458 Italia no more Manual

FWIW I hear they will actually offer the stick shift as an option after the initial deliveries. You can choose to believe this or not. However, my concern would be that you have a car that is truly developed for the DCT and its 7 forward ratios and I am speculating but pretty sure that the stick would be 6 and therefore would not be the same gearing. I have a stick shift Ferrari but I will think very hard about going to the 458 in either form because I am sure the DCT is amazing (it is in the Cali and on the M3).

 

Not necessarily true. New buyers and used buyers are often different animals. I had a conversation with the local sales manager a few years back who told me he was trying to get more used manual 360's. He said used buyers looking at cars out of warranty were wary of paddle cars and also tended to be more enthusiast oriented which often means they want a traditional stick. New buyers are more likely to fall into the "I must have the latest and greatest" mentality, especially when they don't plan to keep it very long.

In the case of 430's, Ferrari did not build all the manuals it could sell. A local buddy of mine wanted a manual but finally threw in the towel and got a paddle car.

Please excuse me now while I go out to the garage and fondle the stick shift (aka fossil) in my 430.

Dave

 

Supposedly there was to be a 6 speed stick option in Californias also, but I have not seen or heard of one yet and it's been nearly a year. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Dave

 

Am I the only one who thinks paddles are more fun that a stick? And before anyone assumes I'm a cruiser, I'm not. I drive 'em very hard.

 

Not by a long shot.

 

If paddle shifters never existed and only a 3 pedal manual were offered, then every buyer would be forced to take the stick shift. But that isn't the case. Now every buyer is being forced to take the paddling.

Technology is dictating the choices, which are none. You either like it or you don't, or buy a used Ferrari with a stick. I'm sure if you're of enough wealth, Ferrari will make whatever car you want. You can be the only one in the world with a 3-pedal 458.

 

yes I agree

 

We do with the Corvette. The Zo6 and ZR-1 are ONLY sold with a six speed manual. Strange how Chevrolet keeps the 3 pedal tradition going, yet Ferrari is killing it.

 

Long term owners will do great with a 430 manual resale values. No timming belt to replace every 3 years and no BS to deal with on F1 issues. Once the 430 prices start to move sub $100K you will start to have true enthusiast looking with an eye on reduced ownership costs. Service cost have really hurt the 355/348 market. Who wants to spend 20% of the value of their car every 3 years.

 

+1. Exact same thing with steel and carbon brakes.

 

I would be interested to see what a gated 7-speed pattern would look like, or, if they just did a 6-speed w/ an "overdrive" switch/button? Besides, I would seriously doubt anyone having to use 7th gear on the track...unless it's a modern F1 car.
VERY sad day if Ferrari steps away from a manual gearbox...it's "tradition", and there is nothing like hearing the clack of the aluminum gate as you power through the gears

 

looks like that day is the norm

 

I have never even gotten to 6th on a track. It takes a very, very long straight to redline in 5th.

Dave

 

I agree

The polished stainless ball in hand, the gate, the sounds it makes, the way the car is setup and feels through the chassis ..... is now becoming a relic of the past. Not saying the new-tech cars suck and are undesirable, but they are fast diverging from the Ferrari of only a few years ago. And a rather iconic/taken-for-granted feature is being deleted from future history.

It's important to keep this in perspective as change is inevitable. Major change can be, however, hard to accept for many, me included. What is sad mostly is that it isn't even going to be available as an option package. That marks the end of an era literally.

 

Great point, but from what I've read, the new system with the Italia can be popped into auto mode, and you can back it forward and backwards to park just like a *GASP* automatic transmission!

 

Nor will it heat up to scalding temps when the car has been sitting in the sun all day.

 

Pimp my ride!

 

I've never driven a Ferrari, so I can't comment on the experience of either gearbox, but I have to surmise that the purist in me will want a traditional manual when I buy my first F-car.

 

I'll take the flappy paddles, ahthankyou.

Manual gearbox is cool and all that, but on my quarter-million-dollar-plus supercar I want the latest and greatest technology available.

If I want to live in the past I'll buy something from the past, or perhaps just something cheaper.

If Ferrari was in the business of selling "pure" and "traditional" cars, then they would churn out really nice Mazda Miatas, not the high horsepower, windtunnel tested feats of automotive engineering that they create today.

But to each his own.

 

I completely understand this viewpoint, and think it is definitely valid.

On the other hand, I think I'd like the challenge of using a manual in a car as powerful and fast as a modern Ferrari. Not that paddles make tracking a Ferrari a walk in the park, but a manual certainly adds an extra element of technicality that I think would be fun.

 

F1 ****..

I have to admit I have a love for the manual transmissions..I bought a boxster for my father that is a manual, and I have a good time using the manual when driving on twisy roads..

However both the Gransport and modena are F1, and there is something very cool about pulling on the paddles while tearing around curvy roads as well..

It's sad to a point, but I do feel that the paddles can be just as enjoyable

 

The reputation of the Marque is mainly determined by car guys/enthusiast.

When others come into money and they want the cool car of the day they buy a Ferrari based on it's reputation. If the gate shifter goes then so does some of it's reputation with enthusiast.

If we all wanted practical sports cars we'd just buy Corvettes. Can't imagine that they'd eliminate an icon of the brand like that.

IMO Porsche moved from a top tier dream car to own to just an expensive sports car with moves like the 924, the Cayenne etc. Losing the gate shifter is just this type of move that takes some of the Halo effect off the Ferrari brand.

Ferrari will regret this move.

 

+10000

It's all perspective...To me and the generation that follows, an F1 paddle shifted gearbox IS the Ferrari trademark! I mean what's more synonymous with Ferrari than F1?

Ferrari's history is moving race technology to street cars, I really don't understand why so many people scorn this fantastic technology. I agree a 3 pedal car is fun...but as quoted above, I want a Formula 1 shifter in my Ferrari.

I bet 90% of those who criticize the F1 haven't experienced a flat out standing start blast with 60 ms shift times at 8500 rpm...1-2, 2-3, 3-4...just amazing.