usability point while still being very, very fast.

What ‘feels’ to you is clearly biased and subjective. Yes, radars and speeding fines in Switzerland have become harsher but whether you got caught in your 575 at 315kmh five years ago or now in a 599 at 330kmh you would still have ended up in prison with a tremendous fine.

Your 575 was as ‘pointless’ five years ago as a 599 is today, come on!